In today’s society of so little discretionary time, it is imperative that we are ‘scratching the proverbial itch’ of each individual in our choirs. The challenge, especially when dealing with community or church choirs, is that our choir is a melting pot of so many different personalities, generations, and learning styles. We are all in a tremendous hurry to learn the next piece, refine the old ones, put a program / concert together; we often forget the importance of the rehearsal experience and to instill a love of learning.
In the Barbershop Harmony Society, many subscribe to a theory called the “8 Points to Fun.” This was coined by a beloved member of our organization, Joe Liles. His suggestion is that 6-8 of these occur EACH and EVERY rehearsal. Try it…you will have extreme success!
- Vocal warm up – Prepare each singer physically and mentally…should be led by the most capable vocal technician in the group, but not necessarily the director.
- Group singing – Sing through old repertoire, hymns, patriotic tunes… just for "fun"!
- Craft – Basic musical information, special lessons to be learned.
- Break – Important as a period of relaxation and social interaction.
- Small ensemble activity – Get the singers singing, INFORMALLY with other singers.
- Improvisation – Great ear training and FUN!.
- Business meeting – Introduce guests, make important announcements, etc.
- Chorus rehearsal – The major portion of the rehearsal. Polish repertoire, learn new, and practice performance.
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