The Best Way to Teach Overtone Singing to a Choir
This free video provides all the practical info a director needs to prepare any piece of choral music with overtone singing:
* What you need to know about overtone singing
* The best way to teach overtone singing to a choir
* An outline of activities for the first rehearsal
Here is the link to the video on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/Ke9-shy30ss
StuartHinds says
Thank you so much for your comment! Most of us have heard performances of choral works with overtone singing that weren’t very effective, and I mostly attribute that to an ineffective teaching method.
Many overtone singing teachers use some variant of the approach taught by Sarah Hopkins for her piece “Past Life Melodies.” I have often jokingly referred to it as the “meow method” for the random vowel shifting. I have had some of the best-known teachers of overtone singing tell me unambiguously that they don’t expect the participants who take their workshops to accomplish much in their sessions. Using my method, on the other hand, I expect that most participants in my lessons will be able to bring out overtones on the very first try.
Part of the problem is that many people who practice and teach overtone singing are not doing it for the purpose of making music, but something else – not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it isn’t helpful for choral singing.
Here is the link to my video: Getting Started with Overtone Singing
http://www.stuarthinds.com/getting-started-with-overtone-singing/
or,
https://youtu.be/FQLFrc8XNns
David Topping says
Wow! In only a few minutes with this video (and the “Getting Started with Overtone Singing” video), I was able to unlock some techniques that I had struggled with on and off on my own. That you’re giving away much of your knowledge and techniques is commendable! I’m now a fan, and I just purchased one of your MP3 albums as well, Stuart.
StuartHinds says
Thank you so much for your comment! Most of us have heard performances of choral works with overtone singing that weren’t very effective, and I mostly attribute that to an ineffective teaching method.
Many overtone singing teachers use some variant of the approach taught by Sarah Hopkins for her piece “Past Life Melodies.” I have often jokingly referred to it as the “meow method” for the random vowel shifting. I have had some of the best-known teachers of overtone singing tell me unambiguously that they don’t expect the participants who take their workshops to accomplish much in their sessions. Using my method, on the other hand, I expect that most participants in my lessons will be able to bring out overtones on the very first try.
Part of the problem is that many people who practice and teach overtone singing are not doing it for the purpose of making music, but something else – not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it isn’t helpful for choral singing.
Here is the link to my video: Getting Started with Overtone Singing
http://www.stuarthinds.com/getting-started-with-overtone-singing/
or,
https://youtu.be/FQLFrc8XNns