I’m writing a resource sheet for school teachers who have barbershop groups at their schools and need to take the first step into changing their singing style from a cappella to barbershop. Here’s the gist of my tips on interpretation
Want to stay in pitch?
Make sure that as you transition through the vocal line, each successive vowel is LIFTED into the vowel space under your hard palette, not allowed to fall into the jaw. To feel the difference, try singing (on one note) “we
Growth Mindset
Just read a great article on how different mindsets affect achievement. The Growth Mindset is one where intelligence and ‘talent’ are recognized as requiring a lot of effort and hard work to bring to fruition. A Fixed Mindset believes that
The Lost Art of Breathing In
I’d have to say that THE most common breathing problem I encounter in one-on-one vocal lessons (and quartet coaching) is inadequate or faulty inhalation. People seem forget how to breathe in (something fairly vital and unconscious) once they start singing.
Building Unit Sound
Here’s one way of looking at Unit Sound. Listening Skills provide the foundation to all good ensemble singing. You need good ears to hear and adjust to the others in the group, but you’ll find that as you get better
Lead, nee Baritone
A really good way of fast-tracking the transition from a harmony part to Lead is to get your lead to sing your songs by themselves, in front of you. It may feel a bit embarrassing/scary at first, but you’ll get
Learning Songs – Mark Your Target Vowels
Want to get a step ahead and learn your songs at the level you’d like to sing them? There are a couple of easy things you can do to improve your chances of success, and all they require is preparation
Spelling Vowels
The key here is BE CONSISTENT. Whatever you choose as your example words, make sure vowels are never spelt with more than one vowel (EE is the same vowel twice, so that’s OK, but AY is not – that’s a
New Music, New Level?
Have you ever noticed that skills you’ve spent the last 6 months drumming into your contest songs appear by themselves (at least to some degree) in the new song you started last week? It’s true, learning new songs is an
New Quartet? Learning Songs
After the initial fun of finding a name and a couple of songs to sing, many inexperienced and some semi-experienced quartets have difficulty translating that enthusiasm into a fantastic educational momentum that can mean the difference between a long-term success