VOCALS
Amy Di Nino is a professional music therapist , musician , conductor , and teacher based out of Cambridge , ON . She ’ s fiercely dedicated to music making for personal wellness and staying balanced by eating chocolate ice cream . www . addmusicwellness . com .
Group Singing
By Ami Di Nino
“ O
Canada , we stand on guard for thee .” Singing those words in a venue along with a few thousand other Canadians – who hasn ’ t felt a few goose bumps and a wave of pride ?
When you sing , musical vibrations move through your body , exciting your emotional and physical being . Group singing is the most exhilarating and moving of all . It takes something incredibly intimate , a sound that begins inside you , shares it with a roomful of people , and it comes back as something even more thrilling : harmony . And studies have proven the elation is coming from endorphin and oxytocin chemicals being released while singing . One study even suggests it ’ s possible that our heart rates may sync up during group singing .
Dr . Marta McCarthy , president of Choral Canada and professor at the University of Guelph , perceives group singing as “ personal and evocative ,” and in her 20 years of conducting has often observed choir members shedding a quiet tear in moments of deep personal connection with the words and melody .
Grouping Up Across Canada , there are choirs to satisfy a desire to sing any style of music for any age , ranging from community groups to professional ensembles . Bringing together an array of personalities , voice types and qualities , and varying levels of training to sing as one unifying choir is , as McCarthy observes , “ an inexpensive and enjoyable way to be educated . Where else can you learn to pronounce and understand numerous languages , with a front-row view of the associated cultures , while doing something recreational ? You are musically walking in another person ’ s shoes .”
Tuning Up Singing in a group can produce enjoyment and satisfaction after a day of work or school and typical life stresses . Arriving ready to sing can be challenging some days , but once the rehearsal begins , each singer wants to shift their thinking into “ taking their instrument out of the case ,” just as a saxophone or trumpet player would do .
Mentally , this tunes your focus into the body , and more importantly as a singer , your breath . Dr . Laurier Fagnan , a vocal professor at the University of Alberta , vividly states that “ rather than filling the throat and chest with muscular tension and excessive breath pressure by taking a high , gasping breath , one should think of a blossoming of emptiness and openness in these cavities as the breath drops into the lower part of the lungs .”
Physically , the body must be both relaxed and strong . The idea of your body as a tree elicits the image of a strong core and a desire to use the strength of your whole body to sing . Another imaginative way to encourage an open and conducive singing posture is to imagine that gravity is not only keeping your feet securely on the ground , but that the same force of gravity is pulling you from the crown of your head , “ in order for the entire vocal instrument to be an open conduit for the production of full , bright-warm , focused sound ,” says Fagnan .
Practicing outside of rehearsal is indispensable to learning your notes , and even if your reading skills are rusty or developing , listening to the rehearsal CD and following along with your music is extremely beneficial . Essentially , rehearsals are for learning everyone else ’ s part and how your melody and rhythm intertwine to create the harmony .
Being mindful that coffee and spicy food can be throat irritants and dairy products can increase mucous while singing will benefit your vocal health . A light , healthy meal or snack and lukewarm drinks such as herbal tea or water will soothe the throat and give your body the energy it needs to sing . “ Singing is incredibly athletic , requiring not only remarkable energy outputs and muscular fitness , but also a complex coordination of physical and mental skills ,” says McCarthy . “ When we do these things ‘ in harmony ’ with others , I think we multiply the benefits .”
Extra Benefits As a musician , group singing can transfer over skills into other areas of your professional life . You discover how to listen carefully , how to monitor your sound based on how it feels , and overall , it provides an opportunity to further develop a discriminating ear . Like to travel , meet other musicians , and immerse yourself in other musical cultures ? Choral organizations often take their shows on the road , and tours can take you anywhere in the world . You can also work on reducing your performance anxiety by singing with a group – and then transfer that over to solo singing .
Take Part Learning isn ’ t limited to your own conductor , rehearsal space , and fellow choristers . Attend live concerts . Dr . McCarthy reminds us , “ Just as singing is a multi-faceted phenomenon , so is concert-going . You will learn more than can be explained . Feeling the vibrations of the voices in the acoustic space , witnessing the emotional impact of the repertoire , noticing how the choir members interact among themselves and with their conductor : all of these aspects of the concert are impossible to pick up digitally .” Choral workshops and festivals are increasing in popularity because of the substantial musical wealth choirs and groups receive from guest adjudicators . Podium 2016 , Canada ’ s choral conference , will take place from May 18-22 in Edmonton , AB . For more information , visit www . choralcanada . org and consider becoming a member of one of the eight provincial choral organizations , which join a vast network of advocates for the choral art in addition to the tangible benefits of membership . Participation is on the rise , and it is an electrifying time for group singing in Canada !
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