Cooking for the Choir: Restorative Recipes (Yes, really!)
We all know that hydration is crucial for healthful singing and vocal stamina, but even the most conscientious water-drinkers may find...
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May 31, 20223 min read
Singing is Athletic: The Importance of Warming Up the Body
I coach a liturgical sports team. Sounds bizarre, right? When we think about it, though, singers really are athletes. Singing (when done...
Sep 22, 20213 min read
Rehearsal Spotlight: The All-Holy
Note: this is the first in a new series of posts focusing on a single choral-liturgical element, with notes about potential pitfalls and...
Sep 20, 20213 min read
Intonation in the Passaggio
Ever notice that intonation problems occur much more frequently on certain pitches? There's a reason for that, and although it's tricky...
Sep 17, 20213 min read
Vocal Fatigue: A Tactical Plan for Holy Week and Pascha
While proper hydration and technique reduce the risk of vocal fatigue during most of the church year, Holy Week and Pascha really test...
Sep 17, 20212 min read
Breath Support Exercise: Lip Trills
Here's a fantastic breath support exercise that will help you practice proper support and identify weaknesses in that area. It may seem a...
Sep 17, 20213 min read
Intro to Appoggio: The Epigastric Bounce
Exhalation is where singers earn their paychecks, so to speak, because this is when the singing actually happens. Among singers, proper...
Sep 16, 20213 min read
Noisy Breathing is Ineffective Breathing
The most effective singing breath is perfectly silent on the way in. Unfortunately, most untrained singers have an instinct to gulp or...
Sep 16, 20212 min read
Developing Breath Awareness
It takes a lot of time for singers to learn proper breathing, but not because it's a novel action; we all breathe constantly, but...
Sep 7, 20212 min read
Accurate Vocal Onset
The vocal onset, or beginning of sound, has a huge impact on the rest of the musical phrase. An accurate onset can only happen when the...
Sep 3, 20214 min read
Vowel Unification
All choirs, especially amateur ensembles singing without instrumental accompaniment, struggle with intonation, and there's no easy fix....
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