CIRLCES

I should have taken a picture but did not so I'll try to explain our productive choir day with words.

We sang in a a circle! In multiple circles!  WOW What a difference does this make!  Well first of all my high school kids were really productive today and hard working and they even asked questions! YES QUESTIONS!!! WOW!! I was so proud of them today!

I had each part stand in a circle. Ended up with 4 circles in the room (standing).  Sopranos sang to sopranos and altos sang to altos..... Its amazing what is heard when you stand in a circle.  If we could perform concerts in a circle I would do that in a heart beat!  It really helps them hear their own part when they are segregated in this way. AND it helps when we are in one big circle as well.  I think I might try mixing them up next week. Try having the sopranos and the altos in one big circle and not standing by a person that sings their part. They should still be able to hear their part but not close by.  I don't know if the boys are ready for that challenge yet. They are still getting their notes learned!  


Since that was so successful with the high schoolers I thought I would try it for the rest of the day. I had my 4th graders next and they are learning a 3 part song with the 3rd graders. So I had each part stand in their own circles and it seemed to work well!

THEN I tried it with my select middle school group! THIS DID NOT WORK!  My sopranos loved it, my altos struggled... A LOT... and my basses well they always struggle. Its hard to figure out how to sing in the process of growing for those boys!   I don't know what happened but it seemed like if one person got off then the whole section did.  I guess I don't have a strong enough confident leader in that section to lead them in the right direction.  A bunch of followers we got there.  They did better when I sang their part beside them and when I played all 4 parts on the piano.  Maybe it was just the day.  We will have to go back to a big circle with this group I guess.


I use one big circle many times in all my choir rehearsals. It really helps to be able to hear what everyone is doing.  Listening is the most important aspect when it comes to choirs.  My Mixed Octet sang the national anthem in a circle at a volleyball game and it was AMAZING! They blended and sang so well with each other. I'm tellin' ya if people didn't care about visuals in a concert I would have all my choirs sing in a circle.