note: i am both a participant in choir and orchestra. this is just a comparison of the two. these observations to not include all choir singers. i know many amazingly talented and musical people in choir.
just some observations i have noticed...
sometimes i honestly don't consider people in choir to be musicians-- especially choirs that are open to anyone and everyone. no that's not discrimination. well.... maybe it is. but see, the fact is, "choir people" can't count, follow a conductor, think they can sing notes that honestly they can't, and most don't even know how to read notes.
1. counting. come on people, this is a basic part of music. every kind of music has rhythm. it's an essential part of music. the flaw with many choir singers is that they just follow what sounds right, not what the actual rhythm is. especially if it is a familiar song (e.g. hymns, christmas songs) they do not even think to look to see if the arranger has decided to change up the rhythm. in orchestra rhythm is heavily emphasized. really, you have to know how to count. we clap rhythms that most people would look at and then expire on the spot. we have to know how to count to make sure we come in at the right spot, cut off at the right spot and play the right notes at the right time. people in choir, it seems, usually depend on the conductor, or the person next to them, or the basses to get it right. there is little, if any, accountability.
2. hand in hand with counting and rhythm is following the conductor. this may seem contradictory, but in fact it is not. the individual is accountable for counting and reading the music, however when musicality becomes a facet of the music, it is the conductor who leads the way, with the orchestra or choir following. in choir, almost no one watches the conductor. apparently there are much more interesting things on the wall behind him and even on the ceiling. not so in orchestra! we watch the conductor probably 95% of the time. (the other 5% is spent glancing at our music). in a choir where the music is memorized, i feel that all the attention should be given to the conductor. it is he who gives you cues on musicality, rhythm, etc. in orchestra, because we look at the conductor, he has the ability to confidently change rhythm, musicality, or diction, with the knowledge that all the players will follow him. true, this takes practice, but it is possible and should be achieved.
4. there is a disease i like to call sopranitis. this is the inflammation of one's supposed ability to sing high notes. the ability to sing high, and sing high well, is not a talent possessed by many people. this is not because they can't do it, but because they have not had the proper training and they haven't taken the time to practice. true, some people are naturally gifted to sing beautifully those high notes, but for most this talent takes time and practice. so, if you can't sing high- please don't. although you may love belting out those high notes and feeling like some broadway star... let's face it, you sound more like a dying cat.
5. i understand that people just like to sing. and many have no musical training. but if you are serious about being in choir, could you please learn to read notes? not all songs are created equal. just because we are singing Angels We Have Heard on High does not mean it is going to be exactly the same as it is in the hymn book! i don't think you should know everything about note reading, but the basics would suffice. it would really save so much more time in rehearsal.
all in all, i guess this is more a comparison of real musicians vs. false musicians.
thank you for listening to my rant.
just some observations i have noticed...
sometimes i honestly don't consider people in choir to be musicians-- especially choirs that are open to anyone and everyone. no that's not discrimination. well.... maybe it is. but see, the fact is, "choir people" can't count, follow a conductor, think they can sing notes that honestly they can't, and most don't even know how to read notes.
1. counting. come on people, this is a basic part of music. every kind of music has rhythm. it's an essential part of music. the flaw with many choir singers is that they just follow what sounds right, not what the actual rhythm is. especially if it is a familiar song (e.g. hymns, christmas songs) they do not even think to look to see if the arranger has decided to change up the rhythm. in orchestra rhythm is heavily emphasized. really, you have to know how to count. we clap rhythms that most people would look at and then expire on the spot. we have to know how to count to make sure we come in at the right spot, cut off at the right spot and play the right notes at the right time. people in choir, it seems, usually depend on the conductor, or the person next to them, or the basses to get it right. there is little, if any, accountability.
2. hand in hand with counting and rhythm is following the conductor. this may seem contradictory, but in fact it is not. the individual is accountable for counting and reading the music, however when musicality becomes a facet of the music, it is the conductor who leads the way, with the orchestra or choir following. in choir, almost no one watches the conductor. apparently there are much more interesting things on the wall behind him and even on the ceiling. not so in orchestra! we watch the conductor probably 95% of the time. (the other 5% is spent glancing at our music). in a choir where the music is memorized, i feel that all the attention should be given to the conductor. it is he who gives you cues on musicality, rhythm, etc. in orchestra, because we look at the conductor, he has the ability to confidently change rhythm, musicality, or diction, with the knowledge that all the players will follow him. true, this takes practice, but it is possible and should be achieved.
4. there is a disease i like to call sopranitis. this is the inflammation of one's supposed ability to sing high notes. the ability to sing high, and sing high well, is not a talent possessed by many people. this is not because they can't do it, but because they have not had the proper training and they haven't taken the time to practice. true, some people are naturally gifted to sing beautifully those high notes, but for most this talent takes time and practice. so, if you can't sing high- please don't. although you may love belting out those high notes and feeling like some broadway star... let's face it, you sound more like a dying cat.
5. i understand that people just like to sing. and many have no musical training. but if you are serious about being in choir, could you please learn to read notes? not all songs are created equal. just because we are singing Angels We Have Heard on High does not mean it is going to be exactly the same as it is in the hymn book! i don't think you should know everything about note reading, but the basics would suffice. it would really save so much more time in rehearsal.
all in all, i guess this is more a comparison of real musicians vs. false musicians.
thank you for listening to my rant.
bwahahha. good rant. :)
ReplyDeletei 100% agree. there are so many people in choir that really are not musicians. and it is incredibly irritating.
ReplyDelete