Expectations of the Music Director

Everyone in Harmony! For all members, guests, and anyone, everyone singing with the Cheshiremen Chorus.

Having expectations and having everyone “on the same page” allows the chorus to sing well and thrive as an ensemble!

From the Director - Information and Expectations – 2023-2024

IMPORTANT! Please read this entire document.

I would like to thank you for joining us and to compliment you on your interest in our chapter and for desiring to participate in what we do on Tuesday nights and beyond. I want to share important information and highlight some of the expectations I have for your tenure with the chorus and to help you understand some guidelines for your preparedness and my goals for our evenings together.

I want us to sing more and have fun together! This is more possible in an environment where we all come prepared and know what sort of things will make meetings work for everyone. I feel we have developed a cooperative atmosphere that allocates time for hard work, questions, and finding answers that allows us to be better singers and truly enjoy the improved results. We need to find opportunities to take what we do on Tuesday nights into our community and share the joy of barbershop singing in more places. When we’re showing that we’re having a good time and especially when we’re singing well, we will grow our chapter in quality, membership, and renown.

Skills Assessment

Your first visit with the chapter will include an opportunity to engage in a private voice-placement session with the director or assistant or section leader. The ability to match pitch is the primary requirement to open the possibility for participation. We will initially sort you into a part or section based on your ability to sing in a certain register, read music, or experience. Assignment to a single section (Tenor, Lead, Baritone, or Bass) may be changed by conference and consideration with the director. We need singers! We provide constant coaching to help improve your vocal techniques. Skills assessments will be revisited periodically and personal coaching recommendations provided.

Resources

It is not possible to be just a Tuesday night barbershopper in Keene! We’ve made efforts to provide you with sheet music and learning tracks whenever possible. These are accessed on our website from the Learning Resources part of our member’s area. I strongly recommend that you not only get what you need but please look around the site for some history, our calendar, and events information (ours and other groups) as well as find interesting articles relating to our craft or links to our North-Eastern District and the Barbershop Harmony Society. The Cheshiremen have a Facebook presence and even more can be found online there as well as the ability for you to share our events and more with you friends and families. If anything is ever unclear or you have trouble finding what you need, please ask!

Music

This may not be stated more emphatically than this: It is your responsibility to go to the member’s section of our website under “Learning Resources” and download sheet music and learning tracks for repertoire and new show music. You must print your own music and while needed, before it is committed to memory for performances, you are responsible for bringing the sheet music to rehearsals. It is a good practice to make multiple copies for home, car, and your Tuesday night bag as well as a copy or two for the other fellow that may have forgotten his.

Memorization

It is extremely important to know that the chorus maintains an annual repertoire of up to 20-25 songs that are required to be fully memorized. Seasonally, we will cycle many songs out for a time and add 8-10 additional songs leading up to our annual Holiday Concert. I recognize that members have different methods for learning music. Some only read to commit things to memory, others listen to audio tracks, most combine the two. Do whatever works best for you but the goal is to be off-music as soon as possible so that our rehearsals are presentation and performance-ready exercises.

Preparation

Don’t sing yet! Read your music like a book. Become familiar with the sheet music roadmap (if there are second refrains or DS al Coda’s, repeats, or optional tags), read the words, understand or embrace the story or message in the lyrics and make note of areas that seem either difficult (like key changes) or important (like a twist or emphasis in the story or in the musical arrangement).

Again, don’t sing yet! Listen to the music tracks while reading the music. Hear what you know will be fun or maybe challenging. Mark your sheet music to highlight these things. Keep in mind that these are what are important, difficult, or interesting to you. The director will let you know what he’s looking for when we start putting it all together in rehearsals.

Now sing! Given some incubation time and methods above, you will be ready to sing (softer than the teaching media) and be ready for Tuesday night. Repeat your practice sessions not fewer than 3-5 times per week, eventually getting off music altogether. When you can sing through the song without music and seem to match the singer on the teaching track, you are ready. Don’t forget, there are vocal warmup exercises posted on our website too.

Remember, teaching tracks are usually note and lyrically correct but almost always they will differ from what the director will seek for the final interpretation or carry a different tag version than has been chosen for our performances. That said, the sooner you are off music and know the notes and words, the sooner you will leave the teaching media behind and begin to reinforce what will evolve together in chorus rehearsals.

Tuesday

Tuesday is here. What can you do to be ready for 6:30pm? Drink water often throughout the day. Every day for sure, but hydrating before singing for an extended time will keep you healthy and ready. Do breathing exercises throughout the day. Take deep, meaningful, and progressively longer times to inhale, hold, and exhale. You are preparing your instrument for your regular Tuesday night recital.

Please be on time but better yet, come early, socialize, help set up the room, sing, make a quartet – even if it’s just for that night. Sing tags, take a shot at the new music, show your prowess on established repertoire. Have fun! The doors to our venue are open at 6:00pm and we must vacate by 9:00pm, or so.

What follows are some meeting/rehearsal highlights, not necessarily in order but these are the goals for participation and inclusion on Tuesday nights:

Decorum

Decorum, etiquette, protocol, ritual. These concepts are not new, but we’ve recently renewed our commitment to establishing a professional quality teaching and learning environment. We’re still able to have a good time when we’re making sure that the people who are charged with being up front or the members at large that have been recognized to speak among us are given clear airtime to be heard and understood. An occasional poke or quip is fun for all, but please take care to not offer color commentary at virtually every opportunity. Although some will find it amusing, others have complained they find it distracting or rude. If a conversation is urgent or necessary during rehearsal or meeting times, please be sure to leave the rehearsal room and close the doors.

Breathing & Stretching Warmups

Why, you say? I’ve been doing everything I was asked all day. Well, maybe so but not everyone in the room may have prepared as much. We do stretching and breathing first to shake out the worries and tensions of the day. We get into a rhythm together, slowly merging into the “uni-mind” that will forge us into a chorus for the evening. The more we do this together, the shorter it will take to get to that great moment when we begin singing (and harmonizing) together. Try to keep it mostly quiet and at a minimum, please be respectful of the man in front leading the exercises. This is a pre-game workout. We’re developing a mindset to propel the progress we will make during the rest of the evening.

Interval Warmups

After a while, when the facilitator seems to feel we’re ready, musical intervals will be introduced. The familiar 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Maybe do, re, mi, fa, sol (solfege), in unison, all in the same voice, same vowels, same vocal register. We’re not capable nor ready to harmonize unless we start on the same “page” by accurately singing the same notes. Remember, the object isn’t to show that you know how to count or sing “do, re, mi,” or imitate “ah’s” and “ee’s”. Your warmup coach is trying to get the whole room of men into the same key. Sing softly enough to be able to hear the other men around you; even better, to hear the guys across the room too. Sing without facial or muscle stiffness. Relax, open wide. Use a lot of air when you sing.

Harmonizing

Finally! We’ll show you how to “take a barbershop chord” and then we’ll probably move that chord up and down by half-step intervals. Your coaches will be looking for a nice blend, no part any stronger than another. No pop-out voices who are louder or brassier than the rest. Warm vowels, gentle singing. Listen for the lock when balanced chords ring. That’s when you and your coaches begin to smile! To see if we’ve adopted our harmonizing habits, we may sing an easy or familiar song before we move to the risers.

Repertoire Review

At these times, we take to the risers to perform established repertoire. This is the opportunity to give 110% and show the director that you’ve got this. This is indeed a performance and you should remember to do “down the tiles” and exercise the parade rest stance between songs and practice the turn-in on the starting tuning notes and chords and some flourishes and held postures at the ends of songs. Here we introduce Choral Position 1 – a standing ready-to-perform stance, great singing posture and a visual and bodily involvement while at rest or singing. When we review songs that are already in repertoire, it is an opportunity to make them better or work out some kinks that crept in since the last time we sang together but mostly to reinforce the way we’ve chosen to perform them, harmonically and visually. Don’t forget to hold your pose after the cut-off until the director releases you to go back down the tiles.

Mark’s “FIVE”

In keeping with the item above, the director demands a minimum of 5 seconds of absolute silence after the final note or cutoff. While you have been singing, he will be processing many things that will need to be complimented, prioritized and corrected, or chosen to let go for that moment. It is a necessary courtesy to give the man tasked with the job of making you look and sound great the opportunity to go first! An additional 5 seconds or more of quiet should be allowed after compliments or corrections to let members process the information.

Recording

It is strongly encouraged for you to record rehearsals (any available MP3 recorder, cell phone, etc.) so that you can refer back to those recordings for the flow and interpretation that is being taught live. I try to be consistent but keep and refer to your most recent personal recordings and leave the older ones alone.

Section Leader “Moments”

At any time, a section leader can request to be recognized to have a “Lead moment” or a “Tenor moment” etc. to have a brief huddle with his section to advise or correct something or seek advice from the director on notes, words, or musical interpretation. These miniature breakout sessions should be limited to fewer than 2 minutes and can lead to needing to working things out during section rehearsals.

Chorus Chair Session

When not on the risers, the chorus often works on music while seated. This is usually for newer songs and with sheet music in hand. While singing in chairs, Choral Position 2 is preferred – sitting without your back against the chair, keeping an elevated upright torso, and feeling like CP1 only seated. There is quite a ‘discount’ in the quality of singing while seated compared to standing so apply all the best craft that you can in your posture to be able to sing well. If you choose to stand, do not obstruct the view of the director for anyone behind you or stand off to the side if possible. Choral Position 3 is your chance to kick back and sit however you like while business meetings occur or longer topics are covered.

Business Meeting

This time allocation is an integral and very important part of our regular Tuesday gatherings. Each of the chapter officers will be given time to report on their respective duties and goals or recap follow-up items from past weeks. Announcements and content that occur during the business meeting require prior approval by the president. It’s fun to offer the “one clap” when the man takes center to begin his presentation and again when he is finished. Most of the topics covered should not be new; these things are covered in much greater detail in print or via email. Please watch for email broadcasts and newsletters for performance dates, arrival and sing times, and even maps to the events. The more involved or evolving topics may need just a quick polling of the membership or a show of hands so that the result can be incorporated into the further planning of the event or become decided and the result put into future broadcast emails.

Breaks

Whenever it is time for a well-deserved break, go for it! Grab some water, head for the restroom, get some fresh air, take your chances on buying some 360 Fund 50/50 tickets, or just relax. We try to have at least one 7-10+ minute opportunity to gather some wind or thoughts. Occasionally, when we’re working really hard on our music the break might dissolve or become forgotten but please, take time when you need it to sit or leave the room for personal reasons. There is not a lot of time here for lengthy private-asides but it’s a good time to check in with anyone that you want to see after the meeting is over.

Section Rehearsal

Here is the opportunity to work out part-specific challenges or techniques especially for working through new music or even putting some corrections on our stock tunes. Your section leader will have the group move to a separate room, typically outside the large rehearsal space. We’re sharing a building with many folks working late hours, so we’re making sure we are choosing rooms that are not too close to offices and meeting rooms that are in use by others. While in section rehearsal you will hear only your part and go over your music several times to master key changes and more. Sometimes another vocal part may join you to help highlight duets or special harmonies or musical moves that your part and the other may have to accomplish together. Once section rehearsal time is over, the director will gather everyone together and put it all together, usually with great and wonderful improvement over the last effort! That’s what it’s all about!

Closing the Meeting

At this time, we gather from any divided section rehearsals, meetings, etc. and sing our final song of the evening with the chorus. It is almost always the song “Keep the Whole World Singing” and it’s message reminds us why we keep coming together to lift our voices in song and the message echoes the general mission statements of the society and our chapter. Remember, these are the last notes of the evening so make them good, even if you are tired or troubled. It will help you re-center and will help the men around you leave on a good note too!

After the Meeting

This is a great time to socialize, get clarifications on business meeting topics, arrange for carpooling to events, and hopefully to have some snacks, and we shouldn’t need to mention, do some more singing!

Be sure to help clean up, put away our risers, and reset the chairs and tables to be sure all the room exits are clear. Give the hosts for the evening time to set out the snacks in the kitchenette and munch and chat as long as you like. There are plenty of rooms for finding space to have some planned or impromptu meetings or for singing.

Riser-Buddies / Phone a Friend

We’ve reminded the membership that everyone should seek a riser-buddy. Nobody should have to go it alone so with a friend that will check on you when you don’t come or will check in with you during the week to see if everything is ok, we’ll keep better track of each other and find ways to get together and share the whole experience of barbershopping. Please be sure to exchange phone numbers with another member or two and remember to check in during the week.

“Why Not Always?”

Occasionally you will hear me say “why not always?” which is a borrowed philosophy that essentially means that I may have recognized a problem and provided an illustration of the issue as well as a solution that we have found mutually acceptable, or I have reminded us of a topic, coaching, or vocal technique that works. So, why not always commit to the method or correction? Do the good things, always! Singing consistently well is always my goal for our chorus and I expect to see all of my effort and energy mirrored in your performance while we enjoy making four-part harmony together!

In Closing

So, you want to sing with us? You can! I encourage you to let us help you find your voice and a place on the risers with the Cheshiremen Chorus. We make our meetings inclusive, educational, and fun. Every Tuesday carries an open invitation for men that can and like to sing to join us for our chapter meeting and rehearsal and enjoy our commitment to keep the whole world singing!

We are so fortunate that our chapter is comprised of men from all walks of life, faiths, careers, and ages. It is in this diversity that we find and capitalize upon a common goal in our desires to become better singers and to discover that little bit of something extra that inspires us to perform enticing traditional harmonies through the personal and portable medium of barbershop singing.

Let me offer my time and a genuine willingness to help to you. I am very approachable and want to know what you like, what you are thinking, and I especially want to hear about anything I can do to make your time with us exciting and fun. If you want vocal coaching, let’s make a time to get together and sing one on one. It will be a good time and very productive too.

Thank you for being here and let’s make a habit of coming regularly and singing together!

Mark R. Brosseau

Music Director

Keene chapter SPEBSQSA, Inc. - The Cheshiremen Chorus

v. 2019-0501