[musictlk] choir question

[Julie McGinnity]

Hi Kelsey and all,

Interesting discussion.  I will try not to write a novel on this topic
as I have a lot of experience with various choir situations!  :)

I am interested to hear how many of you use assistance from others for
tempo changes and other cues.  I have never done this.  I think once I
did, but it was a smaller ensemble situation.  I have found that if
you listen to the people behind and next to you, you can hear these
things.  Listen to their breathing, their anticipation, and use the
first rehearsals to get used to tempo changes.  Learn to feel them in
your bodies as you blend with others, and they will come naturally.
You may not be perfect at first, especially if you are working with a
particularly difficult piece or a new director, but if you get used to
how your director does things, then you'll begin to feel music the way
he does.  Random tempo changes may be difficult, but they're difficult
for everyone.  If there is something you have trouble with, the people
around you could help.

It might be good to remind the director that if he puts a rehearsal
order up on the board to always speak it out loud.  That way you can
arrange your music accordingly or keep the order in mind as you
rehearse.  Do you keep your music in a binder?  I found that to be the
easiest for me to flip through it quickly.  The most I ever needed
assistance from others was with knowing where we were in a piece,
since I didn't have measure numbers in my Braille at the time.

Please don't think I'm discouraging you from asking those around you
if you need it.  I think it's a great way to gain information, but
know that it's not the only way.  You can use your ears and your sense
of rhythm and intuition to sing successfully as well in a choir
situation.

A note about risors and blind people: if you use a music stand, being
on the top row of the risors may not be ideal.  Also, if you use a
music stand, be sure to have a system in place so that getting it
before concerts isn't more difficult than it needs to be.  I struggled
with that a lot, since my director would forget, refused to let me
handle my own music stand, and then wanted me to rely on others to
find it for me.  Eventually, I came up with my own system.

My choir director at my undergrad was a bit different.  Not only did
he make me go to the top of the risors, but he wouldn't let me when I
asked to go back to the front row.  I asked him because with the music
stand, it was difficult to easily use it without it getting in the
others' way.  When he said no, I accepted that but asked him that if
in class rehearsals I could remain in the front row because I had a
guide dog at the time, and I really didn't want to subject her to the
top row of the risors.  He said for some rehearsals this was fine,
which was unhelpful for planning purposes.  Let's just say I had a
really brave guide dog.  :)  She climbed up there and laid herself on
the top of the risors like a boss.  Oh, and I am barely over five feet
tall, so I have rarely sung at the top of the risors before.  I have
to say I am not a fan.  A lot of my listening intuition abilities were
gone up there, and I found myself coming in at wrong places and being
unable to blend well, which defeated the purpose of him putting me
there in the first place.

Anyway, I wish you luck in your choirs everyone.

On 5/6/14, Ixchel, Jackie <starsandhearts2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Josh and Linda,
> Thank you for the help.
> Jackie
>
> On 5/6/14, Kelsey Nicolay <piano.girl0299 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi Jackie,
>> Please write me offlist.  I think I can help you.  My email
>> address is piano.girl0299 at gmail.com
>> Thanks,
>>
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-- 
Julie McG
National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National
Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary,
Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16