Looking forward to travel day

posted by Ruth Butterfield-Winter

Today is Tuesday. Yesterday was our last rehearsal before our trip to Spain to compete in the Tolosa Choral Festival in the Basque region of Spain. I have never been out of the USA (except for Canada) so this is very exciting to me. Several of the Choral Project members are world travelers and have toured with this choir or other choirs, so they look at me and say, "It's no big deal." Well, it is a big deal to me. How much money should I bring? What clothes should I pack? I don't want to look like a tourist. Should I try to see the sights, or focus on the music I need to sing? Why can't I do both? Am I going to bond with my colleagues more than I have in the past 5 years I've sung with this group? Will I find out things I wish I hadn't known? Will I do something out of character that will be something people laugh at when they see me in the future? Wow! I can't wait to find out.

All the competition music is memorized and needs just a few concentrated fine tuning sessions. All the tour music is ready to sing. My health is at it's peek. I am so ready.

Singing in a Foreign Language

contributed by: Ruth Butterfield-Winter

When I say "foreign language" I mean a language that you know nothing about. I'm not talking about singing in French when you studied French in high school and know how to say "Would you like to walk with me tonight?" I'm talking about singing in a language like Euskara.

How do you do it? Do you assign IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) symbols or phonetic notations (only understood by you), to each note, with it's associated dynamic, phrasing and rhythm? Is it just repetition? Or, do you transliterate the text from the original language to your own native tongue? Do you trust the loosely translated English written for singing purposes underneath the original text in the music?

It's probably just like memorizing. Different people have different methods. Some people even believe that learning a song with a foreign language is easier than learning a song with text in their native tongue.

Starting small and building up to whole phrase

Everyone knows that sentences can be phrased: "I have two cats." That is a sentence. You can emphasize different parts of the sentence to do what we call "phrase" the sentence. Emphasize "I," in the sentence and you turn all attention to "I." Emphasize "cats," and all of the sudden, no one will doubt that you are not talking about dogs. You can also emphasize "two" by taking time to say it and say it hesitantly and very soft. These are some ways to phrase a sentence. In music you can do the same thing.

Les trois souris aveugles

Think of the tune that goes to "Three Blind Mice." Now, think of the first three words and notes: "Three blind mice," start on the E right above middle C. The notes are: E, D, C, right?

Of course, "Three blind mice" is hardly a sentence, and the motif of E,D,C is not terribly interesting, but if you apply the same exercise to these three words and notes as we did in the previous "I have two cats." exercise, you will see that you can create some pretty amazing dynamics by changing the emphasis or building intensity to "mice" or emphasizing "Three" and making "blind mice" softer. The possibilities are endless.

Note by note, phrase by phrase, know what you are singing

So now to the foreign phrases. Every phrase of music is structured carefully by the composer. If the composer has set some text to the music, he (or she) either knows the language or has studied it enough to know what makes sense in terms of phrasing and rhythm. As singers, we need to trust the composer and follow the guidelines written in the music. This is where, learning phrase by phrase comes in.

Just as if you were learning a dance step, you need to be able to move from one note to the next with ease. After you can sing two notes with the syllables attached, try adding the next note and syllable. Try singing the second and the third, then the second then the third. Put the three together. Add the fourth note and syllable now. Sing the third and the fourth in a repeated pattern. Sing the second, third and fourth. Practice slowly and accurately, while slowly speeding the tempo until you get it to a comfortable speed.

Don't forget that you are telling a story.

Do you know what you are singing? Literally? You should know what you are saying literally and what the phrase means in your language. You will be able to tell the story as if it is your own to tell. You should also study the other parts, especially when you are singing choral music since sometimes the text dove-tails between the voice parts. But, this also applies when you are singing art songs and arias. Many times the orchestral part or piano part will have different colors and textures that enhance the story you are telling with your song. You, as a singer, will be captivating if you play on all the magic available to you.

Extaordinary does not come easily.

Some people think singing is easy. I think singing well is one of the most difficult disciplines. Not only are you the instrument that makes the beautiful sound; that requires many, many hours of practice and dedication to craft, but you have to be able to sing in tune. You also need to sing so that no matter what you sing, if a person in the audience understands the language you are singing, they should be able to understand every word and overall meaning or picture you are portraying. Even if the person in the audience does not understand the language you are singing, they still should hear the story that you are telling.

With a musical instrument, all you need to do is tell a story with the phrasing and accurate notes, dynamics and rhythm. There are no words. Words put a whole new dimension into the mix. Especially when you are singing in a language that is not familiar to you, you need to be all the more diligent in practicing the art.

Summer is Over!

(contributed by: Ruth Butterfield-Winter)

So... I don't want it to end. Even though I still had a pretty structured schedule during the Summer, there was a sense of freedom; no school, lots of people vacationing so the commute was a bit lighter. There was more sunlight to go hiking and swimming and walking the dog (even though I don't have a dog - I can dream). It almost feels like there was more time in the day, well, in fact there was, if you define the day as the time when there is day light! (I went to Kaua'i.)

Ah well, The Choral Project resumed it's rehearsal schedule last Monday night and it was so nice to see everyone and meet a few new singing members. The sound of the choir is as amazing as I remember. The director, Daniel Hughes, greeted us with his usual brilliance and encouragement. Even during this first rehearsal of sound matching; to discover where the singers should stand or which part within the section they should sing, the choir took off like a bird soaring to only imagined realms.

We are preparing for a very prestigious competition in Spain late in 2011. (I will write more about that later.) Also we have a Season full of challenging repertoire to highlight the 15th Anniversary of The Choral Project's existence. This is a big year and we are all very excited.

To top it off, the Marketing Manager for The San Jose Choral Productions, Kathleen Kuebelbeck, has redone The Choral Project web site to include information about all three of the choral groups under the SJCP organization. It has not be revealed yet, but from all the buzz, I'll bet it looks gorgeous. And if you are confused, everything will be clear very, very soon.

Stay tuned ...

Summer Music Festivals!

(posted by: Ruth Butterfield-Winter)

So, it's now time for Summer Music Festivals. If you haven't signed up to participate in one of the many events and festivals around the country and the world, it might be too late. But it's not too late to plan to attend one. All you have to do is type "summer music festival" in your browser's search engine and you'll seen a whole list of possibilities.

What's so great about Summer Music Festivals?

Well, a lot of them offer performances of great internationally known artists who perform with local artists and the concerts are often free. Many of the concerts are staged in nature, complete with wind and rain if the weather decides to join in. Often, the performances are casual, so you get to see the personality of the performers more transparently than if you were to attend a formal performance in a concert hall. Also, you may get to sit very close to the stage, which allows you to see the music, feel the breath, and taste the sweat (not literally, most times) of the performers.

Sound fun so far?

How about attending master classes with the great artists? Have you ever wondered how a great artist thinks? You know what; they think like anyone else. They can translate what they think into action and project their thoughts and feels through their skill and talent to the audience. Going to a master class of a great operatic baritone may give you insights into how you can hone your own skill. Whether it's landscaping, graphic design, computer programming or housekeeping, you may learn how to approach your own profession by using the principles you hear during a master class. It could happen.

What would you say if you could actually read music with an internationally know artist? It would be like playing tennis with Pete Sampras! OK, it probably wouldn't be too much fun for him, but it would be a thrill for me. (stuff to tell my grandkids, or anyone who will listen....)

Usually Summer Music Festivals happen in places that have a lot of other cultural attractions. Going to Aspen, CO for the Music Festival may open your world up to a pottery studio that enhances your outlook on shape & form. You may see a play or eat a kind of cuisine only authentically found in that town. ... exciting stuff ...

Think about it, if you've never been to a Summer Music Festival. If you have, which one is your favorite? Have you ever been lucky (fortunate) enough to share or play with a great musician or artist? If so, tell me about it.

Always Perform For Your Favorite Audience!

posted by Ruth Butterfield-Winter

Have you ever performed to a crowd of thousands, even 10's of thousands? I am not surprised if you have. What a thrill that is. The accomplishment of working an entire program or set of music out in the practice studio and presenting it to a crowd where you absolutely know people in the audience get what you are trying to say with your art. It's beyond words, it's exhilarating, it's worth every bit of sweat, tears, blood, sacrifices and curses for your gift.

Now, think about this: Have you ever worked so hard on a program that you know it will no doubt change the world as you know it? The concert date approaches and you realize that half your friends have other gigs, your family is out of town on vacation and you were so busy practicing that you forgot to send out the notices to churches, distribution lists and local media. OH NO, your manager (if you have one) dropped the ball too! The audience is going to be minuscule. Maybe, if it's cold, someone will come in just for the shelter from the elements.

Let me ask you... Would you present your art, your songs, your playing, your performance any differently with one person in the audience, then you would with thousands?

It's only natural to throw up your hands and say, "What's the point? Nobody is going to hear this. That one person couldn't possible understand the intellectual and technical skill I am presenting. At least with 50 people in the audience, at least one will get it."

I say, every time we sing, rehearse, play, paint, write, whatever the skill is, we should perform, or at least strive to execute, at the level we would if the most influential person in your life, living or dead, were in the audience.

For me, that special influential person is Dr. Vladimir Sokoloff (pictured with me sitting at the piano), my piano teacher at The Curtis Institute of Music in Phila- delphia. We had weekly student recitals and I seemed to be on most of them, since I was a Chamber Music/Accompanying major. Dr. Sokoloff was in the audience every for concert. He would take a seat in the back row near the left hand exit. He was very proud of his students, but praise from him was extremely rare. If he liked what you had done; and man, you knew when you did well even before he came up after the concert, he would say, "Not bad." You could breath easy after that because you knew you were golden for at least an hour, or until the next lesson.

Dr. Sokoloff died in 1997. But still, when I prepare for a concert I think of him and what he would say. I perform for my favorite audience because I imagine that he is sitting in back row, near the exit, listening to every phrase, every note, every nuance. After all, he was one of the many people who inspired me and taught me how to use my gift.

I think we should strive to perform for our favorite audience, whatever that audience may be. You really never know who you are touching, or inspiring. It may even turn out to be yourself.

Do you have a favorite audience? Let me know.

Memorizing Music is EASY!

posted by Ruth Butterfield-Winter

"...easy for me." says the veteran chorister of 30 years. "For gosh sake, I've done it for 30 years. I don't know how I did it, but the Choir Master say we had to, so I did."

OK, some people cheat and have the music and words sort of memorized by the dress rehearsal, and then they rely on those with super powers and fake it as they watch the mouthed words go by...

I'm talking about: "How do you really memorize music and words and make them your own?"

So, I got a lot of responses from a recent survey I did. A lot of people say that it's relatively easy for them to memorize music and words. Some people say that they memorize the music first with all of the dynamics and rests and pitches. Then they put the words to the music and that seems to work for them. Others say that the words are usually the most difficult thing to memorize, especially if they are in a language that is foreign to them. Others say that pitches and words are no problem, it's the dynamics, rhythm and the cut-offs/rests that are the most difficult to memorize.

As with everything:

1. practice makes perfect and
2. everyone has different ways of accomplishing this.

Practice makes perfect:

If you learn a song correctly the first time and then take it apart phrase by phrase and learn those phrases, after a while it will be memorized. If you learn how to memorize, the next time will become easier. It takes longer for some people to retain information. That's OK, you will learn about yourself in the process and what works best for you. So learning how to memorize and then practicing the method that works for you, will make you a better "memorizer."

Different ways to memorize:

• 3X5 cards with the words, road map, dynamics, cues, funny faces (i.e. pucker for a richer sound here), etc... anything to help you remember.
• Speak the text, phrase by phrase.
• Sing the phrase several times.
• Memorize the text without music.
• Speak the rhythm of your part.
• Record your part on piano and sing along with it in the car.
• Run a difficult passage 10 times while walking to the mailbox
• Listen to the song and sing along.
• Try writing the words out on paper without looking at the music.

This will take some people 20 minutes and others 3 weeks. Persistence is key!

What do you think? Do you have any tips for us out here who are struggling with memorizing?

Afterthought: I tend to put off memorizing until the last minute and then I'm frantically trying to "cram" for the concert. "...not good at all," says my sensible side.

It takes time to memorize, and like anything that is worth it; it's not easy for most people.

Memorizing Music!

posted by Ruth Butterfield-Winter

So, our choir director asked us to memorize 5 pieces for the next concert. If I were to take a guess, I would say, 15-20% of choir members would say, "...and, your problem is... ?" Probably another 45-50% would say, "I don't like memorizing, but I'll do it, if the director says to...," But, I'll bet the rest of the choir members out there, would say, "WHY?" "I don't memorize well." We like the comfort of having the music and words; don't forget the dynamics and phrasing marks penciled-in during rehearsals, right in front of us. So, when the director, a.k.a. "God" says, "You Must Memorize These Pieces," you just have to find it in yourself to do it, or face the possibility of being the only one with a folder up during the concert.

Memorizing pieces has been a tradition and practice of performance forever. When a concert artist performs a solo for an audience, the audience sees that the performer really knows (or doesn't know) the material. The piece becomes part of the performer. The performer relays the story, emotions, pictures, triumphs and defeats as if they are his or her own blood and soul. To know a piece of work so well that you can play it from memory, means that it is originating, in some form, from you. It is authentic, real. If you are reading the notes of a song from the page of music, you are just mouthing words and singing the corresponding pitches, while following the composer's instructions, with the guidance of a conductor or music director, if you're lucky enough to have one. Is that worth it to an audience?

On the other hand, some music is complicated and written for an ensemble of instruments or vocal parts (or both). It is traditional to have music in front of you. Very rarely, will you see a string quartet play without music on their stands. Yes, granted, it happens, but not often. Likewise, if you go to an orchestra concert, everyone, including the conductor, has music on their stands, even the triangle player! Sometimes, you'll see a conductor conduct a major work from memory, but usually, there is music for everyone.

So why on earth would a choir director want an ensemble of voices to memorize pieces?


Well, in my opinion (and you have the opportunity to comment below and tell me what you think), a choir is like a solo instrument with many parts, like a magnificent living pipe organ that can mouth words. A choir is a living being made up of individual glorious sounds which work together to sound as one solo instrument. When a choir, as a whole, is singing without music, it shows that the music and story, the emotions and beauty is originating from the body of sound as a vibrant entity. The audience connects directly to the music, instead of being blocked by noisey page turns and eyes that constantly move down to the page and back to the director and down again.

But what of the more complicated pieces? ...for instance, Mozart's Requiem or Handel's Messiah? In my opinion, with larger works, or complicated and longer works, memorizing is not the best option. It's probably because I'm used to seeing choirs singing larger works, with orchestra, perform with the music. Maybe the reason choirs use the music with orchestral works, is because the orchestra is using music and the look of the picture is better for the audience if everyone holds music.

What do you think? Next time, we'll talk about how to memorize. There are several techniques and I'd love to get your imput on that.