Friday
Coach Schwarzkopf
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March 14, 2006 after another break for Valentine's Day Quartet performances and out-of-towners back to rehearsal Forest Hills Presbyterian Church in Cascade Mi.
We were coached by Music Judge Raymond Schwarzkopf. Here's excerpt's from CHORUS NOTES Editor, & Chorus Manager : John Trestrail (Lead)...
(1) Every vowel sung is a slight modification of the shape of the "O" vowel.
(2) Make a circle by touching the tip of your thumb with the tip of your 2nd finger. This is the size of your vocal megaphone. Singing within this space will stop over articulation. Singing is within this space. Everything from there on up (eyes) is "Broadway"!
(3) When emoting a song's lyrical story, when you are seeing something show it with your eyes, when you are hearing something show it with your ears, and when you are thinking something show it with your mind. This helps to tell the story to the audience.
(4) Barbershop is three parts revolving around the "melody"! It is not necessarily three parts revolving around the Leads! The ownership of the melody changes in the song and is given and taken back by various parts. Always know with whom you are dueting. For those who are not musicians, the ownership of the melody should be pointed out by those in the know when the song is first presented. Everyone should be able to sing the melody, so that they know how their part properly is to revolve around it.
(5) Directors should not "mouth" the lyrics when they are directing. And their hand movements should be not overdone. Follow their hands.
HANDING OFF THE MELODY
Although the leads often have the melody they don't always. Here the coach has us standing in a circle listening for when which parts need to back off to hand off the melody.
MUSIC MEN
Some of our members are playing the quartet in the musical Music Man at the Civic Theater in Grand Rapids, MI. demonstrating to the chorus.
