ISLAND CITY CHORUS

GREATER MONTREAL CHAPTER

SPEBSQSA Inc.

The Little Chorus that could!

MINI PITCH

Date: December 2, 2002

The singout at Steiger Residence will be taking place Monday evening. All those who wish to participate will arrive at Église Ste-Sixte at 6:00 PM. We will warm up, and go together to the Steiger Residence.

We will be singing for a primarily Jewish audience, so we will sing Eight Candles and other songs chosen from our current repertoire.

• Care about doing the best you can do. The intention to do well increases the quality of your attention. Attention to the task is a major determiner of success.
• Listen to the selection all the way through, in order to get a sense of the whole. Listen for the song's structure, its melodic line, its harmonic pattern, its word meanings, its word sounds, and its emotional content. Imagine body expression that matches what you hear.
• Find an efficient way of returning to the song's beginning point: one song per tape, counting the time to rewind, taping in both directions, etc.

• Listen without singing until each note as it comes, is not surprising but expected.
• See the rise and fall of the notes as you hear them. Move your hand up and down to the notes' rise and fall. Watch the music if appropriate.
• When each note is expected before you hear it, start to sing along softly so that the recording predominates. Continue this way until your voice matches the words and notes of the recording. Repeat until every word sound, note and breath is the same.
• Attend to tempo, quality and volume so that the recording is leading your learning and your voice is "inside" the sound of the recording. Follow rather than lead.
• Now start turning the balance control to begin eliminating your part and hearing more and more of the other parts. If your player has no balance control, use a headset and place the earphone away from your ear.

• Work in a time frame of 10-15 minutes at a time. Stay within your attention span time. Work at it often. Several times a day works well, but don't miss a day if you can help it.
• Recognise that your brain is working on this task unconsciously as well as unconsciously. You will notice progress between session.
• Decide to use as much time as you need. Some are faster, some slower at this skill. Take the time and be content with it. You will probably get faster at it over time.

• Listen to small sections and memorize them one at a time.
• Use the repeat function of a CD player or Mini-disc player.
• Deal with subsequent changes to the original by understanding and accepting the reasons for the change and relating the change to the original.
• Eventually, sing your part while audiating the other parts. (Hearing them in your mind.)
• From time to time, sing with the music to give yourself a visual check.
• Cultivate patience with yourself to persist and achieve success. Set aside any frustrations you might feel and choose to be aware of your own progress.

Contributed by Dr. Dave Anderson for the Gentlemen of Fortune, New Westminster, BC

Rudi Flaig is fighting hard. He appreciates the phone calls he has received, the kind thoughts and the prayers as well.

The Committee Chairs will be meeting with the Steering Committee this Thursday to review progress. We have accomplished a lot, but there is even more to be done. Have you volunteered, or are you going to be drafted?

Do you know any good RV or Camping facilities? We have put three on our web site, and are looking for others, close to Montreal.

Do you have friends, relatives, co-workers or acquaintances who would be interested in seeing what goes on at the International Convention? Volunteers do not have to be members of the Society.

Many people have offered their assistance in a general way, and will be available where needed.

Email requests have been sent to the Northeastern District and will be sent to the Ontario District as well.

A total of about 400 volunteer days are required.

Registrants (before January 1, 2003) will pay $100.00 US. Use the web link to register.

http://www.spebsqsa.org/montreal/registration.htm

Here is our current and future repertoire list:

Practice is something we do at home, every day, between rehearsals!

Rehearsal is where we reinforce what we have been practising every day!