Greetings, Gentlemen!
This page will provide a space to share private notes and ideas about how to make our performances and rehearsals more productive.  As we continue to become a more accomplished artistic organization, it becomes more important for us to work smarter…not just harder.  I know that I expect a lot from each member of our chapter each week, but I expect to give the very best that I have and to try to effectively share my artistic ideas for the music we create.

So…SMARTER…
Each week, I will try to post thoughts about the previous weeks rehearsal.  The goal here is to continually improve, so some of the comments will be suggestions about what we could do better.  However, we do a LOT of good things already and I will also be showcasing those moments so we can ‘do more of the good stuff’.  I hope that everyone will take time to read the comments and to consider ways to incorporate the things that MAKE SENSE FOR YOU into your rehearsal techniques.  Not everything will work for everybody.  However, hopefully, there will be something that resonates.  Additionally, each man can share his own thoughts, especially if you discover a different way of internalizing the ideas we discuss.  I don’t have all the answers…but, together, we have most of them.

Rehearsal Notes for September 7, 2021

Please begin reviewing In The Good Old Summertime and In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening as we will begin preparing these songs for the 2022 show.

In The Good Old Summertime will be performed traditionally and, it is likely, that we won’t deviate from the chart and learning tracks. We will want this song to have a lighthearted, Musically we want to create the feeling that ‘all is well with the world and your cares can be put aside’ (at least for the next hour or so). There are a lot of opportunities for visual (and musical) imagery in the lyrics so, please, begin thinking about meanings and how to translate those feelings and ideals musically.

Visually, as Rich Hansen has been reminding us, I imagine we’ll want smiles and a care-free attitude to help place our audience(s) at ease. Rich will be helping us develop a visual plan as we move along.

In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening presents a number of opportunities for us to show off our ability to create dynamic interest, especially in the choruses where we have some opportunity for ‘call and answer’ volume changes. As we begin rehearsals, I will ask you to make specific notes in your music to help you remember the plan. Depending on how things develop, there are several places where we might try things so Be Flexible and keep an open mind. Rhythmically, I know of a few changes that I plan to make, to help provide some variety and add interest.

In Verse 2 – Measure 45 (You comin’ to the fracas) please change the rhythm to be a quarter note (You) and two eighth notes (come – in’). This will help avoid the impression that the lyrics are “you come into the fracas”.
In measure 52, please change the embellishment rhythm (I’ll be there) to be the quarter (I’ll) an eighth note (be) and a dotted quarter (there).
In measure 57, change the last quarter note (a) to an eighth note and ADD an eighth note using the same notes from the ‘glow’ chord in measure 58. This will advance the rhythm of the word glow and give us time to make it sound ‘glow-y’.

Rehearsal notes for September 14, 2021

Great rehearsal on the 7th! Thank you to everyone for your dedication and hard work. I know that is isn’t as much fun when we only work on two songs, all evening. However, the lessons that we can glean from this focused attention can be applied to everything we do and might help us to raise our average learning level and progress faster. We have one more rehearsal before contest on the 18th. Here are the things that we will be focusing on:

That’s Life: Musically we’re singing the song very well. The opportunity for the single biggest gain before contest is to embrace the emotional ideals of the song and arrangement. When we are tired or haven’t ‘just’ been discussing the emotional (musical, visual, dynamic) plan, we tend to fall back into the ‘safe zone’ where we are comfortable. PLEASE, leave the safe zone and TAKE MUSICAL, VISUAL and EMOTIONAL RISKS with your performance! It is the ONLY WAY we can bring this wonderful piece of music t life for our audience. So…think proud, energetic, powerful, completely in control, happy, vibrant. Make BIG sound, INTIMATE sound – always with energy, bright, balanced, ‘pinging’ and EXCITING. Let’s get it on!

Specifics: First two chords (That’s Life): Big sound (no bleeding vocal folds, please). Controlled and energized. Right after, let’s get INTIMATE (that what people say). Then we MUST take them on a dynamic roller-coaster. I will do ALL I can to indicate big and intimate sound phrases, but I need each man to pay attention to what my hands are asking for. Obviously, I can shout and stuff, on stage. No one has gone too far, yet….and I bet you almost never will. Puppet, pauper, pirate (1st time). First phrase (I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate…): Intimate. Second phrase (I’ve been up and down and…): Conversational. Third phrase (Each time I find myself…), Confident. Fourth phrase (I pick myself up…): Indomitable spirit (mouse and eagle)! Second Puppets and stuff… we have eight short beats (two measures) to go through all the emotional states of the first pass through…and end a little bigger. Precise tuning and complete mastery over the last three chords of that phrase…so the basses and do the ‘and down’ part without having to push…that should just be smoooooth (see how many oo’s there are in smoooooth?).

Breath early, breath often (not with your neighbor) and be FRESH when we get to the tag. Don’t save the emotion for the end….just make sure you keep yourself oxygenated. Ya’ can’t sing if ya’ can’t breath.

After the last chord…..SMILE, face ‘Down The Tiles’ and look Super Proud! You guys are AWESOME, you will have EVERY right to look proud 🙂

Georgia On My Mind: As with That’s Life, we sing this song REALLY well. Biggest opportunities, mucially: Leads: please focus on keeping the melody line light and lifted. The more ‘forward’ we can place the sound, the easier it is for it to ride on top of the chords and the easier it is to keep the pitch from migrating down. No ‘push’, please. It is critical to keep the ‘muscle’ out of the melody. No single member of the section is responsible to carry anyone else. No saviors needed, here. Baris: We had great placement for the sound. Nicely balanced with the Lead section. KEEP IT UP! It makes a world of difference in the cohesion between the Lead section and the Bass section. This song gets expensive for breath support by the time we get to the key-change. Breath early and often. When we get to the sexy Baritone embellishment at the tag, you need to be fresh so that can be smooth. Tenors: This song is a wonderful opportunity to show off a relaxed, easy-singing style. Please maintain a nice forward ‘ping-y’ placement, it makes for less work. Tuning is critical so, please review those places where we have challenges. Them half-steps count! Basses: Few things to note, this week. You guys are doing a fantastic job. Best opportunity to make a difference is in treating the Bass line as if it is the melody. Be sensitive to your relationship with the other parts. No ‘heavy’ bass parts. Make it smooth, and beautiful. IF (we won’t, right Leads?) we drop in pitch….RELAX. We’ll bring the dynamics to you..especially at the tag. Basses AND Bari’s: In the bridge, let’s make that ‘engine’ really drive the sound. Don’t make it ‘heavy’ keep the placement we have in the ‘range comfortable’ portions of the song…just add the pulse to the downbeats. Leads:…same section – get those off-beat’s sorted out, we’re still missing some of them (and it shows) and make that whole section vocally ‘shine’.

TAG: (Just and old sweet song…) we want to be back to the same light, happy, airy feeling you show off SO well in the Intro. When we get to: Georgia, Georgia…..Georgia on my mind, smooth cascading waterfall that starts with the third (why do we repeat thing?) Georgia and carries all the way to the smile you share after we finish making sound……

Emotionally, this is the song that needs the most emotional risk to be taken. Don’t let the audience wonder how much you LOVE Georgia. That name should drip with honey. Enunciate…the MEANING of the song lives in the enunciation.

Remember, just because the singing stops, it doesn’t mean the song ends.
Thanks for reading, if you make it this far {:-0
~t