Below is an accumulation of “Choir Talk” Questions and Answers that will be built up over time. As new questions are answered, they will be added here. This will be a valuable resource for you. Share these insights with your singing friends or choir directors!

Vocal/Choral Challenge Question #1:

“How do I help untrained, amateur sopranos sing beautifully and confidently in their upper register? Usually they are terrified of anything above an E5. They back off, come off the breath, sing from the throat, push it out of tune…everything they shouldn’t!”

The fundamental problem is that these sopranos are initiating the sound with effort right in their vocal folds, but the vocal folds should be activated as an involuntary phenomenon. When the air comes up the throat unimpeded, the Bernoulli Effect draws the vocal folds together, and the elasticity of the skin pulls them back apart, thus creating sound.  Singers don’t make the sound happen by anything they do in their throats. They should simply get the breath moving from below and concentrate on not manipulating their vocal folds themselves, allowing the breath to do that. A key to this is sitting/standing tall, perpetually lengthening one’s spine, and keeping the head from dropping down, which impedes this natural process. Have singers place a hand lightly over their throat area as a reminder to not allow any effort there. See further information in my Choral Challenge: Practical Paths to Solving Problems on posture, breath support, and vocal placement.

Vocal/Choral Challenge Question #2:

“How do I deal with shallow breathing? My choir members have trouble making it through even moderate length phrases.”

The first element to being able to sing longer phrases is posture, both during breath taking and singing.  Have choir members hold the upper torso high (the rib cage and chest, not the shoulders).  Almost arc the torso backwards with chin not too low (a common misconception), and then don’t allow the torso to begin to collapse forward and down during the phrase.  The physical effort should feel like rising effort from the low torso, instead of upper torso moving down.

Have choir members cup their finger-linked hands loosely in front of the lower torso, dropping them slightly to breathe, and lifting them slightly to sing.  This becomes a kinesthetic reminder of what support should be within the torso. To be able to sing longer phrases on a breath, use more air, not less (see the chapter on breath support in The Choral Challenge: Practical Paths to Solving Problems).

Regarding helpful rehearsal techniques, have choir members target a phrase climax further down the phrase by circling that pre-determined musical phrase climax and aiming sustained effort to it during the entire phrase. Lastly, have choir members focus on the drama and meaning of the textual phrase, adding energy and a natural higher placement to the vocal sound, resulting in being able to sing longer phrases and better pitch sense.

Vocal/Choral Challenge Question #3:

“How do I help a choir with the average age of 60 sing with a youthful, lyrical tone, instead of heavy, under-pitched singing?”

60-year old voices do not sound old because of their age. “Old” sounds result not so much physical deterioration as “habitual” deterioration. A natural inclination for choir members as they get older is to sit slightly bent over in rehearsals, so that when the head is raised to sing, the jaw is extended forward and the physical effort required for singing goes right into the throat, producing what we think of as an “old” sound. The first corrective step to take is have choir members sit tall, shoulders back and torso (chest) high, head back as if looking up to a balcony, retaining a feeling of perpetual lengthening of the spine. That adjusted posture opens the door to more effective breath support, the sense of upward motion and gentle continual support of vocal production, with the result that this upward air flow actually creates the sound (see Bernoulli Effect in the Choral Challenge). Then teach choir members about higher vocal placement, the sense of where you are aiming your sound as a singer. Feel with your tongue the hard dome above your tongue. That is called the hard palette, and when the focus of vocal sound is physically aimed there, the result is clarity of pitch, diction, and increased projection and volume.

People Skills Question #1:

“How do I win the hearts and trust of my choir as their new director?”

Let the image of your personal enthusiasm and deeply felt convictions impact the morale of the choir the second you walk into the room. The heart of the matter is to see everything from the perspective of your singers. What is it like to be a member in your choir? Choral work should be about more than teaching music; it is also about building community and feeling compassion for one another, which results in a motivated, committed choir.

Let the image of your personal enthusiasm and deeply felt convictions impact the morale of the choir the second you walk into the room. The heart of the matter is to see everything from the perspective of your singers. What is it like to be a member in your choir? Choral work should be about more than teaching music; it is also about building community and feeling compassion for one another, which results in a motivated, committed choir. I’ll have more to say about this question in my next Car Talk.

This has been their choir and you are the newcomer.  Honor their heritage and let them see you as joining what they love and believe in, and not threatening to take away their current sense of pride and accomplishment.  Acknowledge their joy of singing and express how important it is to build on that foundation. Explain your desire to see rehearsals and music making from their perspective, in order to help them have the best possible singing experience.

Learn first names and use them often.  A person’s name is always their favorite word.  Calling them by name gives choir members a sense of acceptance and honor.  Have someone take photographs during a rehearsal; then get help identifying those photos and making name and photo cards you can review before every rehearsal. Regarding people-friendly rehearsal techniques with a new choir, when you stop to make a correction, mention first something that was good (even if you have to use your imagination), and then suggest an adjustment to add to what they are already doing well.

Send several personal “charming note” emails to choir members after each rehearsal, keeping track so that you alternatively reach out to everyone (see more about “charming notes in The Choral Challenge: Practical Paths to Solving Problems). Speak philosophically about the service element of singing in a choir, of how much joy we give to those who listen, about what a selfless and noble pursuit singing in a choir is, and how we are all joining the great heritage of centuries of singing choirs all over the world.

People Skills Question #2:

“How do I win the hearts and trust of my choir as their new director?”

Let the image of your personal enthusiasm and deeply felt convictions impact the morale of the choir the second you walk into the room. The heart of the matter is to see everything from the perspective of your singers. What is it like to be a member in your choir? Choral work should be about more than teaching music; it is also about building community and feeling compassion for one another, which results in a motivated, committed choir. I’ll have more to say about this question in my next Car Talk.