Listed on November 10, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!We all have an image of the type of singer (or musical director or choir) that we think we are. There are things that we can do and things that we can’t (or won’t) do.Read more ...
Listed on November 3, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!Sarcastic remarks from X Factor judges. Teachers telling kids to “stand at the back and just mime”. Being made to stand up and sing solo to get into your workplace choir. Scary!Read more ...
Listed on October 27, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!Trying to increase your vocal range? Want to develop a richer tone to your voice? Puzzling over voice placement and timbre?Read more ...
Listed on October 20, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!Many of us are in choirs where a particular section needs bolstering. In my case it’s a lack of altos, for others it might be too few tenors.Read more ...
Listed on October 13, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!’Tis the season to be poorly. A warm rehearsal room is the ideal place to spread coughs and sneezes, especially with all that deep breathing and standing close together.Read more ...
Listed on October 6, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!You get what you ask for, so be careful how you seek feedback! When designing feedback forms, less is more. Here’s why.Read more ...
Listed on September 29, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!At the beginning of each choir session it’s as if the singers have not seen each other for years. They’re chatting away having a fine time of things. Trouble is, you’ll have to put an end to that in order to get started. How do you get their attention with all that noise?Read more ...
Listed on August 25, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!“How to sing” is one of the most common requests I get. The answer is simple: open your mouth and let the sound out. I’m not being facetious, it’s as simple as that. But when someone asks that question, they’re usually hiding a deeper one. Let’s look at what they really want to know and see what the answers are.Read more ...
Listed on August 18, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!People pay good money to come on a singing workshop and want to sing as much as they can. But everyone needs a break. How do you find the balance between singing and time off?Read more ...
Listed on August 11, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!This is a question I’m often asked at my singing workshops, especially by people starting out as choir leaders. There is often the assumption that I must have travelled to all the countries that I teach songs from and maybe even speak the languages. Not true!Read more ...
Listed on August 9, 2014 by LeisureCourses.net in Member NewsHe hasn't even formally announced it yet, but Chris Rowbury's Traditional Songs from the British Isles singing weekend in Derbyshire this November is almost sold out! Chris has just released the final four non-residential places for this weekend on 21-23 November in Cromford, near Matlock.
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Listed on August 4, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!In David Zweig’s recent book he talks about Invisibles: people who are unseen when their job is done perfectly (who only draw attention to themselves when things go wrong)Read more ...
Listed on July 21, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!The evening’s are lighter, the weather is warmer, the songs are amazing, the singing’s as good as ever – it’s summer!Read more ...
Listed on July 14, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!A Britney Spears recording has recently escaped into the wild which demonstrates that without Auto-Tune her singing can be less than perfect Read more ...
Listed on July 7, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!Some choirs and singing groups meet frequently, often once a week, requiring a high level of commitment. Others meet less frequently and work on a drop-in basis with no requirement to attend every session.Read more ...
Listed on June 30, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!You’ve put your fliers out, spread the word, mentioned it on Facebook, but still you find it hard to recruit new singers.Read more ...
Listed on June 23, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!You work on a song in choir week after week, but slowly things seem to get worse. You worry about getting the words right, you can’t seem to remember the second part of the melody, your voice stops hitting the high notes.Read more ...
Listed on June 16, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!As many regular readers will know, I hate a choir in uniform. However, it is a good idea to have some kind of unifying dress code and also to show your audience that you’ve made an effort. Read more ...
Listed on June 10, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Member NewsCome on an imaginary journey to learn more about our world through song by exploring harmony singing across the globe. A weekend of glorious songs, fun and laughter. No experience needed – just a love of singing!
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Listed on June 9, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!Choir leaders don’t last forever so there will come a time when a choir needs to find a new one. If you’re the person who gets the job it can seem daunting to take over a long-established choir. Read more ...
Listed on June 2, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!There is often a mismatch between how good you think you are as a singer and what your abilities really are.Read more ...
Listed on May 12, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!It’s usually the case that professional singers have had some sort of training in a particular singing technique.Read more ...
Listed on May 5, 2014 by Chris Rowbury in Blogs!A friend asks you to comment on their singing or asks you if you think they can sing at all.Read more ...
