why we sing at all

Date: 04/20/13
Orchestra: Chamber
Attendance: good
Repertoire rehearsed: the two new pieces
Little things I noticed: I didn't know you could cleverly turn a hand print into a fish, or was it a bird?

Notes:
I guess the theme for today's rehearsal was, you must FEEL it! And by "feel" I mean it in the most simplistic way. If you actually do what you are supposed to do with your body, your body WILL feel it, and only then, you'd understand what it is like to do it right. I'd even say, if you've never felt it, you've never done it right, and once you've felt it, you will never do it wrong again.

I often tell you to play random notes if you have to, because I want you to first feel the rhythm of it, and let you find out what it PHYSICALLY feels like to play the correct rhythm. Once that is understood, all you do is apply the right notes in that rhythm, which is the easiest part of it all. And you should always start with rhythm, because it is fondamental - to playing a musical instrument, to having a tight ensemble, to the progression of harmony, to the character of the music, to the composition of the music, and therefore, to the understanding of the music.

So if you are unable to play, then SING! and sing LOUD (unless of course it is marked p or pp...)! Feel it with your whole body. Teach your body how it feels to EXPRESS using those notes and rhythm. Once you feel it, you probably won't ever forget it!

Again, think of language. Once you've learned how to pronounce a word correctly, you will NEVER forget it, do you? And it only takes just one time of actually doing it right.

Feel the beat, and when you can, really feel the harmony. That's why we all get together in one room to practice. If feeling the harmony wasn't necessary, we can all just practice our parts at home and just get together only when we perform. But it isn't just necessary, it is essential and fondamental.

Again, music works in very different ways than the rest of your academic subjects in school. So do treat it differently.