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04 Oct 97 - 04:08 PM (#13961) Subject: Getting Groups to Sing From: Joe Offer I've spent much of my life trying to get audiences to sing when they only came to listen. I thought it might be an idea to post this problem for discussion. The main situations I confront are church services and kids' groups. Younger kids are no problem, but Catholics and teenagers are possibly the most reluctant singers on earth. I find myself knocking heads with our choir director, who seems to think it's the role of the choir to perform, rather than to encourage the congregation to sing. I think his main problem is that he just doesn't belive the congregation CAN sing, and he doesn't know how wonderful congregational singing can be. I try to show him it can be done by weaseling in a chance for the congregation to sing when the choir director doesn't have a chance to put a damper on it. Last week, I had to do a "commercial" at mass for the parish Oktoberfest, which happens this weekend. I closed my minute by having the choir and the congregation sing "Beer Barrel Polka." The people loved it, and they sang and clapped along. I imagine there will be discussion for weeks about whether my choice of that song was appropriate, but it worked (and it was used as part of an announcement of a social gathering, not part of the religious service - I do have SOME taste). Anyhow, here are a couple of pointers I'd make, and I wonder what tips other people might be able to add: -When you want a group to sing, move back from the microphone so you don't overpower them. People seem to sing along more easily wih an UNamplified leaderAny other ideas? -Joe Offer- |
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04 Oct 97 - 05:51 PM (#13965) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Alice Joe, I think finding a key that is not intimidating is part of the solution. Since I'm a soprano, I know that sometimes it is easy for me to start out higher than I should for the rest of the group to follow. If the tune doesn't stretch too far, it is less scary for people to join in. Also being from the Catholic experience, I know that alot of us baby boomers and older like to sing a simple latin chant once in awhile, and especially if it repeats the words, by the end of it everyone is in the "groove". Also, you don't have to know all the verses. If there is an easy chorus to sing and remember, most people will join in by the end of the song if the "leader" handles singing the verses solo. I'm sure you have encountered that. Thanks for starting this thread. Alice in Montana |
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04 Oct 97 - 06:12 PM (#13967) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Peter T. Drink and Christmas -- the only sure fire answers. Yours, Peter |
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04 Oct 97 - 06:27 PM (#13969) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Alice And Saint Patrick's Day. |
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05 Oct 97 - 10:15 AM (#13988) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Shay As a pub player, the sing along is my favorite element...I've found that and introduction to the tune...what it means, in a light way, helps people feel familar with the tune, and helps validates the need for them to join in. As an example: At a rather difficult pub, (recently opened) I was about to play the Irish Rover. Everybody had the words...(I pass out a booklet with my playlist) and the aire is pretty easy. Anyhoo, I introduced it as a tune about a ship that contained 4 million barrels of porter...and needless to say everyone on board was so locked and on the bollix that they sank the damn boat! Many laughed and loosed, as you say...but they also got some idea as to why it's an important tune, and fun too!
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05 Oct 97 - 07:18 PM (#13998) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Bob Landry As a Catholic boy from way back, I know the best compliment you can give a Catholic congregation is to tell them they sing like Protestants. |
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05 Oct 97 - 10:09 PM (#14010) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Jack Joe,
I think you hit the nail on the head when you pointed out that many people think singing is performing instead of communicating--that it is somehow different from talking (which most of them do without being Martin Luther King), or writing (which most of them do without being Oliver Wendell Holmes), or telling a joke (which most of them do without being Drew Carey). How to get around that? I don't know. I think its partly a matter of being so much out of the habit, that what they've forgotten is not how to sing that they want to.
I think you just gotta keep em doing it until they realize how much they miss it.
Jack |
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06 Oct 97 - 03:08 AM (#14022) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Joe Offer Jack, when I coach people who are going to read the Scriptures to the congregation, I tell them they should read as if they're singing the words without a particular tune. Same goes for telling a joke, and especially for telling a children's story. The spoken word, if spoken well, has most of the characteristics of singing. So, if you can teach people to recite or read something, you can teach them to sing. I think it's important to choose your carefully when you want people to sing. If you can find a simple tune that makes people feel they sound "just wonderful," in all likelihood, they WILL sound wonderful. Gregorian chant is like that - simple melodies in a singable key that sound really great. Those old monks knew what they were doing. Pick a song that doesn't fit the audience, and you'll be singing a very lonely solo. And Alice, you sure are right about choosing appropriate keys. At the song circle I attended Friday, the woman who plays the guitar played everything in a key suited to her alto voice. To match it, I had to sing at either the top or the bottom of my range. My throat still hurts. I was called on to sing a request at the church Oktoberfest Saturday night, and I could hardly get any sound out. The congregation was in a great mood by then, so they helped. The song? "In Heaven There Is No Beer." Appropriate for a church function, don't you think? That followed half of Peter's principles (drink and Christmas). -Joe Offer- |
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06 Oct 97 - 04:20 AM (#14028) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Joe Offer I thought I turned the italics off the last time..... |
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06 Oct 97 - 04:31 AM (#14029) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Joe Offer (em)???? That's a command I haven't seen.Let's hope this worked. |
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06 Oct 97 - 10:43 AM (#14042) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Whippoorwill One thing some of the Protestant churches (including ours) have done to encourage singing is to put the lyrics up on a screen using slides or an overhead projector. This gets the folks' heads up out of the song books and lets them see the director at the same time. Back in another life, I saw the same concept used in banjo bars and piano bars, as well as the drive-in theaters at intermission. Remember "follow the bouncing ball?" As they used to tell us in Scout leader training, KISMIF. Keep it simple, make it fun. |
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06 Oct 97 - 02:39 PM (#14072) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Alice Whip.. I like that method! Reminds me of the old movies with a live pianist playing along while the audience sang. I'm not old enough to have experienced that type of movie theatre performance, but I remember seeing it in early films. I also remember old cartoons we watched on tv that had songs and the bouncing ball. I think I may have some on videos of old cartoons that I bought for my son to watch. There were some great old songs on those early cartoons. Alice in Montana |
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06 Oct 97 - 05:44 PM (#14093) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Joe Offer Whip, I'm afraid having a screen in church with lyrics and a bouncing ball would bring back memories that might distract me from my piety. I'd keep thinking back to those good old days when beer came in pitchers. Besides, I'm already in trouble with the pietistic sorts for singing "Beer Barrel Polka" in church. But really, it's a good idea and maybe I'd be able to stop thinking about beer fairly readily..I actually don't drink all that much. -Joe offer- |
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06 Oct 97 - 07:24 PM (#14112) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Tim Jaques tjaques@netcom.ca Why Joe, beer still does come in pitchers, although since I usually drink Guinness I never buy it that way. What I miss are the nice heavy glass pitchers -- they just use the cheap plastic garbage now. The main problem in trying to get people to sing is finding songs that they know. You can loosen their fears with as much wine as you please but it does no good if they don't know any songs. I was at a gathering the other night and the only songs that everyone knew were Christmas carols. It's presently in the eighties here ('bout time I got some benefit from this here global warming) so that won't do. I maintain it all comes from spending too much time watching television. I miss the days when we had three channels and rabbit ears. Few people sing or play cards any more:(
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06 Oct 97 - 08:14 PM (#14113) Subject: RE: Getting Groups to Sing From: Carl You can make them sing everything they don´t know, if you do it the pete-way. That´s the way I learned the Garden Song. Never heard of it before, now I can´t get it out of my head. Pete Seeger sings each line in front of it, and then together with everybody. It really works. |