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Chris Rowbury's Blog Entries

  • Get out of your singing rut and try something new – it will make you a better singer

    Added October 30, 2019 by Chris Rowbury - 606 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] I’ve written before about how you can use the long choir break to get better at what you do.   photo by troy   One way is to attend singing workshops lead by a variety of different leaders. It’s a great opportunity to try so... read more

  • Choir leaders: who’ll replace you when you’re gone?

    Added October 23, 2019 by Chris Rowbury - 927 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] Nothing lasts forever. There will come a time when you will leave your choir and need someone else to take over.     Who will you hand over to and how easy is it to do? Let’s look at some options.At some point you will need to hand... read more

  • Making the most of your singing voice – it’s not what you’ve got, it’s what you do with it

    Added October 9, 2019 by Chris Rowbury - 1220 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] We are not all born equal. Some have longer legs which helps them to win at hurdles or the high jump. Some have longer fingers which helps them to play jazz chords on the piano. photo by muzina_shanghai But what you are born with need not limit wha... read more

  • What is your measure of success? – choir leading and self-reflection

    Added October 3, 2019 by Chris Rowbury - 683 views - 2 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] How do you know if a choir session or singing workshop or performance has been a success? photo by shadowkilla_tk And if it has gone badly, how does that feed back into your teaching and choir directing?We all have an intuitive feeling for when som... read more
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  • The curse of confusion: why thinking is bad for singing

    Added September 25, 2019 by Chris Rowbury - 828 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] I teach a song by ear in less than an hour at a workshop. Everyone picks it up really quickly and then they sing it brilliantly. We’ve been working on the same song with my very accomplished weekly choir for quite some time. They really strugg... read more

  • How to pace a long singing workshop effectively

    Added August 29, 2019 by Chris Rowbury - 923 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   If a singing workshop is just a couple of hours long, then singers’ energy and concentration will probably be fine.     But for workshops which last a whole day, energy, concentration, focus, boredom, etc. all become factor... read more

  • Have you got what it takes to be a singer?

    Added August 22, 2019 by Chris Rowbury - 763 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   There’s a lot of nonsense out there about what it takes to be a singer.     The fact is, you already are one! Let’s unpick some of the myths and misconceptions. what does it take to be a singer? I believe that every... read more

  • Choir and workshop leaders: make sure you’re on the receiving end from time to time

    Added August 15, 2019 by Chris Rowbury - 643 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I like being in charge, as do most choir and singing workshop leaders. Our job mainly consists of telling people what to do and helping them to sing the best that they can.     Trouble is it’s easy to forget what it’s... read more

  • Coming back to singing after a long absence or a bad experience

    Added August 7, 2019 by Chris Rowbury - 1153 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Whether it’s bringing up a family or long-term illness or a bad singing experience, many people find it hard to get back into singing when they’ve been away for a long time.   photo by by Nationaal Archief, Den Haag, Rijksf... read more

  • Singing with a group of strangers – mixing and mingling ideas for learning names

    Added July 24, 2019 by Chris Rowbury - 793 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   It always amazes me how surprised people are that a group of strangers can sing harmony together in just a few minutes. It’s not necessary to know the other singers to be able to sing well with them, but some people feel that they need to... read more