[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of songs from traditions across the globe. Your experiences may differ from mine, so do feel free to leave a comment and let's begin a conversation! A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]
I taught a new song to a group recently. It was a bit of a car crash!
What can you do when teaching a new song goes horribly wrong?
It’s happened to us all: we start to teach a new song to our group then realise that it’s going pear-shaped.
It’s vital to know a new song inside out before you teach it, but there’s a big difference between knowing a song 100% in the privacy of your own home, and teaching it to a group of eager singers.
You may think that you know the song inside out, but under pressure with lots of people staring at you, it can all go out the window.
Another issue is, if a song is a new arrangement that you’ve not yet tried with a group of singers. It may be that one harmony part is not easily singable, or the range is too great, or there’s a clash that you hadn’t noticed.
Inevitably, despite your impeccable preparation and double-checking, there will be times in your career when it all goes horribly wrong when you’re teaching a song. What can you do then?
Have you had a similar car crash experience? We’d love to know what happened and how you dealt with it.
Chris Rowbury
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