Lessons(417)

          The end of the season is a very emotional time for all the students involvement in the show choir program, but most of all, it is emotional for the seniors. As of this very day the is nothing like show choir in college besides choir. So this is a chapter in their book coming to an end, and depending on the type of season they have had that may be hard to cope with. And with my show choir career coming to an end, I thought this would be a good time to write about what show choir can teach you, but what it has definitely has taught me. 

           It has taught me to persevere through tough times. There are practices that would have people wanting to pull their hair out. People having disagreements about the most trivial dance moves could cause a riot in the whole group. So it taught me how to get through situations that are very annoying. There were also times when the results wouldn't be what we wanted but we couldn't just quite after that. We had to keep going, we had no choice. I'm glad we did though, it has made so many great experiences. One more way it has taught me to persevere is; my sophomore year I didn't make it into show choir, but not making it caused me to just work my butt off to make it the next year. 

          It's taught me that it's not all about winning. I know, it's cliche, but there is no other sport or activity that taught me this lesson more, especially this year. There were a few performances that we got off stage and fly like such a close group that had performed their hearts out that it wasn't necessary to win. We did not care. We liked that we got to perform as a group. 

           It taught me how to b a part of a team. In most sports if a person is missing, it's not very noticeable. A coach would just put a different kid in, but in show choir you can't do that so much. We all have certain spots and certain partners. If someone is missing it is noticeable. So you have to be a huge team player. You also have to boost your teammates up. 

           Show choir is not just an activity. It teaches kids how to get through tough times, how to persevere, and many more lessons, a teacher could never teach in a classroom. 

The parent show (395)

                The parent show. It's a loved tradition at my high school. The parents o all happiness,our varsity show choir, members get together and under the direction of junior leaders do a parody of our show. Although that was a bit hard this year because our theme was war. They wanted to make sure not to make fun of war or patriotism but to make fun of our show.  

                Let us start with parents that are supporters, biological parents that is. Many people who accept a Grammy or Oscar thank their parents, this is the least they can do to express how thankful they should be. Parents are always there to be an emotional rock for their child. Their child could bring them any problem they are having, any problem at all and they make it better, or not so bad. They also know their childs health better then the child himself. Not to mention the financial stress performing arts puts on kids. Yet through all this they still support their child no matter what.

                Show Choir moms in my choir are simply called “Mama.” I don’t think there is a more fitting name for them, since our show choir is a family. They take care of getting information out, organizing committees, costumes, make up, hair choice, and little things here and there. This is a lot to put on just a few people. They come to our competitions, no matter how far away it is. They find lost items. They remind us to stay hydrated. They have two downfalls; their own children, and emotions. Although there are new kids every year the moms still get attached to the kids in the show choirs now so when they leave the moms of course feel sad.

                Dads! Dads are the muscle and technical brain to almost everything, not just show choir. They help set up the stage so we don’t go over our time. They also help tear down after the performance. And unlike moms they are back stage so they can help with costume changes zipping up girl’s dresses and pointing out boys untucked shirts.

                Without parents most show choirs would have no set, no costumes, no one to go to when someone gets hurt, and no emotional support.  Parents are the core of show choir and without them there would not be a good show. 

Auditions(478)

One thing that makes people turn away from trying out for performing arts, such as show choir and musicals, is the actual try out. Which I admit can be very nerve wracking.  When I tried out for my sophomore year I did not make show choir. I always blamed the fact that I wasn’t good at auditioning. My voice would shake, I would be scatter brained, and I would think way too much. These are all things you should definitely avoid if possible. You should try to come across as calm, cool, and collected. Although this is tough for some people most of the time it can be managed.

            For the purpose of this blog I will be speaking about show choir auditions because they have to listen to you and watch you dance. My personal feeling is that the singing is more stressful then the dancing.  There are ways to prepare for the singing audition. First, pick a song and practice it, over and over again. Try to find someone who will listen to you, this takes away the stage fright, they also could provide helpful feedback. Another piece of advice would be; don’t practice too much, of course this isn’t a problem with the dancing. If you practice the vocals too much you get set on that one way to say it. So much so that if you do happen to make a mistake during the actual audition that is all you are thinking about, not what you are singing at that moment. One more thing to help your voice out a bit is to drink tea with lemon and honey, it coats the throat with lubrication. This is also helpful when you have a sore throat.

            The dance audition is less crazy because you learn it, you dance it, and you are done. First you have to learn the dance, when learning the dance make sure to pay close attention to details, like if the choreographers hand is in a blade or a fist. If you know this and someone else doesn’t, it could be the difference between making the group you want and not. Picking out key moves can also help your score. Although it may not be like this for all choreographers I know mine has moves that are his favorites, and when he teaches them it shows. If you give 100% to the whole dance, you should give 110% to those specific moves. Facials is one thing they also look at. Smile. Smile. Smile. Having good facials is very important. They know that they can tech a kid to dance, they don’t know if they can make him perform.

            The best advice I can give is to do whatever you have to do to be confident. Be confident in your song choice, in your voice strength, and also be confident with yourself. 

Leaving(466)

Being a teenager is a hard job in itself, throw in graduation and you have your self one stressed out person. Not only Are people thinking about going away from their friends but they are also thinking about stoping their activities for the year. 

          With the growing up, losing friends and loved ones, new emotions, and trying to be decently behaved in public. Not even mentioning school, or jobs, or family life, or extracurricular activities, or even friendships. Adults tend to ask a lot of teenagers now-a-days, but when does it become too much? I believe that it is good to push kids to be the best they can be, but if people push too hard it will cause stress and emotional damage to someone who is still learning to be a functional human being.

            At school I’m busy from 7 am until 3 pm. 8 hours of just absorbing new information, each night I would say I have a few hours of homework, probably about three hours. And after school I have practice for show choir, which isn’t that bad now, because it is preseason practice, but once we hit the competition season it will be chaotic. I feel bad for people in cross country or swimming because a lot of the time two practices will overlap and they would have to go one to the next. And of course jobs. After school jobs are great but they just add another activity that you need to fit into a schedule. With all this time taken up where do you put hanging out with friends or spending time with family?

            I believe that one of the reasons people who work a lot, or people who are super busy get more stressed out, and tent to have anxiety, is because they don’t have time to just talk with their friends or tell their parents or siblings about their day. Because of this lack of communication there can be conflicts in homes, causing more stress then before.

            A good friend of mine told me she had a conversation with her vocal teacher about just this subject. Her vocal teacher, Mrs. Elliot, had told her that in today’s society there is too much pressure put on kids to pick the right college, hang out with the right friends, join all sorts of clubs, and get a job. Mrs. Elliot said that when she was a teenager they let you be kids. I’ve read before that teenage students today have the same stress levels as psych ward patients did in 1950. And I totally believe it. It seems to me that in the 50s kids worried more about what poodle skirt they were going to wear then what college they were going to attend. Read more about stress here: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2011/01/its_not_the_job_market.html

Bring itto show choir.495

                “Do you have some bobby pins I could borrow?” someone says while holding her hair in position “Yeah sure check my bag.”

                “Does anyone have any hairspray?” Someone asks frantically, “Yeah get it from my bag over there!”

                So you forgot something while going to a show choir competition. Something vital, like hair spray or bobby pins, or make up. (Oh my) well have no fear your companions and classmates are here. Anything that you have misplaced I’m sure someone is bound to have one. But for now I thought I would share what I believe everyone should carry in their bags and things to have “just in case.”

                First, a water bottle. Staying hydrated while you’re eating unhealthy food and performing your heart out is a must.  Sweating could lead to de hydration, and performing two shows while not feeling well could result in some serious medical issues.

                Second, a change of clothes. Some show choirs dress up and in that case it would always be a good idea to have another pair of pants ready. Other show choirs wear jackets or tee shirts. Most of the time kids come in sweatpants and sweatshirts, anything to stay warm in these cold months, but after you get done performing under 1000 watt light bulbs and you are sweating all your make up off you might want something a little more summer like to wear. I suggest a pair of athletic shorts and a tee shirt. Then if you get cold after all the adrenaline is gone you can just layer up with those sweats.

                Third, make up. My show choir supplies make up for us but that might not be the case with all choirs. At the very least they don’t supply you with skin make up like cover up and concealer so you have to bring that yourself.  Some girls like to put it on even before going to the competition so as to not be seen without make up but I would still take it in case you start to break out or burn your forehead. (a personal experience of mine.) I would also bring my own eye liner and mascara and fake eyelashes because even if your choir provides that for you, you probably have better ones at home.

                Fourth, money. There is a lot to by at show choir competitions. From food to buttons to shirts, and everything costs money.

                Fifth, hair supplies. By know you know that show choirs need to look uniform and also have the same hairstyle, to do that hair style it might take half a can of hair spray and 50 bobby pins but you still have to do it. So I always bring a teasing brush, hair spray, bobby pins, and a straighter or curling iron. These few things are basics of show choir hair.

                With these things in your show choir bag you should be set for a full day of dancing and singing.0) 

auditioning(402)

No matter what you are into, sports, singing, dancing, or anything really there will always be a time when you just get so nervous you feel like you are going to throw up and you are going over things in your head over and over and over again. Your palms start to sweat, and the rest of your body fallows soon after. I am speaking, of course, of when you have to audition or try out for a spot on the team or to be part of the group. Auditioning and trying out can be the most nerve wracking parts of the year for anything. In my school you have to try out for show choir every year, and any plays or musicals you want to be a part of, if you want to be an actual performer.

            Auditions for show choir at my school are called “Blind Auditions.” This is because the directors sit behind our costume “cows;” large boxes on wheels we use for our costumes during the show, so they can not see you. Until you sing. You walk in, sign a sheet next to a number so the directors can match up your scores later, and sing “my country tis of thee.” If they want they have you sing a second song of your own choice. People tend to get really worked up about how much they had to sing thinking too far into it. It could me quite a few things; that they don’t like your voice, which they are thinking about you for a higher choir, they might even be thinking about you for a special or jazz choir. No one really knows except the directors. Then after that you have the dance audition. After that you wait for a month and see if you made the choirs you wanted.

To try out for musicals and plays you sing for the directors and musical directors.  There can be dancing and there could not be. There is always an acting part of an audition. This I personally to be the hardest part of the whole audition. It can be awkward with people you don’t know so well. Some thing I do to help get ready for this audition is read over the lines the directors give you with my parents or my sister. You could also do it with any one at your house that is willing. 

Rude433

People can be so rude sometimes. Dealing with competition in any form can be difficult. Other people can be ruthless and mean and spread rumors every which way.  Now In head to head sports you can be so mad you literally tackle the guy that you believe has started the rumor, or are your competition. Which is a perfectly fine way to deal with it; let it fuel you.  In show choir and other competitive performing arts we need to be a little more creative.

As you probably would have guessed, tackling someone on stage is a very frowned upon by coaches and many members of the audience. But so is talking about other show choirs badly.  My director makes it a point each year to tell us that we represent not only ourselves but also our show choir and our high school. That doesn’t stop people and performers from other schools from talking bad about us though. They may say things like they don’t like our costumes or that they thought we didn’t sing a certain part right. And when you hear that it is kind of like a blow to the chest, because you have been working your butt off to make a great performance, and all they noticed were the bad things. This is where the competitive nature comes in. You want to turn around and look that guy in the eyes and say “Listen here bud, that was a great performance.” And maybe add a few choice words. But, you can’t. It would reflect badly, and that’s how to get more fuel to the fire.

A way to deal with competition for show choir is to put one hundred percent of your energy into your performance. More than likely there would be a moody or dark song that one could act totally mad at the world, and use the competition to drive that anger. But how do you use anger, during a happy song? Well, I’ll tell you! You obviously can’t let that emotion show on your face, or it would ruin that whole song, which would just make you even angrier, which might ruin another song; it is a cruel cycle really. Well using anger in a happy song just takes a little bit of thought. First, you think how angry they made you, then you think about how good it would feel to get a score better than their group, then you think about how to do that, and then you realize that you have to at least act totally happy to win. And there you go.

Getting ready. (414)

            In all activities, every one of them, whether it be vocal, performing, running, football, or even juggling, every one needs to prepare for whatever you're doing. Of course I am going to tell you about the performing and vocal parts of the list stated above. Getting ready for a play or musical can be very different from getting ready for a show choir show or a color guard performance. Let's just be honest a lot of the prep work for these performances start months before when people try out for them. 

          For color guard, the majority of people can't practice before try outs because they don't have the tools to get a flag or rifle. So their first time ever spinning a flag would be at try outs. But to get ready for an actual performance includes warming up and running through the show, going through rough parts of the show, and stretching. Getting ready also includes doing hair. For my color guard that meant one person doing everyone's hair. Make up is next and you have a certain way to put that on just like in show choir. 

 Speaking of show choir. How do you get ready for a show choir competition. We'll the night before you have to get a good night of sleep  because you will probably be staying awake for a really long time.             In all activities, every one of them, whether it be vocal, performing, running, football, or even juggling, every one needs to prepare for whatever you're doing. Of course I am going to tell you about the performing and vocal parts of the list stated above. Getting ready for a play or musical can be very different from getting ready for a show choir show or a color guard performance. Let's just be honest a lot of the prep work for these performances start months before when people try out for them. 

          For color guard, the majority of people can't practice before try outs because they don't have the tools to get a flag or rifle. So their first time ever spinning a flag would be at try outs. But to get ready for an actual performance includes warming up and running through the show, going through rough parts of the show, and stretching. Getting ready also includes doing hair. For my color guard that meant one person doing everyone's hair. Make up is next and you have a certain way to put that on just like in show choir. 

 Speaking of show choir. How do you get ready for a show choir competition. We'll the night before you have to get a good night of sleep  because you will probably be staying awake for a really long time. 

Techs(492)

 Now, most people would think that the most important people in any theater show or show choir show would be the actual performers; the singers and dancers, the actors, the people you see, the people that get the spot light. Well those people would be wrong. Well they would be right because without any performers there would be no show at all, but without techies there would be no lights, or scene changes, or sound. With out techies there would be a show, but there would not be a very good show. Actually that show would be a rather large stinker.

People who work with the technological aspect of any show, affectionately nicknamed “techies,” take care of everything from sound, to lights, to scene changes in theatrical shows. In show choir shows they take care of costume changes, boxes being put on the stage, and props that need to be used.

Lights are important to any theater show, they are also important to show choir shows, but the techies don’t control them for that. A certain kind of lighting could give an actor when to say his or her line. Like at the very beginning of the show if the lights were supposed to come on but didn’t, there would be no way for the actor to know that he should start speaking. Lights in a show also help create the illusion that you are somewhere else, like the jungle, or eighteenth century London. By using a red light you create a look of pain or even hell, and with a bright white light you could create heaven.

Most actors and singers do not have a loud enough voice to be heard all the way in the back of where ever they are performing so it is helpful to have microphones. There are solo microphones for people who have solos, those are tapes to their heads or cheeks, and there are choir mics which are on the floor of the stage. Either way, techies run them. Scene changes would be nearly impossible with out techs. They are the ones that raise or lower a backdrop, or flip the wall, or move the stair case. They bring on tables, hand people their props, and help with costume changes.

Chow choir techs have a less stressful but just as active job. They don’t help with sound or lights but they do make sure that boxes, which people stand on for formations, are put on and taken off at proper times. They also control microphones for on stage, if someone doesn’t get a mic it’s not their own fault, but it is a techies. They aslo help with a chaotic costume change. Back stage costume changes are a mix of hurry and anxiety. Techs are always there to help zip up your dress or fix your collar.

Techs help with everything in a show, from a to z. Without them there would be no show. 

Be yourself (506)

The best advice any one can give you in the performing arts world is to be yourself. In the performing arts world people tend to compare themselves to one another. How that girl has an amazing alto voice and mine is weaker, or, he is such an amazing hip hop dancer, or even, her hair is so much prettier then mine. The littlest details can cause jealousy and bad feelings to generally nice people. Now I would be lying if I said I was never jealous of people, because I do not believe I am the absolute, unmatched, most talented person out there, and if you do, hey props, man. Other people definitely do not feel the same way about themselves, including me.

            I think people feel this way because they only see one side of that “better” person.  They know their own flaws and weaknesses and what they  need to work on, maybe singing louder or getting their acting skills up to par. While they compare themselves to somebody who needs dancing lessons but is an amazing singer or someone who is a great actress but isn’t the prettiest. People compare their good traits and bad traits to someone’s good traits and are left feeling down about themselves.

            Ways to overcome this, speaking from personal experience are not always easy. The best way, in my opinion, is to just set goals and work hard to achieve them. One of my favorite quotes is “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.”  Tim Notke. I like this quote because it’s so true. If someone is talented and knows it, they tend to not do anything to further them and eventually their talent is over looked and gets boring. When someone works hard and has, maybe, half of the talent the previously mentioned someone has then they will make that talent grow and grow. They will keep getting better, maybe a slow rate but they will get there. It’s kind of like starting a race at different places, the more talented person closer to the finish line then the less talented person. Then after the gun shot or checkered flag the more talented person just stands there, twiddling his or her thumbs. While the “less talented” person runs like a maniac at the goal.

            Another way to get over being jealous of someone else’s talent is to become friends with them! Once you realize that they are not perfect you will be able to accept that about yourself too. Also enjoy that persons talent! Maybe they got a lead in a play that you really wanted. Are you going to let that ruin the entire play for you? No! If you got a smaller role you are going to rock that part and enjoy the rest from the wings!

            Really everybody has different talents. You cannot compare two totally different people. If you both love to sing then sing, in key or not. If you love to dance then you both dance until your muscles are sore and you have blisters on your feet. People need to realize their own talents. 

Support 424

                In all performing arts as with every activity the amount of support given from parents is amazing. Almost nothing would get done without them. In the world of show choir, moms and dads are the equivalent of superheroes, with super powers, and at times their own personal kryptonite. Now I’m not just talking about the moms and dads that drop kids off, although they are also very hero like. I’m talking about parents that sit through each practice, that fix the broken costumes, help set up the stage, heal a hurt student, all of this and more.

                Let us start with parents that are supporters, biological parents that is. Many people who accept a Grammy or Oscar thank their parents, this is the least they can do to express how thankful they should be. Parents are always there to be an emotional rock for their child. Their child could bring them any problem they are having, any problem at all and they make it better, or not so bad. They also know their childs health better then the child himself. Not to mention the financial stress performing arts puts on kids. Yet through all this they still support their child no matter what.

                Show Choir moms in my choir are simply called “Mama.” I don’t think there is a more fitting name for them, since our show choir is a family. They take care of getting information out, organizing committees, costumes, make up, hair choice, and little things here and there. This is a lot to put on just a few people. They come to our competitions, no matter how far away it is. They find lost items. They remind us to stay hydrated. They have two downfalls; their own children, and emotions. Although there are new kids every year the moms still get attached to the kids in the show choirs now so when they leave the moms of course feel sad.

                Dads! Dads are the muscle and technical brain to almost everything, not just show choir. They help set up the stage so we don’t go over our time. They also help tear down after the performance. And unlike moms they are back stage so they can help with costume changes zipping up girl’s dresses and pointing out boys untucked shirts.

                Without parents most show choirs would have no set, no costumes, no one to go to when someone gets hurt, and no emotional support.  Parents are the core of show choir and without them there would not be a good show. 

the show must go on 436

I think my very very first blog post was about those “oh no” moments in the general performing arts world. Well in this blog, I will be posting about small, or rather large, mishaps that happen in the theatrical musical world. Rips, tears, torn costumes, microphone defects, someone forgetting a line, all of these happen sooner or later. We actors and singers, and our directors, surely hope that they happen later, rather than sooner. Although they could hope it happens sooner, preferably not on the week of the show, but at the beginning of practices, when there is plenty of time to mend, or darn that piece of clothing, or time to learn lines as well.

Now since your reading this blog I assume that you have an interest in musicals and performing arts. Well there are some things that just add to a theatrical performance. Like sound effects or a fog machine, something of that nature. My school bought something called a scrim. It’s basically a large curtain that goes in the middle of the stage when you light it from the front you can not see to the back. It just looks pitch black, but whenever a person or object is lit, when behind the scrim they are able to be seen, it adds a very interesting depth to the show. Well those are very expensive. Upwards of a thousand dollars. At the beginning of practices our technical director even told us, do not tough the scrim. That is a no no. so everyone has been very careful to be gentile with it. But the other day we were putting on our first full show for an audience when my friend came up to me and said “There is a hole in the scrim.” With a very serious look on her face. So I go and check it out expecting something about the size of my palm. No. no that is not what I found at all. A huge, gaping hole about a meter wide and a meter tall was staring me back in the face. It seems that we had used a prop the techies never had gotten to practice with. And it just happened. Well how do you deal with something like that? The show must go on.

Ripped skirts was a personal problem of mine. The button on my skirt fell off so it would not stay up. Well it was right before a show so there was nothing we could do so I safety pinned the crap out of it and well like I said, the show must go on. 

Time360

Time management is a very good skill to have when you’re a teenager in high school because you need to be able to be in school, do homework, have good grades, be in extracurricular activities, hold down a job, have time for the social aspect of it, and let’s not forget sleeping! Wow. Wow is right.  For me those extra activities are performing arts, so it takes up quite a bit of time, actually a majority of it. Most of my friends in show choir and I would say that during competition season we spend most of our time at school or at a competition.  So I just have a few hints and tips about good time managing.

                Tip #1.) Be organized. If you have to run around trying to find something that you swear you left right on the counter you’re going to be late and therefore not very successful in what you were trying to do!

                Tip # 2.) Don’t stress too much. Most of the time people have so much stress over things they cannot control and once you learn you can’t control it you learn not to stress out about it.

                Tip # 3.) It’s okay to have a little bit of stress. it makes it so you get things done quickly.

                Tip #4.)  Don’t lie to yourself about how much time you have. You could always say “oh I can just double up on that later.” But why not do it now!

Now I have to confess something….I have been somewhat of a hypocrite while writing this because  when I do have a lot of things going on I do get stressed, So badly that I cry.  Most of the time I’m not very organized, my room is a great example of that right now.

                So who am I to be telling other people how to manage their time? Well I also wanted to make it known that I’m actually pretty good and everything I do. So being organized and all that jazz is good and it helps a lot when you can be but you can also do well just going with the flow.

Spring Musical(405)

            Well it is spring time now my little chicks and roosters. And you know what that means, yes brighter colors, Easter, flowers, yada yada. It is also time for the spring musical for most high schools! This is a very exciting time for many amateur actors, such as myself.

            Let us start with try outs. One of the most nerve wracking times in high school is when you have to try out for something. The best thing any person can do is be prepare. There are a lot of different ways to prepare for a musical audition. Since you have to sing and act you have to look at music and at lines to read dramatically. I suggest asking a friend, or a parent, or a sibling to run lines with you during their free time. Going over lines a few time will help you be more characterized when you actually present it to the director. Also going over music over and over again, and listening to the Broadway, or the official version always helps me. It could help you too.

            You look at the list and there your name is! Perfect you are now in a play…cool? Well now it is time for practice, and more practice, and even more practice! At my school we start with learning the music in a large group. It is the leads responsibility to get their own lines memorized. To help me with this I also listen to the Broadway version, of all the songs I am in. after we learn the words and music to all the song a choreographer comes in and teaches the dances to the musical numbers. A problem we are having this year, and that I am sure many directors have had in the past, is that no one is staying in character or acting, or trying to be dramatic. It is not a bad thing. They are trying to learn the moves and get them right, I am sure acting was somewhere in the back of their minds. But when you get nervous in a performance you will fall back on what you know, and what you know will be how you have been practicing. It would be beneficial to practice in character. After all the technical aspects, lights, sound, staging, are put in and all the band gets thrown in you have a whole cast ready to put on an amazing show. 

Directors connections473

                Some teachers are just better then others. The best teachers are ones who don't just teach facts and figures to their students, but they also teach life lessons and make connections. Show choir directors and theater directors tend to have a special connection with the people they work with. I believe this is because they get to see kids at strange times through the day, maybe when they re not quite all there, mentally speaking. Kids also have to feel comfortable to be themselves around their directors, but they also have to be their character too. Directors also need to be comfortable being around their students and actors.                  There is a large variety of directors in performing arts, and with that comes a large variety of relationships students and actors have with their directors. Many of these relationships are good but some can be not so good. I think that these relationships depend on two characteristics. How nice or mean the director is to the students and if their group wins or puts of a good performance or if they don’t.

                First there is the student director who is very helpful but sadly gets over looked when it comes to directors. I think that relationships with student directors are tricky because in school and in everyday life they are your equal and you have to treat them as such, but when you’re the actor and he/she is the student director he/she suddenly has more authority then you and that is hard for a teenager to understand and respect.

                Then there are directors that are rude to the kids and don’t put on good shows. By “rude to the kids” I mean during practice. Don’t get me wrong. They could be the nicest person when you talk to them one on one, but during practice all they do is call out mistakes and say that nothing is ever good enough. Students dislike these types of directors because a lot of the time directors that are rude don’t produce good shows because the kids just feel belittled.

                The second kind of rude directors are the ones that are rude in rehearsal, call out people singularly, nothing is ever good enough, but they win and put on good shows. Performers feel like they can put up with this type of director because winning is the payoff.

                Its always nice to get a nice director. It is also nice to win.  There is one kind of director that is so nice, he makes rehearsals fun, he never gets mad at the kids, and he never wins. That is a big letdown for the performers because he never would have told them what they were doing wrong because he is too nice.

                Personally I think a rude director that wins is preferable over a nice director who doesn’t.

               

Close(428)

One thing I really enjoy about coming to the end of a season is how close my show choir family and I have gotten. But specifically my partners. One aspect of show choir that you have to get used to early in your show choir life is, having a partner or multiple partners. There are some songs or dances  were the choreographer chooses to not have partners either because it’s a song where just the boys are singing or just the girls are singing or it just makes sense with the choreography they have made for the song. But the majority of the time you get to have someone there to hold your hand or hold your waist or at the very least stand shoulder to shoulder with you.

                There are some times when having a partner is very necessary, like during a love song. It would be quite odd having boys and girls on stage dancing with themselves singing about how they are so in love with another person. I actually find it easier to dance with a partner then without one. But it’s also very awkward when you don’t really know the person and you have to act like you are desperately in love with them. My advice would be to get to know them. No, they don’t have to become your new boyfriend or even a good friend but if you feel comfortable saying hello in the hallways then you can be perfectly compatible dance partners.

                Of course there are times when you get pared with the one person in the whole group that you don’t really get along with. There are a few ways to react to this, by telling them that you didn’t want to be partners and have a bad relationship the rest of the year, just don’t say anything and have an awkward relationship for the rest of the year, or you can suck it up and be nice to each other. I would suggest the ladder, but it isn’t always possible to do. In that case my advice is just don’t be mean to one another. You don’t have to be the nicest person ever but you also don’t have to be straight mean to them.

                The perfect partner would be one that hits all the right counts, is nice to you, is friends with you, is strong for lifts, and one that respects you, but these aspects are not always attainable in one,  single person because they are just that, a person, who makes mistakes just like everyone else.

Post Season. Pre Done. (445)

          Well it's that time of the year again people;post season. What is post season, you ask? We'll I'm glad you did! Post season is just after the last competitive performance. Practice gets cut back to nothing, and your tight knit, family like group goes their separate ways, only to meet again back in choir. Which, at my school, not many people have a true passion for choir music or performing that music. so you can assume it's not going to be as fun as performing a show choir show for hundreds and hundreds of people

           Some of the things my show choir friends and family do during this "off season" are tennis, track, and they take place in the spring musical. You can bet that there is a big over lap of people who participate in the musical and people in show choir, so a majority of the time the director or directors have to accommodate to the random practices we still have. I believe that in show choir you are putting on a different persona. The most shy girl of the whole show choir could have the biggest, most bellowing voice of any one, and she may have to act as if she's the most outgoing person ever but in real life she is nothing like that. So show choir is kind of a form of acting. Not so much as actual stage acting, like getting a character and saying lines and all that jazz. So I think that show choir helps push people to do things after it's very own season done. 

          Another thing show choir helps is your muscles. There are some shows that are not very strenuous, those are mostly prep and freshman show choirs. But for my varsity show choir, even when we were just learning the dances, I could feel the muscles forming, and of course being super soar. Because of this muscle building, you could see a difference in the way people play sports that were in show choir. It also really helps with stamina because you have to keep the highest amount of energy possible for twenty minutes straight, And breathing technique. We'll singing in general helps breathing technique but when you add cardio to that it just steps it up a bit. 

         I've been calling it post season for a reason now people. We are not totally done performing yet! We still have the very emotional, cry fest also known as going out concert. After going out concert there will be no other show choir performances and that will no longer be "post season" but it will be the start of a new show choir season. 

Show choir vs. choir(472)

What Passion Cannot Music Raise and Quell? This quote is the opening line from a song we are learning in my varsity concert choir. Although we are just learning that song now my director has been telling us this particular quote before we have gone on for show choir competitions for weeks now. That started me thinking about all the things we do in show choir to make the audience feel a certain type of emotion. We don’t just use music even though that is a large part of it. We also use facials and movements and we create stories with partners and friends.

But in normal choir, you don’t have the ability to do that. You must do it all with music. Sure sometimes directors give you arm choreography, lovingly called “choralography,” or say “look happy during this piece,” or “its talking about love why do you guys look like your pooping!” but they can not give you a whole dance and say “learn it, and it has to be perfect.” Because that is not was choir is. That is not to say, though, that you are not performing for an audience. Because you are.

So I will be addressing just some differences and similarities from choir and show choir in this blog. Let’s start with something that doesn’t have to do with music; how the performers look. In show choir you are told how to do your make up, how to do your hair, what to wear, and what to wear underneath that. If everything isn’t uniform in show choir you get points taken off, and as any show choir person will tell you, every point matters. In choir it’s a bit different though, you are not told what to do with your make up or hair, but at my school you are told what to wear. (Long green dresses. Perfect for singing in, not so great for dancing.)

Another difference is that in show choir you are judged, and placed, and critiqued. And after all that you go get your big trophy to present proudly saying “look world were number one!” In choir there are no trophies, no judge, no being critiqued, and you don’t get placed against other groups. You simply go and give the best show you can give, so you can say that you did the best you did. Last year my director was explaining that there are two type of competition; internal and external. I believe that show choir is mostly about external competition. How you rank against other groups? Who got the bigger score and all that. And choir is internal, did I hit that note correctly? Did I breathe where I was supposed to?

There are tons and tons of differences between choir and show choir, I just hit on two main ones.   

nationals(360)

In the show choir world there are four or five show choir competitions that are much larger then normal copetitions held at high schools. They are called "Nationals." They are held in Florida, Tennessee, and New York. This year my show choir , Happiness Inc. Went up against some of the hardest competition weve faced all year in Nashville Tennessee.  All of the show choirs came from all across the nation. Hence the name "Nationals." We come from Iowa, there were some from Missouri, and even two all the way from California.  We all got to perform on the famous Grand Ole Opry stage which has also held perforers such as Elvis and Carrie Underwood.  Performing on That stage was a once in a life time experience.  We also got to stay at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel which was really like 4 hotels all jammed into one. there were jungles in the middle of the hotel and a ricer flowing through it. The view out of our window seemed like it would be one from the jungle but no. It was just outside, well inside our hotel. Having that experience with my amazing shhow choir family is one I will never forget.

What makes people try out? (433)

What Makes people try out for show choir?

I would like to research this question more because it seems like a simple answer. “you try out for show choir to be in show choir because you like to sing and dance.” But over my four years in show choir I have seen many other reasons, not just the joy of performing. I would like to know why the majority of people try out.

It could be because an older sibling was in it. I’ve known people like this; normally they are very passionate about this activity. They tend to have connections from watching sparkly dresses, and handsome boys dancing when they were younger.

They also could have tried out because they want to prove to themselves that they can make it. (This is a bit of personal experience here folks) my freshman year I was in show choir and didn’t think much about it, it was an extra activity to keep me busy. But when I did not make it sophomore year, I was very discouraged. I wallowed in self pity for about a week and then I decided I was done with that, and I was bound and determined to make it my junior year. A year of work later I was happily back in the group.

Some people try out so they can have an activity to be in with friends. Being in such a time consuming activity means having a lot, and I mean a lot of time to spend with friends. From practices to long bus rides, to performance days, hours and hour are spent with the same people.

They also could have tried out because they want to prove to themselves that they can make it. (This is a bit of personal experience here folks) my freshman year I was in show choir and didn’t think much about it, it was an extra activity to keep me busy. But when I did not make it sophomore year, I was very discouraged. I wallowed in self pity for about a week and then I decided I was done with that, and I was bound and determined to make it my junior year. A year of work later I was happily back in the group.

Some people try out so they can have an activity to be in with friends. Being in such a time consuming activity means having a lot, and I mean a lot of time to spend with friends. From practices to long bus rides, to performance days, hours and hour are spent with the same people.