The Cheat's Guide to Joining a Choir
/The new year is a great time to join a choir - especially if your new year's resolution is to learn a new skill, socialise more, or even to be healthier and happier! This post shares our top tips on finding the right choir, settling in, finding your way musically and how best to enjoy the experience of singing with others.
Here’s what you need to know when joining a choir!
Find your choir home
Do your research so you join the right choir for you. Check that the location, times and - most importantly - the repertoire will suit you. Most choirs (like ours, the Starling Voices) will let you come to a taster session before signing up to a whole term, so you might even want to try a couple until you find one that feels like home! Atmosphere will also be crucial - at Starling Arts we value a community spirit where people are just as important as the music.
Find out more
Once you’ve selected your choir of choice, check out what they do and how. Watch videos, read blog posts, go to their concerts and follow them on social media to get a sense of what you’ll be doing and the general vibe of the group. We find this helps people fit in when they arrive, as they'll already feel part of it.
Plan your journey
It sounds obvious, but making sure you know how to get to your first rehearsal is vital. Use a tool like Citymapper or follow any directions given so you’re not stressed when you arrive. That way you can focus on enjoying yourself rather than feeling self-conscious for walking in the door 15 minutes late!
Turning Up
Joining an established choir can seem daunting, but our advice is to throw yourself in. Arrive a little early and speak to other singers or the team. Ask questions: find out what the choir is like, how long they’ve been there, what they like about it, what concerts are coming up and if they have any advice for you (they were new once too, after all!).
We find that making these bonds early on helps everyone to feel comfortable - which in turn leads to more confident and enjoyable singing!
Throw yourself into the fun!
Stop worrying about ‘your voice’
So many people say to us, “I’d love to join a choir but I can’t sing”. But the experience and quality of your voice is one of the least important things. That’s the great thing about a choir where a collective sound is key! In ours choirs you’ll never have to sing solo unless you want to, so whether singing in your voice part or with all of the choir, take time to enjoy contributing to the group sound and notice that the audience shouldn’t be able to hear one voice above any other within the choir's blend. You'll soon find your voice improving, and with it your confidence, too!
Try, try again
Even if you’ve sung in choirs all your life you might not get every note right all of the time. So don’t worry. If there’s a tricky section, ask for clarification or a clue (like a famous song with the same musical interval/note jump). Then listen to rehearsal tracks when you’re at home or on your way to work to get those pesky bits in your head. And if in doubt, ask and listen to others in your voice part.
Be Prepared
You’ll normally be given copies of sheet music or lyrics, and we advise you bring a folder to store the music, a pencil to make notes as you’re given them, and a bottle of water. If you can, limiting caffeine and alcohol intake can help keep you hydrated and make sure you can fully experience the benefits of singing in a group.
Voice Types
We have four main voice types in the Starling Voices, although there are further divisions.
Starting at the bottom:
Bass/Baritone - the lowest voice type. Usually a male singer with a low, rich tone. Think Barry White or Johnny Cash!
Tenor - a higher low voice, usually with a lighter tone.
Singers like Sam Smith or Ed Sheeran are tenors. Other famous voices that can hit tenor notes include Alison Moyet or Tracy Chapman.Alto - often associated with lower female voices, a lot of pop music is written in the Alto range. Artists like Amy Winehouse or Adele sing alto.
Soprano - the highest voice type. Sopranos often sing the tune/melody. In classical music Sopranos might sing really high. With the repertoire we sing in the Starling Voices, our sopranos sing at a much more comfortable pitch! Think Lily Allen or Eva Cassidy.
Some singers have a vocal range that spans the prescribed voice types above. The likes of Mariah Carey, Demi Levato or Axl Rose have scaled the heights of many octaves in their music. All our singers have a mix of ranges and we arrange all our music for the voices we have in the room.
It doesn’t matter if you’re not sure which voice part you are when you arrive at choir - just ask the musical directors and they’ll help you find somewhere comfortable. Don't be afraid to move if you find things are feeling too high or low for you, but remember that things will get easier the more you sing.
What makes a Choir
Do
Be positive and encouraging to other singers and they will reciprocate!
Go out of your way to get involved with socials and events
Put in time to learn your lyrics and practice your harmony lines between rehearsals
Let your choir leaders know in advance if you are running late or need to miss a session
Ask for help on any tricky sections
Throw yourself in to warm ups and exercises - even if you initially feel out of your comfort zone, it’ll soon feel natural
Use rehearsals as an opportunity to leave your stresses behind! Put your phone away and forget about work. Dedicate the time you spend at choir to yourself and the music, and choose not to dwell on external stresses or problems while you could be feeling better with a good sing!
Don't
Fret about being perfect first time - that's what rehearsals are for
Judge yourself against others - we all pick things up at different speeds and have our own strengths and weakness. Don’t do yourself down because someone seems like they’re doing 'better' than you
Be afraid to ask if something’s not clear. Choir leaders would always rather know what people are struggling with so they can tailor their teaching accordingly
Be afraid of any new musical language you hear in choir - you’ll soon pick it up and if you don’t understand something, just ask!
Find out more about the Starling Voices and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for more choir tips.
Got a question about joining our choirs? Try our FAQS or email info@starlingarts.com
