Voices of Valencia Musicianship Training

 

Beginning this season, Spring 2009, Voices of Valencia will be including musicianship training as part of each rehearsal.  This training includes 15 lessons, comprising topics ranging from pitch matching and cut-offs all the way to imploded/exploded consonants, vocal lifts, and sight singing.  These lessons are offered during the first 15 minutes of each rehearsal, as well as between 6:30 p.m. and 6:50 p.m. before rehearsal.

 

Each night, rehearsal begins with one of the lessons to be learned, of either rudimentary, intermediate, or advanced level (hereinafter, called “Level 1,” “Level 2,” and “Level 3”). The night’s lesson is taught to the entire group, then a subset of choir members is skill-checked individually or in pairs to determine mastery of the lesson. For example, if the night’s lesson is on cut-offs, after the concept is taught to the choir, either the sopranos, altos, or tenors/basses would form a line.  One or two choir members at a time would be given a line to sing with a cut-off value.  Passing the skill check results in receiving a badge for that exercise.

 

Every badge has two distinct values.  The first is that it contributes towards completing a set of badges of a particular difficulty level.  Collecting a set of badges for skill checks allows a choir member to turn in that set and receive a completion badge for that level, indicating they have completed all of its skill checks.  The completion badge also allows that member to perform skill checks of the next level of difficulty (before rehearsal).

 

The second purpose of the badges is for use in the choir’s fund-raising efforts. For choir members not interested in earning, collecting, and exchanging badges, any badges they earn during rehearsal can be used as payment for the weekly 50-50 drawing held at the end of rehearsal.  Every two badges is worth one entry in the drawing, and the money that would usually be paid for those drawing tickets will come directly from Darren Lacoste.  To hear him tell it, it’s his way of making a financial contribution to the overall well-being of Voices of Valencia.

 

We look forward to your participation in this exciting, new Voices of Valencia endeavor!  Even more than that, we look forward to improving our choir’s overall musicianship in the weeks, months and years ahead!

 

More to come, keep checking back!!