The Power of Unified Voices

1. The Power of Unified Voices Vocal Techniques for the Worship Team and Ensembles

2. The Power of Unified Voices This class will focus on specific areas and techniques designed to help worship teams, ensembles, and choirs grow and blend vocally.

3. Biblical Foundations Why do we sing as choirs and ensembles? • We have been appointed: (1 Chr 15:16 NIV) David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals. (2 Chr 20:21-22 NIV) After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever."

4. Biblical Foundations Why are choirs a central part of the church? • As stated before, we are appointed. • We are in charge of the work of the temple! (1 Chr 9:33 NIV) Those who were musicians, heads of Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night. (Dr. Miles Monroe) “it pleases the king!”

5. Biblical Foundations Why do we study? • We are to play (sing) skillfully! (Psa 33:1-3 NIV) Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; It is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the LORD with the harp; Make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; Play skillfully, and shout for joy.

6. Play (Sing) Skillfully Five areas of ensemble and singing excellence: • Singing (tone/sound) • Accuracy (musicianship/mechanics) • Diction (pronunciation/enunciation/inflection) • Phrasing (musicality/artistry/expression) • Personal communication (drama/passion)

7. Singing One of the most important and significant things a director can do: • Teach people to really sing with proper technique and energy. Because, if the message can not be heard or transmitted, it will not complete its work.

8. Singing Proper vocal technique will give the singer: • More volume of both air and sound • Increased vocal stamina • Better tone control • Greater ability to blend • Better expression • Expanded range

9. Singing • Warm-up time is crucial to teaching and establishing vocal technique and blend. • Focus on six areas. • Relaxation. • Posture. • Breathing. • Connection. • Resonance. • Registration.

10. Singing Exercises Warm up outline: • (Relaxation) stretches, shoulder rolls, etc. • (Posture) “Y” chest expansion, 2 point posture check. • (Breathing/) crunch exercise, 1, 2, 3x deep breath. • (Connection) cough, 16th note “ha’s” on a single note or CGCE. • (Resonance) soft pallet lift, “mm-oh” exercise. • (Registration) 5th or octave slides, sirens, cathedral “oo” exercise.

11. Accuracy and Harmony • Harmony requires accuracy of pitch. • Accuracy of pitch requires that everyone, even the best of singers, sing with good vocal production. • It is the director’s duty to teach every singer to sing every note, word and syllable accurately and consistently. • When music is learned in this manor, then we are most effectively prepared musically to allow for the move of the spirit.

12. Accuracy and Harmony Exercises • 16th note CGCE warm up exercise • CGCE exercise: • Tenors up 1 step • Sopranos up ½ step • Tenors down ½ step • Altos and bases up ½ step * Steps 1-4 can be repeated in succession * • The choir must listen to each other, all the time, every time!

13. Diction • We must deliver the text to deliver the message! • The singer must strive through pronunciation, enunciation, and articulation to make the message understandable. • The goal is not to make all singers voices sound alike or identical, but to make them sound unified.

14. Diction This area of singing effects blend and vocal unity more than any other! Two singers singing different vowel sounds will give the illusion that they are not in tune with one another. It is the inaccurate placement of the consonant sounds that causes singers not to be in rhythm with each other.

15. Diction Terms: • Pronunciation – the proper use of the articulators and the vocal mechanism to produce words. • Enunciation – how the vocal mechanism produces the vowel sounds of speech. • Articulation – how the vocal mechanism produces the consonant sounds of speech. • Articulators – the parts of the vocal mechanism used to in pronunciation. Primarily the teeth, the lips, and the tongue.

16. Diction Vowels: • There are five written vowels – a, e, i, o, and u; However, in actual speech, there are many, many, many more. • It is the job of the director to choose which vowel sound singers will sing on any given song. • It is the singers job to actively listen to each other in order to match their vowel sounds with each other.

17. Diction Consonants: • The rhythmic parts of speech that stop and release the air stream using the articulators. • Must be placed on the proper division of the beat or the group will sound out of sync! • There are two types: voiced (vocalization produced), unvoiced (no vocalization produced). Ex: • Z – voiced, s – unvoiced. • D – voiced, t - unvoiced.

18. Diction Exercises • Pure vowel “mi, me, ma, mo, mu” exercise. • Repeat consonants in a 4/4 rhythmic pattern. • Have the choir repeat back to the director a particular rhythmic phrase, imitating your pronunciation exactly. Can be sung or spoken. • If the director notices a particular person singing a phrase well, have that person sing it for the group and have the group match that phrase. • If there is a song that the group sings particularly well together, use it (in whole or in part) as a practice song to “get them in the groove!”

19. Phrasing • It is the shape, or flow, of the lyrical line. • Where expression and musicality starts. • It is determined by four components of the song: • The lyrics. • The rhythm of the line. • The shape of the notes of the line. • The personal interpretation of the director and the group.

20. Tips on Phrasing • Singers must think in phrases, not just notes (notes are the needles, phrases are the trees, the song is the forest). • Singers need to understand the musical line and how that line fits into the song. • Singers should always be actively thinking about what they are singing. • Like diction, use songs that the group sings well together as practice tools. • Call to memory songs with similar qualities. • Remember, we are to be united in the message.

21. Communication The purpose of music is to communicate a message, and 80% of communication is body language! Music is not just expressed with the voice, but with the entire body! The entirety of the message of a song is contained in the words, and notes, and emotion, and passion, and the spirit of the song. All of these must be used together effectively by the choir and or soloist in order for the song to be properly communicated.

22. Communication • Smile if the song is about joy! • Clap if the song says clap! • Shout if the song says shout! • Dance if the song says dance! • Lift your hands if the song says lift your hands! • Do everything you can to communicate what the message means to you to those you are singing to! • MOST IMPORTANT – remain surrendered and connected to the Spirit of God and allow Him to direct your path, even when - especially when - you sing.

23. Summary • Singing (tone/sound) - teach people to really sing with proper technique and energy. • Accuracy (musicianship/mechanics) - make sure every singer sings every note, word and syllable accurately and consistently. • Phrasing (musicality/artistry/expression) – think about the line and how it fits into the song. • Diction (pronunciation/enunciation/inflection) – be unified in vowel sound and consonant rhythm. • Personal communication (drama/passion) - the purpose of music is to communicate!

24. Summary In all of these the director leads by example, teaching, and inspiration. It has been said that, "we must exaggerate, must overstate, must be physically percussive, must project, must work hard at it, must teach, re-teach, and re-teach, 100 percent of the time!“

25. Final Thought • (2 Chr 5:13-14 NIV) The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: "he is good; His love endures forever." Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of god.

26. Final Thought • (2 Chr 20:21-22 NIV) After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever." As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

27. Final Thought The Lord is enthroned on our praises, and where His throne is, there is power!