What About MP3 (or Equivalent) Choir-Training?
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,232
    It seems that in the last several years, church-choir directors have been asking their singers to 'learn the music' by listening to an MP3 (or equivalent). The theory apparently is that the choir will spend less time drilling the music during rehearsal time, thus allowing the choir to learn more music in a given year.

    I have my doubts about this. To point out the obvious, choirs managed to learn music before the advent of MP3--and even before phonographs (!!). Beyond that, singing in a church-choir requires more than just repeating the MP3's realization; there are issues about interpretation, following a conductor, accompaniment variations, singing 'with' your section (and 'in' a chorus)--all of which are fluid. Any given Sunday, and all that...

    Clearly, I'm on a more ante-Deluvian wavelength. But what's your thought??

    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • ryandryand
    Posts: 1,640
    I record some things for the choir and post them in a public dropbox folder.

    there are issues about interpretation, following a conductor, accompaniment variations, singing 'with' your section (and 'in' a chorus)--all of which are fluid.


    Those are the things we go over in rehearsals. For the non-music-readers (majority of my choir), they at least have an idea of how their parts go when they show up.


    If your question is about listening to MP3's of other choirs - usually no. I will sometimes give them an example, but usually with the explicit caveat, "Do not practice with the recording. We won't be singing it exactly like them, but you will get a sense of how the piece goes from that."
  • TimTheEnchanterTimTheEnchanter
    Posts: 206
    I set up a Spotify station for my choir (which is small, by and large doesn't read music, and mostly sings in unison). But I introduce the piece first, then add it to the station. For them, it serves as a supplement, only reinforcing what they've learned.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,315
    The mp3 or other recording was super helpfuln when there was no way I could figure it out with solfège. Now that I can do that more comfortably, though by no means well, it helps me to correct things (like, did I miscalculate the interval in my head?-I sometimes do solfège and say the wrong name but sing the right pitch...). It helps me find a pitch for do that is reasonable. We finetune that later. I had to listen to the solemn Salve Regina a few times to be confident in not overinterpreting the incipit and that as someone with a limited range, I really have to be careful with the “Eia ergo... illos tuos” jump.

    Dad29, I completely agree... On the other hand, and maybe this is a blind spot since so much chant around here is self-taught and choirs are formed ad hoc, the mp3 is little different pedagogically speaking from learning by rote in the medieval period. IMHO.

    Your point is most convincing regarding interpretation. I know of more recordings which are using to some degree the Solesmes markings but different things such as the Triplex or other medieval pre-square notation markings. The video can’t teach breathing in your choir. It can’t teach full stops, etc. You also don’t want them to repeat mistakes made by choirs... But as I said, it has worked for me. I hope to get chanting regularly next year so I don’t have to do it...

    Just my 2¢ thrown out there.
  • Casavant Organist
    Posts: 805
    I personally think that recordings are really bad for helping a choir learn music, because it forces a certain style on them. I was recently working with a choir where the entire piano score had to be re-written because the choir was too used to the CD. Besides, sight reading in a choir is really important, especially when you need to change hymns at the last minute.
  • Carl DCarl D
    Posts: 992
    When I did recordings for the schola, it was really just to increase the courage of those who didn't read music or those who were less confident in their skills. I didn't have problems adjusting things in rehearsal.

    If you do recordings, don't put any pressure on using them.
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