Several of the comments I heard about singing in public included the phrase "Yes, there was alcohol involved." If people are more likely to sing in public when they've been drinking, it suggests that the thing that prevents people from singing in public is...well...inhibitions. And nothing takes care of inhibitions better than alcohol. Is it true that most people don't sing in public because they"re too inhibited? Are people who do sing in public just less inhibited? What fear do people have that keeps them from singing in public? Do they fear being embarrassed? What is embarrassing about singing in public? Is it the fear of not singing well?
Have you ever been asked not to sing? Did you stop singing as a result? I've been asked not to sing, usually by family members. If someone asks you not to sing, you should probably sing anyway, unless there is a sleeping baby in the room. If you wake the baby, you have to take care of it. What about concerts? It's true that the person in front of you did not pay good money to hear YOU sing, so you should probably be respectful of the performer and the other members of the audience. But if the person on the stage says, "Sing!" then sing! The people in front of you should be singing, too. If they were singing then your singing wouldn't bother them as much. Have you ever asked someone not to sing? It's alright to ask someone not to sing right here, or right now. But I've had students who have had someone tell them they shouldn't sing at all. How unfortunate.
One of the most amazing vocal performances I ever heard was in a small church in Philadelphia. I was the pastor. There was a girl in the congregation who wanted to sing. She was the sweetest person you would ever want to meet, but she had a mental disability. And from congregational singing the whole church knew that her ability to match pitch was not well developed. (to say the least) But it was a small church and she wanted to sing. I told her the same thing I told everyone who wanted to sing a solo. Before you can sing you have to practice your song ten times in a row and then come sing it for me. I figured this would put her off and save the congregation from five minutes of awkwardness during a service.
The next week she came back smiling. She said, "My sister helped me and we went through the song ten times and I know every word." She sang it for me and she did indeed know every word. A deal's a deal so I told her she could sing it. I don't remember which song she sang, but I remember the performance. From a musical perspective it was not good. Some of the notes were close to being on pitch. Some were not. But when she was done there was not a dry eye in the house. She sang the words with such sincerity and conviction that every heart was moved.
Yesterday during my interview with Charlie, he mentioned singing to his children. He said, "I don't know if they like it because, you know me and pitch." (Charlie is also harmonically challenged.) My thought was, "But you sang to them." What more tender expression of love can their be then for a father to sing to his children? I can't say for certain, but I'm pretty sure they remember it fondly.
Everybody should sing somewhere. Some should sing on stage. Others should sing in the living room, in the kitchen, or in the car. Some should limit their endeavors to the shower. Every parent should sing to their children. Every grandparent should sing to their grandkids. Sing when no one is listening. If you are spiritual, sing as if someone is always listening. Just sing.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Community Singing in America
Where do Americans sing? Footballs fans ( a few) will sing the National Anthem. Baseball fans sing at the seventh inning stretch. Soccer fans (other than American) sing all the time. Fans at concerts sing a popular song or two, but only when invited to do so. Kids sing in school, usually in music class or choir. I have lost touch with what kids sing in school these days. Do families still sing on car trips, or are all the family members engaged with their own ear buds?
And who would be considered the greatest American song-leader of my lifetime? My first thought was Mitch Miller. His TV show "Sing Along with Mitch" made him a household name from 1961-1964. My second thought was Cliff Barrows. As song leader for the Billy Graham Crusades he lead millions in song for over 60 years. Of course, I couldn't betray my Winona Lake roots by not mentioning Homer Rodeheaver, even though he was from an earlier time (1910-1930).
In 1977 I won my church denomination's national song leading award. That's right, I was a nationally recognized church song leader by the time I was in 10th grade. I remember that there were rules to follow. You had to announce the song as hymn number, not page number, because hymnals frequently had more than one hymn per page. You had to introduce the song with some meaningful remarks that were clear, but not to long. Handling the transitions between hymns was a big deal. And if you had the congregation stand to sing, you had to remember to ask them to be seated at the end. You could hold the hymnal with one hand and conduct with the other, or put the hymnal on the pulpit and conduct with both hands, which was recommended for larger groups.
At some point churches went from having song leaders to having worship leaders. The emphasis moved from the song to the response to the song. And it is now preferred that you not "wave your hands in the air" but use them to play an instrument, preferably guitar.
Yesterday I did a performance at a retirement home with the Dayton Accordion Band. In that group, we still do sing alongs. I've only recently taken over the role of song leader with the group. Now I lead singing while wearing a rather large accordion. This isn't easy. But it was instinctive to give the group cues for coming in and cut offs at the end of songs. The group sang, by memory, some of the same songs they used to sing with Mitch Miller. And they love singing patriotic numbers like America, the Beautiful. But this generation sang those songs together in school. They had a shared communal musical experience.
I wonder if there will be any kind of sing alongs in 20 years. Will people feel comfortable singing in public? Will they have any shared songs? I was surprised last year at my daughter's wedding. At the end of the reception she and her friends all joined together and belted out a rousing rendition of ...wait for it... Piano Man. That song was released about ten years before they were born. I don't think they knew all the verses, but they enjoyed singing the chorus. And, yes, there was alcohol involved.
And who would be considered the greatest American song-leader of my lifetime? My first thought was Mitch Miller. His TV show "Sing Along with Mitch" made him a household name from 1961-1964. My second thought was Cliff Barrows. As song leader for the Billy Graham Crusades he lead millions in song for over 60 years. Of course, I couldn't betray my Winona Lake roots by not mentioning Homer Rodeheaver, even though he was from an earlier time (1910-1930).
In 1977 I won my church denomination's national song leading award. That's right, I was a nationally recognized church song leader by the time I was in 10th grade. I remember that there were rules to follow. You had to announce the song as hymn number, not page number, because hymnals frequently had more than one hymn per page. You had to introduce the song with some meaningful remarks that were clear, but not to long. Handling the transitions between hymns was a big deal. And if you had the congregation stand to sing, you had to remember to ask them to be seated at the end. You could hold the hymnal with one hand and conduct with the other, or put the hymnal on the pulpit and conduct with both hands, which was recommended for larger groups.
At some point churches went from having song leaders to having worship leaders. The emphasis moved from the song to the response to the song. And it is now preferred that you not "wave your hands in the air" but use them to play an instrument, preferably guitar.
Yesterday I did a performance at a retirement home with the Dayton Accordion Band. In that group, we still do sing alongs. I've only recently taken over the role of song leader with the group. Now I lead singing while wearing a rather large accordion. This isn't easy. But it was instinctive to give the group cues for coming in and cut offs at the end of songs. The group sang, by memory, some of the same songs they used to sing with Mitch Miller. And they love singing patriotic numbers like America, the Beautiful. But this generation sang those songs together in school. They had a shared communal musical experience.
I wonder if there will be any kind of sing alongs in 20 years. Will people feel comfortable singing in public? Will they have any shared songs? I was surprised last year at my daughter's wedding. At the end of the reception she and her friends all joined together and belted out a rousing rendition of ...wait for it... Piano Man. That song was released about ten years before they were born. I don't think they knew all the verses, but they enjoyed singing the chorus. And, yes, there was alcohol involved.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The Heart Song Project Intro
The Heart Song Project is the best name I have at the moment to describe the research I am doing in the area of music preferences. The purpose of the study is to determine why we like the music that we like.
There are two aspects of my research that set it apart from the other studies that I have read. Most of the studies of music preferences attempt to match or correlate music styles to personality styles. The problem with this approach is that while we may have preferences for certain styles of music, the real emotional connection is not with styles of music, but with individual songs or works of music. You may prefer to listen to classical music, but the thing that gives you chills or goosebumps is Handel's Messiah. You may prefer to listen to melancholy 70s music, but the song that reaches deep into your heart is Karen Carpenter singing "Bless the Beasts and the Children. These selections that have the most emotional impact are what I call "heart songs."
The second distinctive aspect of my work is that while most studies on music preferences use young people as test subjects, I have done my research with senior adults. The problem is that music preferences as still in formation during adolescence. Heart songs are still being developed. Young people may like one style of music now and then outgrow it, replacing with another style as they reach maturity. If you have dealt with older people you know that their music preferences are not in flux. They are stable. They haven't changed in years and are not likely to change in the near future. I believe this stability of preferences gives a better indication of how these preferences were formed.
The main application of my work so far has been in the areas of memory recovery and legacy creation. I have had senior adults tell me that they don't remember much about their childhood and certainly don't remember the music. However, once I start asking questions from the "Life Soundtrack Worksheet" they start to remember people, places, events, and the songs associated with them. These songs, learned in childhood and buried deep in the memory, have excellent potential for being heart songs.
The desire to assist with legacy creation has come out of my own life experiences. When I was growing up, my father played his accordion almost every night. A few years ago I had the opportunity to take him into a studio and just let him play. In music performer lingo, he "tore it up." He delivered an incredible performance, one that he would be unable to duplicate today. In my pastoral work, I have held discussions with the relatives of the deceased while we did funeral planning. Family members did their best to remember what songs the person enjoyed that could be played at the memorial service. In legacy creation, I help senior adults identify the songs and performers that are most significant to them. I have them write down the stories associated with the songs, and then I encourage them to share both the song and the story with family members. When they tell the story and play the song for younger generations they create a legacy. And when they are gone, the younger generation can play that song, remember the story and feel close to their departed loved one again.
There are two aspects of my research that set it apart from the other studies that I have read. Most of the studies of music preferences attempt to match or correlate music styles to personality styles. The problem with this approach is that while we may have preferences for certain styles of music, the real emotional connection is not with styles of music, but with individual songs or works of music. You may prefer to listen to classical music, but the thing that gives you chills or goosebumps is Handel's Messiah. You may prefer to listen to melancholy 70s music, but the song that reaches deep into your heart is Karen Carpenter singing "Bless the Beasts and the Children. These selections that have the most emotional impact are what I call "heart songs."
The second distinctive aspect of my work is that while most studies on music preferences use young people as test subjects, I have done my research with senior adults. The problem is that music preferences as still in formation during adolescence. Heart songs are still being developed. Young people may like one style of music now and then outgrow it, replacing with another style as they reach maturity. If you have dealt with older people you know that their music preferences are not in flux. They are stable. They haven't changed in years and are not likely to change in the near future. I believe this stability of preferences gives a better indication of how these preferences were formed.
The main application of my work so far has been in the areas of memory recovery and legacy creation. I have had senior adults tell me that they don't remember much about their childhood and certainly don't remember the music. However, once I start asking questions from the "Life Soundtrack Worksheet" they start to remember people, places, events, and the songs associated with them. These songs, learned in childhood and buried deep in the memory, have excellent potential for being heart songs.
The desire to assist with legacy creation has come out of my own life experiences. When I was growing up, my father played his accordion almost every night. A few years ago I had the opportunity to take him into a studio and just let him play. In music performer lingo, he "tore it up." He delivered an incredible performance, one that he would be unable to duplicate today. In my pastoral work, I have held discussions with the relatives of the deceased while we did funeral planning. Family members did their best to remember what songs the person enjoyed that could be played at the memorial service. In legacy creation, I help senior adults identify the songs and performers that are most significant to them. I have them write down the stories associated with the songs, and then I encourage them to share both the song and the story with family members. When they tell the story and play the song for younger generations they create a legacy. And when they are gone, the younger generation can play that song, remember the story and feel close to their departed loved one again.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Wagner Performance cancelled in Israel
I was listening to an NPR interview with Yonathon Levni, the founder of the Israel Wagner society. He was talking about having his performance of Wagner in Israel cancelled.
Read full article here.
He asked the question of why God would give such a despicable human being the ability to write such incredible music. Wagner's anti-semitism and the fondness of Hitler for his work are well known.
I asked myself the question, "Why bother?" Is doing a performance of this work in this place at this time worth the anger, controversy and hard feelings? One holocaust survivor said it would be "emotional torture." Why not just let it rest? How many people in Israel are wanting to listen to Wagner anyway? Is this using the power of music to unite or divide, to heal or to harm?
Let me state a disclaimer. In many ways I am not emotionally qualified to address the issues involved here. Some of my distant relatives were probably Polish Jews, but none that I know of were affected by the Holocaust. I don't know and can't know the emotional effect Wagner's music would have on a Holocaust survivor. I have also not personally read Wagner's writings on the subject.
But having said that, I do think that the performance would be a good thing. It would be at least a major irony, and at most a major victory, for a Jewish orchestra, under the direction of a Jewish conductor, to perform the music of Wagner in the nation of Israel. It would assert the power of music over hate. It would be a way for Jewish people to say, "We will claim art and beauty where we find it and in doing so, prove that Wagner's Judeaophobic rantings are quite simply, wrong."
The performance might not be comforting. It could produce conflicting emotions and inner turmoil. It could raise questions about history, philosophy, theology, and the nature of man. But isn't that what art does?
Read full article here.
He asked the question of why God would give such a despicable human being the ability to write such incredible music. Wagner's anti-semitism and the fondness of Hitler for his work are well known.
I asked myself the question, "Why bother?" Is doing a performance of this work in this place at this time worth the anger, controversy and hard feelings? One holocaust survivor said it would be "emotional torture." Why not just let it rest? How many people in Israel are wanting to listen to Wagner anyway? Is this using the power of music to unite or divide, to heal or to harm?
Let me state a disclaimer. In many ways I am not emotionally qualified to address the issues involved here. Some of my distant relatives were probably Polish Jews, but none that I know of were affected by the Holocaust. I don't know and can't know the emotional effect Wagner's music would have on a Holocaust survivor. I have also not personally read Wagner's writings on the subject.
But having said that, I do think that the performance would be a good thing. It would be at least a major irony, and at most a major victory, for a Jewish orchestra, under the direction of a Jewish conductor, to perform the music of Wagner in the nation of Israel. It would assert the power of music over hate. It would be a way for Jewish people to say, "We will claim art and beauty where we find it and in doing so, prove that Wagner's Judeaophobic rantings are quite simply, wrong."
The performance might not be comforting. It could produce conflicting emotions and inner turmoil. It could raise questions about history, philosophy, theology, and the nature of man. But isn't that what art does?
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Thoughts from the Adele NBC Special
1) Adele's audience can sing! I don't know if the soundtrack for the TV special was enhanced, but when they sang along, the audience sounded like a choir. They had internalized nuances of pitch, tone, timbre and inflection and reproduced them with stunning cohesion. Remember, this was an unrehearsed, unconducted performance. The human mind has an amazing ability to record and reproduce music. And this ability is very normal and common. Adele's audience was not a trained choir. They were just a group of music lovers who were able to get tickets to the show.
2) I'm always looking for music that unites, rather than divides. While my wife and I were watching the show she commented that "Everybody likes Adele." While I know that this is not completely true, it is true enough. The interesting part is that, at least in our household, Adele's appeal is multigenerational. My wife, daughter, and granddaughter all like it. It does not, however, appeal to both genders equally. Neither I nor my sons are big fans.
How is the "Everybody likes Adele" affect achieved. The Wall Street journal published an interesting article on the formula for producing music with emotional appeal. There are several techniques including appogiaturas, harmonic tension and release, and controlling expectation and surprise.
"When the music suddenly breaks from its expected pattern, our sympathetic nervous system goes on high alert; our hearts race and we start to sweat. Depending on the context, we interpret this state of arousal as positive or negative, happy or sad.emotionally intense music releases dopamine in the pleasure and reward centers of the brain, similar to the effects of food, sex and drugs. This makes us feel good and motivates us to repeat the behavior.
2) I'm always looking for music that unites, rather than divides. While my wife and I were watching the show she commented that "Everybody likes Adele." While I know that this is not completely true, it is true enough. The interesting part is that, at least in our household, Adele's appeal is multigenerational. My wife, daughter, and granddaughter all like it. It does not, however, appeal to both genders equally. Neither I nor my sons are big fans.
How is the "Everybody likes Adele" affect achieved. The Wall Street journal published an interesting article on the formula for producing music with emotional appeal. There are several techniques including appogiaturas, harmonic tension and release, and controlling expectation and surprise.
"When the music suddenly breaks from its expected pattern, our sympathetic nervous system goes on high alert; our hearts race and we start to sweat. Depending on the context, we interpret this state of arousal as positive or negative, happy or sad.emotionally intense music releases dopamine in the pleasure and reward centers of the brain, similar to the effects of food, sex and drugs. This makes us feel good and motivates us to repeat the behavior.
Measuring listeners' responses, Dr. Zatorre's team found that the number of goose bumps observed correlated with the amount of dopamine released, even when the music was extremely sad. The results suggest that the more emotions a song provokes—whether depressing or uplifting—the more we crave the song."
To read the article click here.
Punk Accordion Player with Nuns
Any video with the title "Punk Accordion Player with Nuns" just has to be worth watching.
Church Music Planning in One Word
If I could condense the process of planning church music down to one question, it would be this. Is it appropriate? Is the music we are doing appropriate for this setting, this congregation, these musicians? What is the purpose and desired outcome of this meeting and is this music appropriate for it?
This morning I played accordion at my church. It was a light acoustic set with an accordion, one guitar, and three vocalists. After the service one of the church members said, "I kept waiting for you to break into a polka." My response was, "No, it wouldn't have been appropriate for this setting."
I like playing polkas. I would have no problem playing a polka on the same instrument, in the same room, for the same people, at a different time. For a dinner, social event, fellowship event, fun event, or family event, let the polkas play and the dancing begin. But this was not that event. This was a more serious event with an air of reverence to it. It was intended to be quiet and contemplative, instructive and inspirational. And the music choices we made were...appropriate.
This morning I played accordion at my church. It was a light acoustic set with an accordion, one guitar, and three vocalists. After the service one of the church members said, "I kept waiting for you to break into a polka." My response was, "No, it wouldn't have been appropriate for this setting."
I like playing polkas. I would have no problem playing a polka on the same instrument, in the same room, for the same people, at a different time. For a dinner, social event, fellowship event, fun event, or family event, let the polkas play and the dancing begin. But this was not that event. This was a more serious event with an air of reverence to it. It was intended to be quiet and contemplative, instructive and inspirational. And the music choices we made were...appropriate.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Audience Participation
Last night I went to a music recital/art show opening at Wasson Music Center and Synesthesia Gallery. The musician was a talented pianist named Kareem Powell from Miamisburg, OH. The featured visual artist was his brother. His sister, a talented singer/pianist in her own right, was there. The parents of this talented family were also in the audience. Kareem had been playing for about an hour and I sensed he was at a transition point. He looked like he was thinking about what to play next, so I asked him if I could try a little bit of improvisation. He said yes, but he looked a little nervous. I asked the audience to name a significant event. Someone said "Graduation." I turned to Kareem and said, "Close your eyes and think about how you are going to play this." Then I turned back to the audience and asked them to describe a graduation in three words. They responded with "exciting," "too long", and "sad." I looked back at Kareem and said, "Okay, play it."
Kareem paused for just a few seconds , then started to play. He improvised an arrangement of Pomp and Circumstances, but brilliantly played it in a minor key. I wouldn't have tried this with just anyone, but I knew Kareem had the chops to pull it off.
My purpose was to explore what would happen if the level of audience participation in the musical event was increased. The result was the performance of a new musical work that neither the artist nor the audience would have come up with on their own. I felt that the dynamics of the event were also hanged. The rest of the evening took on the feel of a family sharing music in their own living room. There was conversation before and after each song. Requests were made and performed. Kareem and his sister began using phrases like, "you know what we ought to do" and "let's try this." You would have to survey the audience to determine if the event was improved, but the increased audience particpation definitely changed it. I think it made it more enjoyable for everyone that was there.
Kareem paused for just a few seconds , then started to play. He improvised an arrangement of Pomp and Circumstances, but brilliantly played it in a minor key. I wouldn't have tried this with just anyone, but I knew Kareem had the chops to pull it off.
My purpose was to explore what would happen if the level of audience participation in the musical event was increased. The result was the performance of a new musical work that neither the artist nor the audience would have come up with on their own. I felt that the dynamics of the event were also hanged. The rest of the evening took on the feel of a family sharing music in their own living room. There was conversation before and after each song. Requests were made and performed. Kareem and his sister began using phrases like, "you know what we ought to do" and "let's try this." You would have to survey the audience to determine if the event was improved, but the increased audience particpation definitely changed it. I think it made it more enjoyable for everyone that was there.
Purpose Statement
There is power in music. This blog is about harnessing that power for the benefit of others. Thoreau said, "To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts." I will be using this blog to record my thoughts and experiences in using music to make the world a better place.
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