When singing is fun

Not gonna lie.  I love singing and everything, but the real reason I applied for the Hartwick Choral Festival was because there was no way I was passing up an opportunity to go to Prague.  No freaking way.

But now that I’ve been to a rehearsal (half of one, at least), I can now honestly say that there are more reasons for me to look forward to July than merely a chance to set foot in the beautiful city of Prague.

For instance.  You know how lots of IHS people say things like “Oh yeah, I like singing… but I hate having to deal with Loomis”?  So they don’t join choir?  And understandably so?

Well that excuse vanished at Hartwick, because Loomis was replaced with Jirka, a highly amusing and infinitely more talented Czech man who had us spend the first 15 minutes of rehearsal stretching and giving back rubs (to complete strangers, needless to say), and who says things like, “Don’t worry, there will be lots of drinks and napkins and pizza and grease at dinner!”  He also got songs arranged for him by Moses Hogan, which I’m quite sure never has and never will happen with Loomis.

Also.  You know all those high schoolers who take choir just to get that pesky fine arts credit?  They’re gone at Hartwick too.  Instead there are high schoolers, choral directors, and– most numerously of all– college students, who don’t need to be told again and again to sing with open vowel space and low breath.  So the rehearsals needn’t focus solely on the basics of singing and can move up a level to this little often-neglected thing called musicality.

And it makes singing so much more enjoyable.  Not to mention better-sounding.

Tags: Hartwick Choral Festival, singing, rehearsal