TIME TO SHINE8/2/2016  At MCCHOIR we are so excited about the studio recording of our original tune "Time To Shine" soon to be released as a single. Creative Director Jason Simmonds and Producer Jared Haschek have been busy little beavers at The Base Recording Studios, Melbourne recording the music beds for this song and another tune called "Raining". The songs will be mixed and engineered by the very talented Mr Phil Threlfall. Thanks to some top notch musicians namely - Pat Tuariki (Drums), Glenn Cannon (Guitar), Matthew Bryant (Bass), Jared Haschek (Keys) and a pumping horn section: Tom Kenneth (Trumpet), Ken Marsh (Trombone), Cal Barry (Alto Saxophone) and Dean Cronkwright (Tenor Saxophone) - the music beds are sounding sweet as.  From Left: Tom Kenneth, Cal Barry, Dean Cronkwright & Ken Marsh The choir will be hitting the studio on the 17th March to record the vocal tracks for both songs and we're super excited to hear the finished product when it's done. This last week at MCCHOIR we had our first look at one of the original songs written by Jason Simmonds and Jared Haschek called "Raining" and it's already sounding mint. The great thing about recording the music backing for our recording first is that we now have a great instrumental track to rehearse to with the choir that will be exactly like the final recording.  Glenn Cannon & Matt Bryant  Jared Haschek We had 16 new people attend last weeks rehearsal with the majority of those people joining up on the night. We welcome Emily, Annamaria, Joe, Bethany, Aida, Sarah, Rosa, Andy, Jeff, Rebecca, Jenny, Misa, Lynne, and Lois. It was an electric night catching up with all of our returning foundation members, together with all the new faces. I just love the way our members are so open to new people and welcoming. We had a team of MC'ers (MCCHOIR members) helping to integrate all of our new voices and handing out our welcome packs.  Pat Tuariki  Melbourne Contemporary Choir It's not too late to register your interest in joining the choir for first term 2016 and participate in the studio recording. All you need to do is click on the button here, fill in your details and you'll be able to have a listen to the demonstration track for "Time To Shine" which we will be learning next week. Your first rehearsal is absolutely FREE with no strings attached so you've got nothing to lose - reignite your creative side and register your interest today. We promise to get right back to you within two working days or sooner. Jason Simmonds
Creative Director Melbourne Contemporary Choir
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Achieving great vocal resonance2/2/2016  Resonance in a choir setting is just as vital as for the solo singer – resonance improves sound quality. A choir with members with good resonance will naturally have a very pleasing sound.
So first of all what does improved and controlled resonance allow a choir or soloist to do? I can outline 5 things that resonance will do for your choir or vocal group:
Great resonance improves tonal quality and allows you to sing efficiently The vocal tract which is made up of the larynx, the pharynx and mouth resonate to produce improved tone and higher sound levels. They can also act as a bit of a filter to dampen some frequencies. Good resonance allows a singer to convert breath energy to sound. So what is Resonance exactly? Resonance is a sound enhancer – it colours and amplifies your voice. Sound is created when your breath passes over your vocal folds but resonance is created in the vocal tract which creates the colour and amplification of your voice. In the simplest form the vocal tract is made up of three parts:
These three components can be termed ‘resonating chambers’ Air vibrates through all of these chambers at the same time. The shape and size of the vocal tract dictates the sound quality produced. a. Oral and nasal pharynx The oral pharynx is a fancy name for the space in your throat above your voicebox and vocal cords. The nasal pharynx is the space above the soft part of the back of your throat (vellum) reaching up towards your nasal cavity. b. The nasal cavity The nasal cavity is the space behind your nose which includes the sinuses (cave like spaces in the bones of the scull. You’ll notice when you have a cold and your sinuses are blocked the sound of your voice changes. This is because the vibration in the sinuses is reduced due to congestion. For me I struggle with sinusitis year long and need to use nasal sprays and cortisol injections to control inflammation of this area due to allergies. c. The mouth Finally the mouth is a big contributor to the colour and amplification of your voice. This is because of the many shapes the mouth can take and also the soft pallet or vellum. When you yawn your vellum lifts and stretches back into the throat. Just by patiently saying some vowels sounds like Ah, Ay, Ee, Oh and oo you can feel all the different shapes the mouth makes to produce these sounds. Vibration is the sensation created when proper resonance is induced. Vibration occurs in the chest and in the sinuses. At certain frequencies you will feel vibration in the bones of your face and chest. Try singing ‘mm’ quite low in your register and place your hand on your chest and forehead. You’ll feel vibrations in the chest and a buzzing sensation around the ligs. Change the sound to a higher ‘oo’ sound and you will feel the vibration lift into the head and little or no vibration in the chest. Try it with your eyes closed and focus on where the vibrations are sitting. In the next blog I will give you some practical exercises to help you achieve resonance and experience vibrations for yourself – so keep an eye out for that one. Jason Simmonds Creative Director Melbourne Contemporary Choir |