Health Benefits of Singing from the Barbershop Harmony Society

Here's the whole article. Go to the end for a link to the Barbershop Harmony Society website.

Health Benefits of Singing

Scientists say singing boosts immune system. - Singing strengthens the immune system, according to research by scientists at the University of Frankfurt in Germany, published in the latest edition of the US Journal of Behavioral Medicine. The scientists tested the blood of people who sang in a professional choir in the city, before and after a 60 minute rehearsal of Mozart's Requiem.They found that concentrations of immunoglobin A - proteins in the immune system which function as antibodies - and hydrocortisone, an anti-stress hormone, increased significantly during the rehearsal. A week later, when they asked members of the choir to listen to a recording of the Requiem without singing, they found the composition of their blood did not change significantly. The researchers, who included Hans Guenther Bastian from the Institute of Musical Education at Frankfurt University, concluded singing not only strengthened the immune system but also notably improved the performer's mood.

Singing is good for you. - Many studies done over a number of years have focused on the health benefits of singing, and the evidence is overwhelming.

o   Singing releases endorphins into your system and makes you feel energized and uplifted.  People who sing are healthier than people who don’t.

o   Singing gives the lungs a workout,

o   Singing tones abdominal and intercostal muscles and the diaphragm, and stimulates circulation.

o   Singing makes us breathe more deeply than many forms of strenuous exercise, so we take in more oxygen, improve aerobic capacity and experience a release of muscle tension as well.” — Professor Graham Welch, Director of Educational Research, University of Surrey, Roehampton, UK

Singing can help prolong life. - Graham Welch, director for advanced music education at London’s Roehampton Institute, states “Singing exercises the vocal cords and keeps them youthful, even in old age. The less age-battered your voice sounds, the more you will feel, and seem, younger.” He says that when you break into song, your chest expands and your back and shoulders straighten, thus improving your posture. Singing lifts moods and clears the “blues” by taking your mind off the stresses of the day, as well as releasing pain-relieving endorphins. As you sing along, the professor adds, your circulation is improved, which in turn oxygenates the cells and boosts the body’s immune system to ward off minor infections. And “it provides some aerobic exercise for the elderly or disabled,” Welch says. A recent German study has shown that active amateur group singing can lead to significant increases in the production of a protein considered as the first line of defense against respiratory infections, and also leads to positive emotional changes. “Given that every human being is, in principle, capable of developing sufficient vocal skills to participate in a chorale for a lifetime, active group singing may be a risk-free, economic, easily accessible, and yet powerful road to enhanced physiological and psychological well-being.”

Greg Cohen of George Washington University tracked a Senior Singers Chorale in Arlington, Va. The chorale singers’ average age is 80 — the youngest is 65 and the oldest 96. Preliminary data shows the singers suffer less depression, make fewer doctor visits a year, take fewer medications and have increased their other activities.

Singing starts in infancy. John Lennon, Professor Of Vocal Performance, Emeritus Emporia State University, says, “I contend that singing is an inborn response in those moments of absolute emotional tranquility. Babies sing to themselves. The fact that we recognize no identifiable melodic sequence does not mean that it is not singing. Such spontaneous oral response has sustained emission, rhythm, pitch variation and emotional expression. Like the infant, we sing because we feel good and singing makes us feel even better. When we sing to ourselves we are, in effect, communicating with the inner-self … it may well be counter-productive to one’s well being not to sing.“ Preschool and kindergarten teachers have known for a long time that children learn best through songs. They remember the material easier and it is easier to keep them engaged in the activity. It could be as simple as someone who told us that it was something we shouldn’t do because it wasn’t pleasant to listen to or the self-talk that says it doesn’t sound good enough, so don’t do it. Lennon asks, “Is the logic that if one ‘sounds better’ one ‘enjoys‘ it more? Do we sing primarily to sound better? It is a coveted fringe benefit, but hardly the primary reason why we sing.”

Reid Wilson, Ph.D., Associate Clinical Professor Of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, believes you can, “sing away your woes.” Simply choose a familiar song, and then set your troubles to music. For example, instead of crooning the traditional words to Mary Had A Little Lamb, imagine warbling, “My credit card bill is going to be late, going to be late, going to be late; my credit rating will be ruined, and I’ll never get a mortgage.” Sing your own version of the worry song in your mind, or out loud for a few minutes, until you feel less anxious. It works because “the singing makes you feel ridiculous”, says Wilson. “And it’s very hard to maintain your distress when you’re doing something foolish. You step back from the worry and put it in perspective.”

Sound therapist Jovita Wallace says "Sound vibrations massage your aura, going straight to what's out of balance and fixing it."

·         Singing the short-a sound, as in ahh, for 2-3 minutes will help banish the blues. It forces oxygen into the blood, which signals the brain to release mood-lifting endorphins.

·         To boost alertness, make the long-e sound, as in emit. It stimulates the pineal gland, which controls the body's biological clock.

·         Singing the short-e sound, as in echo stimulates the thyroid gland, which secretes hormones that control the speed which digestion and other bodily processes occur.

·         Making the long-o sound as in ocean stimulates the pancreas, which regulates blood sugar.

·         To strengthen immunity, sing the double-o sound, as in tool. This activates the spleen, which regulates the production of infection fighting white blood cells.

Researchers at the University of Manchester have discovered that the sacculus, a little organ in the inner ear, responds to frequencies commonly found in music, & is connected to the part of the brain responsible for registering pleasure. This sacculus is ONLY responsive to low frequency, high intensity sounds, which include singing, & it responds within a few seconds of hearing that kind of sound. So you get immediate pleasure when you sing, regardless of what it sounds like to anyone else. Now if there are no criticisms or put downs from anyone else to cause you pain, you´ll find the experience enjoyable and get release of good old pleasure-giving endorphins as well. Singing provides catharsis across the full emotional spectrum. It can give a directly-experienced, felt-sense of happiness. It´s a mood lifter & anti depressant with no side effects. And it´s not news to health professionals that mental & physical health are intimately linked.

Journal of Music Therapy: Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 125–143. Singing as a Therapeutic Agent, in The Etude, 1891—1949 Bryan C. Hunter, PhD, MT-BCaa Nazareth College, Rochester, New York - The Etude music magazine, founded by Theodore Presser, was one of a number of popular music magazines published in the years prior to the establishment of the music therapy profession in 1950. During its publication run from 1883 to 1957, over 100 music therapy related articles appeared, including 13 on the health benefits of singing published between 1891 and 1949. Written by authors with diverse backgrounds, such as the famous Battle Creek, Michigan physician John Harvey Kellogg and Boston music critic Louis C. Elson, the articles contained consistent and adamant support regarding the health benefits of singing. The advantages described were both physical and psychological, and were recommended prophylactically for well persons and therapeutically for ill persons. Although the articles varied in perspective, from philosophical to theoretical to pedagogical, there is a consistent holistic medicine theme that appeared almost ahead of its time and no doubt linked to the push for vocal music education in that era. The importance of The Etude in promulgating ideas that helped shape the early practice of music therapy should not be underestimated. For much of its publication run The Etude was the largest music periodical in print, reaching its peak circulation of 250,000 copies per month in 1924.

Sing yourself happy and fit! If you have ever wondered why choral singers look to be on a high, here are some of the reasons. The health benefits of singing are well documented:

·         Singing improves your mood. It releases the same feel-good brain chemicals as sex and chocolate!

·         It is very effective as a stress reliever and improves sleep

·         Singing releases pain-relieving endorphins, helping you to forget that painful tooth/knee/whatever

·         Your posture improves

·         Lung capacity increases

·         Singing clears sinuses and respiratory tubes

·         Your mental alertness improves

·         Singing tones your facial and stomach muscles

·         It boosts your immune system, helping to fight disease and prolonging life expectancy

·         Your confidence increases

And of course the social benefits are important too: Singing widens your circle of friends (and some of us go on to the pub afterwards!) Give it a try and see what it can do for you!

Effects of Choir Singing or Listening on Secretory Immunoglobulin A, Cortisol, and Emotional State - Gunter Kreutz,1,3 Stephan Bongard,2 Sonja Rohrmann,2 Volker Hodapp,2 and Dorothee Grebe1 - Accepted for publication: November 11, 2003 - The present study investigates the effects of choir music on secretory immunoglobulinA(S-IgA), cortisol, and emotional states in members of a mixed amateur choir. Subjects participated in two conditions during two rehearsals one week apart, namely singing versus listening to choral music. Saliva samples and subjective measures of affect were taken both before each session and 60 min later. Repeated measure analyses of variance were conducted for positive and negative affect scores, S-IgA, and cortisol. Results indicate several significant effects. In particular, singing leads to increases in positive affect and S-IgA, while negative affect is reduced. Listening to choral music leads to an increase in negative affect, and decreases in levels of cortisol. These results suggest that choir singing positively influences both emotional affect and immune competence. The observation that subjective and physiological responses differed between listening and singing conditions invites further investigation of task factors.

Sing for your life! Richard J. B. Willis, BUC Health Ministries Director - Research over the last decade in relation to the effects of the arts on health suggests that the aesthetic is important to our well-being. A couple of recent studies bear out the statement addressed to Robert Browning: ‘There is delight in singing, tho’ none hear beside the singer’. The delights are not all in the hearing. Studies into the health benefits of singing conducted at Canterbury University showed positive associations between singing and n feelings of well-being

·         greater relaxation responses

·         improved breathing and benefit to the heart and immune system n better posture

·         enhanced social, spiritual and emotional benefits.

An introductory leaflet by the Health Education Authority, linking the arts to health, states:

‘The arts clearly have a potential to make a major contribution to our health, well-being and life skills. It is important, however, to capture the evidence of the impact of the arts on health to ensure proper recognition of their effect and the availability of appropriate levels of investment to sustain any positive influences.’ The two Canterbury studies provide the evidence from their interviews with members of the university’s choral society: Of the respondents

·         49% said they received spiritual benefit from their singing (and not necessarily through ‘spiritual’ music);

·         58% benefited physically;

·         75% emotionally; and

·         87% socially.

Life-Affirming Benefits of Singing - Vocalizing Promotes Well Being By Patty Mills

“Singing fortifies health, widens culture, refines the intelligence, enriches the imagination, makes for happiness and endows life with an added zest.” * If you sing in the shower or sing along with the radio, consider taking this raw vocal skill to new heights.  Music – the “universal language” not only stirs our deepest emotions, but active participation can increase energy and vigor to see us through even the most stress-filled life commitments. Good vocal technique goes beyond the basics to include both physical and vocal warm-ups, proper nutrition, adequate rest and emotional commitment.  An experienced vocal teacher will explore all aspects of posture, abdominal and chest development, tone production and breath control.  What health club can promise these benefits?

·         Singing increases poise, self-esteem and presentation skills.

·         Singing strengthens concentration and memory.

·         Singing develops the lungs and promotes superior posture.

·         Singing broadens expressive communication.

·         Singing adds a rich, more pleasant quality to speech.

·         Singing animates the body, mind and spirit.

·         Singing enables the performer to delve into characterization/acting.

·         Singing stimulates insight into prose and poetry and piques interests in the inner meaning of words.

·         Singing enriches one’s ability to appreciate the art of great singers.

·         Singing is an ageless enjoyment – you are never too young or too old.

·         Singing is therapeutic both emotionally and physically.

Solo singing is easy to develop with the assistance of a well-trained vocal coach.  Performing opportunities include church/band soloist, cabaret artist, or enjoying your newly developed skill exclusively for self-satisfaction.  Opportunities to group singing abound from choirs to classical ensembles, Madrigal troupes, doo-wop, a cappella and more.  If you commit to a performing ensemble, be sure the group shares the same emotionally and health-enriching goals you have set for yourself.

Whether or not you become a world-class singer is not important.  Sharing the joy of singing will enrich your life far beyond the notes and music.  Add a healthy, new dimension to your life – try SINGING!

*American Academy of Teachers of Singing

Patty Mills was an active member of the YankeeMaid Chorus for many years.  Most recently she was very involved in marketing and public relations for the chorus.  To that end, she wrote this article for publication in the Fairfield/New Haven Counties edition of “Music Notes.”  In January 2000, we lost Patty to cancer.  The YankeeMaids miss Patty and remember her fondly.

The Arts - Music and Singing - Music as a therapeutic medium has demonstrated to be efficacious for pain management (Trauger-Querry & Haghighi, 1999), in facilitating the resolution of grief (Bright, 1999), as a means of finding a personal identity (Smeijsters & van den Hurk, 1999), to improve the lives of people with communications problems related to cognitive impairment (O’Callaghan, 1999), and to enhance the quality of life for Alzheimers patients (Hanser, 1999). Recent longitudinal analysis of music-therapy related articles in the ‘Etude’ music magazine for the period 1883 to 1957 has also indicated consistent and adamant support for the (physical and psychological) health benefits of singing (Hunter, 1999).

Want to start feeling better now?

Go to www.youcansingtoo.com and start living!

Health Benefits of Singing in a Choir

Hello All!
I've posted on our Facebook Page an article about the health benefits of singing. Now I'm going to post here about the same topic.

I've just read another article about how healthy it is for us to sing, especially in a choir. This one was by the Barbershop Harmony Society. It's a really long article, but it says so many important things. I'm going to post it here for you to read too.

I like how it says we look high when we sing. It's true. Sometimes theres a kind of rapture when we're sounding good and the song is beautiful and we're all soooo happy.

Here's a quote:

   

Sing yourself happy and fit! If you have ever wondered why choral singers look to be on a high, here are some of the reasons. The health benefits of singing are well documented:

·         Singing improves your mood. It releases the same feel-good brain chemicals as sex and chocolate!

·         It is very effective as a stress reliever and improves sleep

·         Singing releases pain-relieving endorphins, helping you to forget that painful tooth/knee/whatever

·         Your posture improves

·         Lung capacity increases

·         Singing clears sinuses and respiratory tubes

·         Your mental alertness improves

·         Singing tones your facial and stomach muscles

·         It boosts your immune system, helping to fight disease and prolonging life expectancy

·         Your confidence increases

Yours in harmony,

Renate

In Harmony With The Community

Hi Everybody!

I've been getting questions about the timing of the big The York Regional Police Male Chorus concert, In Harmony With The Community on Saturday, November 12, 2011. I knew we'd be there a long time, from afternoon to late evening, but it's really, really long. I recently received an email and here's how it's going to work:

Each choir gets a 20-minute sound check. Ours is from 1:20 to 1:40.

The mass choir sound check is 40 minutes, from 2:20-3:00.

1:00 p.m. to 1:20 p.m.    -  Ottawa Police Chorus

1:20 p.m. to 1:40 p.m.    -  York Region Community Choir

1:40 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.    -  York Regional Police Male Chorus

2:00 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.    -  Roselawn P.S. Choir & W.J. Watson P.S. Glee Club (as they will be performing as one group)

2:20 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.    -  Mass Choir/Chorus

At 4:00, there's social time with sandwiches and desserts and drinks provided by the YRPMC.

There's an official photograph of the mass choir at 6:00.

The concert starts at 7:30.

So, it looks like we'll be there from 1-10! I guess we could choose to go home between 3 and 6 if we needed to. We'll see.

It will be a great experience for us. I'm really looking forward to it. The sound that we have when we're all together is fabulous. Multiply that by 4, and it will really send chills down our spines.

When we sang One Small Step on Monday, I really had goosebumps! It was so pretty! I can't wait to hear how it sounds with everybody else.

It won't be long. Be sure to listen to your CD's when you can. I'm sure it will help us learn our songs faster and better.

See you Monday!

Yours in harmony,

Renate

Where do I sit?

Hi Everyone!

Today, I'm talking about our seating plan.

This is for people who are thinking of coming to choir, but are worried about what they do once they get here. The big question is- Where do I sit?

Left-Sopranos

The way we're set up, the Sopranos sit on the left side, facing Sapphire and me.  (So they're on the right when the audience looks at us.)

The first Sopranos are the farthest to the left, right up against the far wall, and take up about 3 rows of 2 or 3. The first sopranos technically sing the highest, but are also the ones who most often have melody. So, some of you might want to sit there even if you can't hit all the highest notes. On the music, you'll always read the very top line of notes in the treble clef (the one that looks like a fancy S). We've moved them into a bunch so that there are no fist sopranos behind the second sopranos.

The second Sopranos come next. They sometimes have a few lines of harmony, in some songs where the Soprano line gets divided. The music will say "div" and the seconds sing the bottom half. Sometimes it's squished between the first soprano part and the alto part and it's hard to read. When there are first sopranos sitting behind you, it's hard to concentrate on your part (see above). There are 3 or 4 rows of 2 or 3 second Sopranos.

Now, we'll move to the left side of the room before we do the middle.

Right - Altos

The Altos sit closest to the door. They never sneak out, though. When we're performing, they're on the audience's left.

The Altos technically sing lower than the Sopranos. They almost never sing melody. We cheer when they get some melody, like "Yay! The Altos have three bars of melody!". They get cool harmonies and special bits that signal key changes. They sing the second line of music, but it's often written just below the Soprano line, also in the treble clef. When we sing 2-part music, the Altos always get the bottom line. When the Altos divide (div), it's front row and back rows, and the back row usually takes the harder part. We planted some really strong singers in the back row, so that the others can follow them.

Middle and Back- Tenors and Basses

Most of the time, the Tenors and Basses sing the same part, and it's the bottom line, in the bass clef (looks like a backwards C). When we sing 2-part music, they sometimes sing the top line and sometimes the bottom line. Either way, they sing 2-part music an octave down.

The Tenors sit in the front of the middle, usually 2 rows of 2. Tenors are men and women who sing pretty low for women and pretty high for men. They occasionally have some melody, like the Altos. LIke Altos, Tenors have cool parts and they can be quite difficult.

The Basses sit behind the Tenors, in a row or in two rows. Basses sing the lowest. Their music is at the very bottom. They have some really cool parts, especially endings. They almost never have melody. They sound really good singing "bum-bum-bum" or "oh". Even when we sing in 3 parts and there is no Bass part, they sometimes have to sing special notes, an octave down, because they can't hit the high notes and they don't like to lip-synch. And, it sounds good to have some really low notes. ( I don't mind a bit of lip-synching when you can't hit the notes you used to be able to hit when you were in high school. Someone will cover for you. Teamwork.)

Changing your mind (redecorating)

If you start off sitting somewhere where you don't feel comfortable, feel free to move. Try out another part. It's harder to do the longer you wait, so do it as soon as you feel it.

Changing my mind (moving)

I've been known to change the seating plan from time to time, to make a group stand out better or in response to disharmony. When this happens, please be patient. We might end up changing back. Or, you might end up liking it better the new way.

If you're new and worried about where to sit the first time, don't worry. We'll help you. We're a friendly bunch and once you're singing, you'll forget about being worried.

I hope this helps.

Yours in harmony,

Renate

Our first-ever field trip!

Hi Everyone!

We were talking about our Stratford Trip last night.

Last spring a number of us were playing with the idea of going to a musical and getting a group discount. We decided to start big and go on a trip too. We're going on a road trip!

Sandra did some research, made some phone calls, and got us a great deal on a block of 25 excellent seats in the front balcony to see Jesus Christ Superstar on Sunday, November 6th at 2:00 in Stratford! And, she got us a bus with a washroom to take us there and bring us back!

The whole thing will cost us $140 each.

Try to bring your cheques to choir next Monday to give to Michele.

We leave Newmarket at 10:00 in the morning, have some free time in Stratford for lunch, see the show together, go home singing on the bus, and arrive back in Newmarket around 6:00 pm.

It's going to be great! I'm really looking forward to it.

Yours in harmony,

Renate

We're back!

Hi Everyone!

It was wonderful seeing the choir together again. It was good to see new faces too.

We managed to sing quite a bit, considering all the registration and information stuff going on. And, we sounded great!

It felt really good to be in front of the choir again. I had so much fun that I forgot about my twisted ankle. I didn't feel a thing for a couple of hours. Magic. Of course, I needed a bit more TLC today. But, it was worth it! 

Hearing Little Tree again was blissful. And, it wasn't weird to sing "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow" in September. It was beautiful.

I forgot to mention yesterday that we have this online tool, my blog, and our Facebook Page and Facebook Group as well for communicating. I hope to regularly update the panel on the right with reminders of dates to remember. We'll get better at using these tools as we use them, I guess.

Thank you for giving me so much positive feedback on this blog, everyone. I'm enjoying writing it. I wish I had more time to write more often. I'm hoping to write more choir-specific posts now that we're in the choir season.

If you have any requests, let me know.

Yours in harmony,

Renate

They've caught us in the web.

Hi Everybody!
I've heard that we should google ourselves from time to time to see what's out there about us.
So, I've googled myself and the choir and I found some nice things. I've shared a couple of them here.
One is a youtube video of the York Region Community Choir singing Hallelujah and another of the Snap article about our concert. There are a few pictures there too. Have a look.
It won't be long before we're singing together again. I can hardly wait.
Yours in harmony,
Renate

Hallelujah

SNAP Aurora - Thank You for the Music

SNAP Aurora - Thank You for the Music

Our Current Executive

Hello Everyone,

Today, I will introduce you to the Executive of the York Region Community Choir for the 2011/2012 Choir Year. We elect the Executive every year at our Annual General Meeting, AGM, in June. The Executive works together with the Director and Accompanist, and the Reading Committee to choose music, decide when and where we sing, and make sure people are there to sing and to hear us sing, and take care of our equipment and music library.

First of all, our President is Heather Vickers (hvickers@rogers.com). She took over from Steve Loweth, of Mayfair Music, who is hoping to be a very active Past President. Heather is responsible for everything happening.

Our Vice-President is Lauren Solar (laurensolar@gmail.com). She'll be there to help Heather and anyone else on the executive when they need a hand.

Sandra Winters (s_winters@bell.net) has stepped into the gap that Heather left, and is our new Public Relations Committee Chair. She's the one you need to contact if you'd like us to sing for you or if you'd like to give us a free advertising spot. Contact Sandra if you'd like to join us and want more information.

Michele Horton (michelehorton@hotmail.com) is our Secretary/Treasurer, and she does all kinds of wonderful things for us besides taking notes at meetings and keeping track of our money. She is presently the longest-standing member of the Executive.

Trix Verge (trix.verge@gmail.com) is our Music Librarian. She has our music collection in her basement and makes sure we all have music to sing every Monday, and has extra binders made up for guests, or people who are checking us out. If you have a binder of music that belongs to us and want to know how to get it back to us, contact Trix.

Carol Ford and Debbie Hood are the Registrars. They make sure the membership list is up-to-date and coordinate our Coffee/Social hours, among other things. Debbie's had our coffee (and tea) equipment and supplies in her basement for many years. She buys good Decaf.

We have a Reading Committe which is not elected, but appointed. They are Heather Vickers, Teija Cumming and Enid Maize. They help choose music and order it from the publishers. They are chosen for their ability to read music and knowledge of our strengths and weaknesses.

Our roles are not all very well defined because we mostly work together, brainstorming and planning at meetings, and sometimes at the beginning or end of our Monday evenings. Being on the Executive is fun and rewarding. From time to time, we work really hard, and then we sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labours with pride.

We'll be getting together next week to make sure everything is in place for September 12th. It's only a bit more than a week away! Can't wait to see everyone!

Yours in harmony,

Renate

Two Weeks To Go!

Hi Everyone,

Summer is almost over. The nights are getting cooler and my elder daughter went to school today for Registration Day, also called Welcome Back Day.

It's funny, there was a typo on the school website and it said Welcome Bank Day. That's an appropriate slip. It was mostly about paying fees today. $30 for the student card and agenda, $56 for the yearbook and DVD, other fees for Grade 9's. Soraya's going to be in Grade 10.

Tomorrow, my younger daughter, Victoria will go and see whose class she'll be in. It'll be posted on the door of her school. She's going into Grade 6.

And, tomorrow, Sapphire and I, with Steve's help, will be recording the accompaniments and parts! I'm very excited and nervous. We'd like to have CD's ready for September 12th. It's only 2 weeks away! I'm looking forward to hearing Sapphire play. She's so amazing. And, I'm curious to hear how the new music sounds. It looks really good.

I'm really looking forward to this new season. It's going to be great!

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone come back and also to welcoming new people. It's always fun when new people start in September. We'll be sure to sing some of our best pieces to impress them and we'll start learning something new to show how we do it.

Two more weeks!

I'm excited.

Yours in harmony,

Renate

Too busy for apps

Hello Everyone,

I get a email newsletter from 96.3, the classical radio station I like. Today, there was a cool article on iPhone and iPad apps for music lovers. I have to share it. Click here to link to it.

I still don't even have a cell phone, let alone an iPhone, but I can dream. I don't think I'd ever leave my room if I had all those amazing things to play with!

Yours in harmony,

Renate

YRCC Calendar

Hello there, Everyone!
I just discovered a relly neat tool: The Google Calendar.
I created a calendar for the choir and named it YRCC Calendar. We can put information about our concerts and our rehearsals here. Invitations to the concerts can be emailed from here. We'll have our resident tech person, Trix, get all the details and we'll make good use of this. The link below will take you to the calendar. We'll try to keep it up to date with useful information. We'll make it public so that you can access it anywhere.

<iframe src="https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=7bc9d2sphu4knvj0mpho2nm19k%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Toronto" style="border: 0" width="800" height="600" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Money and Happiness

Money, it is often said, does not bring happiness; it must be added, however, that it makes it possible to support unhappiness with exemplary fortitude. (Robertson Davies)

It’s a good thing I’m a happy person.

I wrote that quote down in the middle of reading rhe book. I actually stopped reading, put my bookmark in, and went and got paper and pen to write it down. It’s that good, isn’t it?

I’ve started reading Roberson Davies’ Salterton Trilogy. (Love Robertson Davies.) The first book is called Tempest Tost. It revolves around the production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest in a small community, Salterton.

My favourite character so far is the music director J

The music director is a happy guy with very little money.

Money would be nice. The alternative to money is dreaming.

When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping (Who said that first? The original get going version is attributed to JFK’s father.), but window shopping works too. Spending money is very satisfying, but not entirely necessary. Dreaming, visualizing is powerful too. 

We’re in the process of planning a Mini Choir Executive Field Trip. A trip to Ikea is taking shape. There’s a place to dream in! Walk around the “rooms” and imagine and wish and escape. And, there’s usually something inexpensive that you can buy for even more satisfaction.

Postive thinkers, and Olympic athletes, use Creative Visualization to create postive outcomes. They tell you to "go to your happy place" for pain control. What if that happy place is Ikea?  

We're going to go and dream and increase our happiness.

We'll let you know how it works.

Yours in harmony,

Renate

Not wearing makeup

Hi Everyone,

I looked at myself in the mirror this morning and thought that I should put some lipstick on. It was just for a moment, but it made me think.

I was getting ready to go to work, and I liked my hair today. And, my skirt and my jacket were nice and matched my shoes perfectly. Lipstick would have looked good.

I don't usually wear any makeup. If I have a big zit, then I try to cover it up, but I only wear makeup when I'm performing or when I'm going out for a special occasion. Even then, it's usually just lipstick and eyeliner with maybe a bit of eyeshadow. I do wear lipstick sometimes, just because.

The thought that came into my head quickly right after the lipstick idea was that Jeff and Jack at work would never think about putting makeup on in the morning.

Then I thought about my mother. When my mother came to Canada in the 1950's, she was told to wear makeup at work. She was working at an insurance company at the time. She wore lipstick and mascara at work because she had to. At that time, it was ok to insist that flight attendants (stewardesses), be pretty and a certain height and weight, and wear makeup and high heels, etc. I'm glad times have changed.

I could have put the lipstick on. It would have looked nice. But, I'm glad I could choose not to. For my mother and other women who didn't have a choice, and for those who don't feel they have a choice even now, I chose not to.

Thinking about choices,

Yours in harmony,

Renate

Beat the heat

Hi Everyone!

We’ve been having the hottest July ever! It’s amazing, hot and sunny every day.

I’m so glad my house has central air. At our old house, we had a couple of window air conditioners and we also used fans, but it’s not the same. It didn’t quite work and it was very noisy.  I’m so much happier now. Still, I try not to be wasteful, and I keep the temperature set at 25. That means that the basement is cool, the main level is very comfortable and upstairs it’s a bit too hot. I try to continue to use my hot weather strategies from the old house so the house stays cool and the air conditioning doesn’t run all the time.  I’m going to share them with you.

Here are some of my tips for beating the heat:

·         Close the curtains that get morning sun.

·         Open the north and west-facing windows in the morning while it’s still cool.

·         Keep lights off as much as possible.

·         Turn off the computers that aren’t in use, at least the monitors.

·         Cook potatoes, pasta or rice in the morning for salads at supper. Use the fan.

·         After cooking, rinse food with cold water, and put in the fridge immediately. Put the pot with cold water on the stove to cool off the element.

·         Don’t use the stove or oven in the afternoon or evening.

·         Use the BBQ to keep cooking heat outside. Mine has a burner too.

·         Sleep on the lower levels, or use a fan to blow cool air up from downstairs.

·         Wear your hair up off your face and neck.

·         Take a quick, cool shower before bed.

·         Wear a skimpy nightie. Your husband will love it. But, don’t flash the kids.

·         Only use a sheet to cover yourself at night, if that.

·         Avoid going out during the day. Sounds obvious, but we’re used to jumping in the car whenever we think of something we need or want. Wait. Stay home. Later or tomorrow will be better.

·         Take the kids out in the morning or later in the evening. Or go for a walk, or whatever you do outside then- don’t go out in the heat, and keep the house closed.

·         Keep calm, think positively, and move elegantly.

·         Remember that it will pass soon. Before you know it, you’ll be complaining that it’s too cold.

Keep cool, but whenever it’s not way too hot, go out and enjoy the hot sun, safely with sunscreen and lots of water to drink.

Sweat, and swim at a pool or at the beach, have a cool drink with some friends with some fun summery music and think about how much it costs to go away in the winter to someplace that’s hot and sunny like home in July!

Yours in harmony,

Renate

You can sing. Yes you can!

Listen Edith, I know you're singing and you know you're singing, but the neighbours may think I'm torturing you. - Archie Bunker

Archie Bunker said all kinds of stupid things. Luckily, Edith was good-natured enough, and smart enough, not to listen to him most of the time.

I’ve met too many people who have told me that they were told that they can’t sing. Not just, “I can’t sing.” But, “My mom or my teacher, someone said so. So, I won’t sing, don’t sing.”

This really bothers me.

Everyone can sing, should sing. People sing differently. Some will like your voice, your style, and others won’t. We’re not all expected to be Celine Dion or Sarah Brightman, Pavarotti or Elvis. But, when everybody’s singing American Pie or 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, you should join in. It feels good.

Sing in the car. Sing with your baby. Sing to your plants, your garden. Sing when you’re cooking. Sing when you’re vacuuming. Sing when they don’t expect it.

Sometimes during a quiet moment at the dinner table, or while everyone’s reading, I’ll sing a little something. Lately, my little something is: Grab somebody sexy: tell him, Hey!

I feel the same way about dancing.

It bothers me when people don’t dance and say they can’t dance. Bah. Just do it. It feels good. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not a good dancer. If they do, don’t let it stop you. Moving to music is heavenly. I take every opportunity I can to dance.

I’m not going on TV to dance with the stars. I dance in my kitchen. I dance in the basement. I dance at concerts. I dance at weddings, all night long.

I got a really great greeting card once that said: Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth. Mark Twain said that first. Smart guy.

Try to sing and dance and love more. It feels good.

Yours in harmony,

Renate

Still working on choir stuff

Hi Everyone!

Are you having a good summer?

We're really having great summer weather, aren't we? It would be really hot singing in seniors' homes now!

The choir season is over, but some of us are still dedicating Monday nights and countless hours to the choir.

Filing and inventory

Trix, Sandra, Michele and I worked hard last night emptying the binders and filing the music. It was good getting together and getting it done. Trix and I will be working on the inventory. We’ve got quite a bit done already, but there are the new pieces to add and we want to count all the copies we own. That work will continue during the week. And, next Monday night some of the executive are getting together at Trix’s again to work on that as a team.

New Music

Some of us are busy looking at music to decide what to sing next season, and even further ahead to next spring. We’re hoping to buy a few new pieces for our winter season.  We need some music from other cultures to make our Christmas season more inclusive.  I’m looking for wintery music too.

My family thought I was strange listening to Christmas music and songs about winter a couple of nights ago. But, we’ve got to plan what we’re going to sing, get a binder made up for Sapphire and then set her up to do the recordings of the accompaniments and parts. I’ve got to get my hands on all the new pieces to learn them before I stand in front of the choir in September.

Preparing to teach

Sapphire and I work hard to learn the music before teaching it to everyone else. Supporting us, we have Trix who makes sure we have the music and there’s a copy for everyone in the choir. There is the music committee who seek out and buy new music and top up our sets of old music. There’s Steve with the recording equipment.

Booking and advertising

Other jobs are Sandra’s work to contact venues to book our shows and later our seniors’ home visits. We’ve been in contact with Trinity Anglican already and have our booking for May 5^th, 2012! We’re having a problem with our winter date, so Sandra has her hands full with that. She’s also planning to have a table at the registration fair at the mall in August. She’ll be advertising the start of our season in papers and online all over the place. Carol and Steve are working on a brochure to advertise the choir, with a new logo.

Sing-along project

Trix and I have taken on the job of cleaning up the sing-along music. We’ll tackle the Christmas stuff first. Steve will be helping us out with that. He’s going to source new accompaniments and we’ll make up a new booklet to hand out.

Steve has also offered to work on creating a new spring sing-along booklet for all of us and our audiences.

Labour of love

There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to make sure our choir is the fun and successful organization we are. We love our choir. We have a good time together whatever we’re doing. We’d rather be singing, but we’re happy to do what needs to be done.

It’s a labour of love.

I'll give you a taste of Christmas in the heat of July. Check out this fun piece, called Minka. Check out the whole website for Alfred Music. You can hear samples. Very cool ;)

Keep singing!

Yours in harmony,

Renate

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day, Everyone!

Main Street and Fairy Lake

I took my girls to Main Street and Fairy Lake for the Canada Day festivities. What a beautiful day, a perfect start to summer: hot and sunny. There were tons of things to see and crowds of people there to see them, lots of people in red and white and lots of flags. The Town of Newmarket had a booth and some nice ladies were handing out little flags, flag pins, and flag stickers.

Music everywhere

I paid more attention to the music this year. At our executive meeting this past Monday, one of the things we talked about was participating in more community events. Canada Day is one of the events we’d like to suggest to the choir. I think it will be great!

Today, we heard all kinds of music all over the place along Main Street and in Fairy Lake. Music makes any event more exciting. Live music is best of all!

YRCC on stage next year

There is a stage on Main Street that would be perfect for us. I took a good look at it. There was a small band playing excellent jazz. Chairs were set up for people to sit and listen down on the street in front of the stage, but people were standing all over the place and walked by too. There should be enough room for the choir to stand up there on stage with Sapphire and the keyboard. I think I’ll have to be on the ground though. We might have to buy a riser.

I hope the weather is nice next year for Canada Day. I think that the YRCC will be singing!

See you there!

Yours in harmony,

Renate