One of the questions our chorus leadership gets asked by prospective or new members is, “what do I not yet know that I need to know?” This page provides some resources in an attempt to answer that question. These hyperlinks are active as of 4/24/2018, but if you find a broken one please don’t hesitate to tell us.
To learn a bit about the chorus itself, you may wish to see our Mission and Vision Statements, or meet our musical director and chorus officers. Although the best way to learn about us is to attend one of our rehearsals or performances!
Potential members will, after their third visit to the chorus and expressed interest in joining, receive a routing form to guide them through the process of becoming a member, as well as a copy of our Member Policy Manual. Once a prospective member has been issued a website login, here is a guide to navigating some of its more commonly used functions. Please note, you must be logged in as a prospective or full member to view the website guide.
There are some norms and standards that all members are expected to know and adhere to. In addition to those found in the Member Policy Manual, many can be found on this Rules of Thumb page, and others can be found at the running list of Performance Etiquette.
Technology is always expanding and we have found some apps that might be helpful for various aspects of chorus membership or singing in general. We’ve compiled a list over on this page.
It is always recommended that singers warm up BEFORE arriving at rehearsal or a performance, or before practicing your part at home. There’s an app in the Apps page that might help with that, or full chorus members can go here.
Once you are warmed up, there is a recommended approach to learning new music. Use whatever method works best for you, but if you would like some guidance, this method has been proven fast, simple and effective.
New members will have some elements of their performing costumes provided by the chorus, and other elements that they need to purchase for themselves. The breakdown can be found here. Please note, you must be logged in as a prospective or full member to view this page.
To maximize your breath support and how long you can hold a note (as well as simply for your lung health – we’ve had at least one member improve his COPD with this), we recommend a tool called the PowerLung. They come in various strengths. Many members are using the Sport model, but the manufacturers recommend you choose your model based on your current level of fitness and activity (here’s their guide), so if you want to grab a different model, here’s a quick Amazon search for ya. $120 seems to be the going rate anywhere I looked, including eBay. (Some eBay sellers had for as little as $95 or so, but do you trust that?) That said, if you call PowerLung directly and tell them you were sent there by Pacific Sound Chorus of the Barbershop Harmony Society, or possibly by Mike McGee directly, there is a chance they may give you a discount on your order.
We hope you find this guide useful – if you have any questions, please feel free to ask us at one of our rehearsals!
