In this blog post, I am going to teach you one of my top Choir Warm Ups.

This is called Timed Breathing and it is essential to helping your choir sound their best...

This choir warm up will help your choir:

1) Warm Up the breath support muscles

2) Line up entrances and cutoffs together

3) Focus their mind so they are ready to pay attention

4) Become physically engaged as a precursor to singing - after all, singing is very physical!

Before I started doing this warmup with my choir, I found that they were:

1) Not coming in or leaving notes together

2) Not warmed up well enough to sing with a free and healthy tone

That's why I started to use the Timed Breathing Warm Up!

To do this warm up with your choir is very simple.  All you have to do is:

1) Watch the following video

2) Download the Essential Choir Warm Ups cheat sheet

3) Try this warmup with your choir the next time you see them!

4) Observe the results.  You will notice...

In this blog post, I am going to teach you one of my top Choir Warm Ups.

This is called Call and Response and it is essential to helping your choir sound their best...

This choir warm up will help your choir get their breath support muscles warmed up and get focused (which we all need)!

Before I started doing this warmup with my choir, I found that they were:

1) Unfocused

2) Not using their breath support muscles properly

That's why I started to use the Call and Response warmup

To do this warm up with your choir is very simple.  All you have to do is:

1) Watch the following video

2) Download the Essential Choir Warm Ups cheat sheet

3) Try this warmup with your choir the next time you see them!

4) Observe the results.  You will notice an immediate positive difference if you do it right.  If it didn't work the first time, check to see how you delivered the instructions and try it again.  These warmups are basically guaranteed to...

In this blog post, I am going to teach you one of my top Choir Warm Ups.

This is called Posture Alignment and it is essential to helping your choir sound their best...

This choir warm up will help your choir:

1) Stretch out their back

2) Reduce the tension that comes from poor alignment and posture

3) Focus their mind so they are ready to pay attention

4) Find a good 'balance point' where they can stand and rest on their skeletal structure

Before I started doing this warmup with my choir, I found that they were:

1) Physically Tense (held tension)

2) Leaning to far forward, back or resting their weight on one leg too much

3) Looking a little droopy, like they had poor posture

That's why I started to use the Posture Alignment!

The foundations of this warm up is the Alexander Technique. We start to notice how our body is aligned vertically in the most natural way.  It's not that you have to straighten your spine (That's terrible!).  It's...

In this blog post, I am going to teach you one of my top Choir Warm Ups.

This is called the Physical Warmup Routine and it is essential to helping your choir sound their best...

This choir warm up will help your choir:

1) Stretch out their upper body to get ready to sing

2) Relax their body for better breath support

3) Focus their mind so they are ready to pay attention

4) Become physically engaged as a precursor to singing - after all, singing is very physical!

Before I started doing this warmup with my choir, I found that they were:

1) Unfocused

2) Physically Tense

3) Using their minds more than their physical body to sing

That's why I started to use the Physical Warmup Routine!

To do this warm up with your choir is very simple.  All you have to do is:

1) Watch the following video

2) Download the Essential Choir Warm Ups cheat sheet

3) Try this warmup with your choir the next time you see them!

4) Observe the results.  You will notice an immediate positive...

As a church singer, you have the honor and privilege of leading the congregation at Mass. However, it's not uncommon for the nerves to kick in and the stage fright to take hold. This could manifest in your heart POUNDING, shaky knees, shaky voice or sweaty palms!  But fear not, with the right mindset, you can begin to overcome stage fright and sing with more confidence. In this article, we will explore some basic techniques to help you strengthen your mind and overcome stage fright.  This is the first of 3 articles about overcoming stage fright.  In the articles, we will cover Mind, Body and Soul.

Visualize Yourself Cantoring/Singing

Visualization is a powerful tool that can help you overcome stage fright. Take some time before your cantoring to visualize yourself singing confidently and passionately in your church. Imagine the sound of your voice ringing out through the sanctuary and the congregation joining in with you. By focusing on a positive...

In this video, I discuss my favorite 3 tips for helping cantors improve their announcing skills.  Let's be honest, announcing is more than just saying "please join in singing" or in the case of a pandemic "please REFRAIN from singing".  Sorry, I couldn't resist!  It's time we think more deeply about every aspect of ministry and put our best foot forward!

If you want to work more on your vocal technique for FREE, check out my 3 Day Workshop for Church Singers.  You can find it here: https://www.musicministry101.com/workshop

Hi singers!

I want to tell you how sight reading changed my life….because it can change yours

In 2005… I first joined a collegiate level choir, it became painfully obvious that I needed to learn more about sight reading (even though I could already play piano!).

Every rehearsal we would be looking at some brand new music and  I was the guy that would wait for the singers around me to “get the right note”, and then I WOULD SING A SPLIT SECOND LATER.  yikes.

I was really embarrassed and had many thoughts…

• Is there something wrong with me?
• Why can’t I figure out the pitches like everyone else even though I can ‘read music’?

These are questions that bothered me all the time…

After every rehearsal, I would go home and listen to our music OVER and OVER until it finally stuck in my head.

I finally had ENOUGH, and I started talking with the student singers

They all told me about how they had taken ear training...

In this video, you will learn a subtle point about the "best" kind of church music for any particular parish.  Enjoy!

3 Day Workshop for Cantors

https://www.musicministry101.com/workshop

How to get your congregation to sing better

https://www.musicministry101.com

In this video, you will learn the three main factors that affect community singing!  Enjoy!