Music Practice

I had forgotten how painful it can be. We had to practice 4 songs tonight for Friday nights youth surge. The others on the team play together often enough but I had never sung with them. This was not a huge drama as I was familiar with most of the songs.

When a singer goes to music practice, she shows up approximately on time (or as near as circumstances allow) and waits while everybody else sets up and tunes their instruments. Then we decide which song to practice first and how many times to do what, this is of interest to the singer so she listens. Then talk moves to who plays which parts, who comes in where, which bits are loud and soft, four or eight bar intro, what chords everyone is doing. The singer is not generally included in this discussion and, understanding little of it, tunes it out. After several minutes of discussion, the music starts, the singer begins at what sounds like the right time, and we are off. About three quarters of the way through the song, the musicians cut out (by agreement) and the singer tries not to falter and hopes it is not because she made a mistake. Happily shortly the music begins again and she is relieved to know it was a "building technique". After the song is sung through once, the musicians begin the "who made which mistake where?" and "I thought we were doing this here" and "maybe if we try this" and so we sing again. If it is a song we are comparatively familiar with, it will end there. However if there is disagreement, confusion, unfamiliarity or lack of concentration, the song (or part thereof) will be repeated several more times.

This is for every one of the four or five songs. Now I do understand that the Musical planning and discussion and co-ordination is important and it would sound TERRIBLE and be a waste of time if there wasn't any, I just wish singers were slightly included in this. I know we are not necessarily understanding of the musical instruments and jargon, but we do understand build and pulling back, the power of just singing, how many times we can repeat the same dopey phrase without strangling somebody. Also I am appreciating the value of a team leader who firstly leads, and secondly understands musical instruments (obviously not me).