Part 2. SINGING WITH OTHERS.

Tips for blending voices:

COMPETITION has NO place in group singing. No place whatsoever. It should be an "all for one and one for all" vibe, not "I sing better/poorer than......does" or "I better sing loud or she/he will drown me out." or "watch this...I'll show the director/audience/fellow choir member how well/loud I can sing".

You will stick out with these attitudes and the whole performance will suffer. If you are in a choir competition, my suggestion is to focus on out-blessing the other choirs instead of out-doing them.

Make friends with them, share information and techniques and keep in touch with them to encourage them after the competition is over. (What a concept).

TRAIN and apply good vocal techniques that give you options of tone color instead of "all or nothing at all" sound, techniques that give you access to different mixes of chest and head voice registers as well as blending your register breaks seemlessly.

If you have breath, control, pitch, tone problems but you'd love to learn to sing in a group, invest some time and money with a coach, even if for just a short time. Or consider buying vocal training products like CDs DVDs or books from vocal coaches.

WARM UP- preferrably with the other choir members.
LISTEN to other voices carefully.

MIMIC the blended sound, volume intensity AND the articulation chosen for the words (Ah-le-lu-ia, Hal-lu-lu-ia... one or the other but not both)
Use the amazing power of intention, just listen closely and intend to duplicate the composite sound of the group.

CHECK yourself, can you hear yourself stick out of the group?
Are you backing off TOO much, instead of adding valuable resonance contribution which enhances the sound and makes sure the harmonies are balanced?

A great way to blend voices is to get everyone in a circle or semi-circle where you can really hear each other.
Too many times, choirs only rehearse straight towards the audience and never really hear the sound of all the other voices with which they should be blending and matching diction.

Everyone assuming a correct posture will also greatly aid in breath and open throat issues, which limits among other things, vocal blending capacity.

A group of confident, colorful but blended voices is the sweet sound of true, loving community- of playing well with others.

There is power in community; there is emotional power in the voice of community to be sure.
Like angels voices, there is great emotional power in this sound, it's probably a link to the "music of the spheres", whatever that is. It's worth learning.

What are your thoughts, success methods and experiences with appropriate or inappropriate vocal tone for solo and group? Comments most welcome.