Insidious - Timothy C. Takach
Learned and recorded in quarantine, here's the Concert Choir's rendition of Timothy C. Takach's "Insidious". Takach refers to "Insidious" as choral horror music. It helped make our quarantine Halloween a lot more fun! Click below to give it a look.
How we're trying to E-learn
The Concert Choir, like everyone else, is trying their best to figure out life in quarantine. Certainly this time will allow us to work on building skills and to use music as a salve to help heal aches. Additionally, we are attempting to continue to make music.
Our first effort is a piece written by Rachel Whelan called "you (i do not think)". The theme of togetherness seemed like a good message at the time. When I asked her about the piece, Ms. Whelan said "One of the most delightful things about that piece (and Paul's poem) is the text. I interpret every iteration of "i do not think of you" to be the opposite: "i think of you more than you could ever know." There is an renewed exuberance and energy to "who you have been, who you are, who you are becoming, becoming who you are without me" in a world where we must create and collaborate without each other in close proximity."
The students all had access to a practice track with metronome track and they had to count off their opening, then they would video themselves singing their part. The audio was stripped out of the video and the entrances lined up. From there, a little mixing and voila! a choir of people miles apart has appeared.
There are so many great things to notice on this track, ranging from background noise of the singer being outside or an occasional dog bark. These things could have been stripped of the track, but the humanity was more important than perfection of sound. Please enjoy our Choir-intine performance of "you (i do not think)"
Our first effort is a piece written by Rachel Whelan called "you (i do not think)". The theme of togetherness seemed like a good message at the time. When I asked her about the piece, Ms. Whelan said "One of the most delightful things about that piece (and Paul's poem) is the text. I interpret every iteration of "i do not think of you" to be the opposite: "i think of you more than you could ever know." There is an renewed exuberance and energy to "who you have been, who you are, who you are becoming, becoming who you are without me" in a world where we must create and collaborate without each other in close proximity."
The students all had access to a practice track with metronome track and they had to count off their opening, then they would video themselves singing their part. The audio was stripped out of the video and the entrances lined up. From there, a little mixing and voila! a choir of people miles apart has appeared.
There are so many great things to notice on this track, ranging from background noise of the singer being outside or an occasional dog bark. These things could have been stripped of the track, but the humanity was more important than perfection of sound. Please enjoy our Choir-intine performance of "you (i do not think)"
| you_i_do_not_think.mp3 |
General Information
The Concert Choir features primarily Juniors and Seniors, and is an auditioned ensemble. The Concert has traveled to St. Louis, Cincinnati, Nashville, and Memphis. The Concert Choir features literature ranging from Renaissance to Modern and Multicultural works. The Concert Choir features a rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule, featuring studies in music theory, ear training, the biology of singing, and rehearsal technique.
ILMEA Audition Info
Each Fall, around Columbus day, ILMEA (Illinois Music Educator's Association) has auditions for its district (and subsequently All-State and All-State Honors) choir. To audition, you have to sing short excerpts from two prepared selections, scales and triads, and sight singing. Each school in district 1 is permitted to have 4 students per section (S1, S2, A1, A2, T1, T2, B1, B2) audition.
Below are linked practice recordings for the scales and triads. The recordings give four "clicks" on the starting note, then play the scale or triad. They proceed as major scale, natural minor scale, harmonic minor scale, melodic minor scale, major triad, augmented triad, minor triad, diminished triad. There is also a pdf linked below for how to use solfege for each of these.
For more information about the auditions, please click here.
Below are linked practice recordings for the scales and triads. The recordings give four "clicks" on the starting note, then play the scale or triad. They proceed as major scale, natural minor scale, harmonic minor scale, melodic minor scale, major triad, augmented triad, minor triad, diminished triad. There is also a pdf linked below for how to use solfege for each of these.
For more information about the auditions, please click here.
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| ilmea_scales_and_triads.pdf |
