We all know Bigmouth is different to a normal choir. Instead of covering choral classics, we’re constantly looking for new pop and rock songs to add to our repertoire, but where does “pop” come from? Pop is a nebulous thing to define, and it went through several stages before becoming pop music we would recognise today.

There are five moments that could be considered the birth of “pop”:

• In the 19^th Century, sheet music started to be printed. Many families would turn to their piano as a source of entertainment before broadcast media. By relying on an expensive instrument and a talent in playing, families were encouraged to share this entertainment with their friends and neighbours.
• The arrival of the phonogram replaced this to an extent. The equipment was quite expensive but it did allow accurate reproductions of music to be played in people’s homes. This continued as records became more durable and cheaper to reproduce. In turn, this created a new market which formed the record industry as we know it.
• Throughout the 1940s, microphone technology improved dramatically, allowing singers to perform in a more intimate, expressive fashion. This enabled listeners to better form emotional attachments to songs.
• In 1950, Leo Fender invented the electric guitar, the instrument which helped shaped the sound of early pop more than any other.
• The transistor radio could arguably be considered the true progenitor of pop upon it’s launch in 1954. Obviously, the term “pop” is a contraction of “popular” and once the radio made it’s way into people’s homes, music was available cheaply and widely. Rather than pay for pricey equipment, poorer families could rent the equipment while richer families could use the broadcast to discover new artists they wished to see in concert or whose records they wished to buy.It certainly didn’t hurt that in 1954, Elvis Presley reached the airwaves with “That’s All Right”, combining Country and Rhythm ‘n’ Blues and marketed towards the emerging teenage youth culture.

Then, the sixties saw the rise of The Beatles on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as the popularity of music festivals with political messages. The Beatles added aspects of folk into the Rock ‘n’ Roll sound Elvis had popularised. This sound became the basis for much of what followed in the pop canon.

Pop is perhaps best defined through it’s relationship to technology than by it’s sound. As media changes, the sound of pop follows. With the ubiquitous access to streaming, we’ve seen pop music shift even further, though in more subtle ways. Songs are shorter but albums feature more songs to game the streaming charts, and artists spend more time on the road in order to make revenue. Perhaps the big question is not “where did pop come from?” but “where will pop go?”

Fear not, dear friends, we have not deserted you! We will be back this upcoming week to sing and learn and develop together after our short half term break. This term brings us into the final countdown to our annual concert! Tickets are already available online here and hard copies will be on sale soon – we’ll see you all there!

No one is born able to sing perfectly. For everyone singer you see in the charts, there are countless hours spent practising and rehearsing away from the public eye. As we don’t see these, we can often assume that they’re naturally that good and can get disheartened. However, just as we can be told “you can’t sing,” there are many professional singers who were told the same thing.
When people say “you can’t sing,” what they often mean is “I don’t know how to teach you.” What matters is that they didn’t give up. They wanted to sing and so they put in the work needed to get better. Many of them came to choirs and learned, others had private lessons but all of them remained committed to the love of singing.

1. Elvis Presley
Perhaps the most famous singer in history, Elvis was told time after time he couldn’t sing. When he was 14, young Elvis was given a C- grade for music, “below average”, with his teacher specifically commenting that he “had no aptitude for singing.” Later in life, his audition to a local quartet failed, again because of his perceived lack of talent. After a performance at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, Elvis was told by the concert hall manager that he was better off as a truck driver because he would never make it as a singer.

Elvis didn’t quit though. Instead, he studied Gospel and Blues records until he was discovered by Sun Records producer Sam Phillips.

That’s right, everyone! We are back for another fun and musical term of BIGMOUTH rehearsals and it looks like it’s going to be a scorcher! We’ll be cracking down on our long standing tunes like Sweet Child of Mine and putting the finishing touches to our new repertoire such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Bring Him Home. But this term, we’re also going to be looking at some of the more philosophical aspects of being in a choir – next week we’ll be focusing on the benefits of singing in a choir. If you’d like to learn practically about these benefits then pop down to one of our rehearsals for a free trial or contact us with any queries.

Nerves are something every singer deals with. It’s also what stops many of us taking the first step in learning to sing. Even household names like Adele have admit to experiencing a degree of stage-fright, but nerves don’t mean you can’t get up and sing. As the old saying goes “the show must go on.”

So how do we deal with it? Here are a few helpful suggestions to deal with stage-fright.

1. Equal Breathing

This is a simple breathing exercise but one that’s proven to work.

Take a big breath in through your nose, for a count of four. Next, release that breathe, exhaling fully for another count of four. Try to keep your breathing smooth and flowing, avoid shaky breathing if you can help it.

These deep breathes not only help calm you but they also give you something peaceful to focus on.

Studies have shown this breathing exercise affects your hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (or HPA.) In short, it reduces to production of stress hormones in your brain.

2. Avoid Caffeine

We’ve recommended this before. Caffeine not only dries your throat out, it also increases your heart rate which can make you feel more nervous and anxious before you go onstage.

In can be tempting to think the caffeine will give us that extra kick we needs but in reality it fuels our nerves instead of us.

Other things to avoid include sugar and salt.

3. Posture

We all know how important good posture is to help us sing but standing up tall with our heads held high also has been shown to increase confidence.

More impressively, studies have shown that adopting a power pose for a few minutes before going out on stage can reduce your stress levels. These studies have been contentious though but the latest research indicates that they work.

Power poses are open, relaxed stances like leaning back in your chair or standing wide with your hands on your hips like Wonder Woman. These stances may well be simple solutions to reducing cortisol, the major hormone responsible for stress.

4. Perform More

Getting up onstage is a great way to reduce your anxiety about it. By exposing yourself to the situation, you make it more familiar and less scary.

You don’t even have to do it at a concert. It could be at a karaoke night or an open mic night or even amateur theatre.

Performing as much as possible means you get used to the feelings associated with it. It’s very easy to confuse excitement and anxiety because they’re both heightened states that we seldom experience.

5. Technique

Developing proper technique and knowing the information behind it can give you greater confidence onstage. It gives you the confidence that you know what you’re doing, that your teachers wouldn’t let you do this without proper training and that you’ve rehearsed enough to do it right.

After a while, certain aspects of singing become natural and we don’t have to worry as much but this happens by committing to it and focusing on our technique until it becomes second nature.

So there we are, five techniques to reduce stage-fright. While it can effect everyone us differently, and only you can find out the perfect technique to help you, these tips should provide a great starting point as you set out as singers.

We had a great start to the term with our rehearsal last night! Everyone seemed to have a fantastic time and the vocals were beautiful – especially whilst learning the new arrangement of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, arranged by choir leader Emily. Feel free to turn up if you’d like to sing with us and don’t hesitate to contact us with any queries!

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There have been some discussions going around some of the choir in recent weeks and there has been some rumour of BIGMOUTH having their own concert this year as well as supporting our sibling choir, en Choir; who would in turn support us in our concert (if it happened). This is in no way a guarantee but it is a super exciting possibility that we just couldn’t keep to ourselves! Fingers crossed all will be organised – watch this space! Want to be part of our concert? Come down for a free trial or contact us with any queries.

Our final rehearsal of the year was last night and it went with a blast! The choir sounded incredible and we’re set to go to Whitstable this Saturday to feature in en Choir’s annual summer concert along with the brilliant house band with Matt Hodge on percussion and Akos Hasznos on bass. Doors open at 19:00 this Saturday, 22 July and we hope to see you all there!

Taking part in a choir is not only a fantastic way to learn to sing. We’ve spoken about the health benefits of choral singing in the past but it may surprise some of you to learn that there are dozens of practical skills being built alongside the music.
Here we look at five of the skills taking part in BIGMOUTH develops.

1. Teamwork Choirs aren’t about one singer being the best. The focus is on harmony, meaning it doesn’t matter if you’re the best singer in the world, everyone’s voices have to blend together. It’s no use trying to singer louder than everyone else or attempting to upstage others by playing around with dynamics. Everybody is a vital part of the overall sound and as such everyone contributes to that. There’s a reason the phrase “singing from the same hymn sheet” exists. A choir is a literal example of that. There’s so much going on that requires you to think about the others in the choir, from the speed and volume you’re singing to making sure you aren’t blocking someone’s access to tea during rehearsals.

Being part of a choir helps you consider yourself as part of something bigger and how the individual helps shape the whole.

2. Concentration and focus There’s a lot learned during a rehearsal, about every song we practice. This means having to pay attention and take everything on board. It’s no use letting your mind wander because you’ll miss some valuable guidance on how to sing the song being discussed. There are dozens of studies showing that learning a musical skill rewards you with improved concentration and focus.

In modern life, we often find our powers of concentration taxed but by studying music, you are able to build up that ability like a muscle. By focusing on something fun, we willingly pay attention, which leads to improved concentration in other areas.

3. Confidence Many of us are afraid of being a stage all alone but fortunately, with a choir, we’re surrounded by supportive peers. That safe space enables us to embrace mistakes and carry on, instead of blowing them up and letting them distract us. This groovy study explores the different ways choirs help your confidence. Hearing other people singing helps you perceive your own singing as of a higher quality and removes some of the fear of attention we experience on stage. The presence of a choir leader or conductor also plays a huge factor, someone who can offer feedback and guidance while you’re singing, to make sure you’re performing at the highest standard you’re capable of. This takes pressure off you by removing the fear of failure. If the choir leader isn’t looking at you and correcting your singing, you must be doing it right. Additionally, the sense of belonging and community gained from the choir means you don’t have to worry about shouldering the entire burden of quality. Everyone plays a part in making the choir shine, no one is singled out.

Developing a skill like singing is also a way to build tremendous self-worth in your daily life, giving you that extra boost outside of the choir.

4. Discipline When most people think of discipline, they think of the army, military precision and something mechanical. Discipline isn’t always like that though. Traits like punctuality and commitment can be developed in a safe, nurturing environment like a choir.

Coming to choir encourages a sense of responsibility and punctuality without having to be strict or nasty. Because the choir is fun, you WANT to put in that work and commit. Imagine turning up after the warm-ups had started. Without a proper warm-up, you wouldn’t be able to perform at your best, which would disappoint you. This means you’d make sure to get there on time in future.

5. Active Listening One of the keys to getting better in choir is listening. Listening to the music, to your fellow choir members, to yourself, and listening to a choir leader. Choirs are built on listening, and while this may seem like a natural skill, many people find it difficult to pick out prudent information.

The difference between active and passive listening is huge and important. When we are hearing sounds but not focusing on them, this is passive listening. We are able to pick out and respond to things like our name but mostly we are just letting the sounds pass over us. Active listening, on the other hand, is when we hone in on those sounds, like when we have a conversation with someone. Choir requires the ability to hear everything and then process that information before you act upon it, whether that be from instructions or in the dynamic setting of singing.

So there we are, five skills developed in choir that aren’t singing. This is by no means an exhaustive list, however, and the benefits can be unique and personal. What is clear, is that singing in a choir is an amazing opportunity to learn and be your best self.

BigMouth Chorus is a friendly and innovative non-audition singing group in Thanet for anyone aged 14 and over who loves to sing.  You don’t need experience to take part and don’t even need to think you can sing!  Our role is to support you in believing you can while having a great time. Get in touch if you or someone you know would like to join a fantastic and fun choir.