Drumming with New Choir
The above 3 videos were taken at a New Choir show in Toronto in May of 2011. I have had the good fortune to be the choir’s drummer for about 3 years, performing 2 shows a year; 6 Shows in total.
The gig with New Choir has given me the opportunity to hone my chart reading skills, which to some people may not seem like a big deal. But I have found the benefits to be immeasurable. Imagine you have 18 to 20 songs to learn with only 5 rehearsals and 3 of those rehearsals with the choir, then it’s show time. You also teach and have a family or other pressing things going on in your life. You need to save time….. Learning to read charts has become so important because a lack of time and money is an issue on so many levels. Whether it’s a solo artist throwing lead sheets at you for a quick rehearsal before a show, or a choir director handing you charts to 20 songs, knowing how to read the chart, road map and being able to count bars is an excellent skill to have. It allows people to save money and time on rehearsals and recording dates which is so important with today’s tight budgets. It might even get you the gig…. There are some great drumming books that teach you to chart read, so search them out and get working. You won’t regret it…
(The great Moe Koffman once told me that if I learned to read music, it would be one of the best things musically, I could ever do for myself.. He was absolutely right).
New Choir is a non-audition based choir in Toronto. If you have a desire to sing and perform with them, you can contact them through their website at newchoir.ca
Also New Choir puts on a show in May and December every year so get your tix for the winter 2011 show asap!
Cheers..
