I love to sing! LA!

In case you didn`t know I have joined a Choir here in Japan. It is called the Amadeus Choir, and is comprised of about 30 members. Me sing a collection of music ranging from Japanese choiral pieces, Gospel, and we even started a Jpop piece (which is extreamly difcult and annoining). I write now to explain differances and my reasons for them. If you haven`t studied singing some of this may be foriegn to you. Also my Japanese is not very good and so class has a tendancy to be confusing, thus the reasons for choir practice come from my own observations and not explinations.

First is that our choir makes a distinction between upper and lower breath. When adding a bright tone to a piece an upper breath is to be used. the ribcage expands but the shoulders stay down, wether the diaphram expands down is of little consequence. I have a very difficult time with this concept, for obvious reasons, but I try not to judge or dismiss. And in my "feeling time" (see below) I have seen my "sempai," or upperclassmen (yet so much more than that... see below), use these tech niques. They have practiced this way thier entire choir career and the way thier ribcade can expand out and up is incredible, almost as if it were split at the sternum.

Second. The choir is a club and as such is run by the students alone, but in japan this doesn`t mean it is undisiplined. The Sempai run the choir and teach thier Kohai, underclassmen, (again, over simplification) much as a professer teaches a student. There is a faculty advisor but he comes only occasionaly. We practice for three hours on Monday and friday from 5-8. There is also optional practice wedsdays at the same time and everyday at lunch. The sempai go to all rehersals. The rehersal is divided into parts. first is about 45 min for warm ups, streches, and breathing exercises. next it 45 min of part practice. hour for song practice. and the last 30 min are reflections on the practice.

In reflections we sit in a circle with our part and discuss what the group needs to work on and where we thier is trouble. The order always begins with the person on the partleaders left and goes around clockwise. everyone must say something constructive. Needless to say, with my poor language skills, I dislike this part. I always end up feeling like an idiot.

It is also important to note that at a Japanese collage a person has one activity they are involved in and that`s it. those people are your friends, family, and responsiblity, sometimes even more so than your education.

third is that they seem to consentrate on different things. Alot of time is spent correcting notes and learning words, but little is spent on part ballance and sound. We consentrate on the form of the choir itself; how we sing and what we sing over the feeling and movement of the piece. This also has roots in Japanese culture as well, but that is complicated so I`ll write about that later.


The girl who runs the choir is an incredible soprano, but isn`t very good with conducting, though she is learning. I see in the choir alot of steriotypes from my choir back home. Thiers a proud and haughty individual who reminds me of Paul Teipi (no offence Paul). He`s also the leader of the Bass part. There`s a little girs who is extreamly loud and boisterous who reminds me of Will. She also yells things out in the middle of Choir. (Curse you Proffeser Ferguison!) Theres also a quiet kid, who is very good, that reminds me of Dennis.

Chouir is tough here and I`m still getting used to it. If you have any questions... ask em!