A huge part of my life since last year has been show choir. I love all the nonstop singing, the marking of dance moves, and the competition that states which high school group is better than the other. Last year I joined an all women's show choir group from Bonita Vista High School called Sound Unlimited. This group gave me so many amazing experiences of learning how to sing, dance, have responsibilities, and competitiveness. At the end of the school year we competed in a national competition and placed 5th place out of the United States’ best unisex show choirs. This school year I’ve been able to keep in contact with the new Sound Unlimited group and have just heard that they will again compete in Chicago for the title of best unisex show choir in the nation. Needless to say, this group is filled with many exceptionally talented young women that have brought much joy to the small town of Chula Vista, CA. In honor of Sound Unlimited’s big accomplishment I would like to make a list of some tips that are useful for any show choir's prime time of competition season.
Go to every practice- During competition season, every little move or note can be changed from one minute to another. Practices at this time, although tedious and repetitive, can be crucial for the group to be able to be as cohesive as possible. The time consumption of competition season is at least 10 hours a week, however when 40 girls all have to be at the same level of expertise IT IS NEEDED. We all know that practice makes perfect and that is why five musical numbers that last around 15 minutes needs all that practice. At first these practices seem heavy, yet in the end the results are amazing.
Have a little bit of nerves- It is funny how even though you are so prepared to go on stage yet you still have that feeling that you need to run to the nearest bathroom. The worst is being backstage and getting in place and knowing that at any minute the curtain will open. Everyone in the group is always nervous-even the ones that have been performing since their freshman year. Yet being nervous keeps you in check on your performance and conscious to do the best of your ability. Its not bad to be nervous, just don’t be too nervous!
Try to understand your leaders- This is the moment when the show choir leaders become godzillas. Every flat note, missed step, and not light face ticks them off. Competition season is what they all work for. To be able and prepare the group to win first place and for the whole group to be proud. This is when everyone else needs to be as understanding as possible. Leaders do all they do because they are doing it for the team. In my experience all my leaders were amazing! They always taught with the exact bit of understanding and harshness. Leaders will lead you to victory, all you have to do is listen and do.
Don’t let your face lose that smile- A big part of being in a show choir group is to ALWAYS smile. Show choir facials is to make faces on stage to have a presence. This is what helps your audience connect and feel the message that you are portraying in your dancing and singing. Many people aren’t used to having your face in a grin for 15 minutes straight but that's what has to be done! It might seem ridiculous at moments but believe me, the audience sees it as normal. This is the easiest place to win points in a competition, so just smile through the song and show how much fun you're having.
Dance like your life depended on it- My dance choreographer was the most intimidating person I had ever met. She did not care about hurting your feelings if you were able to fix that crooked arm or get on beat. Though intimidating, she taught many great values in life. She taught me persistence and that every piece in the puzzle matters. Without having any dance experience, I was able to dance the Can-Can by the end of the year and never gave up. If you're persistent then you will succeed and even though I wasn’t a great performer I was still a part of this group. All together we were able to dance the Can-Can and place in top spots of the competition.
Sing it from your heart- In any show choir group singing is the most important part of the performance. Usually the singing portion of the performance accounts for at least 50 percent of the whole performance. Therefore, singing on pitch should be a top priority. Be attentive with your vocals but don’t let it show. Have fun even though it's not all fun.
Sportsmanship is always key- When you go to compete you are not just representing yourself. You are representing the whole school and your attitude reflects that. Being a good sport portrays that your organization is professional and takes these competitions very seriously.
Be a professional- This idea goes hand in hand with sportsmanship. It is important to always show a professional image. You are representing generations and generations of people that all worked hard to be able and compete and represent a certain school. This is a key value that shouldn’t be forgotten. Always be happy to share the stage and represent many hardworking people. Don’t take this opportunity for granted because it can be taken away from you.
Keep your eyes on the prize- Even though you are being a good sport, always leave everything on the stage. Everyone in your group has worked so hard that you should always give your 110 percent. If you do this, you will always feel like a winner when you come offstage. It is such a rush when you finish a competition that you feel that you already won. You feed off everyone’s energy and from that can give a performance of a lifetime. With the right percent of concentration and giving your all, winning is a sure thing!
- Enjoy every minute of the experience- Always remember that this is an amazing experience that for some doesn’t continue forever. That's why enjoying every minute is the most important thing to remember. At the end of the season what you will have left is all the memories you’ve made. The best memory I had was winning grand champions of all Southern California. They announced the group's name and everyone started crying because we felt that all the hard work finally paid off. This memory I will treasure for the rest of my life. Make memories that you will look back at and treasure in your heart forever.
