Why use Sheet Music in the Out of the Blue Chorus?
Even though prior experience with reading sheet music is not necessary to join the OOTB Chorus, we provide members with sheet music for several important reasons:
Provides a Musical Map: Sheet music acts as a guide, offering a clear roadmap of the song's structure, melody, harmonies, and rhythm. It is a common language that choir members can learn to interact with, understand and follow, creating a cohesive musical experience for all members.
Facilitates Communication: Having sheet music allows us to communicate and share musical ideas effectively during weekly rehearsals. It makes it easier for everyone to be ‘on the same page’ when discussing the song's details, phrasing, and technical elements.
Encourages Learning and Growth: At OOTB Chorus, we are passionate about musically empowering our members and using sheet music is a vital part of that mission. By incorporating sheet music into our rehearsals, we offer members the chance to develop their musical skills and gain confidence in a supportive and encouraging environment. It’s not just about singing the notes but about understanding and interpreting the music to deepen your connection to the songs we perform. Whether you’re a seasoned musician or new to reading music, our approach allows you to learn at your own pace, gradually building your abilities and empowering you to grow as a singer and a musician.
Encourages Musical Growth: Regular exposure to sheet music encourages choir members to improve music reading skills, fostering growth and development within the ensemble.
Allows for Personalization: Sheet music enables choir members to make personal notes and reminders directly on their music (in pencil!). The director may give these ideas in rehearsal, such as dynamic markings, technical suggestions, phrasing ideas, or any adjustments discussed in rehearsal, helping each member internalize and remember critical points for performances.
Consistency: Having sheet music ensures consistency, allowing members to reference the same musical notation throughout rehearsals and performances.
Enhanced Rehearsal Experience: Sheet music facilitates more efficient rehearsals by allowing members to practice their parts independently outside regular Tuesday rehearsals.
Inclusivity: Using sheet music allows singers of all skill levels and backgrounds to participate in the choir. With sheet music, everyone can learn at their own pace, ensuring that all members feel supported and included no matter their musical background or experience.
Access to a Wide Range of Repertoire: By using sheet music in the OOTB Chorus, members gain access to a diverse range of musical repertoire, expanding the repertoire of songs available to sing and exploring new arrangements of songs by a variety of arrangers.
Out of the Blue Chorus
Sheet Music Guide
Why Use Practice Audio?
It is a Valuable Tool for Learning and Memorizing Your Part
Practice audio is an essential resource for choir members, providing a convenient way to learn and memorize your part outside rehearsals. By listening to your part, you can become more familiar with the melody, harmony, and rhythm, which helps reinforce your understanding of the music. This can be especially helpful for members new to interacting with sheet music, as it lets you hear how your part fits within the entire arrangement.
Practice audio lets you learn the music at your own pace and schedule, helping members build confidence. It also ensures that everyone learns the music consistently, contributing to a more unified and cohesive choir sound.
Suggested Uses for Practice Audio
Listen to the FULL CHOIR track to understand the song’s overall structure, feel, and changes in harmony.
Listen and follow along with your Sheet Music while listening to the audio for your specific part (soprano, alto, or bass). This will help you connect the written notes with what you hear and reinforce the different aspects of learning a song or any piece of music.
Once you're comfortable singing your part independently and with the FULL CHOIR track, practice singing your part along with the piano accompaniment track. This will help you recognize the piano part and how it supports your singing. It's also an effective way to memorize your part and gain confidence in singing it alongside the other choir sections.
Key Points About OOTB Practice Tracks
Our practice audio tracks are designed to help you learn your part comfortably. The tracks, including the piano accompaniment and the different voice parts, are recorded slightly slower than the performance tempo. This reduced speed serves as a practice tempo, making it easier for you to follow along and focus on the details of your part. The practice tempo allows you to build confidence and accuracy in learning your notes, rhythms, and harmonies before gradually progressing to the full performance speed in rehearsal and performance.
As we refine the music and explore new interpretations, certain aspects of the song—such as dynamics, phrasing, or tempo—may evolve. Therefore, be open to adjustments during rehearsals as we bring our collective musical ideas to life.
What is a Vocal Score?
OOTB distributes the sheet music as a ‘Vocal Score,’ including all the choir’s voice parts on the page (soprano, alto, bass). Learning your part while seeing and understanding how it interacts with the other parts is very beneficial. The three voice parts are separated into three distinct staves or musical lines, making it easier to follow your part and understand what the other sections are singing when you’re not singing.
In OOTB vocal scores (not arrangements by other arrangers that include the piano part), the piano accompaniment is omitted for two reasons:
It reduces printing costs by making each song 2-3 pages shorter. This approach also helps train our ears to listen to and recognize the accompaniment during rehearsals and performances, aiding in memorizing the music.