Week 1 Newsletter
September 13th, 2024
A Message from Tyler…
Thank you, everyone, for a fantastic first rehearsal this week! Seeing so many familiar faces and welcoming so many new ones was lovely. A big thank you to those who brought goodies and snacks :)
It’s exciting to watch the OOTB community grow and have returning members rejoin us after some time away.
As I said on Tuesday night, we’re not just a choir but a team!
-Tyler
Week One Announcements
Updated Members Documents
We’ve added a new ‘Guidelines & Expectations’ section to the Members Area, including our ‘Code of Conduct/Rehearsal Etiquette,’ ‘Attendance Guidelines,’ ‘Inclusivity Statement,’ and an ‘OOTB Sheet Music Guide.’ You can find them on the Members Area home page under the sheet music and newsletter links. Please read through them carefully if you haven’t already.
Printing Your Sheet Music
As Christine reminded us on Tuesday, members are responsible for printing and bringing their sheet music to rehearsal in a black binder. Binders at the check-in desk are for Sing & See’s joining for the evening. If you have questions about this email: info@ootbchorus.ca
Practice Recordings
We’ve received questions about when audio tracks for new songs will be available in the Members Area. Practice recordings for most new songs will be shared after we’ve had a chance to learn the song as a group in rehearsal. These tracks are a helpful supplemental tool for reinforcing memory and practicing your parts outside of rehearsal. However, they are not meant to be an exact reflection of how we’ll interpret the music during rehearsal or in performance. We’ll cover this in more detail at the next rehearsal.
Bring a Pencil ✏️ to Rehearsal
You will need it to make notes on your sheet music about important details we discuss while learning the songs.
Newest Members—Come and Introduce Yourself!
To all of our newest members, please feel free to find me (Tyler) during the break or after rehearsal! As our community grows, it’s becoming more challenging for me to connect with everyone each week. I’ll do my best to find you, but please come say hello and introduce yourself so I can answer any questions you might have. We want to ensure everyone has the best singing experience with OOTB Chorus!
Nametags
I know wearing something around your neck isn’t glamorous, but PLEASE wear your nametags on Tuesday! It helps our new members feel more welcome and helps me learn all the new names. New members will find their nametags at the check-in desk this week.
Next Rehearsal - September 17th
‘Mama Don’t Dance’ Members emailed to beg to sing this song again this fall! It’ll be fun for new members, as it’s fun to learn and features the stylings of our fantastic pianist, Eileen Kosasih.
Please print this song and have it ready for Tuesday, as we’ll rock it together!
‘Queen Tribute!’ Continue learning this rockin’ arrangement. Practice audio will be available early next week. Jen McMillian, who records our practice audio and piano parts, had surgery at the end of the summer, so she’s a bit behind on the recordings.
‘Cali Dreamin’’ It was fun revisiting this on Tuesday. It allowed us to hear and listen to the other parts around us, which is essential for creating cohesion and ensemble blending while focusing on our individual parts.