Membership
Sally Jungblut and her mother, Robin, both of Choral-Aires Chorus, make virtual rehearsal work.
ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW A Choral-Aires Chorus member reflects on virtual rehearsal
I
n the last few months we’ve all seen videos of musical groups getting together online for virtual performances, playing or singing together — quartets, choirs, orchestras, bands, and the bar just keeps rising. But technology, for all its ability to bring us together in this time of isolation, cannot replicate the experience of singing together in person. For example, I recently visited my parents to drop off some parcels, eat my dad's awesome barbecue outside in the nice weather, and then enjoy a little barbershop rehearsal with my mom, with whom I sing in the Choral-Aires Chorus. As we sat, my mom with her computer and headphones and I with mine, we began rehearsal without issue. Giggling, we played with our videos, making silly faces and dancing in our seats, just enjoying the fact that we'd have a partner to sing with. We moved into our exercises as rehearsal started. I started to sing our warm-ups when I heard that something was off. I turned to my mom, who was sitting behind me. She was singing the exact same warm-ups...only one second before me. I had a one-second lag. My mom just grinned and continued to sing along. I gave up and burst out laughing! There we were sitting in the same house, on the same internet, in the same room, and we still couldn't get our audio to sync!
36
| January 2021
For our chorus, and likely for yours too, virtual rehearsal has taken some getting used to. The first few rehearsals, we were just so happy to see each other and converse that we didn’t really mind the technical mishaps and just hummed to ourselves as we listened to our repertoire. It was even fun to see all these new videos of COVID-19themed exercises that have since become determined ear worms. But after the novelty wore off, the frustration and realization of our situation made rehearsals more difficult. We bore with it because we knew the situation was temporary. We assumed we would be back together soon, but when Sweet Adelines had to cancel all competitions and in-person rehearsals for our safety, we could practically hear the door of hope we’d left cracked open just slam shut. There we were, stuck singing into a camera on our own for the foreseeable future. Motivation was harder to find without a competition in sight. The love of singing, still strong within each member of Choral-Aires, was harder to impart without being able to hear each other and sing together. Barbershop singing, the experience and love for it, is about being together with those around you. No matter what, it’s just not the same to sing with a recording. It took some time, and the realization that barbershoppers all over
