Bill, I have a 91-y/o Bari and a 90-y/o Bass in my chorus. Their voices aren't
those of a 24- y/o; one uses a cane to help steady himself; but they are both at
rehearsal every Wednesday night - the Bass was the MC on our show because he's
got such a strong deep voice and he's also the Chapter Treasurer.

Our AVERAGE age is 74 and I'm the youngest at 66.

Good for you in finding this hobby. You'll have lots of fun learning to sing
better than you ever imagined possible.

This board has been kinda quiet the last few months. Perhaps I can kick-start a
discussion by saying that I visited another Chapter last night and one of my
critiques included the admonition that you should sing softer when singing in
the upper part of your range. Let'r rip on the low notes, without straining your
voice, and go softer on the higher notes.

Comments?


Jon Wagner
813-810-0283
Fax: 813-671-0283

jon@...<mailto:jon@...>
Director, Par For The Chorus
Barbershop Harmony Society
Sun City Center FL
www.padmakr.com<http://www.padmakr.com/>
800-529-1832
----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Gordon<mailto:briang@...>
To: BBSBasses@yahoogroups.com<mailto:BBSBasses@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2006 3:48 PM
Subject: Re: [BBSBasses] intro


On Wed, May 17, 2006 at 07:41:18PM -0000, william ainsworth wrote:
> I have only recently joined this group and have been reading some of
> the earlier messages and I guess I'm supposted to introduce myself.
> Perhaps I have the distinction of being the oldest man to become a
> barbershopper. In fact I only started singing, other than in the
> shower, when I was about 68. At that time I joined our church choir.
> I quit for a while because of difficulty reading music, but now I
> enter the bass notes into a music notation programme on the computer
> and that helps a lot, plus I am getting better at reading intervals.
> I am now 73 and a two year member of the Men of Accord of the London,
> Ontario, Canada chapter. I know I can only get in a few years of
> barbershopping [either my voice will go or it will get even tougher
> than it is now to get up on the stands for long periods ]. I am no
> great shakes as a singer but I am contributing to the chapter by
> resurrecting the newsletter the chapter never had for a couple of
> years. I should say that I am surely a "bassitone" too and I suspect
> most of the basses in my chapter are. I can often get down to the
> lowest note of a song but I'm not sure the quality is too good and as
> for projection - forget it. I am going to try what they advise for my
> saxophone practice - long tones. I am also going to take some advice
> I read on this board and try to relax.
> [...]

Welcome aboard. We bassitones all need to learn (and then remember "in the
heat of battle") not to force the low ones. Just let them float and add what
you can to the mix. Sounds like you are on your way -- with not that many
years on me :-)

--

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| Brian Gordon -->briang@...<-- brian.gordon at cox dot net
|
+ Bass: "Spirit of Phoenix" SPEBSQSA Chorus
+

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