Blatent plug: If joining a choir is something you're considering, visit a Pride of Portland rehearsal! It just might be what you're looking for!
It’s no secret that America’s social fabric is unraveling. Participation in churches and religious institutions is down. Fraternal organizations are shrinking. Marriage rates continue to decline. Voting is up, but volunteering is down. The differences dividing us seem greater than the similarities.
Some music inspires you to move your feet, some inspires you to get out there and change the world. In any case, it's fair to say that music moves people in special ways. If you're especially into a piece of music, your brain does something called Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR), which feels to you like a tingling in your brain or scalp.
The dice were HOT on June 1, when Pride of Portland Chorus hosted their first Bunco Blast Fundraiser. We had friends and family from near and far joining us at the beautiful TaborSpace for fun, games, music and laughter.
Want to learn some amazing things about a singer's amazing body? Check out this informative article.
1.) Your whole body is your instrument, not just your vocal mechanism.
Your voice is part of a total system which includes your mind and your entire body. Any method or technique of singing that doesn’t address the total mind–body–voice system has limited applications to developing one’s full potential as a singer.
To become a better singer, shift your emphasis from trying to sing well, to using your entire mind-body-voice Self well. Once you discover your innate natural coordination, you will notice a dramatic improvement in all that you do.
Pride of Portland Chorus is thrilled to have taken first place at the 2019 North by Northwest Region 13 contest in April; our ninth championship since the chorus was founded in 2000.
We're also very proud of our three quartets who performed magnificently, with Happenstance earning a well-deserved 5th Place medal and The Beat taking home Most Improved Quartet. It was our last contest with Ryan Heller, too, which made it extra special.
All in all, we made many memories during this wonderful weekend full of good times and great friends. Interested in experiencing this yourself? Come and visit us at a rehearsal. We'd love to meet you!
Twenty years ago, when academic researcher Julene Johnson wanted to study how music might help the aging process, she couldn’t get funding. Johnson, a professor at the Institute for Health & Aging at the University of California, San Francisco, suspected that music might improve memory, mood and even physical function.
And, she thought, what could be more perfect than choral music? Your instrument is already in your body, and you are bathed in beautiful sound by fellow musicmakers. Singing in a group is fun, so there’s plenty of reason to come back week after week: You get to see your friends and exercise your vocal cords and brain all at once.
When I was a young musician, my parents had to bribe me to practice for lessons. Getting to watch television dangled in front of me like a carrot, only in reach once I had put in my thirty minutes. It worked, but often times my heart (and head) wouldn’t be in the practice session.
Of course, this struggle to stay motivated didn’t end once I became an adult. Practicing is incredibly difficult work. It requires extreme focus and the ability to be simultaneously critical and supportive of oneself. So, it’s no wonder why musicians often struggle with maintaining motivation. Here are five tricks that help me:
For the fourth year in a row, Pride of Portland Chorus was invited to take part in the annual Portland Women’s Expo, Saturday, March 2nd, 2019. The ensemble opened the event with the national anthem followed by two other songs from our vast repertoire. Pride members also had a booth which featured one of our quartets, Happenstance (pictured, left). Guests enjoyed music from a variety of genres and were encouraged to learn and sing a ‘tag’ (the end of a song).
Singing is beneficial in many ways but do you know how important singing is for your brain? Most of you are thinking, really? Well, I'm here to tell you yes - really. Stay with me now as I explain just what singing does to your brain. This could be a life-changer for you and yours.
Do you enjoy singing? If your answer is yes I have some good news for you. When you sing, endorphins (feel-good chemicals) are released in your brain. This brings about positive psychological effects. If you suffer from depression or are temporarily down in the dumps after a bad day, singing will help lift you from your dark place into the light.
Pride of Portland’s third annual Spring Fete Fundraiser, held on June 3, 2017, was another successful event!
At Pride, we define success as good singing, good fun, good food, and great donations to help Pride of Portland continue its mission to “joyfully commit to education and musical excellence primarily in the barbershop style”! Pride of Portland and about 130 chorus friends and sponsors gathered at Oaks Park in its historical Dance Pavilion for a few hours of entertainment. The chorus sang, the guests purchased wine and restaurant certificates and played the bead necklace game (you’ve got to come and play for yourself), and all enjoyed delicious, catered hors d'oeuvres. Master 700 Director Ryan Heller passionately talked about the chorus, the music, and barbershop.
