ACAPELLABORATORY

...Aaaand We're Back!

2011-09-07T22:48:00.001-07:00

Hey all singers fresh or seasoned,

September is here, and it's beautiful. I am full of new songs to teach and sing, and here's your official invitation to the first session of the Acapellaboratory, year 5! Welcome, or welcome back! So come and warm up that body and that voice of yours with us.

Bring yourselves and anyone new to come and check us out. Men especially welcome - we love basses especially, but baritones and tenors welcome.

Don't know what your voice range is? It's okay, come anyway.

The whole session starts next week, Sept. 14th, Wednesday at 7pm.

September 14th and 21st are for new people to come and check us out, so bring your friends and co-workers and family.

Everyone will get an intro to some of our new material and a song or 3 from previous sessions.

By week 3, the 28th, we'll be flying.

I've got a Brazillian tune, a beautiful lament from Australia, some kick-ass Canadian stuff, and lots more. SO EXCITED!!!!

Here again are the details, so you can forward them to anyone you would like to have join us.

Wednesdays Sept. 14th - Dec. 7th

7 - 9pm (includes a break around 8 or 8:15)

770 Commercial Drive (at Adanac)

Space is Limited, so come and save your spot!

$100 per session

*Limited Subsidy Available

Sept 14th and 21st New singers incorporated!

Whole Session: Sept 14th - Dec. 7th (13 weeks)

All Singers Welcome, no previous experience necessary, but if you have it, that is GREAT.

*Singers need to attend 9 rehearsals minimum in order to sing in our final UnConcert.

love and harmony,

Patti

New Choir Session starting Wednesday April 13th!

2011-04-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

We're open to new singers joining for the next session! New singers can come April 13, 20 or 27 (or all three!) to come and check us out.

Then you sign up for session that lasts until June 29th.

If you can breathe, have a pulse and just want to sing with other people, come! All ages, all abilities. Families welcome.

April 13 - June 29th (concert on June 29th!)

$100 for the session

7 - 9pm

770 Commercial Drive (at Adanac) - the Lion's Den

Vancouver, BC

patpow986@gmail.com for more info!

We Got on TV!

2011-04-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

We had a visit from a local community television station, who'd heard about the choir. I'm really pleased with the results of the visit. I think they captured a good deal of what we're about. Thanks to Marni from the choir, and to Dave and John for doing the piece!

Where Have We Been Up To?

2011-02-08T17:39:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

As I first write to you, I am cuddled up on a couch in Brentwood Bay. It is my birthday, the 7th. I am slowly recovering from a bout of Vancouver Island flu. My friend Helen has just gone out for eggs for our breakfast, while Patricia makes me a smoothie from her garden. Life ain't bad, even with virulent microbes!

What You've Been Up To!

I hope you had a good week over there - I hear you got all funked up with the lovely Ms. Pemberton. Ain't she the greatest? We are so privileged to have so many skilled and generous folks here in Vancouver like herself.

Mark your calendars for February 23rd. We have a request by Telus Community Television to be filmed! The crew will be by sometime between 7:30 and 8:30 that night, and we'll just do what we do. This is thanks to one of our newer members, and her enthusiasm for the choir!

If privacy is an issue, you have an option. If you aren't into being filmed for their little cable community show, you can step back for that portion of the rehearsal, or just ask to have your face digitally blurred. The crew will provide consent forms.

Here's what Dave Gerry, the producer, sent me:

"I'm a producer/reporter currently doing stories for the community broadcasting division of Telus. I heard about the choir from another producer and wondered if you might be interested in having us do a feature story on the organization. We do a show for Telus cable subscribers called myVancouver which is hosted by Simi Sara and myself. Telus does similar shows in both Edmonton and Calgary. Here's a link through which you can check it out."

http://www.telus.com/content/tv/iptv/clients/community_programming.jsp

So hey gang, maybe we'll get more singers, maybe we'll inspire more people to reclaim their voices in some way, and maybe we'll get some invitations to sing somewhere!

Onward Acapellabies!

I'm really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, even if I'm still a little sick. Don't dogpile on me or let me breathe on you, and we should all be fine.

What Patti's Been Up to:

I've just come from a wonderful rich and uplifting week with choir-director types like me. I don't know if you know, but I started this choir after a training program that I did about 5 years ago. I went to Victoria and joined the Community Choir Leadership Training, led by Shivon Robinsong and Denis Donnelly. I gained immeasurable support and confidence there.

Here's the website - worth a look. (I think I'm in a couple of pictures on the training pages).

http://www.communitychoirleadership.com/the_program.php

About 30 of us from the past 7 years gathered, led workshops for each other, taught and learned songs and listened a lot to one another. I have had these people in my pocket, on my shoulder, over the phone for the past few years as I've led the Acapellaboratory. They are a far-flung network of deep support and love. There's about 70 people who have taken the program, from all over North America, and including Japan!

You may not also know that our Acapellaboratory is part of the Ubuntu Choir Network.

http://www.ubuntuchoirs.net/model.php

From the Website:

We are a growing community of choirs who believe that the joy of singing is a universal birthright, and that together, regardless of musical background, we can help improve the world by joining voices in song. Read about our model, or browse some stories about how we make the world a better place.

“I am, because you are. I need you to be you so that I can be me. A choir is a choir only because its different parts work together harmoniously. Yes, a person truly is a person only through other persons. God bless you in your noble endeavour.”
— Nobel Laureate,
Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
regarding the Ubuntu Choirs Network

We have sister choirs all over the place:

*the Golden Bridge Community Choir in L.A.

*the Port Townsend Songlines;

*Letz Sing in the Comox Valley;

*Les Chorales Allez Chante! in Montreal.

and many more.

So these are my people. So they're YOUR people.

I'm so excited to be re-connected to this wonderful group of people, all steered in the same direction, towards connection, towards solidarity, towards community and tons of FUN while getting there!

I'm glad you are all there with me too! Let's go!

See you tomorrow!!!!

love,

Patti

Acapellaboratory UnConcert This Wednesday! Dec. 15th

2010-12-13T23:45:00.000-08:00

Come out and hear and see what we've been cooking up at the Acapellaboratory!

We are a gang of people coming together to sing. We welcome anyone, all ages and abilities.

We are teachers, nurses, bus drivers, moms, dads, sons, daughters, activists, doulas, doctors, students,

We'll be singing songs from all over the world:

Among them a Scottish lullaby, a Saskatchewan wailer, a Kentucky folk song, a tune from the Afro-Cuban Santeria tradition, and songs from the African American tradition!

Come and enjoy!

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15TH

The Lion's Den

770 Commercial Drive (at Adanac)

Show starts at 7:30

Shared potluck food and drink and hanging out at 8:30-9:30!

Cost: $0 - 5

All proceeds donated to The Lion's Den Recreation Centre

Wheelchair Accessible

2010-09-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

Hey all lovers of song,

This is an announcement for our upcoming season! If you or anyone you know might be interested in joining a gang of fun folks singing all kinds of cool and beautiful acapella music from around the world, please forward this message!

Hope you have all had a rich and renewing summer. I've missed you and all the sweet magic and sounds and community we've been making together!

So, we're starting a new season! Here's the deets:

Sept 15th 7pm (at the latest!) til 9pm

770 Commercial Drive (at Adanac)

The Lion's Den

13 Sweet Weeks

$110

Some scholarships/subsidies available. Apply to Patti.

The practice space is wheelchair accessible. The bathrooms are not so much.

New to the choir? Come and check us out the first night and see if it's a fit!

***Everyone is welcome. Everyone can sing, no matter what you were told, no matter what you were made to believe. All that is required for this choir is the desire to raise up your voice with other people. All ages welcome.***

As with every choir, we always need more guys, so bring your men friends, partners, co-workers, family members!

You'll get the usual smattering of music, recordings (I am committed to give them to you earlier this year!), and at least one UnConcert, in early December! Hopefully a couple of other oppourtunities as well!

Any questions, concerns, contact me!

Patti Powell

Director and arm-waver

patpow986@gmail.com

Join Us in Song this Friday Feb. 12th

2010-02-11T11:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Red Sara, a member of the 'Lab for sending this. I quote her thus.

Dear Friends,

I would like to invite you all to join me at the Welcoming Rally on this Friday afternoon to reclaim community priorities! We will demonstrate that we are not all supporters of the Olympics (which has become a corporate consumerist bonanza, and a one billion dollar security fiasco! Did you know you can build 20,000 houses for the cost of the security for this event?!)

I will be present and singing with a choir. There will be two hundred (plus) of us singing songs of freedom and celebration in four part harmony. Lots of the songs are easy to sing, and you are invited to walk along with us. Sing along, or just surround yourself with our sound. I believe that within our choir and extending outwards into the march and to the world, our peace will be a powerful force to be reckoned with!

Look for the choir in the North West corner of the Art Gallery plaza.

In solidarity and creativity!

~RedSara

Friday Feb.12th
"Welcoming Committee" Mass Rally
TIME: Gather at 2:30, then singing in the march until BC place. Perform at BC place where the march arrives.

PLACE TO MEET: North West area of the Vancouver Art Gallery, on Hornby
(if you are meeting up with us at BC Place, look for us in the main North West area between 4:30 - 5pm!)

This week with song attachments!

2010-02-11T11:15:00.000-08:00

Hey all you fabulous, lovely people!!!

So here we are almost at the half-way point of the first session of 2010. And here's where we stand:

We've been working on many songs, mostly ones that we're gonna sing on Friday with the 5-Choir Big Sing at the Take Back Our City rally (see details below!!!).

On Friday, here's what I think we'll be singing:

Yes
We Shall Not Be Moved
More Than Promises (In this Land)
Occupying Army
Children Walk in the Power

and two more that we'll practice tonight
I Send My Love
We Are the Ones

No worries, they're easy...and there will be a ton of people there who know it and will support your voices!

Note about Occupying Army - for the Friday Feb 12th rally gig, we're doing a different arrangement of Occupying Army - I'm gonna try to give you at least some of it. Again, there's lots of people in the other choirs who know it, so we'll have lots of folks to lean on come Friday!
The arrangement is a LOT like Vanessa's band's version. Our voices are imitating the instruments. If there are a few of you who are totally solid on the verse lyrics, you might be able to join Vanessa in singing the verse. Otherwise we want most people doing the backing parts, which are pretty cool!

Here's Vanessa's band doing it again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JxxO8Gx9bs

So come for 7pm, 'kay? and we'll sing it all! Plus a couple of our own.

I'm sending you some attachments of some of the songs - check 'em out!

Friday Rally details!!!!

Friday Feb.12th
"Welcoming Committee" Mass Rally
TIME: Gather at 2:30, then singing in the march until BC place. Perform at BC place where the march arrives.

PLACE TO MEET: North West area of the Vancouver Art Gallery, on Hornby
(if you are meeting up with us at BC Place, look for us in the main North West area between 4:30 - 5pm!)

love,
Patti
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

-Mary Oliver

4 attachments — Download all attachments

I Send My Love.pdf
23K View Download

I Send My Love.mid
3K Download

we are the ones.pdf
26K View Download

we are the ones.mid
5K Download

Hallowe'en rehearsal photo

2010-02-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

Here's a photo of about half of us on Hallowe'en. Yes, I'm wearing a dress. And hiking boots. It IS hallowe'en, after all.

First post of 2010 - Hi all, long time no see!

2010-02-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

Hey gang o' singahs!

What ho, here's your choir love letter..! Short bits of info and reminders and lyrics and a song link! Please read!

Lovely beginning last week - we sang Come Along my Friend, learned Sit Down Servant, sang Mayi a Gaye for Haiti, touched on Occupying Army for the first time, and finished up by getting everyone on board with Yeye Bongeh (not correct spelling!). A good time was had by all, as usual!

It was really fun and exciting to have new folks joining us, and to see some old friends come back to us, along with our seasoned singers - the sound we made filled my heart with percolating possibility....

General Stuff to Know

If you've just joined us, or even if you've been around a while, here's a few important reminders:

We're incorporating new folks into the mix for the next 2 weeks, so feel free to invite people of all ages and abilities to check us out and see if they wanna throw their lot in with us for the next few weeks.

We're not a drop-in choir, as our sound is soooo good when we've got some continuity of singers, and we can learn more songs when we don't have to go over stuff anew all the time!

Be prepared to get registered for this session with the lovely Brenda, if you haven't already. Remember, we meet this session til March 31st. Cost is sliding scale $80-160. Talk to me or Brenda if you've got questions or concerns about cost. Also, I'll be providing practice CDs and sheet music/songbooks for folks who want 'em.

Don't drink alcohol or smoke stuff if at all possible before choir. It can create distracting odors and also, it ain't so hot for your voice. Feel free to imbibe after choir, however, if you'd like!
Also, try not to wear strong perfumes or scents, as it can make it hard for folks who are allergic to such stuff to breathe. And we like breathing. Aaah.

Next Session
Another session will begin April 14th, and go to June 30th, so feel free to plan your lives around that one or just spread the word.

What's up for us next?
Singing with Other Choirs during Olympic time
I'm hearing noises in the radical choir community about when we can get together with the other choirs and practice together...at this point it's looking like Feb. 1st and 8th early evenings. So pencil those dates in and I'll confirm at soon as I hear something definite. So far it looks pretty clear that we'll be doing something together on Feb. 12th, so save that date!

A Song for you!
Okay, here's the complete song of Occupying Army, by Vanessa Richards. We started learning it last Wednesday. I'm working up the arrangement, so we'll have more to do with it tomorrow - eeee! So exciting. Remember, we're gonna get to sing with 4 other choirs, including Vanessa's, in February to, er, "welcome" the big expensive party that's coming to town.

Have a listen - it's beautiful and powerful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JxxO8Gx9bs

Here's the lyrics to print up (though the video provides those!)

I will also bring printed copies to choir. But you can get a head start on the lyrics now!

Occupying Army
- a song from the earth by Vanessa Richards

Fruit of my trees
Fish of my seas
Wheat of my fields
Everything you need
You act like I never gave you enough
I gave you my very own body to sup
You act like I never gave you enough
I gave you my very own body to sup

Borders are false
Lack is a lie
Your impulse for ruin
is glory denied
and Violence is not virtuous
the things you do are hurting us
Violence is not virtuous
the things you do are hurting us

Treat me like you love me
You're not an occupying army
You are of me
So treat me like you love me

Pain shared is halved
Joy shared - doubled
Lay down your arms
and come to my table
I know who you are
We're one in the same
My soil is your soul
Earth is my name
I know who you are
We're one in the same
My soil is your soul
Earth is my name

Treat me like you love me
You're not an occupying army
You are of me
So treat me like you love me
You're not an occupying army
You are of me
------------------------------

--------------

Love and harmony,
Patti
604-255-5061

Week o' the 19th, plus some YouTube!

2009-10-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey 'Labbies!

General Gush
I am so pleased to get the chance to know you all. Even if at rehearsal I am sometimes distracted by whatever task is facing me, please know that you are an important part of the gang, the choir, the singing community we are continually building together. Hopefully we'll get more chances to hang out - either after choir some night up at the Reef, or at breaks, or at our Potluck UnConcert at the end of this session on December 9th (mark those calendars!)

It is so good to be alive at the same time as you all. Life is sweet, and getting to be in the circle of song with you all makes it all the sweeter!

Patti's New Email List

Well, I'm back in email land, comin' to you all from a new email address - please note I'm now at patpow986@gmail.com. Please delete powee2003@yahoo.ca from your mailing lists, as I can't receive any mail there. Whew! Glad to be back from email hell and hopefully in gmail heaven.

New stuff this week

Feel free to remind me of the following on Wednesday night, 'cause I'm trying to do a few things for your fine selves this week:

*I'm bringing written copies of Come Along My Friend, so you've got a reference point for times when you're not in choir. No need to use it really in choir, as it's a song traditionally taught in the Big Ol' Gospel Oral/Aural Tradition. But I thought you all might like to know just *exactly* what your notes are!

*I will also have a correct copy of lyrics for Maye i Gaye, as the music we have is not true to the order in which we sing it. It will help us in learning the right form of what happens when! This I promise to you.

*I am also going to bring extra copies of songs that seem to be in short supply:
The Circle
Mojuba Effe Fe i Ku

Possibilities
Plus, we're gonna add a new song this week, I'm hoping, that we can sing with a couple of sister choirs.Our pals Sara Kendall of the Cultural Medicine Cabinet and Anna Baignoche of the Local Vocals and I are trying to set a BIG SING date for all our choirs to meet and sing together!!! And we're hoping to share some of our fave tunes with one another. So I may have one or two to give to you this week and next.

And Hey!
I love teaching new stuff, but it is also a balance of not giving too much to you as a choir to chew on! Some of you have bigger appetites than others for the novel and the challenging, I know! I keep trying to strike the balance....let me know how it's going. That feedback is awesome, whatever it may be.

Time to get SERIOUS about makin' a Tenor sectional time happen:
So, if you sing tenor on any song at all, you are totally welcome. If you think you MIGHT wanna sing tenor at some point, you are welcome too! If you just think the Tenors are kinda neat and cute and want to hang out with them, you are further welcome, as long as you don't distract them too much during our practice!
It is such a helpful thing to spend time with just the people singing your part and go through the tricky parts of songs together. You get to know each other, sound more strong and confident, and make the rest of the choir jealous! Plus do fun things like sing in the bathroom and get more time with me, yer ever-lovin' director.
Therefore, I propose that the Tenors meet at my place, 522A Keefer street, at 1pm on this Saturday afternoon, the 24th.
A second choice would be before choir, at 6:15pm precisely at the Lion's Den, before choir, on Wednesday the 28th of October (next week!).
***So please email just me back on this, dear Tenors, and we'll pick the date that works for the most folks!***RSVP!

Some Good Ol' You Tube!

I found a couple of versions of our current hit, "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody" on Youtube!
Check out these:

A version by some women at a Martin Luther King celebration: They start out slow and then amp it up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWNtz2Lja08

and this one by a young guy who stayed up too late with his computer and got inspired - he's singing a version that's more meant for church, but OMG is he having fun, and what a beautiful voice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irLccrQJV7k

As Always...

Please let Patti know if you are not able to get to choir some week. It makes a difference to us knowing where you are, and if you're okay, or what in heck's going on. Each of your presence does make a difference - it's really not the same without ya, so let me know! Email is good, and phone is fine too.

I love deadlines. I especially love the swooshing

sound they make as they go flying by."

Douglas Adams, author of

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Love and song,
Patti

This Week: Possible Festival Gig! Let's Get Sectional!

2009-10-07T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hey great people in the Acapellaboratory Singing Gang,

Well, I'm a bit late getting my little newsletter out to you all this week. I confess that sometimes it's hard to just put aside everything else I'm doing and thinking about and just sit down and write to you all. But here it is! Sometimes I get distracted and bogged down...It doesn't mean I don't love you, choir! You are such a source of joy. I have the best job in the world leading you folks. I loves ya, as my Maritimer grandpa used to say.

Last week we started learning Mayi e Gaye, our revolutionary Haitian lullaby. We wet our toes on the shores of this song.
We also reviewed and grooved on Ain't Gonna Let Nobody, taught the gospel piece Yes to all the new choir members and sang O Seh Ah O, the Ghanian sunrise song.

Here's a bit of what else we've touched on since we started this fall session;

Come Along My Friend
The Circle
Hold Me, Rock Me

...and we sang, but haven't reviewed, Mojuba Effe Fe i Ku, and The Storm is Passing Over. So if you're reading this and are thinking, "Ah! I don't remember learning that since I started being with this choir in September!", no worries, you are right - we haven't taught it yet. That may happen later!

Stuff to remember

*Keep your fine self well-hydrated, and get a good sleep! Lots easier to love your voice and to use it too.

*Come at 7pm so we can start on time and squeeze every last drop of goodness out of our time together on Wednesdays.

*Set up folks for this week, I don't know who you are, but Brenda does...just arrive at 6:45 and help out! Many thanks, it makes a huge difference to your ever-lovin' director.

*Pay choir fees to Brenda if you haven't already.

*Feel free to unload your surplus snacks on the choir during break time! Singing is hungry work! Not necessary, but always welcome.

There is lots of interesting stuff to do...

We have an invitation and oppourtunity to sing with a choir performing at the Heart of the City Festival, celebrating arts and artists of the Downtown Eastside. This will happen in the first week of November. We would have to learn what they are learning, and wouldn't get to do our own pieces, however.
I have some music that we could learn for their final gala celebration, if a large enough group of you are interested.

We can take a look at the music in the next couple of weeks and decide as a gang. Then we'll see!

Aaaand....I am still working on setting up a choir singing workshop with one of the wonderful vocal teachers here in the city. I'm aimin' for the wonderful David Hatfield. Will continue to keep you posted.

Sectional practices! Tenors First this time!

Are you suffering from sectional dysfunction? Are you one of the sectionally conflicted? Fear not. We found last year that having each section of the choir meet for themselves separately to go over their own parts of the songs was amazingly helpful and fun, and made our music-making even more satisfying. So, I'm offering to lead some sectionals. Last year we only had time for the Altos and Basses: So, first up are the Tenors!
How about it, ya'll? Can we get the Tenors together to sing either on a weekend afternoon or for an hour before choir in the next few weeks? That way you'll get to work on your parts exclusively, and get some sectional healing (sorry, couldn't resist!).

I've put this quote in the newsletter in the past, but it's worth a repeat:

it does mean something to be in a room together, to be present to each other, to be doing this work with our bodies and our breath. it has an effect. a real thing happens. it's not a performance, and there is no distance between the singing and anything else. it does convey a certain electricity of presence, a certain particularity of selfhood. when i offer my breath and my concentration and these words, and this voice that is entirely mine, made in my body and offered as a most personal gift, that is a sacramental kind of moment: it's a making-present, and the present is all grace.

St. Jude the blogger

Let's have another beautiful night tomorrow night, making sound and harmony together...

love, and grace, and gratitude
Patti

Sept. 30, 2009 Last week for new folks to join!

2009-09-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hi all you lovely people,

Well, we're well on our way to gelling our singing gang-osity. Don't worry, that's a good thing - it's just the funny way I talk!

I say this because last week was soooo fun learning those 2 new songs: Ain't Gonna Let Nobody and breaking new ground on The Circle. Thanks for your attention and great energy!

Set Up Crew

If you signed up for helping set up for choir this week, please arrive at 6:45 at the latest and help get these jobs done:
- set up about 35 chairs in a circle, including the piano
-fill the tea urn with water and plug it in!
-welcome people who come in
-have a good time doing all the above

thanks gang! You're the best! xoxo

Patti's Choral Adventures
This weekend, I got to teach one of our favourite songs, "Yes", to a group of co-counselors from all over the west coast of North America. By the end of the weekend, they were in love with the song, and I couldn't walk anywhere without hearing someone humming the parts.
One woman there started an organization in the U.S. called Come To the Table. This group does unity and reconciliation work with the ancestors of slaves and the ancestors of slave-owners. Powerful stuff. When I sang the solo part of Yes to her ("if I told you what I really need from you, would your heart and soul say yes?"), she wanted to take the song to her work with that group!
So this music just loves to get spread far and wide. Exciting to think about the great work that group is doing and that the music we sing may play a part in it! Cool, eh?

YAY NEWBIES
And our new folks are doing well. Ya worked hard last week, huh? And it was GOOD! If you're new, and have any questions or comments or concerns, please feel free to call me. Let me know how it's going for you!

General Gushiness
This choir has always been a joy for me to get teach and direct, and I am continually surprised at how that feeling just keeps happening. A lot of that has to do with my own passion for it, but an equal amount has to do with what each of you bring, with your own efforts, enthusiasm and sweetness. I am blessed to get to make this music happen with such lovely people such as yourselves.

What's Comin' UP
This week we'll review and add a little bit more of these songs, and begin working on another new one! Whoo hoo. And the hits just keep comin'.

***And we'll be starting right at 7pm with whomever is there on time - let's make the most of our time together!***

Possible Mini Gig this wednesday
Singing at Kiwassa Neighbourhood House before choir starts is being organized by Lucia - we're still waiting to hear if this little gig's a go. It will happen if we get about 8 or so people, with a balance of choral parts. Email Lucia at lucia.plesciabeamish@gmail.com ASAP if you are coming - we'll just sing 3 or 4 songs for the folks there. Starting around 5:45, sing til 6:30, then get over to the Lion's Den for choir.

Lucia will let us know if this is happening! Check your email on Wednesday! If you don't hear anything, just show up at the Lion's Den for 7pm.

Quote o' the week

"You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour.

Now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour.

And there are things to be considered:

Where are you living?

What are you doing?

What are your relationships? Are you in right relation?

Where is your water? Know your garden.

It is time to speak your Truth.

Create your community. Be good to each other.

This could be a good time!"

-The Elders/Oraibi, Arizona/Hopi Nation

Vocal Health
Here's a guideline to taking care of your voice - print it up and put it somewhere where you will look at it every day!

Voice Care

(from Ieva Wool, director of High Spirits)

Here are some things that you can do to care for your voice.

Be healthy and "wet"!

Drink lots of water, every day. This helps keep your vocal folds moist. Two litres a day is a good amount, in addition to any other beverages.
Avoid things that dry or irritate the throat - salty food, coffee, smoke, and perfume. Throat lozenges don't really work except while they are actually in your mouth. A surprising number of people are sensitive to perfumes, lotions and essential oils.
Do the things that keep you fit, healthy and relaxed. Being healthy is good for your voice. And singing is good for your health.

Sing lots!

Sing with the radio, sing in the shower, sing to your family, sing loud, sing soft, sing in funny voices, sing higher or lower than you usually do, groan and sigh and laugh out loud. Got a melody running through your head? Sing it out loud! Sing by yourself and sing with a friend.
Give yourself a gift every day - some time to sing and practice your vocal exercises.

Have fun! - Relax, breathe, be gentle with yourself

Notice if you are feeling strained when you sing. Keep your shoulders down and back, your neck loose and tall, and your knees soft.
Be careful not to thrust out your chin and jaw. This puts strain on the voice.
Breathe. Expand your ribs.
Don't push yourself too high, too loud or too long. Develop at your own pace.
Keep your eyes bright, and eyebrows up. This also looks good, and helps you be more present to your audience.

Enrich your musical palate!

I always encourage my students to try songs in other languages. Italian is especially good for voice training, because of the clean vowels. And other languages give you a chance to try out songs where you don't have emotional baggage or a fixed idea about how the song should sound.
Listen to the music around you. Animal sounds, city sounds, rain, wind, the babble of voices in a room or playground. Go down to the beach near a sailing club and listen to the music made by the ropes slapping the masts of sailboats.
Listen to singers in a new way. What is the singer doing with the vowels? Are they singing in chest voice or head voice - or a blend? Does the voice sound free or are they pushing or straining? Is the sound clear or breathy?
Find opportunities to learn about different styles and periods of music. The world has much to offer - your life will be fuller with more sources of pleasure.

It had never occurred to me before that music and thinking

are so much alike. In fact you could say music is another way

of thinking, or maybe thinking is another kind of music.

--Ursula K. Le Guin

Love to you all, in harmony (4 part even!)
Patti

2009-09-23T22:20:00.001-07:00

Wow, are we ever blasting off into a new season! About 35 funky and enthusiastic souls came and sang heartily tonight. We set about learning "The Circle" and "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody", and got a groove going.

Next week, we're onto a Haitian revolutionary lullaby, name of Mayi a Gaye. I sung it with the Universal Gospel Choir, and it's soooo gorgeous. Played a recording for a few folks and watched them just melt....

I just had to write something before going to bed tonight - so much energy coursing through me after these rehearsals!!!!!! Wahoooo!

In Full Swing

2009-09-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Hey Singers, experienced and new, current, past and possible!

We're in full swing this week at the 'Lab choir. We'll build some on the songs I introduced last week - Come Along my Friend, and Hold Me, Rock Me, another to-be-determined newish tune, and dig into some old faves and little treasures.

New Folks Welcome this week!
Welcome to our new peoples! May you enjoy the adventure, stretch your sense of what is possible for yourself and your voice, and make friends as you make music.

It was wonderful to have the gang back, and we'll be welcoming in some more folks this week.

****Feel free to bring a friend, especially if they are different from you. It would be great to have more young people, men, and people of colour in amongst us. Let's build diversity and reap the benefits.

What we do/ general guidelines (Please read!)
*Please arrive 5 minutes early so we can start on time. Patti is attempting to change the pattern of people trickling in late, and will start at 7pm no matter who's there!

* Patti brings tea for you each week. If you want to bring snack food to share, feel free! We generally have a 5-10 minute break half-way through.

*Try not to use scents or perfume the day of choir, as some folks have chemical sensitivities and have trouble singing/breathing in the presence of such aromas.

*Avoid alcohol and cigarettes before choir. Neither will help your singing or aroma (see above).

*sometimes after choir a bunch of us go carouse at the Reef, or Zawa, up on the drive - join us, and have your drinkipoo then!

*If you've registered with Brenda, our illustrious manager, bring payment this week, or arrange something with her. I am also available for any concerns or questions regarding this!

*This is a no-put-downs choir. And I am a non-yelling conductor. Each one of us carries a heavy load, and much of it gets attached to our voices. So even if someone is singing off-key right in your ear, be kinder than you may feel is necessary! We've all had enough disenfranchisement and invalidation there, eh? To make our best sound, we aim to build safety that welcomes all.

*Singers are expected to commit to the whole session, which goes from Sept 16 to Dec. 9th. That way we can really gel, develop and learn more songs, learn them more deeply, and steep and marinate as a group. Yum! Makes me hungry! Don't worry - for harmonies!

*If you're checking us out for the first time, it's free! Come and see if we're a fit for ya.

*More than anything come prepared to have FUN!;

UPCOMING OPPOURTUNITIES
I have some hopes this session of getting a voice workshop for all of you from some wonderful person like David Hatfield or the lovely Ms. Dawn Pemberton. We have all this money we earned from our concert back in June, and I'd like to use it well. Stay toooned! It will be free to current choir members.

I am also in discussion with Beverly Dobrinsky, who leads several local choirs, about us joining her for a song in the Downtown Eastside's Heart of the City Festival. I'm waiting to hear more details, and will let you know as they come. We'll all talk about whether or not we'd like to do this.

The Choir Blog!

You can refer friends here!

www.acapellaboratory.blogspot.com

....AND we've now got a Facebook page too! Get your gang to join us and keep in touch.

---------------------------------------------------
Lastly, let Patti know if you aren't able to make choir any week. That way we will know what numbers we have to work with and so we won't worry/wonder about you! Your voice counts.

Any questions, concerns, compliments, sweet nothings, call or email Patti.

So, you've come to the end of this newsletter, for now. I've usually got some kinda cool quote here, but I'm sending this from someone else's computer, so no quote this week! You'll get yer quota (ar, ar) next week.

Love and harmony,
Patti
604-255-5061

New session begins September 16th /09!

2009-09-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

Here's the announcement I just sent out to our list:

If there's A LOT of people this time around I'm gonna pick another night for a totally new choir space and time, but doing the same kind of stuff in the same way. Who knows what will happen? Wheeee!

The Acapellaboratory Community Choir and Singing Gang is starting it's 3rd gently raucous season on Sept 16th at Kiwassa Neighbourhood House, at 2425 Oxford Street (at Nanaimo), upstairs in the South Room. 7 - 9pm. First night is free of charge, for you to check us out and see if we're a good fit.

After Sept. 16th, we meet every Wednesday night at:
The Lion's Den
770 Commercial Drive (at Adanac)
Cost: Sliding scale $80 - 160 for whole session.
All ages and abilities welcome
Building access is wheelchair accessible. Bathrooms not so much.

Anyone can sing! You too. It is our birthright as human beings. Let's claim it together in a mutually supportive space.

All that is required is a pulse, and the desire to sing with other people.

We sing music from many traditions and cultures, with a positive vibe. We have a committment to create beauty and community through song, and to laugh a LOT doing it. Last year we sung an Afro-Cuban chant,
Zulu call-and-response chants, a Saskatchewan holler, and some beautiful gospel.

Our session is 13 weeks this time around, from Sept. 16th until December 9th. Singers are expected to commit to the whole session.

As usual, on the last date we hold an informal concert/song-sharing/party for family and friends.

No matter what you've always said, no matter what they told you, you have a beautiful voice.

Contact Patti Powell at powee2003@yahoo.ca or 604-255-5061.

2009-04-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

Sopranos workin' it at our UnConcert!

Spring Session, night #2 - at Kiwassa Neighbourhood House

2009-04-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

Hi All You Lovely People

Yahooooo! The Acapellaboratory has it's 2nd night of the Spring '09 session this Wednesday - we are taking in new people again this week, but are stopping new registrations after this week, except by special arrangement with Patti.

What an exciting first week of the spring session last Wednesday - new folks, tons of returning Acapellabbies, and much giddy energy and good focus. Plus we had a gorgeous closing circle. Thank you all!
Can't wait to meet our new folks and all who weren't able to make it last week!

Hey Earle, can you send this to your Highs and Lows choir? Some of them are requesting our meeting info.

We Are Not at the Lion's Den this Week!
This is to remind you that this week, and ONLY this week, we will be meeting at Kiwassa Neighbourhood house.
2425 Oxford Street (5 blocks North of Hastings street, right at Nanaimo)
Here's a map: Click on the link.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Vancouver&state=BC&address=2425+Oxford+St.&cat=Kiwassa+Neighbourhood+House
Same time - 7pm til 9pm. Please come on time so we can make the most of the evening together. Come early if you like - I will be there!
We will be meeting upstairs in the big South Room, to the right of the stairs as you go up.
Tea will not be available at this location, so bring your snacks. Water is available, but you will need to bring a cup or use the water fountain!

***If you are late, and the building's door is locked, have no fear, we will be sending people down to check. You can also wave up to the windows above the front door - we'll be in that room.****

Joining Us
If you know you are joining the choir for this session, bring your registration money and give it the lovely Brenda. All the info is on the attached poster!
If you're coming to check us out, the first visit is of course free!

Saturday Poster Making Workshop Report
A small but mighty group of us ate some killer salsa and tortillas and made an image to promote our joint Fund-raising Concert for June 7th. Earle Peach is making it into an email so we can start promoting and selling tickets for this first-ever ticketed event for our choir!

Gratitude to you!
I am continually amazed at how marvellous human beings are, how great the people in this choir are in their welcoming and generous energy, and how this singing project I started a couple of years ago keeps blossoming. I am so pleased and privileged to be spending this weekly time with all of you - it is my passion to sing with people, and to see you come into your voices and connect with each other and yourselves on so many levels. Thank you!
This is the way we are changing the world. Let's keep blossoming and coaxing each other out the bud.

This is the miracle that happens every time to

those who really love; the more they give, the

more they possess.

Rainer Maria Rilke

(1875-1926, German Poet)

Acapellab Springin' Up

2009-04-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

Hi all Singers, buddies, fans and friends-we-haven't-met-yet,

Choir is startin' up again, and we're taking in, absorbing, expanding to include you and whomever you bring with you!
7 pm, this Wednesday...! Details at the end of this email, and also in the attached flyer.

Love
I am sooooo excited to get to start up our new session - we had SUCH a good time at our end-of-winter UnConcert and Potluck. Thank you to all of you who came to sing. I loved directing you and flirting with the audience. You looked fetching in your various Tickle-Trunk outfits.We sounded great, even better and more together than last November, which was damn fun, right? Still am coasting on how fun that night was, feather boas and all.....

It is truly a blessing to get to spend time making the music come alive with all of you. I so appreciate your attention, enthusiasm, intelligence and love. Wednesday nights are my highlight, the time in my week where I get to rise to the occaision with all of you. Thank you!

Remember, this week, and next, bring new folks who might want to join us!

And, speaking of which, I have only heard from a few of you - are you joining us again for another round? Let Patti know! Reply to this email! Many thanks.

Plans
This session holds much wonderful oppourtunity for us! We've got, for the first time ever, a plan to hold a fundraising concert with the Highs and Lows Choir. We're still confirming the date, but it'll be on the first weekend of June, the 6th or 7th, and it will likely be at the Anza Club, up at 8th and Ontario.
The weather's getting better, so there will be more times we can go outside and sing to the moon or whomever hears us.

We've got lots of good repetoire going, and there's more! We'll be working on likely two new songs for our concert in June. They are The Circle - a Canadian piece of soulful country blues, and also Be Thou a Smooth Way, a beautiful prayer which has words taken from the Carmina Gaedelica, and arranged by my colleague from the Gettin' Higher Choir, Denis Donnelly. What IS the Carmina Gaedelica, you say? Check out this link:
http://sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/cg.htm
If we don't have the songs ready for the Fundraiser (but we will!), no big deal - there's always our end of session Potluck Sing in the Park!

Have No Fear
Next week, for one time only, on April 22nd, we'll be at a different location. The Lion's Den is pre-booked for that night, so we're temporarily homeless! The announcement of where we'll be be will come to you ASAP. I'm just finalizing where we'll meet that night. Location TBA.
Then we'll be back in our space at the Lion's Den til the end of June.

My Blog is Your Blog
Go to www.acapellaboratory.blogspot.com and subscribe! You'll get all my usual weekly love letters plus occaisional musings and extras...

Here's the deets:
April 15 to June 24th
Wednesday evenings, 7 - 9 pm (excepting April 22nd! Location TBA)
The Lion's Den at 770 Commercial Drive (at Adanac)
Sliding scale cost $60 - 160

If you want to register, or just drop by for free and see if we hit it off, call or email me, Patti.

"Singing is one of the single most exciting human

pleasures. It produces communities of people that

trust each other and co-operate together in ways that

people don't easily otherwise. If I were running the

education system, I would insist that singing occupied

about an hour of every day.

People usually think of singing as harmonization of

pitch, but it's not just about that, it's about harmonization

of timing and tone as well. And actually, when you get

those harmonized, it's really exciting. That's when you

stop being me and start being us, and that's the thrill of

singing."

Brian Eno

Looking forward to seeing you all and singing together on Wednesday!

love,

Patti

New Session of the 'Lab!

2009-04-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

The Acapellaboratory Community Choir and Singing Gang
New Spring Session begins
APRIL 15 – JUNE 24
Wednesdays 7–9pm for 11 weeks!
at the LION'S DEN
770 Commercial Drive at Adanac street.
Lion's Den contact info: Caroline at 604-718-5848.
$60 – $160 (sliding scale) for the whole session.
The low end is for folks with little to no income.
JOIN US! Email Patti Powell at
powee2003@yahoo.ca
or phone 604-255-5061
Come join East Van’s
acapella community choir!

Index card

2009-04-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

The previous scarily accurate Venn diagram is by Jessica Hagy. She has her own blog, and I love her stuff.

This week in Acapellab-Land: End of winter 08/09 Acapellaboratory potluckity Concert!

2009-04-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hi wonderful people,
Well, tomorrow night is it! Suddenly we end of 12 weeks together in 2009, already. We'll be taking that one-week break before we continue on April 15th with new folks, and hopefully lots of you Acapellab-Alumni. It's been a sweet session, and I'm looking forward to our next feats of song together through to the summer.

Here's the new POSTER for the April 15th - June 24th session! Spread it far and wide...it's attached above! Register soon, as this will be an exciting time for the choir, singin' with the Highs and Lows and creating more connections...

So here's the deets:

**Come ON TIME! at 7pm so we can jump up and down, warm up our voices, stretch and breathe together. This will make a difference to how you experience singing the songs, and how those we've invited receive them!

**We are planning on starting to sing to folks at 7:30 - we'll be at the Lion's Den by the way, unless it is unusually gorgeous and warm...(770 Commercial Drive, at Adanac - tell your loved ones).

**POTLUCK-O-RAMA! Bring some food to share, or drink as well, non-alcoholic and boozy. This is our time to hang out and celebrate and soak each other up in an even more relaxed way. We've got the space only til 10pm, so if you wanna swing from the rafters late into the night, ya might have to do it outside on the trees...

***Dress Up! I don't know what that means to you, but the sky's the limit. You could dress to welcome spring, come as your favourite April Fool, a piece of pie, whatever.

**Preparing to sing: refrain from drinking booze til AFTER we sing, pleez. Eating lightly is good, and make sure you get enough water! Come to connect and have fun.

Our Set List

For SURE (and in no particular order)
Mojuba Effe Fe i Ku
The Storm is Passing Over
Zera a Reza (words on the wall!)
Yemaya Asesu
Babethandeza
Kancho
One Morning Soon
There Comes a Time
Tue Tue
(Maybe I'll teach Fanga a la feya to everyone, near the beginning depending on how ready to sing they are....)

With all the introductions and moving about, we'll have a half-hour of singing here, at least! We gotta leave time for eating and partying.

Maybe if we feel like it (one or two)
A Million Nightengales
Yes
Come Unto Me
YeYe Bonge
Kakilambe

Sadly, not ready yet - but in June!
There is Some Kiss We Want
The Circle ( to be taught!)
Heaven is Just...
One Voice

And most importantly....
The spirit with which we sing, and the more we bring our joyful selves to this night will mean oh so much more than being totally on pitch or even in key! People singing together is a beautiful thing, and people come and see choirs to watch people do just THAT, as much as listening.

Diversity: the art of thinking independently together. Malcom Forbes

Let's do it!
love ya,
Patti

The Penultimate Acapellaboratory night of this Session

2009-03-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Choir dear choir!!!
Ah your sweet voices and focus last week! I'm still grooving on how exciting it is to get to do this with all of you, to make this music come alive for each of us. Thank you thank you thank you...

I heard a rumour (yet to be confirmed)that the lovely Earle Peach will be spending some time with us this week. He's a bass, a rather good one, and I'm hoping he'll give our wonderful guys in the bass section a clearer idea of the value of their vocal instruments. Go basses go!

THE FUTURE
It's hard to believe, but we've only got TWO weeks more together this session! I must admit it even snuck up on ME!
BUT, have no fear! We do another session starting on April 15th and going to June 24th. We then break for the summer, but for the odd choir-organized party in someone's backyard (Inge? Jess? Tom?)
So...we've got 2 cool things coming up. First is our end of session potluck/sing-thing: Second is our fundraising concert with the Highs and Lows. See below!

Our End of Session Potluck Party and Songsharing concert!

Invite your friends and family to come and soak up our casual and committed energy, and our joyful sounds. No pressure! Just come and sing.
* choir meets at 7pm to warm up and goof off (very important to do together before singing for people!)
*April 1st 7:30-8:15ish singing; 8:15ish to 10 (or whenever we drop) hanging out, stuffing faces with pie and drinking wine and blueberry juice (at the same time if you like).
*In the Lion's Den or at Grandview Park, depending on the weather!
Bring food and drink! Pie, cake, salad, dips, chips, profiteroles....whatevah.

I will send a sample invite to send out to your lists of near and dear. Stay tuned!

Our Set List
I'm thinking we'll sing most, if not all of these:

Yemaya Asesu
Zera a Reza
The Storm is Passing Over, even if it's just the 1st verse!
One Morning Soon
There Comes a Time
Come Unto Me
Babethandeza
There is Some Kiss We Want
Tue Tue
Yes
Mojuba
A Million Nightengales

***Any other requests that people are dying to do (that we've actually done this session?)***
I don't want to promise we can do them all, as it's mean to expect that of folks. I just want us to sing our faves, and the ones we have been working on and some new material.

Fundraising Community Concert

Mark down these dates!

Sunday, June 7th, 3pm
The Anza Club (8th and Ontario)
(rehearsal in space Saturday June 6th)

Just who are these Highs and Lows peoples? Well, go and find out - they practice at the Douglas Park community Center at 12 noon til 1pm every Tuesday morning. They're nice folks. You could go and jump in with them - they are very welcoming. They're practicing Mojuba, The Storm is Passing Over and maybe a couple more you might know!

HEY
We're gonna need volunteers!!! Some jobs we choir members can do, like sell cookies at the break, take tickets, but it will be good to have a few folks who aren't in the choir helping out. Send 'em our way!

Thanks to Inge and Jess for being our coordination team for this event. You are fabulous.

One final note.

"...It does mean something to be in a room together, to be present to each other, to be doing this work with our bodies and our breath. it has an effect. a real thing happens. it's not a performance, and there is no distance between the singing and anything else. it does convey a certain electricity of presence, a certain particularity of selfhood. when i offer my breath and my concentration and these words, and this voice that is entirely mine, made in my body and offered as a most personal gift, that is a sacramental kind of moment: it's a making-present, and the present is all grace."

St. Jude the blogger

(from godstolemyboyfriend.blogspot.com)

This is what we do, when we put down our papers and just sing.
love to you all,
Patti

2009-03-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

Hi gang,

Whooeee, am I excited after last week's time! We layered Zera a Reza with all these delicious harmonies, and got the beginnings of a beautiful and funky The Storm is Passing Over going well. I was so charged up, and continue to be excited!!!

I went and did a bunch of research about this song. It was written by Charles Albert Tindley, who is known as the "grandfather of gospel music". He is seen as the creator of "I Shall Overcome" - the great old song that became the famous civil rights anthem"We Shall Overcome".

Some Inspiration:
There are many interpretations and arrangements of his original. Here's one that is pretty close to ours. I found this YouTube video of a Detroit church choir singing "The Storm.." Check out the skinny little guy conducting - he's awesome - and watch what he does later on in the song. I had quite a kick watching him, and love what he does with the song! And check out the sound of that choir! (cut and paste the address below to your browser, turn it up, and enjoy!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3jgPsGQSdQ

We'll have a couple of folks joining us Wednesday night, who we haven't seen in a while, just for our own fun...and theirs!

Sooo can't wait to sing with you tomorrow night!! These tunes are running around my head and I need to do them with you!!!
Here's hoping the feeling is mutual!

(keep bringing those recording devices - maybe we'll get some good enough recordings to share with all to practice with)

Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the person

doing it.

Chinese Proverb

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope

that if you just show up and try to do the right

thing, the dawn will come. You wait and

watch and work: you don't give up.

Anne Lamott (American Writer)

love to all,
Patti

Notes of the Acapellaby Kind

2009-03-10T20:56:00.001-07:00

Hello dearest Singers!

God, I was so damn jealous of you all last week! You got to spend all that time with Anna, learning that cool Portuguese song, "Zera a Reza"! And I didn't! ARg! Okay. I'm over it.
Anyway, I missed you sooo much last week, and thanks to all of you for making Anna at home - she's fabulous, huh? I'm still having visions of the women singing Yemaya Asesu in the big blue dresses....hopefully we'll get to add on that second part of the song eventually.
She singing Zera a Reza into my answering machine probably as you are reading this. It's so nice to come home to that kind of thing, eh? Therefore I shall be (a bit) ready for you this week and we can do it together - yah!

Wheee!
I went and taught "Mojuba Effe Fe i Ku" to the Highs and Lows today, just on a whim. I dropped in on them and Earle pounced and got me teachin'. I was thoroughly pounced upon. And now I have a song from their repetoire to teach you tomorrow night...

I know I said no more new stuff! Bad Patti! But just *one more song* for you, and I think you'll like it. It's Gospel, a whole song, not just a chorus, and it's called "The Storm is Passing Over". It's beautiful! I'll try to bring a recording of a choir singing it so you'll get an aural picture....So we'll have 4 songs we can sing together with the Highs and Lows when we have our joint Fundraiser concert in June!

Recordings?
I'm told that a bunch of you brought Devices of the Recording Kind to choir last week! Yay for you! Was any of it recorded digitally? Maybe we could make a copy to share, and finally get a choir repetoire CD started....
Anyway, keep bringin' those wonderful devices - they can come in handy.

Yoo hoooooo!
By the by, I've noticed the marked absence of a few people the last week or two and am just wondering if you're okay! You likely know who you are! Let me know if you can. I miss you, we miss you, and wanna sing with you.

The Quoteable 'Lab
A lot of the songs we sing invoke or praise some kind of deity or energy. God if you like, or don't like. Here's a quote I offer you from one of my favourite writers, Octavia Butler.

God is Change,

And in the end,

God prevails.

But meanwhile…

Kindness eases Change.

Love quiets fear

And a sweet and powerful

Positive obsession

Blunts pain,

Diverts rage,

And engages each of us

In the greatest,

The most intense

Of our chosen struggles.

So here's to our sweet, powerful, postive obsession - singing!

love to you all,

Patti

2009-03-03T22:38:00.000-08:00

MUSICAL DAFFYNITIONS
Some 21st Century Tempo Markings and other Musical Atrocities
Submitted for the edjumacation of the members of our choir community by:
Louise Taylor, former Gettin'HigherChoir Soprano

For Definition Geeks only:

Adagio formaggio: To play in a slow and cheesy manner.

Al dente con tableau: In opera, chew the scenery.

AnDante: A musical composition that is infernally slow.

Angus Dei: A divine, beefy tone.

Antiphonal: Referring to the prohibition of cell phones in the concerthall.

A patella: Unaccompanied knee-slapping.

Appologgiatura: An ornament you regret after playing it.

Approximatura: A series of notes played by a performer and not intended by the composer, especially when disguised with an air of "I meant to dothat."

Approximento: A musical entrance that is somewhat close to the correctpitch.

Bar line: What musicians form after a concert.

Basso continuo: The act of game fishing after the legal season has ended.

Basso profundo: An opera about deep sea fishing.

Brake drum: The instrument most used to slow the tempo in an orchestra.

Concerto grosso: A really bad performance.

Coral Symphony: (see: Beethoven -- Caribbean period).

Cornetti trombosis: Disastrous entanglement of brass instruments that can occur when musicians are not careful exiting the stage.

D.C. al capone: You betta go back to the beginning, capiche?

Dill piccolo: A wind instrument that plays only sour notes.

Diminuendo: The process of quieting a rumor in the orchestra pit.

Eardrum: A teeny, tiny tympani.

Fermantra: A note that is held over and over and over and...

Fermoota: A rest of indefinite length and dubious value.

Fiddler crabs: Grumpy string players.

Flute flies: Gnat-like bugs that bother musicians playing out-of-doors.

Fog horn: A brass instrument that plays when the conductor's intentions are not clear.

Frugalhorn: A sensible, inexpensive brass instrument.

Gaul blatter: A French horn player.

Good conductor: A person who can give an electrifying performance.

Gregorian champ: Monk who can hold a note the longest.

Herbert von Carryon: A conductor who never rides in the cargo hold.

Kvetchendo: Gradually getting annoyingly louder.

Mallade: A romantic song that's pretty awful.

Molto bolto: Head straight for the ending, but don't make it seem rushed.

Opera buffa: Musical stage production at a nudist camp.

Pipe smoker: An extremely virtuosic(k) organist.

Poochini: When singing, to be accompanied by your dog.

Pre-Classical Conservatism: School of thought which fostered the idea, "if it ain't baroque, don't fix it".

Prelude: A cue, found in some of the earlier oratorios, instructing those singing the roles of the wicked to pray in an offensive or profane manner. (Pray lewd?)

(The) Rights of Strings: Manifesto of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Bowed Instruments.

Spinet: Politician's order.

Spritzicato: Plucking of a stringed instrument to produce a bright, bubbly sound, usually accompanied by sparkling water with lemon (wine optional).

Status cymbal: An instrument to be played at inaugurations and socialite balls.

Tempo tantrum: What a young orchestra is having when it's not keeping time with the conductor.

Timpani Alley: A row of kettledrums.

Tincanabulation: The annoying or irritating sounds made by an unmusical person using extremely cheap bells.

Vesuvioso: A gradual buildup to a fiery conclusion.

Okay, are you groaning? Good. Use this response as a starting point for a vocal warm-up!

2009-03-03T22:37:00.001-08:00

Hi my dear singers,

This week, you've got 2, Yes, TWO directors for the price of ONE: The incomparable Anna B. will usher you into an evening of singing from 7 til 8pm (don't be late if you can help it!) and then I'll be rushing back from my directing gig to do more fun stuff with you.

Anna is an accomplished musician of many moods and modes. She was an integral part of an all-woman Mariachi band that recently disbanded, and leads her own band, the Heartbones - they recently were broadcast live in concert on the CBC. She also leads the Local Vocals, a community choir over in Mt. Pleasant. She has visited us before and has bestowed on us Kancho, which we reviewed just last week!
I've told her what we're working on, but she could toss in anything to the goulash of our musical mix.

Check her out at:
www.annabmusic.com

NEW STUFF
I had a meeting with Earle Peach of the Highs and Lows today and picked up one amazing song from him: The Storm is Passing Over. It's gospel!
So I KNOW I said no more new material, but...I unknowingly fibbed! So we'll likely start mixing that one tomorrow night too. We will pepper it with stuff we already know, so as to not exhaust your fine and lovely selves. Hmmm....Goulash and mixing and peppering...working on a song is kinda like cooking, no? I'm hungry!

OUR FUNDRAISING CONCERT DATE
Speaking of the Highs and Lows, and our joint fundraising concert with them, the date is now being reworked. We're looking at early June, and I await the results from the combined formidable intelligences of Jess, Inge, Earle, and his folks, as do we all. Stay tuned!

Recording devices! Calling all recording devices!
Having recordings of our parts would help a lot - I don't have the means currently, but am working on it. Meanwhile....
Does anyone out there have spare walkmans or techie stuff with digital (or analog) recording capabilities? I've had several requests from folks who would love to record their sectional parts but don't have the tech. All my machines are currently out of commission. Can anyone or several folks bring taping machines to the next couple of practices?
Perhaps we could start a cooperative sharing system so people could take the tape home for a couple of days before passing it on.

April 1st is our end-of-session Singout and Potluck!
Put it in your calendar - it's our last day together in this session and it's been great fun everytime. A chance to show off to our families and friends, and lure in more singers! And eat lots of pie.

So, get ready, enjoy Anna tomorrow night (while you've got her) and I'll see you all about 8pm!

I'll be directing the Solidarity Sisters at the downtown Public Library for an International Women's Day forum/celebration. Then I'll hop on my bike and come see you! Wish me luck - I'll be jealous to have missed Anna's time with you!

Those who struggle may fail, but those who do not struggle have already failed.

-- Bertolt Brecht

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

--Mahatma Gandhi

See the attachment for some fun stuff.

love,
Patti
www.acapellaboratory.blogspot.com

2009-02-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

My Dearest Acapellaboratists:

"Singing is a form of admitting that I'm alive."

Alfredo Kraus

General Gushinesses
I have missed you! Even though I did sneak my sickie self in and listen to you under Samantha Taylor's direction last week. It was wonderful listening to you, and I am excited to be with you all again this week! You really did make me cry with Come To Me. It just hit the right spot.

Thanks and kudos to Samantha, by the way. I talked to her later this week and she said she really enjoyed the evening. I'll be learning those songs she taught you so we won't lose them from our repetoire - Come To Me, and We Are The Ones. But we'll be getting back to honing and refining and enjoying our stuff too, of course!

I got some feedback from Shivon Robinsong, who visited us from the Victoria Gettin' Higher Choir last week, and I am keen to try it out with you. Just small adjustments, nothing major, but I think with significant and satisfying results - stay tooooned!

Book Your Calendars Now!

Our Concert Organizing Team of Jess and Inge have set a date with Earle Peach of the Highs and Lows for our joint fundraising Concert!!! In the next couple of weeks, we'll be passing around a sign-up sheet so we know we've got a committed group for that gig. But write this down in yer calendars, now! This is big, eh?

May 23rd, afternoon
**sign-up sheet to be circulated.
Location TBA

Recording
As ever, remember it's such a good idea to bring a tape or digital recording device to rehearsal - it really helps in going over the songs and learning them more deeply when you are not surrounded by the 'Lab!

Farewell to one of us

This week is Sacha's last week with us, before she goes to Sooke to work on a farm for the growing season. Sing to the compost and the plants Sacha! We'll miss her energy and brightness very much.

but you are not deaf,
you pick out
your own song from the uproar
line by line,
and at last throw back
your head and sing it.

- Denise Levertov

Blog

www.acapellaboratory.blogspot.com

A Native American grandfather talking to his young

grandson tells the boy he has two wolves inside of him

struggling with each other. The first is the wolf of peace,

love and kindness. The other wolf is fear, greed and

hatred. "Which wolf will win, grandfather?" asks the

young boy. "Whichever one I feed," is the reply.

Native American Proverb

Much love to you all,
Patti
***Let me know if you aren't able to be with us tomorrow!***

Acapellaboratory Love Letter for week

2009-02-17T22:45:00.000-08:00

Hello O wonderful gang,

How are you? I've run into several of you this week in various contexts, and it's always a pleasure...here's a little bit of what I've been up to:

Notes from the diary of your director:

Guess what - I've got one heck of a cold in my lungs and should *not* sing this week, so I've got a treat for you all this Wednesday night. Your substitute choir leader will be none other than Samantha Taylor (nee Fletcher). I am *soooo excited* I wish I could be there when she's with you!

I will miss you all this week immensely, but it's bad form and bad practice to come and cough all over your choir.

I will be back next week!!! Treat dear Sam to your fine selves! Don't miss her - she's gonna teach you some cool stuff that I probably don't know - and you'll teach to me, the next time we see one another, I hope...!

Samantha sings with the No Shit Shirleys, a 7 women acapella group that is just amazing; She teaches singing and other musicalities, leads vocal workshops and recently recieved her Masters in Ethnomusicology out in Newfoundlad! She also sang with the Universal Gospel Choir for a few years, before my time, darn it all! Check her out at her fabulous website: www.samanthabtaylor.com.

It's been another highly musical weekend for me, as I chased down the Nathaniel Dett Chorale in Nanaimo, and ended up with a front-row centre seat in the lovely Port Theatre. I was my usual bouncy self, and made some lovely connections with many members of the choir, including the director, Brainerd (yup, that's his name) Blyden-Taylor. I have one heck of a big ol' crush!

The Chorale is from Toronto - they sing Afro-centric music in a classical fashion, and are all professional singers. I became a fan because the Gospel choir I was in *almost* got to practice this song - on YouTube. Check it out.It's always cool to see all the many ways groups of people sing together. This is a more traditional format, the singing of a spiritual, but check out the communication between the director and the singers...! Yum!

I found out they were invited to sing at the Canadian Embassy for the Obama Inauguration. They have such musical integrity and craft and energy, that I've become a groupie! Anyhoo, just thought you might like to hear them.

The best way to find them is to go to www.youtube.com; then search for "Battle of Jericho Hogan". The first item that is listed is the one. Hang on through the talk by the composer, Moses Hogan - a fabulous guy, who sadly died recently. Then you'll get the Chorale just nailing the song. I just love it.

Other things:

I've been housesitting for one of my former choir directors, so I'm in a house steeped in choral music. Here's hoping I find some treasures I can borrow from him to bring back to you.

I'm pre-viewing the DVD of "Young at Heart", a documentary of a singing group of elders who sing stuff like the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go", and The Ramone's "I Wanna Be Sedated". I'm enjoying it - I think we need to have an Acapellaboratory film night!

And....a bunch of us were at the Universal Gospel Choir's community sing and sang a ton from the front row. Good to be with you all there! We may borrow a tune or two from them.

Set-Up Helpers this week are:

D.!

Lindsay!

Jesse!

Thanks to you, see you at 6:45 or even a teensy bit earlier!

Concert with Highs and Lows

Inge, Jess and Samia are our fabulous concert producers with their counterparts in the Highs and Lows choir. Planning has begun! Kudos to you - date and location to be announced: like for a date in May!

Password to the Survey Results

Yup, you need a password for this, and I'm in the process of finding it with a very slow computer at the moment. Sorry for the delay - Stay tuned - I'll get it to you later this week.

Acapellove,

Patti

Voice Care

2009-02-10T20:47:00.000-08:00

Here's something else I wanted you to all have: People have been coming to me and letting me know they sometimes feel strained and sore in their voices. We'll keep working on this, but meanwhile, here's some things you can do to help.

Voice Care

(from Ieva Wool, director of High Spirits)

Here are some things that you can do to care for your voice.

Be healthy and "wet"!

Drink lots of water, every day. This helps keep your vocal folds moist. Two litres a day is a good amount, in addition to any other beverages.
Avoid things that dry or irritate the throat - salty food, coffee, smoke, and perfume. Throat lozenges don't really work except while they are actually in your mouth. A surprising number of people are sensitive to perfumes, lotions and essential oils.
Do the things that keep you fit, healthy and relaxed. Being healthy is good for your voice. And singing is good for your health.

Sing lots!

Sing with the radio, sing in the shower, sing to your family, sing loud, sing soft, sing in funny voices, sing higher or lower than you usually do, groan and sigh and laugh out loud. Got a melody running through your head? Sing it out loud! Sing by yourself and sing with a friend.
Give yourself a gift every day - some time to sing and practice your vocal exercises.

Have fun! - Relax, breathe, be gentle with yourself

Notice if you are feeling strained when you sing. Keep your shoulders down and back, your neck loose and tall, and your knees soft.
Be careful not to thrust out your chin and jaw. This puts strain on the voice.
Breathe. Expand your ribs.
Don't push yourself too high, too loud or too long. Develop at your own pace.
Keep your eyes bright, and eyebrows up. This also looks good, and helps you be more present to your audience.

Enrich your musical palate!

I always encourage my students to try songs in other languages. Italian is especially good for voice training, because of the clean vowels. And other languages give you a chance to try out songs where you don't have emotional baggage or a fixed idea about how the song should sound.
Listen to the music around you. Animal sounds, city sounds, rain, wind, the babble of voices in a room or playground. Go down to the beach near a sailing club and listen to the music made by the ropes slapping the masts of sailboats.
Listen to singers in a new way. What is the singer doing with the vowels? Are they singing in chest voice or head voice - or a blend? Does the voice sound free or are they pushing or straining? Is the sound clear or breathy?
Find opportunities to learn about different styles and periods of music. The world has much to offer - your life will be fuller with more sources of pleasure.

love,
Patti

Amazing Acapellabbistas!

2009-02-10T20:44:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

NEWS

So last week we tried out Kaki Lambe, the Senegalese song; We sang Yemaya Asesu, reviewed a Million Nightengales, introduced Heaven is Just, and threw some harmonies into Babethandeza.

This week the flexible plan is:
*re-introduce There Comes a Time, by Canada's very own Connie Kaldor;
*re-introduce Mojuba Effe Fe i Ku, one of our great loves from last year
*sing some other African music - that we all know!
*One Voice - a favourite, and let's bring in the new folks on this!

As ever, I may completely change my mind depending on how things are going and what interesting stuff we encounter....whatever, it'll be fun, as usual!

REMINDERS
Bring these!
Recording devices help you learn through the week
Drinking mug
Any payments due to your choir dues for Brenda (the manager!)

So...hmmm...what else is new? Your director turned 40 and was serenaded in wonderful, heartfelt and beautiful chaos, and YOU GUYS GAVE ME MY DRUM! or money for it, which will amount to the same thing! I am so amazed and grateful. I had no CLUE you all were planning this, and it took me totally by surprise! I am so blessed to spend time with such open-hearted humans every week. Thank you thank you and a thousand times thank you! It was the most fun party of my *entire* life.

By the way, that fuzzy-headed mandolin player at the party who looked like a younger, slightly filled-out Einstein was none other than Earle Peach, conductor of many choirs, who we will hopefully be co-concerting with in May.

SET UP CREW THIS WEEK

Fruma
Lindsay
Jesse

Come about 6:45 at the latest. Set up chairs, haul out the piano, get the tea out and the water boiling...

Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway. ~Emory Austin

SURVEY RESULTS

Back last November, I constructed a survey of the members of the 'Lab, to get some more anonymous feedback from folks. I've decided to share it all with you.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/sr.aspx?sm=AIo8ClHCx7VmsvzVOnDKxnENWKsDFmBpnkOSOBc5aEc_3d

COMMUNITY SING THIS SUNDAY

A whole wack of us are gonna go to the Universal Gospel Choir's Community Sing this Sunday, and I think you can still get tickets if you want. Call 604-737-1545, and leave a message on the choir line ASAP!
They *may* also need one or two more volunteers, which means you don't pay the $15 entry fee. Volunteer by contacting kathryn_aberle@telus.net right away!

It's 2pm, Sunday Feb. 15
The Unitarian Church on Oak street.
It's half-concert, half-participatory sing-a-long

Ze BLOG
www.acapellaboratory.blogspot.com

Choir Beautiful Choir!

2009-02-05T17:08:00.000-08:00

Hail all hearty singing souls! Hey! That means you!

The News
Kudos to all of you for your beautiful attention and energy last week as we began learning a new song (A Million Nightengales) and got through to the end of There is Some Kiss we Want. I was soooo proud of you all, and what we got accomplished together!
I'm plotting what cool stuff we're gonna do together this week....

I had a visit with my pal Laurence this week, from the Port Townsend Songlines Choir, and he laid down a few of his tunes on 6 or 7 of us last night. I hope to bring at least one of these to you this session! Stay tuned....

Upcoming!
I am chatting with Earle Peach, inimitable choir director (or "arm-waver", as he likes to say) of the Highs and Low, Solidarity Notes Labour Choir and the InChoiring Minds, and we're tossing around the idea of some kinda concert that we and the Highs and Lows would sing in. We're thinking May at this point! Again, Stay tuned....but isn't that exciting? We'll sing for our friends either at the Lion's Den or in the park before then, to just test-run our stuff...!

I am also looking into inviting Kurai Blessings, the beautiful man who leads the Zimbabwean band Zimbamoto to come and teach us a thing or two. He's made himself a place on Vancouver dance floors and cafes and concert halls ever since coming here from Zimbabwe.

The Set-Up Crew This Week

Sonja
Carla
Christine
Plan to come 6:45 at the latest to get things hoppin'!
Thank you all!

Stuff to bring:

*recording devices! They really help in gettin' a song down, plus it can be fun to sing along to in the car or wherever.
In respect to all voices, use the results only for your own practice (although It would be fun to set up a loudspeaker on the roof of your car, I know, and blast "One Morning Soon" through the streets, but pull-eaze, book the choir instead and go for !Live! music)*

*yer own mug for tea
*snacks to share if you so wish
*your lovely, undiluted self

And Hey!

Remember, you all (yes, ALL OF YOU) are invited to my celebration of 40 Years of Pattitude! at the DharmaLab, 1814 Pandora street (at Salsbury). Festivities begin 7pm and continue in an acoustic, vocal fashion (i.e. whatever we make happen) until around 10pm. Then...we've got my 2 favourite DJs, our very own DJ Corrior, and then our Acapellaboratory Alumni Timothy Wisdom playing to the wee hours of the morn. I think we'll end around 2 or 3am....! Come for a bit or all of it.
*BYOB
*Small potlucky snacky things okay to bring
*We'll have some stuff available, including non-alcoholic drinks
*Young people welcome
*No Gifts
*Donations to Patti's Massage Therapy Fund appreciated but not required.

Lots of stairs at front, disabled access around back from alley. Call Brenda's cell, when you are coming. That way we'll know to listen for you and let you in.

Gospel Choir Event
Don't forget, a bunch of us are going to the Universal Gospel Choir's Community Sing concert on Sunday, Feb. 15th, 2:30 at the Unitarian church at 49th and Oak. It would be even more fun if you came too! Get tickets by checking out their website at UGC or call the choir line at 604-737-1545.

Vocal lesson quote of the week

"Sing from your cunt, ladies!"

Odetta (as related by Amy Walker, Tom's daughter)

And here's us:
www.acapellaboratory.blogspot.com SUBSCRIBE! it is free....
See you all tomorrow night!
Patti Powell

An Acapellab Extra this Monday

2009-01-31T10:49:00.000-08:00

Hi Gang and fans,

Free on Monday the first? Wanna do some singing ? My friend Laurence Cole is coming to town and wants to see if people from the Acapellaboratory (and anyone else for that matter) wanna learn some of the songs he creates.

Laurence is a hale and hearty old guy with a flexible and funky spirit, and he leads the Port Townsend Songlines Choir, down in Washington state. He's a bit of a soul brother of mine. He loves poetry, and is constantly creating these songs out of what he reads. He loves to just get together with people and song-share and raise up some gorgeousness together.

I know this is short notice, but if you're interested, get back to me ASAP. At this rate, we'll be doing it at my housesitting gig, but if we have more than 12 people, we're gonna need a bigger house!

No cost, but if there's enough of us, I thought it might be nice if we could all donate 2 bucks to Laurence's bus ride back to the Olympic peninsula.

So, you wanna? Canya?

So here's the deets:

Feb 1st, THIS MONDAY
7pm til whenever we poop out
769 Keefer Street
where Patti is house-sitting, across from the park

PLEASE RSVP
just in case we change the venue...
Patti
powee2003@yahoo.ca

Helpers by Date

2009-01-28T02:26:00.000-08:00

01.28.09 Laura, Sasha, Sikee
02.04.09 Sonja, Carla, Christine
02.11.09 D, Linday, Jesse
02.18.09 Judy, Brea, TBD
02.25.09 Glory, Jen, Dave
03.04.09 Jessica, TBD, TBD
03.11.09 Brea, TBD, TBD
03.18.09 TBD, TBD, TBD
03.25.09 Glory, TBD, TBD
04.01.09 Brea, TBD, TBD

Acapellaboratory Singing Gang Lovin' Update!

2009-01-28T01:55:00.000-08:00

Hi Beautiful People!

Whooooeeeee! I am soooo excited by all your enthusiasm and presence from last week. We're gonna make some beautiful music together this session!
We had a ton of fun last week. Let's see, the first 2 weeks of being together we've touched on the following songs:

O Se Ah O
Babalagumbala
Babethandeza
Tue Tue
Yes
There is Some Kiss We Want
I'm Gonna Sing
One Morning Soon
Yeye Bongey

Wow. And we're just getting started! I'm trying to give you all enough variety to keep you on your toes in a fun way, and also delve deeply into a few choice songs so we get to experience the rewards of making a song really come together and alive.
I have a couple of ideas for a new tune or two, but we'll also bring the new folks on board with Yemaya Asesu, from the Cuban Santeria tradition, and complete our initial learning of There is Some Kiss.

Stuff to be Mindful of:
*come a couple of minutes early
*register and pay if you haven't yet
*let Patti know if you aren't gonna be with us this week
*avoid alcohol and smoke of all kinds before singing (do whatever you like after!)

The Fab Set-Up Gang this week is:

Thank you for all your help last week! It made the evening go really well - so nice not doing it all alone before choir starts!
Set-Up means:
*gettin out the chairs
*moving the piano and bench into the circle
*putting the water onto boil for the tea
*welcoming people as they come in

Our Blog!

www.acapellaboratory.blogspot.com

You can subscribe to this blog and get notices when I put something in there. It'll be these love letters, for sure, but also little extras and pics and survey results and such....!

Just for Fun
Here's some fun videos for you - bird's eye view of the vocal folds - get ready to know your larynx more intimately! Just copy and paste into your browser window.

First, little introduction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ZGqn1tZn8

And this one is from a voice lab at a university.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9Wdf-RwLcs

Music shows us how to maintain pleasure and ecstasy. Normally

we tend to think of a moment of euphoric realization as

[short-lived] and impossible to continue. It slips away and then

we pursue it again. It does so because we are unwilling to let go,

we are unwilling to conceive of being away from it. But if we take

the example of music, letting go of one note to hear the next, then

our pleasure can be constant though the vibrations change.

Thaddeus Golas

(From the chapter 'How to Feel Good' in his book

'The Lazy Man's Guide to Enlightenment')

COMMUNITY SING TICKETS

Aaand....I still have 2 tickets left for the Universal Gospel Choir's Community Sing!

Director Kathryn Nicholson calls what they do "cosmic R&B". And "Gospel Karaoke" for this concert.

It's about half-concert, half audience participation, with opportunities to grab a mike and sing a solo with the world's most supportive choir backing you up! No pressure though.

I sold about 8 tickets last week, and have just 2 left at $15 each.

It is at the Unitarian church, at 949 West 49th (at Oak)

on February 15th - 2:30pm

PARTY! Celebrating 40 years of Pattitude

And of course, there's my 40th birthday party, at the DharmaLab on Feb. 7th - 7pm til 2:30 am.

I would love it if you wanted to come and hang out and maybe sing to/with me!

BYOB, and potlucky light snacks....

7pm - 10:30 pm - Hangin' out, noshing, appreciating Patti; Vocal and Acoustic music welcomed and encouraged. Sing sing sing!

10:30 the wonderful Cori in her incarnation as DJ Corrior lays down some sick beats

12:45 Vancouver's beloved DJ Timothy Wisdom winds us up and around the moon!

Please contact Brenda to RSVP.

POSSIBLE COLLABORATIONS IN THE WORKS

I ran into my mentor and good friend Earle Peach today and he suggested that we do a joint concert with one of his choirs, the Highs and Lows. The Highs and Lows (great name, eh?) are a community choir for users and survivors of the mental health system and their friends and family. I sat in on their rehearsal today and they are a small, yet diligent and neat bunch of folks. Earle is a lovely guy, and always looking to make performances happen.

I don't know when we would do this - possibly not til April, but it's fun to think about, no? We'd learn 1 or 2 of their songs, and they'd learn one or two of ours, then we'd sing those together and sing to each other the rest of the time.

ALSO......

My pal Laurence Cole from Port Townsend, Washington is also going to be in town in February and was asking me if the Acapellaboratory gang might be interested in learning some of his songs. Laurence leads the Port Townsend Songlines, who sing at local events all the time down there. He's a darling, and writes his own music, traveling around with his drum. I think we might have some fun with him one evening, for a couple or 3 hours. Cost would be minimal, to pay him for "workshopping" his songs for us. We'll do it if we have enough people - like maybe 15 of us?

Whaddaya think? EEEK!? or YAH Right On!?

To sing is to love and affirm, to fly and to soar,
to coast into the hearts of the people who listen
to tell them that life is to live,
that love is there,
that nothing is a promise,
but that beauty exists,
and must be hunted for and found.

Joan Baez

Love and harmony,
Patti
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

p.s. If you have received this newsletter and are wondering who the heck I am and why I'm sending this to you, just let me know. I may have one or two misplaced emails on my list. Apologies in advance.

Acapellab Letter o' Love for our second week

2009-01-20T19:37:00.000-08:00

Hi All you lovely folks,

So great to start up a new session and a new year with our regulars (the Alumni - yah!) and glorious new peoples...I'm really excited to see what we can do together this session...Please read all that follows...lots of startup info - not *every* letter is this chock full

You can invite new people to join us for this week, and after that I'm asking that we cap off for the session and go with who we have.

Remember bring:
* a cup to have your tea in
* any choir payments that you have ready
* you wonderful you
* snacks to share at the break if you like
* money for tickets if you want 'em (see below)

Being Here Now
Just to clarify, the Acapellaboratory is not meant to be a drop-in choir. This choir works best and is SO FUN! when we all make a commitment to come every week. Community and cohesiveness happens when ya show up. Life happens too, and I'm not policing people's attendance, but I humbly request that you commit for each Wednesday until April 1st, (that's 11 more weeks only, and it goes so fast) so we can do wonderful, consistent music together that grows with each week we are with one another! Thanks, I really appreciate your efforts.

This Weeks Much Appreciated Set-Up Crew

is none other than Glory, Eleanor, and Christine! Thanks to you! Just arrive at 6:45 or even a teensy bit earlier if you can, and we'll get everything ready so easily and quickly.

Oh Yeah!
Please be on time at 7pm, unless you have some other arrangement with me. I know there's a couple of folks whose work takes them to 7:30, but I'd love to start the warmups with as many of you with me as possible! Plus you can learn cool stuff about your voice and practice hearing yourself and your neighbours.

Oo!
Yes! Oo! Remember that song we started working on, There is Some Kiss We Want - well here's a quote from the poet on whose work the song is based:

Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the

desire for that work has been put in every heart...Let

yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you

really love.

Rumi

Blog-o-Rama
Here's the link to our brand new blog! Not much up there yet, but it's a good place to send people who want info about us. These letters I send at least go up there. Use at your good ol' discretion! It has been set up by the inimitable Brenda Koch, your choir manager, and mine. Thanks B!

www.acapellaboratory.blogspot.com

Tickets to a Cool Concert

Many of you know that I've just retired from a wonderful choir, the Universal Gospel Choir (www.universalgospelchoir.ca). This choir has been in existence for about 25 years, and sings a variety of music from many of the world's spiritual traditions, with a particular love of gospel music.
Well, they're doing one of their most popular events of the year, their Community Sing!
It's half-concert, half-sing-a-long, and a bit of "gospel karaoke". There's a couple of chances to try out soloing with the beautiful choir backing you up! It's a very warm and supportive gang. There's much more audience participation than you'd find at a regular concert.
A bunch of us went last year and had a great time, and I have 9 tickets for sale, and will bring them to choir this week and next.

Feb 15th (that's a Sunday),
2:30pm
Unitarian Church of Vancouver
949 West 49th Ave. (at Oak)
tix are $15, children under 6 are free.

You can also get tickets by reserving them on the choir line at 604-737-1545.

Can't wait to see you all this Wednesday!!

The small brave act of co-operating with another person,

of choosing to trust over cynicism, generosity over

selfishness, makes brain cells light up with quiet joy.

Dr. Gregory Berns

Love and Harmony, And happy "Only Inauguration Day Any of Us Have Really Cared About - Day"!

Patti

Acapellaboratory Community Singing Gang this Wednesday!

2009-01-13T14:38:00.000-08:00

Hey Singing Gang and Gang-to-be,

I can't wait to see you all - I missed all your lovely energy and voices the past few weeks. I tell ya, this choir is the *first* thing I talk about whenever I run into an old friend who asks me what's going on in my life. The Acapellaboratory is my joy to direct and boogie with! Thanks to all of you who have sung with us, and I'm hoping we'll see you on Wednesday.

Some of you haven't yet replied to me, so just in case you are still deciding what to do on Wednesday nights, here I am, ready to make beautiful noise with you - that is the mission, should you choose to accept it ;).

I am cooking up a repetoire list and sifting through my music, thinking of you, and getting revved up!!! We'll do short intros and warm up and breathe; sing and get to hear about the results of the choir survey I did back in November; sing and drink tea, and goof. And sing some more!

It's been a good break, for those of us who've been in the choir, but it's long enough, eh?

AAaannnd we've got some new folks coming to check us out and maybe climb aboard for a while....yum and yay!

So if you are thinking about coming...let me know by replying to this email if you haven't already, or giving me a call. I'd love to hear from you.

So, we are Starting:
- at 7pm, and we sing til 9pm, with a break partway through. I bring lots of tea. bring snacks to share if you like! You may want to bring your own mug, as there are not enough there to go around.
- if you know you want this choir in your life, feel free to pay me what you can of your fee this week. If you're checking us out, the first night is free while you decide. Again we're on a sliding scale cost of $60-160.
- 770 Commercial Drive (at Adanac), also known as the Lion's Den, is where we meet.

Timing!
The more of you who are on time, the better! Please try to be there a bit before 7pm, so we can get a whole evening's worth in. If you need to be late, let me know.

When one is willing and eager, the gods join in.

Aeschylus

Getting ready....!

Love and harmony,

Patti

New Session about to Begin!!

2009-01-09T19:09:00.000-08:00

New Session Begins Wednesday, January 14th, 2009!

2009-01-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

Come Join East Van's

Acapella Community Choir!

^theAcapellaboratory

When? January 14—April 1, Wednesdays 7pm—9pm for 12 weeks!

Where? Lion's Den, 770 Commercial Drive at Adanac Street. Lion's Den contact info: Caroline at 604.718.5848.

How Much?

$60--$160 (sliding scale) for the whole session. The low end is for folks with little to no income.

Join Us! See Poster for Contact Details.

Come Together and make something bigger than just the sum of rhythm, harmony and words. Singing can change the world.

We'll Sing acapella music of all cultures, sacred and not-so-sacred. Singing is our human birthright-let's take it, and have tons of FUN.

All Are Welcome—no required level of skill or experience. All that's required is the desire to sing in harmony with other people.

^The Acapellaboratory is led by Patti Powell, songleader, musician, and performer for 20+ years, graduate of Community Choir Leadership Training Program in Victoria, BC.

No matter what you were told you have a beautiful voice no matter what you've always said.