The program was significantly changed due to the transportation challenges – but it didn’t dampen the attendees’ passion for choral music.

A brief outline of the WSCM

The World Symposium on Choral Music has been taking place for more than two decades! It’s the responsibility of the CIC Foundation, a non-profit founded in 1997 in support of the Choral International Competition. This year, the CIC Foundation worked closely with the Municipality of Puerto Madryn. It was the first time that the WSCM had come to Latin America! But Peurto Madryn has been working with the CIC Foundation for years, producing choral events . This helps promote Argentina and Puerto Madryn as a cultural tourism destination – and it helps promote choral music.

Did you see us there?

Our president Ian Bullen manned the MUSICFOLDER.com booth, where he was privileged to meet many choral community members, catch up with others, and even got to be introduced to fine Argentinian Yerba Mate!

The "prez" Ian Bullen, manning our booth and spreading the word about the world's best choral folderrs!

Hope to see you next time!

We’ll be in attendance at the next world symposium in 2014 in Seoul Korea. And as much as we like having stories to tell, lets hope that Mother Nature stays cooperative this time! Thanks again to all the organizers, performers, and staff who refused to let serious transportation issues prevent this from being anything but a wonderful experience once we got there!

Suppose the gentleman in this photo is humming. If so, he's performing the world's simplest vocal warm up.

We’re about to discuss why humming is good for your voice. But first, let’s try it right now.

Say “Hmmm?” outloud to yourself. As though you’re wondering why it is that you’re being asked to do this.

You just did a little vocal warm-up. If you were to burst into song (please feel free to at any time), you’d be a little more prepared – and less likely to strain your voice. Just like athletes should warm their muscles up before competing, vocalists should warm their vocal cords up.

You probably also felt the sound “move upward” through your body – towards the top of the head. We’ll talk about that in a moment.

The “humming” warmup is one of the simplest that singers can use. It’s an effective pitch warmup, and once you’ve been taught where to pace your voice, you can easily use it any time to refine your pitching.

Why could you possibly need to be taught how to hum?

Just like nearly everything else, there’s a “right way” to hum for vocal warmups – and wrong ways. Many people misplace their vocal positioning to low when they hum. They let their voices “resonate” from out of their throats. This can cause undue tension – and its simply not the best way to sing for true resonance!

This is why you should try out “Hmmm?” (be sure to make it sound like a question!). As your pitch gets higher, you’ll feel the vibrations of the “hmm” move upwards. They’ll pass the nose, the eyes, and move towards the top of the head. This resonance is very similar to and echo – and the different pitches reverberate inside our skulls differently!

Now think it over and say “Hmmm…”

Let your pitch move downwards. Feel the vibrating sensations of sound move down toward the chest. You just did a super-simple vocal warmup!

Why is humming such popular vocal warmup?

It’s easy. You can hum, right?
It’s focused on pitch. When you’re humming, you’re not worrying about enunciation or phrasing. You aren’t realy able to do either of those. All you can do is hear and practice your pitch, without distraction.

Practice, and make perfect!

Here are two very simply vocal warmups:
“Doh Re Mi Fa Sol Fa Mi Re Doh”
A very popular progression, this can help you focus on your pitch and build a warm and resonant voice.

“Doh Mi Sol Mi Doh”
This progression makes is great pitching practice! It forces you to focus on your accuracy.

This 3-note scale makes for a great warmup. And by gradually moving upwards in pitch, we’re able to completely warm up the voice in the entire range that we’ll need.

Don’t hurt your voice! Warm it up first!

Regardless of where you’re singing, a quick vocal warup can really help prevent vocal damage. And humming lets us do it discreetly!

To get the most out of your vocal performances, in addition to proper warmups, you might wish to consider a music folder for singers. A proper singer’s music folder is ergonomic and lightweight. It’s engineered specifically for singers. You can buy high-quality music folders for singers online at MUSICFOLDER.com, and customize them with a variety of great options.

Care to follow a video-guided warmup?

Check out this vocal warmup video from expert village:

Festival 500, Sharing the Voices, is a renowned international choral music festival that takes place each year in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada – the oldest city in North America. The popular festival and the academic symposium that accompanies it brings together singers, conductors, choral enthusiasts, and music scholars from cultures and countries around the globe. They come to share their voices for the enrichment of everyone who attends.

Their five components to Festival 500. These include the Phenomenon of Singing International Symposium, which is presented jointly by Festival 500 and Memorial university, the Labrador Festival in Happy Valley Goose Bay, the Western Region Festival in Cornerbrook, two Rural Outreach concerts, and the St. John’s Festival.

Music luminaries who have attended include the legendary Bobby Mcferrin. And attendees often can’t say enough about how much they enjoyed attending – just check out Festival 500′s own page of Facebook Testimonials!

MUSICFOLDER .Com was among those lucky attendees. At Festival 500 we were fortunate to meet with current customers, make new ones, attend fantastic vocal performances, and partake in delicious food!

Did you see us there?

If we were lucky enough to meet you at Festival 500, we would love to hear about it. And we would love to hear about your experiences there. Please feel free to comment, or to contact us on Facebook about your Festival 500 experiences. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you all!

Chorus America's 34th Annual Conference - June 8-11 2011, in San Francisco

The 2011 Chorus America Annual Conference kicks off on June 8th in sunny San Francisco, California.  Attendees will enjoy sessions with exceptional speakers, and scintillating performances. With its vibrant culture and choral scene, San Francisco is a perfect backdrop for the conference, which is hosted by renowned locals Chanticleer and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.

We’re there!

As always, MUSICFOLDER.com is in attendance, along with our fine music folders. This year, we’re giving people a chance to win the world’s most versatile Music Stand! Come visit our exhibit for more information, to be entered into the draw, and of course to say hello!

What to Expect from a Chorus America Conference

Singing!

Featured performers include the host ensemble, Chanticleer!

• Morning Sings - inspirational group singing, led by top choral luminaries.
• Performances throughout the conference, featuring the host choir Chanticleer, Jeffrey Thomas and American Bach Soloists, the San Francisco Girls Chorus, Ragnar Bohlin and International Orange Chorale of San Francisco, Pacific Boychoir and Artists’ Vocal Ensemble, WomenSing, the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, and Volti.
• Community Sing! Join Chanticleer for a family-friendly hybrid between concert and choral workshop. Audience members will be coached to sing in harmony with one another and with chorus members!

Learning!

Lots of great opportunities for growth!

• Plenary Sessions – dynamic sessions with oustanding speakers and insight on choruses in pop culture, new ways of reaching out to communities, how choruses can promote social justice, and the strength of the choral art form.
• Seminars – Social Media (step-by-step strategies) and fundraising strategies!
• Breakout Sessions on marketing, strategy, audience development, fundraising, board development, education, outreach, leadership skills, finances, finance, recruitment, collaboration, and more.
• Four Immersive CMI sessions. The Chorus Management Institute is a professional opportunity to learn from seasoned members of the choral community. At the time of writing the CMI for Chorus America was sold out! They’re that popular!
• Conducting Masterclasses: Intricacies of conducting early music with continuo and Challenges of contemporary a cappella works.

Networking Events!

Network with prominent choral community members.

• Buttonholes: One-on-one consultations with the choral field’s top members on a range of important topics.
• Dine-Arounds: Lunchtime conversations in one of the many wonderful restaurants that San Francisco is famous for!
• Topic-Based Conversations: Conference discussions, and topic exploration with mutually interested choral peers.
• Continental Breakfast: Available each morning of the Conference at Hotel Whitcomb.
• Complimentary Coffee & Tea at the Conservatory: available throughout each day.
• Emerging Leaders Reception: A casual pre-concert gathering for artistic and administrative choral leaders age 35 and under.

Special Events!

The Chorus America Awards celebrate excellence in the choral community.

Awards Banquet & Auctions, the popular Opening Night Reception, and other special events round out a fantastic conference – just like every Chorus America Conference.

Don’t Forget to Come See Us!

Just a reminder – we’ll be there, and with us the world’s best choral folders – and a chance to win! We look forward to seeing you there!

It’s time for Chorfest! The BCCF Chorfest 2011 is ‘O’ is for Opera, hosted by the Prince George Cantata Singers and bringing together about 200 choral singers from around BC to perform in a mass choir. Led by Maestro Leslie Dala and the PGSO , they’ll perform selections from Madame Butterfly, La Bohème, Rigoletto and more!

This is the BC Choral Federation’s premier event and brings together choristers from all over BC, including guest soprano Sarah Kirsch, who’ll perform some of the beautiful arias. Choral singers who attend this event also benefit from several workshops on singing & performing, as well as running a choir and even copywriting your work! We’ll be there with lots of our music folders. Please drop by to enter to win, or just to say hello!

Full Repertoire

• Verdi: Overture and ‘Va Pensiero’ from Nabucco; ‘Anvil Chorus’ from Il Trovatore; ‘Caro Nome’ from Rigoletto; ’Saper Vorreste’ from Un Ballo in Maschera; ’Grand Triumphal March’ from Aida
• Puccini: ‘Humming Chorus’ from Madame Butterfly; ‘Musetta’s Waltz’ fromLa Bohème
• Wagner: ‘Bridal Chorus’ from Lohengrin, Prelude to the 3rd Act ofLohengrin
• Nicolai: ‘Moonrise Chorus (Mondaufgang)’ from Merry Wives of Windsor
• Strauss: ‘Laughing Song’ from Die Fledermaus
• Stephen Chatman: Opening movement from Earth Songs

‘O’ is for Opera

Director/Conductor Adult Choir – Les Dala

BC Youth Choir – Kevin Zakresky
Accompanist – Maureen Nielsen
With the Prince George Symphony Orchestra and the Prince George Cantata Singers

May 20-22, 2011
Prince George Civic Centre
Prince George, BC
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"The Black Folder," with significant advances in design and quality, is available only from MUSICFOLDER.com and its distributors.

People are being fooled into thinking they have our music folders. Unfortunately, “The Black Folder” (which we put together here in North America and distribute to the world) is a name that is too generic and descriptive to trademark. I am seeing this folder, and other folders we manufacture, being mistaken by the public for similar folders they have purchased elsewhere. They may think that they are getting “The Black Folder” (which we advertise widely in print and online) and sadly that’s not so. They’ve simply spent a good deal of money on a folder trading off our reputation, without the improved design, quality, and durability.

Tip: Some of the largest music distributors in the USA are offering “The Black Folder” which is not ours.

Outfitting your choir, or giving someone the gift of a top quality choir folder – perhaps with a choir logo or personal name imprint – can be a significant investment. There’s certainly no point in investing hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a new set of folders for your chorus, only to have hand straps start to rip off after a year or two, for example. So you need to be able to make fully-informed decisions… and this article will let you do that.

The quality and design improvements we’ve brought to our folders sets the standard for music folders. We’ve been in the music folder business since 1993 and have been dedicated to high quality and consistent improvement ever since. I have seen directors return complete orders of inferior “Black Folders” from other suppliers, to instead purchase our folders of superior quality and design.

How to Identify a MUSICFOLDER.com Black Folder

Here are some of the key differences between our folders and some other folders, so you can be ready with all the knowledge you need.

We are always improving, and our folders last for ages, so if you have one of our folders from 5, 10, 15 or more years ago, you will see improvements over time. Here are some key points to compare:

How Can You Tell Whom to Order From?

Well, in addition to comparing the key features below, here are your obvious options to know you are getting the best music folders available.

• Order direct from www.musicfolder.com
• Order from a local MUSICFOLDER.com distributor (over 80 distributors serve the  U.S.A, Canada, and International markets) on our list of distributors. We like and recommend this – it’s environmentally more responsible to ship folders to music stores in bulk, and they know their local community best.
• If no-one is near to you, tell your local music store that you want (no, insist upon!) “The Black Folder” produced by MUSICFOLDER.com.

All music stores may order in our folders for you if they don’t yet stock them, or if they don’t have the model you want. We can even pre-imprint your logo.

Don’t Fret!

If you’ve been disappointed by other folders, please get in contact with us. We’d love to help you get the best for your money, with MUSICFOLDER.com folders instead!

We’re always looking to expand, so if there is anything you’d like to see on it, such as events we’ve attended & upcoming events, or even your own events, prizes you’d like to win, or if you have any other feedback, please get in touch with us. Check back soon to see our page grow – and to enter new contests!

MusicFest Canada

On May 16, 2011, more than 10,000 of Canada’s finest young musicians will converge on Richmond, BC where for four days they will perform for recognition as the country’s finest musical ensembles, attend exclusive workshops workshops, and earn up to $100,000 in scholarships and awards. This is MusicFest Canada.

From its humble beginnings in 1972 as Canada’s first ever jazz band festival, MusicFest Canada is now the culmination of 45 affiliated festivals nationwide, which engage more than 450,000 young musicians for an opportunity to perform at the national festival. It is the first ever event of its kind and North America’s largest annual event dedicated to young musical talent.

What it’s All About

MusicFest Canada Goals and Objectives

MusicFest Canada’s objectives include:

• To provide an opportunity for students and educators from across Canada and elsewhere to meet and to demonstrate and to share their musical achievements and creativity
• To evaluate and reflect on musical achievement and creativity in a constructive and educationally focused way.
• To encourage the study and performance of music written and arranged by Canadian composers.
• To complement and enhance the teaching, learning and growing process.
• To foster and promote a lifelong interest in music as a basic human experience

Watch Canada’s Finest Young Musicians

Adjudicated ensemble performances are open to the public.

All Adjudicated ensemble performances are open to the general public, free of charge. From jazz bands to orchestras to choirs, there’s something for music lovers of all kinds. View the MusicFest Canada 2011 festival schedule on the official MusicFest Site for more information. You’re encouraged to come watch and support the finest young musicians in Canada!

We’ll See You There!

Musicfolder.com will be in attendance. Come see us to learn about our music folders, and to find factory second folders that allow you to get your hands on the world’s finest music folders at a fraction of their regular prices. Better come see us soon, though, since they go quickly. You might also find us in attendance at some of the adjudicated performances or the concerts. Please introduce feel free to introduce yourselves – we’re just as passionate about music as you are.

Congratulations to all the talented young musicians and ensembles who have been selected!

Interested in MusicFest Canada 2012?

MusicFest Canada 2012, the 40^th annual MusicFest Canada, will be held in Ottawa, ON from May 16-20. To attend MusicFest Canada, ensembles must obtain an invitation through successful performance at one of its affiliated nationwide music festivals or through the Festival Chairmen. Ensembles that cannot attend one of the affiliate festivals may also submit an audition online.

Visit musicfolder.com for the world’s best music folders, including the legendary black folder.

MusicFest Canada, 2011
May 16-20, 2011
Richmond, British Columbia
More info: http://musicfest.ca/