Patron Holiday Choir (Patreon)

Hello friends!

Let’s make something together! Recently, several members of our Discord community (including me!!) talked about missing the experience of participating in a choir or other musical group. While we can’t sing together in person, the power of the Internet will allow us to create a Patron Holiday Carol! For this project, I have selected the classic “Jingle Bells.” I have a cute arrangement I used to sing in high school — I think some voice parts will pose a fun challenge to those who do have choir experience, but it’s also accessible to folks with less vocal experience!

Get in the holiday spirit with us! All are welcome to participate, regardless of singing experience!

How it will work:

Everyone who wishes to participate should submit a recording of their performance via Google drive by December 13th.

Blake will take those files and mix them into a final performance!

How to Participate:

• Learn the song based on the sheet music and/or practice tracks in the Google Drive folder. (We’re only doing the first verse! Because the second verse is silly!)
• Record yourself performing the song.
  • You can sing the melody or the appropriate harmony, if you know your voice part!
  • There are three versions of the melody: high (soprano), mid, and low. Choose whichever is most comfortable to sing!
• Make sure your file is an .mp3 or .wav
• Submit your recording to the “Music Files” folder within the Google Drive Folder. Name your file with whatever name you want to be credited as, so we know whose dulcet tones it contains! E.g., ginnydi.mp3
• Fill in your information on the spreadsheet.
  • Whatever name you wish to be credited as
  • Your voice part (if you know it)
  • Your email address (ideally the one you use for Patreon!)
  • (If you have concerns about putting this information on a spreadsheet available to all Patrons, you can email it to GinnyDiSanta@gmail.com)

Making Your Recording:

• If you already have a method you’re comfortable with for creating .mp3 or .wav files, that’s great!
• If not, a phone recording is perfectly fine!
  • Converting an iPhone Voice Memo to an .mp3
  • Converting a Samsung Voice Recording to an .mp3
• You’re also welcome to record on your computer using a program such as Audacity or Garage Band!

Tips for a Good Recording:

• Play the sample track in your headphones while you sing to help you stay on tempo and pitch.
• Record in an appropriate space. You want to avoid large spaces as they tend to echo. Closets full of clothes (or blanket forts!) are good choices.
• Don’t sing too close to your mic. Keep about a foot or so away to prevent clipping/peaking.

FAQs:

• I don’t know my voice part, what do I do?
  • That’s okay! Just sing along with the main melody — the tune we all know!
• I’m not a great singer, can I still participate?
  • Absolutely! This is for fun, and we have a professional mixing & mastering it, so I promise you can’t ruin it! :) If you’d enjoy participating, you should!
• Where will the finished song be posted?
  • The finished song will be shared with all Patrons (and I’ll probably share it on Twitter, too, so I can brag about this amazing community!) but will not be sold or released on streaming platforms. It’s just for fun!
• Can I record more than one voice part?
  • Absolutely! If more than one part is in your range and you want to contribute more than one track, you are more than welcome to.
• Can you help us learn the song?
  • YES! I’ll be doing a livestream on Thursday, Dec. 3 where we can talk about voice parts, sing through all the tracks, talk recording tips, and answer questions!

If you have more questions, feel free to reach out to Sarah Burton at GinnyDiSanta@gmail.com or on Discord as MiskatonicEmber! She’ll be coordinating everything.