Please e-mail Fiona McAllister if you want to participate. Come and try out a new song, or polish an old one, or just enjoy the fellowship.

So far the list includes:

1. Joe Reid
2. Bruce Johnson
3. Jonathan Story
4. Angie Medlin
5. Mummer
6. Liz and Dave
7. Carl Dews
8. Fiona McAllister

You don’t need to be a member of NSAI to perform, so come and join us… it will be a great evening!

So far we have 16 people signed up to play the Charlotte NSAI open mic on November 24th!    Based on 16 performers, and given that we have 3 hours (7 to 10 pm), it looks like we will have time for each person to do 2 songs.  If we do 2 songs each, and if we are tuned up before we take the stage, and if we keep our song introductions brief, it should take no more than 10 minutes per person, including the changeover time between people, and that should work out about right.

If your guitar has a pickup, we will plug it in, if it doesn’t, we will mic it.  You won’t need a guitar cable, one will be provided.  You are welcome to stand or sit while you perform, whichever you prefer.  A keyboard will be there, ready to play.  There are several music stands there.

So, our open mic will be on Tuesday, November 24th at The Well (www.the-well. org). We will start at 7:00 pm, and finish at 10:00 pm.  Try to arrive by 6:45 pm, so we can start at 7:00 pm.  Please stay for the whole event if at all possible, to support each performer.  There will be no admission fee.  If you haven’t signed up to play but want to come and watch, please, please do!  Bring all your friends and family!

The Well always has coffee and snacks and welcomes donations.  Also, The Well has several drives going on for the holidays, collecting food, coats, paper back books, etc., as listed at the bottom of this email.  Please bring any items you would like to donate to the open mic.

Listed below are the people who have signed up, in the order that they signed up.  Let’s use this as the order of performance.  Usually nobody wants to go first, so I will go first.  Bruce has volunteered to help run the event and keep us on track, so he will go second.

Steve Simpson
Bruce Johnson
Melissa Mummert
Fiona McAllister
Mer Laney and Dave Holtzclaw
John Webb
Jonathan Story
Kevin Marshall
Dave Wulfeck
Angie Medlin
Carl Dews
Allen Shervelle
Ken Widis
Bill Draper
Joe Reid
Sara Scott

It’s gonna be fun!  Let me know if you have any questions!  See you Tuesday!

Steve, Fiona, and Angelo

Holiday Activities Sponsored by The Well: Throughout the month of November, The Well will be collecting non-perishable food items for the Loaves and Fishes food pantry.

The Prison Ministry at The Well is collecting pies and 2-liter drinks for the Thanksgiving Dinner that will be given at the prison in Kershaw, SC on Thanksgiving Day.

The Well has adopted a unit of 120 soldiers in Iraq for Christmas.  We are gathering individually- wrapped items like gum, hard candies, beef jerky, crackers or non-melty, home-baked goods as well as paperback books and the like, to go in the boxes and money to help mail the boxes overseas to our military men and women.

All during the month of December, The Well will be collecting gently worn coats (all sizes needed) for Crisis Assistance Ministry.

The coffee house at The Well will be showing classic Christmas movies on Saturday nights between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Old favorites such as It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th St. and White Christmas.  If I can find them, there will be a classic Christmas cartoon night, as well with The Grinch (not the Jim Carey version), Frosty and Rudolph.

CLASS: VOCAL CLINIC
INSTRUCTORS: SIOBHAN QUINN & MICHAEL BOWERS

1. Singing is not just about the throat, it is a full body exercise and experience requiring athletic discipline as well as artistry.

2. Any athlete knows that an effective warm-up is essential for optimal performance.

3. Ideally, the warm-up should be unhurried, allowing adequate time for gradual loosening and coordination of countless muscles, large and small, which contribute to vocal production.

4. Begin by warming up the entire body with gentle physical exercise (e.g. stretching, yoga, Tai Chi). Pay close attention to the breath.

5. Next, warm up the muscles of articulation (jaw, tongue, lips, soft palate) using appropriate exercises.

6. Example followed in class: Book and CD by Anne Peckham, The Contemporary Singer(Berklee Press) the one with the purple cover

7. Example I demonstrated at our meeting is by: Eric Arceneaux and can be found here:

Vocal Warm-up Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Q5CWsFaVnWM
Vocal Warm-up Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=jZ_RwV52DMw&NR=1
Vocal Warm-up Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=lSOn-b3V6rQ&NR=1
Vocal Warm-up Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=AnmlpVe3B40&feature=related

8. Maintain good posture while performing. Keep your spine straight. Don’t stretch your neck up or forward.

9. If you hold a guitar while singing, hold it in a ‘dancing’ position, as if you and your partner were waltzing.

10. When you are finished performing or rehearsing, cool down your voice by gently repeating a series of the warm-up exercises.

GENERAL HEALTH TIPS FOR SINGERS

1. Maintain a balanced diet. Eat protein. Reduce the amount of sugar, caffeine, and carbonated beverages. This will help reduce mucus in your throat.

2. Drink plenty of water. Room temperature water is best. Allow plenty of time before a performance to hydrate.

3. Stay physically fit. Your body is your instrument!

4. Do not smoke.

5. Don’t sing if it hurts.

6. Develop good rehearsal habits. Warming up before rehearsals will help you avoid straining your voice. During a long rehearsal, be sure to take breaks and drink plenty of water.
____________ _________ ___
Herschel Lee Brown
803.627.0052
www.brownemusic.com