So You Are Interested in Joining the River City Chorus…
Come Tired, Leave Wired!
What Should You Expect?
Just Try It — You’ll Like It
You have found your way to this page so we suspect you’re an interested singer and it’s high time you shared your talent with our audiences! Become a part of the River City Chorus and share in the camaraderie, friendship, and energy as we strive to bring great harmony into our lives and the lives of our fans.
Take a Break from the Daily Grind – Our Invitation to You
You are cordially invited to join us at one of our regular chorus rehearsals, any Monday at 7:30 p.m. to about 10 p.m. Come share in our enthusiasm and joy in working at and creating beautiful music with wonderful fellowship.
By the way, you can just show up any Monday – you’ll be very welcome – or you can contact a member ahead of time. Either way is fine by us.
No Hard Sales Pitch
Don’t worry — no hard sales pitch from us. We simply enjoy our hobby and we think you will enjoy it too when you give it a try.
Great People, Great Music
We sing, we harmonize, and we entertain with all types of a cappella music specializing in barbershop-style harmony. Our Society’s motto is “Keep the Whole World Singing” and we try to do that with our performances and our outreach.
Where to Find Our Rehearsals
The Music Man Square is located between the Southbridge Mall and the Public Library in downtown Mason City. There is parking both on Delaware Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue.
Music Man Square
308 S. Pennsylvania Avenue
Mason City, IA 50401
Your First Visit
Come to rehearsal a few minutes early and plan to be greeted by our membership team upon arrival. You will be asked to sign in. We all wear name tags to help with names and you’ll be asked to make a name tag, too.
We want you to be comfortable, so we will do a brief vocal placement to make sure you are singing in a comfortable range. No worries here, many men know what part they like to sing. If not, don’t worry – remember, the idea is to have fun!
Once the vocal placement is done, you will be paired up with someone who sings that part who can support you through the evening.
Getting the Music
Until you become a member, Guest Folders are provided when you sign in at the beginning of the meeting. All current songs are included. Be certain to return the notebook at the end of the evening. If something is missing, a chorus member will help you out.
Time for Some Fun! Start Singing
You are welcome to stand on the risers with the chorus for most of the evening along with your guest folder. We will do some vocal warm-ups to get started. When individual voice part break-out sessions (Sectionals) are called, please join your assigned voice part to learn more about how we produce our “unit sound” — 25 men sounding like one voice.
If the chorus moves into “Performance Mode,” you may want to sing from the chairs out front, or stand next to the end of the risers. Sometimes it is a little overwhelming to site read a piece of music when all of the guys around you are full into the song. No worries here. We’ve sung this music for several months and you have only seen it for several minutes!
Taking a Break
We take a break about halfway through the evening. A great time to hang around with the other guys and get some water and a snack.
At the End of the Evening
We finish around 10 p.m. each evening. We always sing the same song to end the evening…”Keep the Whole World Singing”. It’s a great chance to wrap-up and it keeps the chords ringing until we meet the next week!
During the Week
One of our members will contact you to see how your first visit went, and what you would like to do for the coming Monday. We also will answer any questions you might have.
Your Second Visit the Next Week
We want you back! Expect us to welcome you and support you to make you feel comfortable. You will get a Guest Folder again, and the music will feel a bit more comfortable. We may also have a CD of the music to help you learn the songs faster. Expect to be paired with someone in your vocal part and the rehearsal to go about like the previous week.
During this visit we’ll also have a member spend some time explaining the annual chorus schedule, the link to the Barbershop Harmony Society, and make sure you have web-site and other contact information so you can more fully explore the resources of this wonderful hobby.
If you have vocal questions or desire additional help, please know that individual vocal coaching sessions are available to help you develop further if need be. The idea is to constantly improve the craft to increase the joy of barbershop harmony.
Your Third Visit – You are On Your Way
By now you feel the great joy of camaraderie and fun of barbershop singers practicing their craft. We think it is important that you attend at least three rehearsals to start your new member journey. Attending rehearsals is the best way get to know the other chorus members and for them to get to know you. Of course, consistent rehearsal attendance is also the best way to learn the music.
A Vocal Evaluation During Your Third Visit
At this third visit we will ask you to sing as part of a vocal evaluation by our musical directors. Please don’t overly stress — the vocal evaluation serves several purposes:
- We make sure you are still singing in the right section. Nothing worse than straining out of your vocal range.
- Since we are a singing organization, this is an opportunity to demonstrate your singing…and, importantly, your desire to sing. And remember that you will receive help to achieve the musical level you desire along the way.
- An opportunity to demonstrate you meet the membership criterion of the chorus.
Keep in mind by this point you have already sung with us for a couple weeks so you have a good sense of the chorus and how it works. This becomes a springboard for many great barbershop singing experiences ahead!
Lastly during this visit we continue to explain the benefits of membership and the process to become a member (dues, schedule, expectations, etc.) We’ll answer any questions you may have and continue to support you as you develop.
We will give you the materials needed to join the group – and you are on your way!
There Are Several Ways to Contact Us:
If you have questions now, there are several ways to contact us:
Website: rivercitychorus.org/contact
Facebook: Search for “River City Chorus”
Thank you very much!