We wanted to make the first prompt as simple and open-ended as possible. So we’re just asking you to hit record, open your mouth, and go.
There is simply no wrong way to do this. You could explore the outer limits of your voice, find a pattern and repeat it, or tell a story in any language. Or you could just see what happens.
This exercise is not about coming up with something brilliant under pressure. It is about trusting your voice and letting the music search for itself. It’s about spontaneous invention.
“Improvisation is basically movement – the courage to take steps. You play one note. And then you play another note. That’s it. You just keep going.”
— Bobby McFerrin
Here are the tracks that have come in so far:
So what are you waiting for—SING!
But if you’re curious, here are some options to consider:
Option A: Sing a song. If you’re new to improv, welcome! You are brave for taking the leap into uncharted territory. For this week, if you’re just more comfortable singing a song you already know, cover or original or otherwise, go for it. You’ll find something fresh in the moment. We want to hear your voice.
Option B: Look ma, no mic! It used to be that if you wanted to record vocals you had to trek over to a fancy studio. These days you don’t even have to buy a USB microphone; you can record from your iPhone or Android device, or record directly into the browser using your laptop’s built-in mics. So feel free to take this opportunity to explore a method of recording you haven’t used before. It’s good to have options.
To contribute, the steps are as follows:
- Step 0: Sign up for a free SoundCloud account here. Join the SSS group.
- Step 1: Record yourself singing for two minutes.
- Step 2: Upload to SoundCloud and post the track to the SSS group.
- Step 3: Listen to and comment on tracks uploaded by your fellow singers. (Play nice!)
Deadline: Your tracks should be uploaded by midnight wherever you are on Monday, February 2, 2015.
Length: The length of your finished work should be about two minutes.
Description: It would be awesome to include a short description of where and when you sang your piece — and how it felt.
Title/Tag: When uploading to SoundCloud, put “[sss-twomin]” in the title of your track. Also include the term “sss-twomin” as a tag. This will help us find it.
Group: Once the track is uploaded, click on the “Add to group” button below the waveform and make sure to select the Society for Spontaneous Singing group. (This option will only appear if you have already joined the group! So do that now.)
Linking: You are welcome to include this info in your description:
This track is a reply to “SSS Prompt 1: Sing for two minutes. One note after another.” More on the Society for Spontaneous Singing at http://singthis.org. You can join the SSS at https://soundcloud.com/groups/society-for-spontaneous-singing.
Thank you, sweet singers!