I am stumped!

[Ladyn]

I have a dilemma that is not unique, but I don't know how to fix it.

I am the "Musical Director". I am not the MOM. She chooses the music and the members of the PW team. (I know, it is what it is right now) I also play keyboard, teach all of the parts to the singers and musicians, and conduct all rehearsals. Them MOM can not play, or teach parts so I do it.

We have a small praise and worship team of about 10 members. We have 2 keyboardists, a bass player, and a drummer.  Everyone sings except the drummer.  Now, I have 1 person that can not stay on pitch when we sing SAT. If we are all singing the melody, she is fine. Sometimes she will have her part in rehearsal, but when Sunday comes she is all over the place! This is a run down of what I have done to help her and how I train them all.

1. I have vocal workshop days once every 2 months right now due to conflicts with schedules
 In those workshops we learn: how to breathe properly, how to enunciate, where the resonators are, intervals, how to read music, maj, min, dim, aug, chords how they sound. I teach them some songs  that require vocal independence, I make CD's of me singing the parts and of the original songs. Just a lot of things I learned from my own vocal training.

I have been doing this for about 2 years now, and this one singer is not getting it! She can not sing soprano, yet anytime we do a song with parts she drifts that way and makes it sound horrible. This forces me to basically do everything in unison.  I can not ask her to step down although her being a part of the team does greatly diminish what we can sing. (I am not the MOM, and it aint gonna happen)

Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do to help her. I have even done one on one with her, and when we do any vocal exercises she is ok to a point around. I believe that there are certain frequencies and pitches she can not hear anymore. I am just stumped.

Can I do something more that will help her? I even put her right next to the other person singing her part and have the two of them coming out of a personal monitor. NO help at all!

Thanks guys!

[sjonathan02]

If she can't hear, she can't hear. Period.

Reminded of the adage 'one monkey don't stop no show', I am failing to understand how her inability to sing soprano forces you to do songs in unison?  If she's off, let her be off.  After awhile, someone else will point it out as well, I'm sure.


Who is she that she has this control over the MOM? Are they related or something?

If so, that's the bigger problem.

[LaylaMonroe]

Make friends with the sound guy and cut her mic off or down. (I'm actually quite serious, though).

Also, I'm assuming the MOM is aware, but isn't willing to take the lady off. Is that correct? If she's not aware, you need to let her know. You also need to let the tone deaf lady know that she's tone deaf (you can say it more tactfully than that, but still let her know). Tell her that you're willing to continue to work with her and try to develop her voice, but until she gets there, you don't want her to sing too loudly because sometimes she unknowingly drifts into another note. I know that may be hard, but I strongly recommend you do it.

I had the pleasure of working with a tone deaf tenor/alto. He was AWFUL. But after the end of 2 years, he was able to at least stay on pitch. Most times, I gave up and just tried to ignore him. But fortunately, our keyboardist was patient and would *thump, thump, thump* the note until Philip got it. In the meantime, though, we didn't let him anywhere near a mic.

[sjonathan02]

Make friends with the sound guy and cut her mic off or down. (I'm actually quite serious, though).

Also, I'm assuming the MOM is aware, but isn't willing to take the lady off. Is that correct? If she's not aware, you need to let her know. You also need to let the tone deaf lady know that she's tone deaf (you can say it more tactfully than that, but still let her know). Tell her that you're willing to continue to work with her and try to develop her voice, but until she gets there, you don't want her to sing too loudly because sometimes she unknowingly drifts into another note. I know that may be hard, but I strongly recommend you do it.

I had the pleasure of working with a tone deaf tenor/alto. He was AWFUL. But after the end of 2 years, he was able to at least stay on pitch. Most times, I gave up and just tried to ignore him. But fortunately, our keyboardist was patient and would *thump, thump, thump* the note until Philip got it. In the meantime, though, we didn't let him anywhere near a mic.

Did you just put homie's gubment out there? 

I agree with turning her mic down or off.

[betnich]

Make friends with the sound guy and cut her mic off or down. (I'm actually quite serious, though).

Also, I'm assuming the MOM is aware, but isn't willing to take the lady off. Is that correct? If she's not aware, you need to let her know. You also need to let the tone deaf lady know that she's tone deaf (you can say it more tactfully than that, but still let her know). Tell her that you're willing to continue to work with her and try to develop her voice, but until she gets there, you don't want her to sing too loudly because sometimes she unknowingly drifts into another note. I know that may be hard, but I strongly recommend you do it.

I heard someone say that off singers can sing "solo" - so low that others cannot hear them.
I try to remind our choir members to listen to each other. If they cannot hear the other singers, they are singing too LOUD...

[Ladyn]

If she can't hear, she can't hear. Period.

Reminded of the adage 'one monkey don't stop no show', I am failing to understand how her inability to sing soprano forces you to do songs in unison?  If she's off, let her be off.  After awhile, someone else will point it out as well, I'm sure.


Who is she that she has this control over the MOM? Are they related or something?

If so, that's the bigger problem.

When she tries to sing those high pitches that she CANNOT reach, that is when it sounds awful! I usually put songs in a key that is comfortable for everyone when we sing in unison.

The MOM is somewhat aware, but there are some bigger issues I can't go into right now. Just suffice it to say that there is NO way she will be coming down, I have talked to the sound man about turning her down, but then she complains about not being able to hear herself. The MOM then has him turn her back up.  (sigh) I believe I will have a very frank discussion with MOM and let her know we will have to turn her mic down for now.

The only other problem is that it makes a longer rehearsal too because we have to go over and over and over and over her part. Sometimes it is so bad that it throws my other singers off.

Thanks guys for all of your help. I am praying hard that what needs to be said can be taken the right way.

[sjonathan02]

When she tries to sing those high pitches that she CANNOT reach, that is when it sounds awful! I usually put songs in a key that is comfortable for everyone when we sing in unison.

The MOM is somewhat aware, but there are some bigger issues I can't go into right now. Just suffice it to say that there is NO way she will be coming down, I have talked to the sound man about turning her down, but then she complains about not being able to hear herself. The MOM then has him turn her back up.  (sigh) I believe I will have a very frank discussion with MOM and let her know we will have to turn her mic down for now.

The only other problem is that it makes a longer rehearsal too because we have to go over and over and over and over her part. Sometimes it is so bad that it throws my other singers off.

Thanks guys for all of your help. I am praying hard that what needs to be said can be taken the right way.

See, that right there is too big a problem to ignore. Ministry is supposed to be about excellence and there is nothing excellent about allowing one bad apple to spoil an entire bunch. 

[Ladyn]

See, that right there is too big a problem to ignore. Ministry is supposed to be about excellence and there is nothing excellent about allowing one bad apple to spoil an entire bunch. 

I agree wholeheartedly! I am just praying that others will see it this way as well.  I am really going to address this as soon as I can. Sunday her mic was turned WAY down, so the only way she was heard was through the personal monitor the sound man set up for her. Just pray with me that God will prepare hearts and minds to receive proper correction and direction.

Thanks so much for your help!

[sjonathan02]

I agree wholeheartedly! I am just praying that others will see it this way as well.  I am really going to address this as soon as I can. Sunday her mic was turned WAY down, so the only way she was heard was through the personal monitor the sound man set up for her. Just pray with me that God will prepare hearts and minds to receive proper correction and direction.

Thanks so much for your help!

Praying with and for you.

[berbie]

I fully agree with LaylaMonroe. I might add that a recording of the subject singing out of tune would be a good tool when talking to her. You just can't beat being straightforward, honest and open with people.(and seriously offering help). With reasonable people you can reason-----.(Remember, some don't qualify but you can't help that.)