The Heart of Vocal Harmony: Emotional Expression in Group Singing (Music Pro Guides) (English Edition)

I have a small women's community choir. I used an entire season with this book, about 16+ songs per season for one hour performances. Used as a "student becomes teacher" kind of thing. First, I made each singer commit to it. I took 1 chapter a week, talked and read excerpts, and we worked on the ideas in that chapter. It was a huge success and made a noticeable difference. And it was fun! Years later, the singers or I still bring up these ideas! We really MOVE people emotionally. Whether you are director or singer, these principals will make you spiritually connect with the songs and your listeners. Amazing! Thank you!!!!

I think this book could appeal to a wider audience if it was marketed to all singers, although the book does have a big singing group slant and it's obviously the writers background, there is fantastic information, and inspiration for solo singers as well.

Some of my favorite chapter / section titles: Bravery, Joy, Lyrical Analysis, Living the Song, Inner Critic, and The Spaces Between. The book includes wonderful guidance and advice for all singing groups, especially a cappella. Don’t miss the witty quotes paired up with the section titles (Han Solo’s quote “Never tell me the odds” for the section on Choices – Solo”) Particularly liked the last interview with the Vocal Coaches!

Excellent book. Lots of good ideas. I can really relate to everything Deke mentions, being a part of a choir and leading a choir as a teacher at school. An easy read but yet so inspiring.

I'm not even done with this book and yet I used its message last week as the primary focus of a musical theater class I was teaching. If you're serious about making music your career or vocation, you need to be true to you and to the music you choose to perform. Your performance needs to come from your heart or else your act may be quickly forgotten.Deke Sharon writes just as he speaks and he tells you how it is. He gives wonderfully inspirational advice on things to think about when approaching a musical performance.I would recommend this book to any musician, actor, performer of any kind!