Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Show Choir and the use of Risers.

                        For as long as music has been around, the use of a rising effect on stage, choir stalls and lofts have been quite prevailent, even in the design of Instruments, so it was no suprise that Show Choirs would follow suit when they started in the late 60's-70's. Thanks to YouTube user tskot, we clearly see evidence of this in the early Show Choir Compititions of the 60's and 70's. Particularlly with Mid-West Show Choir, the Mid-Westerners, even to this day, do not exactly have a "Plethora" of Preforming Art Centers, simply Gyms, Cafeterias and even Classrooms (to some of us veteran Southern Californians it tends to make you feel like you're in several "DIMENSIONS" especilly with all of those "Wheat Fields" blocking the way for the next Orpheum or Carnegie Hall {ok enough with the cameos}), so to many the Risers where the stage themselvs (ok maybe a bit of an exaggeration).

            Here is Video of a 1970's Show Choir Compitition, the Marion High School 26th Street Singers-1977:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfEtPXJsLUw&feature=related

ohhhh how Show Choir Has changed.


                 The Use of Risers became especilly important as Show Choirs started to go "all out" in the 1990s, for example the Nogales High School Chamber Singers**, the Brea Olinda of its day (especilly since Brea's Director and Choreographer where employed at Nogales during that time). As Show Choirs  tend to grow more and more into the Show (with Southern California leading the way) the use of Risers have become practically the norm. Even amoung Middle Schools we have seen the growing trend. "If its not growing is decaying"*, such words from Brendon Jennings, the director of the famos John Burroghs HS Show Choir "Powerhouse".

Shocker: A Middle School Show Choir Clearly using Risers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgMJZKb4v9M
Brea Jr.High-Show Choir Express 2008

                 Even if the Show Choir in question, is a simpler more traditional Show Choir (yes, with the Sequins) Risers have helped choreographically and even musically (is it anywonder why Risers have been used for Hunders of years now?), they really "up" the preformance, per say.

                      As always:
                          -Justin Rodger

* http://www.choraldirectormag.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=5E0A89BA2464490285FF554FBAEDF3F6

**http://www.davewillert.com/
With a Couple of camios to Dave Willert's Book Series "DIMENSIONS"

1 comment:

  1. I sang with Slauson Middle School's Treble Tones and we used risers; when we went to competition I thought the schools who used boxes were the weird ones, haha

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