For protection reasons, Family Folk Machine, the Iowa City Intergenerational Choir, has moved to a virtual space. Instead of presenting a live concert, our purpose this season is to create a series of music videos, with members running to contribute to a combined effort. Singers and band members record portions assigned to them on their own, and then the editing team transforms the “solos” into a unified performance. Choir volunteers use the fused audio tracks as the basis for the videos. These videos come with photographs of our musicians, photographs and even animations. Stay tuned for FamilyFolkMachine.org and Facebook.com/FamilyFolkMachine for the ultimate november product and some progress along the way.
Our procedure has evolved with our objectives. We were able to be informed from other choirs running remotely, adding Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir project. Our essays take up position at Zoom, which led director Jean Littlejohn to reconsider his training methods. The inevitable delay asks us to sing with our pc microphones muted, which means that the singers do not receive the warning that we would have a face-to-face rehearsal. We had to adjust our expectations of the effects of testing and rely more on an individual asynchronous effort. The credit is that this technique requires less investment of time: we only paint on one or two songs at a time, so someone who can’t have interaction in a full season of essays can still participate. New singers are welcome. Contact [email protected] for more information.
These cases have posed new challenges, opportunities and insecurities. Instead of looking to simulate a classic Family Folk Machine session, it makes more sense as a companion experience. As John pointed out, “This assignment is not a pale shadow of what we would normally do.” Directors and singers have adopted new technologies, learned on the fly and taken on new roles. We achieved an artistic expansion that we had never anticipated.
To do this, our administrators and singers had to put aside our anxieties. Directors are experienced musicians, but most of the technologies they use are new to them. Singers will have to master the technical facets of making voice recordings and triumphing over our reluctance to send them. Singing with Family Folk Machine in a classic consultation is low-risk, fun and encouraging. We can sing as low or loud as the song allows or our non-public point of convenience. Sharing a solo recording, even if the final product won’t be a single, it can be scary. But if it’s not now, when? During a pandemic, taking the dangers of health and protection is not smart, but it is the best time to make an intellectual and artistic leap. Family Folk Machine greets those who continue to stretch and be informed in difficult times. We invite you to find a way, artistic or not, to be brave and to do so.
Aprille Clarke is the chairman of the Family Folk Machine Board. He lives in Iowa City with his family.