The Art of Barbershop - Step by Step

I’m sure that I am not the first barbershop choreography coach to tell you that it is important to not lock your knees while you are on the risers.  However, since it is a very important concept, I think that it is worth repeating.

Why does it matter?  Let me count the ways…

If you lock your knees very solidly, whether it is due to nerves or any other reason, you can end up fainting. The science behind that is pretty simple.  If you lock your knees, you are restricting the blood flow. You are remaining motionless so your feet and leg muscles aren’t helping at all. Combine this with a stressful situation (barbershop contest, a chorus performance, or just thinking too hard while rehearsing) and your legs are preventing a nice fresh flow of oxygenated blood to the control center where it is needed to keep you in the upright position.  In short, the blood is not getting to your brain and that’s makes your brain very unhappy.

Less severe than that reaction, and one more connected with barbershop performance mode is just the fact that if your knees are locked, you aren’t moving.  Brilliant! You say?  I know it sounds obvious, but if you are not moving, it is highly unlikely that you are emoting in any significant way.  Whether it be a ringing barbershop contest uptune, or an emotionally charged barbershop ballad, it makes the music less enjoyable for both you and your audience.  If you don’t feel a song in your body, there will be little chance that you will express a song’s intent on your face.  It is all connected.

What to do you about it… well, if you have a habit of locking your knees, you need to make a conscious effort to break that habit.  Even if it means telling yourself, mentally, to move every time you start singing barbershop (or any other type of music, but for the sake of this example, we’ll talk barbershop).  If it is difficult to remember, ask a neighbor on the chorus risers to help you out.  They don’t have to talk and annoy those around you, just ask them to put their hand on your back or elbow to be a reminder to you to start moving.

Just bend your knees, or shift your weight from one foot to another.  It is that simple, to start off with.

Of course, your choreography, presentation or visual team will ask more of you, but trust me when I tell you that they will be thrilled that you have started moving at all.

Once you conquer the impulse to stand stock still all of the time, then you can work towards other levels of comfortable, natural, body movement when you are singing those good old barbershop chords.

Try it, you’ll like it.