And Can It Be - Singer Instructions

This page is only included with the purchase of the And Can It Be? Virtual Choir Kit.

Make sure you or your director has purchased a copy of the music for every singer participating. (Print and Digital copies are available.)
Rehearse with the videos below. Choose between the four part-dominant mixes or a balanced mix. Pay attention to the metronome click so everyone stays precisely together. (Your conductor also received the audio files from these five videos as part of the virtual choir kit, and can share them with you if you prefer to rehearse with audio away from your computer).

Balanced SATB

Soprano Dominant

Alto Dominant

Tenor Dominant

Bass Dominant

How to create your recording space

Following any specific instructions from your director, but generally record your video in front of a plain wall or other plain background, and it's often best to choose clothing without patterns or logos.
If you can, record in a quiet room with the door closed to eliminate all other noise. Turn off fans, heaters or anything that hums.
Make sure your face is brightly lit, using lamps and/or available natural light.

How to record your video

You will need two devices: one to play the conductor video and another to record your performance. You can use any combination of a desktop or laptop computer, tablet and/or smartphone. Turn both devices to Silent or Do Not Disturb mode so your recording isn’t interrupted by a message or call.
You will need to wear headphones (one or two) connected to your playback device (wired or wireless) so that you can listen to the guide track while singing but record only the sound of your singing. Make sure you can still clearly hear yourself singing.
Unless your director has asked otherwise, record horizontally (landscape), and set your device to record in MP4 format at 720p resolution. (Most smartphones do this automatically).
Secure your recording device to eliminate motion and make sure your face is centered in the screen.
Press record on your recording device, then press play on the conductor video on your playback device. Make sure you clap at exactly the same time as the conductor before you start singing. This is very important as it will help sync your final audio and video.
After you finish singing, hold still for a few seconds before you stop the recording and save your video.
Review your video and if you’re happy with your performance, follow your director's instructions for uploading!