JustynAdventure: Singcopation

My second year at Mt. Sac was when I made it into Singcopation, and it changed my life forever. I had heard about Singcopation growing up, and in high school I was a part of our vocal jazz group. I had listened to jazz music before, but it wasn’t until I got to Mt. Sac that I really started to understand the genre and fall in love with it. Jazz has so many different facets to it. Within the genre are a million little subgenres and from there even more experimental projects and fusions that people take and run with. What I like most about jazz is that it is the same yet different. The driving force behind jazz, to experiment and push boundaries is always going to be there, and that leads to new and innovative styles of music that people listen to today. It all stems from the philosophy of jazz. I learned so much by being a part of the group. It introduced me to new world of music that I had never put a second thought into, but once I did, I was sold.

What was cool about being in Singcopation was that I was surrounded by people who were great supporters and motivators. I was constantly pushed out of my comfort zone, but still surrounded by people who would pick me up and encourage me. My peers, some who had been seasoned members and others as rookie as I was understood the importance of learning together and being joined as a team. There was competition between us, especially trying out for solos and learning our music, but it was healthy. We wanted to challenge each other. We pushed each other to be better and grow. Since it was only a 12-person group, it was easier to adopt this kind of dynamic. Mr. Rogers was a great mentor and was fantastic at facilitating this kind of comradery amongst the group. We were a team. We were only as good as our weakest member, so it was important for us to take responsibility for ourselves and also push each other to do the same.

I had a lot of anxiety about performing when I entered the group. Although it was something I wanted to do, I still had stage fright. It’s scary putting yourself out there, then throw in the uncertainty of jazz improv and solo singing, and it’s your first time ever trying out your ideas, of course your nerves will be all over the place. Performing in a group is easy enough. There are places to hide in case something goes wrong. You have people to rely on if you need it, but performing with Singcopation, there was nowhere to hide. You had to have a good ear and know your part well. Sometimes it was only you and another person singing that line, or only you singing that line. There was also the idea of solo singing and improv. Have you ever tried scat singing? Have you ever heard of scat singing? Most people make fun of it because it sounds ridiculous. Sometimes it is. But listen to people like Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Tormé and you might think differently. There’s a way to do it and do it well, but it’s a hard skill to develop if you don’t have a good foundation. I think I’m decent at it, but I had to really stop, listen and practice at home before I felt close to comfortable. It took me years to get to this point, but I’m glad I took those opportunities to push myself. If I had shied away, I don’t know where I’d be right now. Everything I learned from Singcopation and Chamber Singers I still find myself using today when I sing at church or listen to new music. My ability to stand comfortable in front of a crowd, my ability to sing healthily and with proper technique, understanding breath control and movement of line, all of these skills and more still influence my musical journey today even though I’ve been separated from the group for years now. I will forever be grateful to Mr. Rogers and Singcopation for all that they have done for me and my personal growth. Being a part of this program changed my perspective of music and grew my understanding and I will forever hold it with me.