Real World Memorization Tips
The gay Olympics happens every 4 years, and I was lucky enough to attend last week in Minneapolis.
The GALA Festival brings together 200 queer choruses and 10,000 performers from all over the world for a big ole party. I sing with the Atlanta Women’s Chorus, sibling choir to the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus, both LGBTQ+ choruses. I mean, straight chorus is almost an oxymoron.
I performed in 3 concerts that weekend, and had to memorize all of the music, choreography, and blocking. My chorus started prepping in early April, giving us just over 3 months to memorize 15 pieces.
And you can’t just memorize words. No, no, no, you have to memorize entrances and cut-offs and dynamics and vowel shapes and rhythmic nuances. Because everyone at this festival is bringing their A-game (even though it’s technically not a competition).
I found myself leaning into my background in learning science, and using evidence-backed strategies:
Spaced repetition: I practiced four times a week, touching on each song during at least two of those sessions.
Outlines: I wrote out the structure of each song on a post-it note to make sense of the verses, bridges, and choruses.
Quiz: I tested myself with a backing track, pausing the song at each mistake and making corrections.
Chunking: I memorized and practiced the songs in smaller sections.
Planning: I made a study plan and stuck to its, with “memorize-by” dates to ensure I met my goals.
Now I’m studying for the PMP and I’m not gonna lie, it’s way harder. Memorizing music is just more fun. But the strategies still apply.
