Please use this page to propose and discuss any new ideas you have. Mark each one with the word "Idea" and post your initials before your comment.
- Please continuously update ideas and reorganize as relevant
- If you add an entirely new idea or substantially revamp it, then enter the date
- If you like / don't like an idea, post your opinion with your initials
- Scroll through the ideas first to make sure someone hasn't already posted something similar; if they have, add your idea and refine
NOTE JULY 2011: To see the outcome of our "TAS" discussion in June, scroll down and click on "files"
NOTE JANUARY 2012: Please set out any agenda items for the next TAS here:
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INTERNAL
Idea: promotion manager and a stage manager. (RO 29.09.2011)
ADMINISTRATION AND MARKETING
Idea: put all scores on the Gmail in soft copy and let members download and print by themselves Sept 2011
- <GH> This would relieve Jennifer & Amy of the burden of photocopying & binding
Idea: start a YouTube channel with recordings of our performances July 2011
UPDATE SEPT 2011: DONE - http://www.youtube.com/user/GraceNotesACappella
- <GH> This can serve as a place to refer our potential customers to
- It can also be useful for our new members learning songs
- It doesn't always have to have video; audio-only is okay
Idea: maintain a central mailing list September 2011
- <GH> Some of my friends asked to be kept on the mailing list but I can't guarantee that I'll remember them next time
- When we do concerts, bar gigs, paid gigs, etc. we can collect name cards (JS) WE HAVE (SUPPOSEDLY) BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS. JULIA USED TO COLLECT NAME CARDS. SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECORDING THEM ALL THESE YEARS. I GUESS SHOULD BE THE EXCO SECRETARY.
Idea: better use of Facebook
- <GH> Build up a group of fans on THKWC Page (so they can self-police their own mailing list)
- Always create "events" on FB whenever we have a gig
- Invite each of our friends to become a fan of the Page
UPDATE SEPT 2011: Fan page now started; please ask all your friends to like it
REPERTOIRE - update July 2011
Note:
<Julia> If you look at the website www.thkwc.org, we have a webpage devoted to Grace Notes and there is some repertoire from the past listed there . The music will be in the library.
<GH> A lot of our existing or recent repertoire is listed on Recordings
Idea: Add wedding songs
Whatever the theme(s), I think we need to be intentional about adding at least one wedding song and one inspirational song to our repertoire every half year. That makes us more marketable. We should be able to give brides a number of good choices. <JA>
=> see 'specific song ideas' below
ACTION:
(JS) some of these we have already. others i will look for!
(JW) I HAVE 'WHEN Im SIXTY FOUR '
Idea: James Bond Songs spring 2012
Update September 2010: <GH> can we expand it to "international women of mystery"?
- We like it as a potential theme
- Would need scores
- The existing medley would actually not be part of the program because it's a medley, but we could use the first section of it.
- The composer in UK can provide (at a cost) his version of Diamonds are forever, which would definitely be included
(JS) i think we should start to weave Bond songs every season into what we do. But it may not work to have a totally bond season for the main concerts. Maybe, maybe not. But if we collect enough songs though, we could pull out a whole program for a Bond concert/performance for a party.
ACTION
- Jennifer to look through the library for scores
- GH to circulate the score that the composer gave us as a sample
Idea: Specific song ideas
CAN I JUST SAY… WHY ARE WE DIGGING UP ONLY OLD SONGS? THERE ARE PLENTY OF NEWER SONGS THAT WOULD FIT THE THEME ALSO. I THINK WE SHOULD EXPAND OUR THINKING…. (JS)
Love is all you need <GH>
I say a little prayer for you (a cappella version) <GH>
Andrews sisters
Manhattan transfer
Eric Whitacre <FG>
There is a Flower or What Sweeter Music <Victoria>
Como Perry and the Fontaine Sisters repertoire: "I Wanna Go Home With You", or "To Love You"
Happy birthday song in jazz version <GH>
Gilbert & Sullivan <JW>
Some kind of new music from a local composer <RO>
A Chinese love song (for weddings) <GH> examples as follows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do3NEBHIY2c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kELNRti3KMs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkNFS-xyhF0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzEDshEk7ic&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP5GJAsQyn8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3bboa9FAh4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et0QUe40xuY
"Classic" love songs : e.g. "Sunrise, Sunset", "Love Can Build a Bridge" (The Judds), "Perhaps Love" (John Denver), "Everyday I Love You" (Boyzone), "A Groovy Kind of Love" (Phil Collins), "When I'm 64" (The Beatles), "The Rose" (Bette Midler), "Bubbly" (I like the Colbie Caillat version), "To Make You Feel My Love" (Garth Brooks), "Dream a Little Dream" (the Mamas and The Papas), "When You Say Nothing At All" (Ronan Keating), reintroduce "True Colors"…I'm sure there are others.
Inspirational songs : "Turn, Turn, Turn" (The Byrds), "You've Got a Friend" (Carole King), "Imagine" (John Lennon), "I Hope You Dance" (Ronan Keating), "The 59th Street Bridge Song" (Simon and Garfunkel),
RECORDING RELATED IDEAS
Idea: Use our version of HK State of Mind for HKTourism Board
Discussion:
<JW>: I think it needs a few extra lyrics esp where its repeated.
Consensus:
- Record it properly first, then figure out what to do with it
- No particular conclusion re: HK Tourism Board
Action:
- Lou can ask her Disney lawyer friend about the legal issue
- Anyone who has the time can open a YouTube channel for Grace Notes.
Idea: An album or CD
Discussion:
- Yes, we all like this in theory but need someone to take the lead, book the studio, set a date
- Would like to see this proposed earlier and with a longer timeline
- <JW> What would we do with it? There are loads of Cds still under my stairs. SOMEONE has to take responsibility for stocks. It is a very expensive exercise with no aim in mind (except personal gratification).
(JS) I am happy to book it, schedule it, etc. But there has to be commitment. i have a place to store stocks. not a problem for now. But this takes more than that. Choosing our best songs, or choosing new ones, choose a theme (for which we should be open to taking on and learning new songs also). There is also art work for an Album cover, and finding a studio that will do the copies and the printing. the question is; will everyone, or enough people on each part, commit? If it's yes, i'll arrange!!
Idea: Recording session
- Recording studio session…?? (Only with songs that are really good = ready. We can record ourselves and LISTEN critically - without being nasty - and try and hear what we can do better. Recording in a studio is an expensive, yet enjoyable, affair.)
** whether you would like to direct charity money surplus to one of your own choosing***(JW)
Idea: Recording fee
<JA> I'd like GN members to consider adding $500 to their annual dues Ronnie says we could get a recording studio for a day at around $6000. If we're in as good a shape (vocally) next May as we were this May, I think we should record 4-5 songs. If we're not, the money gets refunded. How does everyone feel about that? (JS) i could go for that!. However, Rani's pricing is no long accurate. the last time we did it, we had a 10 K recording studio fee, and the second time we did it the studio was 20k. So, it's more like $1000 per person and use the balance, if any, for printing labels or copying the CD.
GENERAL SINGING IDEAS
Idea: Add a beat box artist to our ranks
<GH> This would give us a greater range of songs and many many a cappella groups now include a beat box artist.
Our primitive efforts in this area so far include "ch - ch - ch - ch" in the train songs we did 2 seasons ago, along with the "doom chk- doom" stuff that the alto 2s often do. However, a real beat box person is an expert in the way that we singers are expert at singing. Of course, we would have to find the person first. And, would it have to be a woman? (JS) yes, because we are a women's coir. Unless you want to put a wig on a guy. :-)
Spring concert with them as guests.
Julia
BACK BURNER IDEAS
Inspirational songs
- Update September 2010: <GH> I looked through lots and lots of scores and found that most of the inspirational songs are (a) accompanied with such lush background that it's almost impossible to a-cappella-ize them; (b) SLOW. This puts this idea way down on the list for me. I agree with CW; Walk a Mile is good to have around but it's not confined to Xmas.
Idea: Super Bowl ads
<CW> OK, I realize I am probably the only person who watches US news, but today on the news they were talking about super bowl ads and how they all seemed to highlight the differences in the sexes, they actually said - "The Battle of the Sexes". We are definitely onto a trend with our music.
<GH> When is the Super Bowl? We could bring this in as a joke in our concert maybe? FYI your "Battle of the Sexes" reference is a Nike campaign.
