Dive Bar Choir Q&A: All About the 90-Minute Choir Event
A view of Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge from the stage.
We’ve written about the power of group singing before, and Nashville (a.k.a. Music City) is famous for its dive bars and honky tonks. Our new monthly pop-up, Dive Bar Choir, marries these two concepts into one accessible event.
Whether you’re a lifelong chorister or you’ve never sung before, these pop-up group singing events invite you to join with your fellow bar patrons in singing a hit song in harmony. The night starts with a group singing lesson to get singers of all experience and skill levels singing their best, and ends just 90 minutes later with a group performance of the song you just learned.
If you’ve never heard of similar pop-up choir events like Pub Choir or Choir! Choir! Choir!, you might want some more information before diving into the first Dive Bar Choir event from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM on Thursday, June 11th, at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge. Below, we demystify the experience by answering some common questions.
The Origin Story
Q: What inspired you to start the Dive Bar Choir?
A: As a voice coach and a passionate singer, I have students who are so shy and unsure of their voice, but really want to sing. They're too shy to even sing karaoke on their own. One of my students was in a community choir, which she needed to audition for to join. The standard was high for singers.
I started thinking, “Where can singers, who are unable to reach the standards of choirs that select members based on auditions, participate in group singing? Where can people who don’t call themselves ‘real singers’ but who love to sing sing?”
After a bit of research, I found pop-up choirs with sing-alongs and group singing in three-part harmony gaining popularity around the world, but I couldn’t find this type of pop-up choir in Nashville.
So, I decided to create something that I knew my singing students would love: a monthly pop-up choir where attendees can just drop in, no need to audition or read sheet music. A small ticket price around the price of a decent burger would include a fun singing lesson, and they’d get to participate in singing a wonderful hit song with a bunch of strangers. And that’s how Dive Bar Choir came to be.
All About Singing
Q: What if I’ve never sung in a choir before?
A: If you’ve never sung in a choir before, that’s perfectly OK. If you have sung in a choir, well, that's alright too. In other structured choirs, you learn a repertoire and then rehearse and rehearse week after week after week until finally performing a bunch of songs as part of a recital or show.
Dive Bar Choir turns this structure totally on its head. At each month’s Dive Bar Choir event, we’ll learn one song in three-part harmonies in just 90 minutes, and then immediately perform it, taking a video recording to save the memory forever.
Q: Do I have to know how to read music?
A: No. Unlike other choirs, which rely on singers needing to know how to sight-read music, Dive Bar Choir makes it easy to follow along with zero music experience. Instead of sheet music, we use overhead-projected lyrics, color-coded into three voice sections: high, medium, and low voices. Once you choose your voice section based on your vocal range, all you have to do is follow the color on each slide.
We also make following the tune of each part super easy by melody-direction mapping the lyrics. This creates a simple visual representation of the melody that’s perfect for people who can’t read music.
Q: What if I’m a bad singer/have a bad voice?
A: Don’t let thinking you are a bad singer stop you. As long as you love to sing, you can still sound good in the Dive Bar Choir. Part of the magic of choirs is that they’re greater than the sum of their parts. With so many other voices singing around you, you can sing your heart out with all the passion and enthusiasm you can muster.
Q: What if I don’t know my voice part?
A: No worries! Once you start singing, it will be easy to tell if you have a high, low, or medium voice. If at any time during the event you realize the part you chose is too high or too low, you can switch to a different section.
Q: What will I learn in the singing lesson part of the event?
A: As a voice coach with a lot of experience with song production and arrangements, it’s only natural for Zelda to start every Dive Bar Choir event with a short, fun voice warm-up. No matter your skill level, warming up gets your voice, face, and body ready for awesome singing. You’ll also learn about holding notes, when and how to breathe, rhythm, keeping time, and most importantly of all, how to sing your part with others to make a song come alive with three-part harmony.
All About Music
Q: Will I know what the song is before I buy the ticket?
A: Each month’s song will be revealed one week before the performance. You can wait to buy your ticket until the reveal, but tickets may sell out before then. Join the VIP guest list (a.k.a. our mailing list) to be the first to know when we announce the song. Tickets are $10 when purchased in advance and $15 at the door.
Q: What’s so special about the songs you’re going to feature?
A: The songs have been chosen because they’re both easy to learn in 90 minutes with lots of repetition, and fun to sing.
Q: What if I don’t like the song?
A: Unlike other choirs where the singers are required to rehearse and sing the same set of songs for the whole season, Dive Bar Choir learns a new song every month. Every event is a different song, so if this month’s selection isn’t for you, next month’s might be. Plus, many people who regularly participate in pop-up choirs say they’ve never encountered a song that they don't like to sing. Even if the song isn’t something you’d normally listen to, singing it might be a totally different experience.
Q: What if I hate country music?
A: That’s fine! We’ll be singing hit songs in other popular genres besides country music. And, when we do sing country music, rest assured we’ll be singing only awesome songs like Dolly Parton’s evergreen hit, “Jolene.” Even if you wouldn’t be caught dead in cowboy boots, it’s hard to resist singing along with that killer chorus.
Q: Do I have to be familiar with the song?
A: No worries if the song is a mystery to you—that’s actually the point! Dive Bar Choir is built on the idea of taking a room full of strangers and teaching them a brand-new arrangement from the ground up in only 90 minutes.
Q: What kind of songs would we be singing?
A: Dive Bar Choir focuses on the biggest and most popular hits ever, from current chart toppers to evergreen vintage songs we love to sing.
The stage at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge.
Logistics
Q: Do I need to bring anything?
A: Bring your playfulness, your passion, and your love of singing. An openness to learning a song or maybe a genre that you’ve never sung before is also great to bring along.
Q: I’ve never been to a dive bar; what can I expect?
A: Dive bars come in all shapes and sizes. Some develop their character naturally over decades, but many modern dive bars are intentionally designed to feel familiar and comfortable, with decor curated to feel “divey.” Each dive bar has its own aesthetic and vibe, but what they do have in common are reasonable prices and a no-frills, welcoming atmosphere.
What I like about dive bars like Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge (the location of our first event) is the casual, come-as-you-are vibe, and of course, drink prices that won’t break the bank. You can relax and be yourself, knowing folks won’t look down on you, even if you sing a bad note!
Q: Why Dees Country Cocktail Lounge for Dive Bar Choir Launch Party?
A: Dees Country Cocktail Lounge has earned its place as one of the best 70’s themed dive bars in the USA (Esquire Magazine) and is widely known as a highly affordable, retro-style neighborhood staple and live music incubator. It’s one of our fave local bars where we often go to see our musician friends perform their shows, and the folks at Dees are as excited as we are for the Dive Bar Choir launch party event.
Q: What if I don’t drink?
A: While the setting may be a dive bar, there’s no pressure to drink alcohol during the event. All venues will have water and soda to wet your whistle, and many bars have fun non-alcoholic “mocktails” to try. Just be sure to keep hydrated, no matter what you’re drinking.
Q: How old do I need to be to participate?
A: Dive bars are, well, bars, so events are 21-plus. But we do have all-ages choirs coming up in the future, so join the guest list (a.k.a. our email list) to get notified about upcoming events.
Q: Is this a long-term commitment, or can I just come to one event?
A: There’s no lock-in commitment with Dive Bar Choir. You can come to just one or, if you like it, come back again and again. Bring a friend or two and make it a fun social event for you and your crew.
Q: Is it okay if I come alone, or do I need to bring friends?
A: Yes, it’s perfectly fine to come by yourself, and you certainly won’t be the only one. We’ll come as strangers, but leave as Dive Bar Choir friends. That’s the power of group singing. We’re in this together, making magic happen with our voices.
Q: Will people be friendly?
A: Yes, we’re all friendly folks here in the Dive Bar Choir, especially the Dive Bar Choir leader. Come up and introduce yourself to me, Zelda. You’ll also find some folks who will buddy up with you to help you feel right at home. You can even volunteer to be a buddy to others who have also come on their own. We’ll have some “Buddy Buttons” available to wear to make it easy to meet folks.
If you’re ready to join the Dive Bar Choir, you can learn more on the dedicated Dive Bar Choir page of our website. For more info, reach out to Zelda through our contact form. We’re excited for you to join us at the first event from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM on Thursday, June 11th, at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge. And, if you want to dive deeper into singing outside of a choir setting, you can set up a free discovery session to see if voice lessons are a fit for you.