Why am I setting a tongue Twister to music?

We all know tongue twisters.

No matter what language we speak or in what part of the word we are, we have gone through the challenging yet fun experience or trying to say, and sometimes learn, a tongue twister. They are short snippets of a whole world of words that I can resist setting to music, but there are more reasons than this.

Tongue Twisters improve my diction

Everyone in my life has told me, at least once, that I speak too fast. They struggle to understand my words once I get excited about a subject! Many even say that I talk as if I am constantly reciting a tongue twister, so I thought: what a better thing to set to music that what relates to my way of communicating?

In a more serious tone, tongue twisters help me to practice my diction and to make me pause and go slow at first so I can conquer the words I am trying to say. I can’t resist going fast once I learn it but the process of slowing down makes me practice my pronunciation, along with learning new words!

Tongue Twisters are international

Choirs are made of people from all over the world, who speak several different languages. I have met people from all over the world thanks to choral music.

That is one of my favorite things about being in a chorus. We learn from other cultures and from other ways of speaking.

Tongue Twisters relate well to this characteristic because there is at least 1 in every language. Every time I get to learn a new tongue twister in a different language, I feel I have a mini introduction to the sounds, expressions, words, of an entire part of the world. I get this snippet of culture in one short paragraph, and it is fun!

Tongue Twisters are a game and a challenge

I like challenges! I am underselling that. I LOVE CHALLENGES.

I also like silly and fun stuff. I’ve learned that as serious as I can be, I am also a silly gu who enjoys silly and fun phrases, or even nonsense sounds. I laugh like crazy at the worst jokes you’ve ever heard. If you say potato with the right look, you will get a laugh from me.

Tongue Twister Project

I am making this task a project. It is my desire to set at least one tongue twister a year, and one in every language possible. What a challenge! This will take me some years, but it’s a good thing that I am in for the long run, right?

Traveling the world is fascinating. Even more, is to get to know another culture and learn from them and their communication. I want to be able to visit other places and to learn more tongue twisters so I can set them to choral music.

If you are interested in commissioning a new tongue twister (or a set of them) email me at carlos@thehappychoir.com and let’s talk about ideas. I love that this project will help me to connect with different ensembles, and to create different levels of difficulty, from easy, one voice pieces, to challenging and divisi.

It is my dream to create a book of tongue twisters with several short pieces that work as etudes for choirs of all ages. A book that reunites several cultures in one fun and silly game.