Coventry music graduate designs choir app
Seb Farrall graduated from Coventry University in 2014, with a BA in Music Composition and Professional Practice. Since then, his career has blossomed as a Freelance Conductor and Vocal Coach as well as creating digital resources for choirs globally such as arrangements, orchestrations and backing tracks.
As with many other industries, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit choirs hard, forcing them all to close and turn to ‘virtual choirs’ as a way of performing. Seb says “As a freelance musician, my career is almost entirely made up of large mass gatherings so financially and emotionally, this period of time has been difficult.”
Seb’s virtual choirs originally involved members recording themselves singing before Seb then put all the recordings together. Some choir members found this more difficult than others and there were various technical difficulties. This led to Seb having an idea for an app which makes the process simpler for singers by showing a video of Seb conducting as well as sheet music and lyrics on their phone screen while they record a video that they can easily send through to Seb via the app. The app has become a pillar in supporting virtual choirs which is really important as it is unlikely that large groups will be able to sing together in the near future. Seb says “I dearly miss conducting over 200 singers a week but the app does bring a sense of togetherness and cohesion. It will never be the same as making music together in person – but it’s close!”
The app has gained interest from lots of musical directors around the world that are experiencing the same problems. As well as choirs, the app works well with other musical ensembles too including bands, orchestras, dance troupes and theatre groups.
Seb feels his degree has definitely helped his career and specifically mentioned...
Our final year collaborative project was a great way to tie-up the skills we gained in our years at Coventry University. My fellow student Jon Welling and I created a community men’s chorus called MenCho which even gained the attention of the local press!
We’re really proud of what Seb has gone onto achieve since graduating, particularly the way he has supported the creative community with his innovative app, during these difficult times.
