This weekend was my choir’s Spring Concert. Things went real well, wheelchair-wise. The first venue was great in terms of gettig on stage – this church’s chancel was ramped when their choir director needed to use a wheelchair. The green room was upstairs with no access. We’re unlikely to sing in Church No. 1 again, as the room is very dead acoustically.
The second venue was just the opposite – excellent access to the building in general, good bathrooms, an elevator to all floors, but no access to the 18″ high chancel. It used to not matter; the choir would sing in formation on the chancel steps, with the end person (me, naturally) on the floor. Now we have risers. For our March concert, I let myself be carried, but that was nerve-wracking and embarrassing, so last week I started hunting for a portable ramp to rent. Unbeknowst to me, my choir director had the same thought, and borrowed a 6-foot ramp from another organization! It was too steep for me to do alone (6 feet over 18 inches is a 1:4 slope, far steeper than the 1:12 ADA minimum), but much better than being carried.
I’ve been getting frustrated with my singing ability in general – I seem to be unable to sit up well enough to get good breath control and support for my tone. I wonder if the way my chair is set up is allowing me to slouch too much, rather than sitting poised up over my pelvis.
