Megaphone’s Yours: Boston GMB’s Guide to Chant Leading
Forged in the crux of the struggle of the BUGWU's ongoing strike by IWW militants on the picket line, this chant leading guide is a valuable resource
Written By: FW Ingrid and FW Riot
Chant leading is an imperative skill on the picket line: The strength and dynamism of chants set the tone for everyone at the demonstration. Great chant leading energizes, poor chant leading demoralizes. This is a guide to ensure that your chant leading rises to the occasion.
Clarity first, loudness second. Enunciating your words is critical if you want people to yell back the right response. The megaphone is your amplifier and will ensure you’re heard, even if you don’t yell at the top of your lungs. However, the megaphone can’t fix mumbling. Sound out the words if you have to!
Tip: Opening your mouth more helps with projection and enunciation. Theater performers are taught to do so when performing, so the audience can hear the performers clearly.
Know your chants, or at least have them down. The chant sheet is your friend, and if you have a chant sheet, there’s no harm in referencing it when leading chants.
That said, having at least a few chants memorized will do wonders.
Have the rhythm down, not just the chants. Chants often have a proper rhythm, and so chant leaders should ensure that their chants are rhythmically correct. People will be thrown off if, for example, you put em-PHA-sis on the wrong syl-LA-ble.
Passion is key. All too often, chant leaders will be monotone and be lackluster on the megaphone. Great chant leaders convey that they care through their tone and body language. Effort goes a long way in chant leading.
Tip: Straightening your back can be a simple measure in this respect.
Tip: If you’re not holding the megaphone with both hands, having gestures that match up with your chants can also help. An example of this is counting accordingly on one hand if you’re saying, “1-2-3-4!”
Walk through the entire chant the first time. Doubly so if you’re introducing a new chant or if there’s no chant sheet for people to reference. A walkthrough may not be needed for the most common chants, but saying the entire chant for the first round ensures people know what the response is.
It’s about the recovery, not the stumble. Great chant leaders screw up all the time, and that’s okay! People stutter, people blank on the chant mid-way, people say the wrong words. However, recovery in chant leading means picking back up ASAP. Once you pick back up, the crowd response will follow! This also assumes that people even notice to begin with: in many cases, they don’t!
Practice beforehand. There are quite a few issues that can come up in chant-leading. Practicing beforehand allows you to familiarize yourself with not only the chants, but the delivery. This can be done before or on the picket.
Be adaptable chant-wise. Sometimes, people may suggest solid chants to you while you’re chant leading. Other times, there may be spontaneous events such as a scab trying to cross the picket line. In these cases, it’s good to change gears on chants when needed. An example of this for the latter scenario would be chanting at the scab, “Shame! Shame! Shame!”
Take intermissions. This means taking a break from the rotation of chants every once in a while. In intermissions, chant leaders can shout out unions (e.g. your own branch), give words of encouragement, and give needed context on why this picket is happening. An easy way to set the stage for an intermission is to yell, “Make some noise!”
Take breaks. Your voice is important, so make sure to take care of it. Cough drops and water are your friends. Don’t be afraid to pass off the megaphone to someone else when your voice needs a break.
Get out there! With this guide, you have everything you need to rise to the occasion as a chant lead on the picket line. Chant leading is an underrecognized vessel of passion and enthusiasm. By reading this, you empower yourself to empower those on the picket line.
It would be remiss of us to not top this off with a chant, so as a recommended chant, here’s a favorite of ours.
Call: What is our duty?
Response: To strike!
Call: What is our destiny?
Response: To win!
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