• Sign In
  • ACDA.org
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
ChoralNet

ChoralNet

The professional networking site for the global online choral community.

  • Home
  • Blog
  • ACDA News
  • Events
  • Community
    • Announcements
    • Classifieds

You are here: Home / A Family of Artists / Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Self-Fulfilling Prophesy

Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Self-Fulfilling Prophesy

May 12, 2022 by Marie Grass Amenta Leave a Comment


“America’s future will be determined by the home and the school. The child becomes largely what he is taught; hence we must watch what we teach, and how we live.” Jane Addams

I have been around the performing arts, LITERALLY, all my life. With an opera singer mother and a tap/ballet dancer/choreographer/stage director father, I can honestly say I made my stage debut before I could walk. I’ve met wonderful people and had many “aunts and uncles” (a show bizzy way of referring to adults who are close to your parents but who do not want to be called mister, miss, ms or Mrs. because they considered themselves “cool”) who had influence on me.

Many of those Aunts and Uncles were charming people who tended to be humble, but not too humble. They knew they were good; they knew they were talented but they didn’t hit you over the head with it. In the music world of my youth, my Mom and her friends could sing anything and play any role; it was magic. Dad and his friends knew everybody, saw everybody, and had ideas which were incredibly clever. I have to say, I was often intimidated because they seemed so confident, free, and relaxed.

One of the chief things I learned from them was to keep on. If you believed you could do it, you could do it. Maybe it would take perseverance and lots of practice, but you would eventually be able to do whatever you set your mind to. It was important to tell yourself you could do it. There was a time when I was about 15, I believed I could not do fouetté turns. Aunt Helen believed I could and worked with me. My own ballet teacher noticed the improvement over the summer and was proud of all my hard work. As a result, I believe in self-fulfilling prophecies; I finally believed I could do the fouettés, so I was able to do them, with much practice.

Belief in oneself is not a new idea but should be nurtured. It’s important for young artists to feel confident about their talent and abilities. We as teachers and directors should be supportive as well as realistic. Kindness and nurturing without impatience should be at the top of our list of teaching techniques for our students. Creating a climate of self-confidence and freedom to test their abilities should be our goals. We need to believe in them, so they are able to believe in themselves. Cutting someone down doesn’t motivate, despite dressing it up as being constructively critical, it just weakens self-confidence. And self-confidence is important in our profession; undermining it in others really undermines our own goals.

Lifting someone up, encouraging our students and singers to be the best they can be doesn’t sound difficult to accomplish, does it? It’s a little thing but it can make a world of difference in someone’s life.

 


Filed Under: A Family of Artists, Choral Culture, Choral Ethics, Choral Potpourri, Leadership, Self Care

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • ACDA.org
  • The ChoralNet Daily Newsletter

Advertise on ChoralNet

On This Day
August 17

Richard Wagner’s “Götterdämmerung,” the fourth and last of his music dramas in the “Ring” cycle, premiered on this day in 1876 in Bayreuth.

Would you like to submit a blog post for consideration?

Are you interested in becoming a regular ChoralNet blogger? Please contact ACDA Director of Membership & Communications Sundra Flansburg at .

RSS JW Pepper

  • Shop Disney’s Encanto Sheet Music
  • How to Prepare for Your First Concert
  • How to Establish Classroom Routines and Why
  • 5 Things to Consider When Buying Color Guard Equipment
  • PYO Music Institute Presents the 9th Annual Ovation Award in Partnership with J.W. Pepper, Jacobs Music, and WRTI 90.1 FM
  • 10 Easy-To-Learn Funky Tunes for the Stands
  • Zoom F3 Field Recorder Review: The Easiest Way to Get Pro Audio for Your Music Ensembles
  • J.W. Pepper Names Eric King as New Chief Financial Officer
  • The Music Teachers’ Guide to Recording an Ensemble: The Samson C02 Mics Review
  • The Zoom Q8n-4K Handy Video Recorder Review

RSS NAfME

  • “Together, We Are NAfME!”—A Back to School Message from NAfME President Scott R. Sheehan
  • Starting Your Music Suite Right
  • CDC Releases Updated Guidance for K-12 and Early Care and Education Programs: Considerations for Music Education Programs
  • Play Ball! Out to the Ballgame with Atlanta Braves Organist Matthew Kaminski
  • The Capacity to Collaborate
  • U.S. House Appropriations Committee Labor-HHS-Education Bill: Key Programs of Interest to Music Education Advocates
  • The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act: Providing for Safer Schools
  • Elevate Your Online Music Lessons
  • Ron Meers and John Stroube Honored as 2022 Lowell Mason Fellows
  • Believe in the Power of Great Teachers

Footer

Connect with us!

  • Home
  • About
  • Help
  • Contact Us
  • ACDA.org

Recent Blogs

  • Advocacy, Collaborations, Billie Eilish, and a Choir Movie!
  • Beginnings: Purpose and Transformative Gatherings
  • Reflective Practice and the Choral Director
  • 11 Things To Avoid At The First Rehearsal
  • Are We Doing Anti-Racism Wrong? With Dr. Sheena Mason

American Choral Directors Association

PO Box 1705
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
73101-1705

© 2022 American Choral Directors Association. All rights reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy