Values and Purpose in Choir

Recently I went on a vacation to Seattle and Vancouver for 10 days and returned at the end of last week. It was wonderful to relax and explore two cities I had not previously traveled to. Although it was cloudy and rainy for much of my time in the Pacific Northwest, I enjoyed exploring the area and soaked in as much of the natural beauty as possible. I also experienced quite a bit of variable and unpredictable weather, especially while I was in Vancouver. There were times when the weather report said 80% chance of rain but there wasn’t a drop. Other times, rain seemed to appear out of nowhere. I learned that bringing an umbrella with me everywhere was a necessity!

Just as I needed to use my powers of observation to see what the weather was in reality, so I was reminded me that as a choir director, I need to trust my senses and powers of observation what’s really happening, rather than going by rote or doing “what I’m supposed to”. I’ve had the experience of starting a few different positions. It’s really easy to think “x warm-up, anthem, or activity was a huge hit at my previous position so it will be a tremendous success here.” That may or may not be the case. Even more tempting is to see a successful activity another choir director does and assume it will work in my context.

Even working at the same organization for years, perhaps certain warm-ups, anthems or activities continue to shine. Or perhaps they’ve lost their luster. If certain activities don’t work in the same way anymore, perhaps a shift in focus is in order. For a warm-up, maybe focus on a different technique through the same exercise, or try it at a different series of vowels, tempo, or articulation. Or perhaps it’s time that warm-up a rest. At St. Andrew, the congregation I serve, I’m planning a concert in March 2024 that will center around Fauré Requiem. We’re going to start rehearsing one of the movements this week. As a result, I’ll be changing up some of my warm-ups to reflect concepts I want to teach through the Requiem, especially as it relates to vowels, consistent tempo in legato singing, and dynamic nuances. In addition, I’m planning on being able to transfer those concepts to other pieces.

Regarding anthems, perhaps a choir has sung a particular selection on a regular basis so much that it feels stale. Perhaps a change of focus in the piece will transform it. Or maybe it’s time to put it to rest for a time. In a previous congregation, I remember selecting With A Voice of Singing by Martin Shaw quite bit, so I took a break from it for a year. Now I have the joy of experiencing it at St. Andrew.

On the other hand, looking at the weather outside is one thing. Re-evaluating what each of us does is much more challenging. For those of us who have been choral directors for years, it’s easy to fall back on what we’ve done in the past. For those just starting out in the field, it’s easy to emulate a mentor or our training. While it’s been a long journey, starting to find my voice and set of priorities as a choral conductor has been lots of hard work, but it’s been gratifying thus far. Part of this work is being in touch with one’s purpose and values. I have found Dr. Brené Brown’s exercise on values as important in my professional and personal lives. Narrowing to 2 key values has helped provide a lens through which I make decisions.

https://brenebrown.com/resources/dare-to-lead-list-of-values/

In addition to the above exercise, I highly recommend author Simon Sinek’s TED talk based on his book Start With Why. In it, he believes that the most successful organizations are those that have a strong mission. Developing a strong mission has been important in my work in explaining the value of what I do, but also gives me an easier way of pivoting the direction of a program, piece of music, or event. If I center something around the why/mission/purpose, the “what” as in the specific activity becomes not as important. Below is the link to the TED talk. May it help you check your internal weather and keep you grounded during the end of the school year/program year.