Over Memorial Day Weekend, I visited friends and family in New Jersey. On the way back to Iowa City, I flew out of Newark Airport, Terminal A. It had been totally redesigned and renovated since the last time I had flown out of that terminal. The entryway met more of 21st century needs with more self-serve kiosks. It was very spacious. There were several more options for security lines. A message on a screen said how long it would take to go through security. 5 minutes! After security, the gate area was redesigned as well. It was also much more spacious. There was a quicker walk to the farthest gates. Food options were more spaced out and there was more variety. There were different types of seats, all which had outlets by most of the seats. In addition, lines to board planes or grab a bite to eat did not interfere with the flow of passengers walking to their gate. Shockingly, I felt much less stressed than when I had flown in the past.
This experience was a reminder to reflect on the design of the music ministry at St. Andrew in order to meet the current needs of participants and the community. When is the last time you’ve gone through an evaluation of the needs of your program? Summer is a great time for such work. Sometimes the needs are glaring us in the face where we know a change has to be made. At other times, the need might be subtle and involve a lot more introspection. In my context, there are far fewer rehearsals and fewer distractions during the summer: an optimal time to reflect on changes that I need to make.
Perhaps you may have encountered a few situations where the same end result was not to your liking. From my perspective, those are the types of situations that are easiest to see the need to address, if they are a part of a repeated pattern. In my context involves parts of communication with ensembles is something that needs addressing in advance of the fall. However, it’s not all communication. I send out a weekly email that has relevant and pertinent information clearly laid out for events in the short-term and down the road. I respond quickly and timely to emails, texts, or Facebook Messages. On the other hand, I discovered a shortcoming last winter. For a number of weeks, there was inclement weather on Wednesday or Thursday every week. Most of the times, it was not clear about whether to cancel rehearsal until mid or late afternoon. In such a scenario, a more immediate and instant method of communication, such as a mass text, would have been preferable over email or Facebook. As a result, one of my projects this summer will be figuring out the best platform for sending out quick messages to choir members’ cell phones.
From my perspective, having good communication systems is essential in choral programs. Another vital aspect of the music ministry at my church is how people care for each other. In the 10 months I’ve been at St. Andrew, I’ve been fortunate to have several additional singers join the Adult Choir. With that growth comes added challenges of making sure each choir member feels cared for. Whereas communication systems are relatively easy to evaluate and choose, there isn’t as clear a roadmap with systems of care and fellowship. For this aspect of the music ministry, I plan on brainstorming with 2 – 3 other choir members who could potentially help throughout the year. However, I know that I have a few areas I’d like to cover such as creating regular fellowship events, caring for singers when they’re seriously ill or have had a death in the family, integrating new singers into the choir, and acknowledging milestones or accomplishments.
Another part of reflecting on what renovations need to happen is reflecting on one’s strengths and weaknesses. Developing a communication system and additional layers of care are two things that I feel comfortable with. On the other hand, I sometimes the physical organization of spaces is something that’s more challenging for me. In the fall, I have a much better idea of the scope of the ensembles in the music ministry and where they’ll rehearse. That alone will help me assess the needs of storage spaces or rooms where ensembles rehearse. In addition, I plan on seeking assistance from other music ministry staff or choir members who are skilled at the physical organization of spaces.
Finally, for a recent Summer Choir anthem, we sang The Day Is Coming by Mark Miller. In case you’re looking for something memorable and accessible, this piece fits the bill!
What are some ways you’re going to renovate your choral program over the summer? Comment below!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.