Choral Ethics: Being Grateful

I am taking a bit of a Choral Ethics break this week, and this is a repeat of an often requested Choral Ethics Blog.

“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.” Henry David Thoreau

I always try to be grateful, and I remain grateful, despite much upheaval in our world. There is one thing I know for certain; there is plenty more Good than there is evil in the world. And for that Good, I am grateful.

This fall and winter—seasons of our usual busyness—we are busier than last year. I am grateful for past and future opportunities to share our Art and for the knowledge that what we do matters.

Singing in a choir is something that draws people together and when the world is going to heck, it is healing. I am grateful for the opportunity to occasionally sing in a chorus myself. It makes me feel great to let someone else take over the “steering wheel” too, so I am grateful for an opportunity to sing with the South Holland Master Chorale and occasionally my own Alumni Chorus.

I am grateful for the music; the music I know and the music I don’t yet know. It was a privilege to have wonderful teachers, both male and female, guide me and for those pedagogues, Dr. Rao, Dr. Larson, Dr. Heider and my darling Dr. Groeling, I am grateful.

I work with a group of wonderful singers in my own chamber choir. Their musicianship and their constant growth humble and amaze me. Along with our accompanist, Ben, (who also sings bari-tenor or is it tenor-tone?) I am grateful for Kari, Marcella, Deb, Cindy, Rae, Emile, BJ and Ben too. I don’t know what I did to deserve them, but I am happy they are in my life. We were SO BLESSED to be able to sing together.

ChoralNet is pretty great. I am lucky to have been a ChoralNet User since 1995. The people I’ve met and the knowledge I’ve had access to has helped me in my career in so many ways. I’ve been a ChoralNet Moderator since 2011—TWELVE YEARS! — and have been blessed to work with some of the best human beings it has been my privilege to know.  I am grateful for my fellow Moderators!

I am grateful for having enough to eat, a good and warm place to sleep and people I love to share it with me. Of course, I am grateful for my family. My great husband, Chuck, and our three sons Russell, Gregory and Benjamin are the light of my life. Most days, our life together isn’t perfect, but some days, it’s practically perfect….we have a great life! I am honored and grateful for having had such wonderful parents who allowed me to dream and supported me in subtle ways. My Dad still does, coming to almost every concert I conduct, and my Baby Bro is my rock.

I live in a wonderful, diverse community with a great sense of what it means to be a community. I am blessed to be able to work with many, many wonderful fellow musicians and visual artists and business people sharing a vision for our community; for all of them (too numerous to name), I am grateful.

I have wonderful friends; some have been part of my life for a long time, and some have been part of my life for a short time. Robin, my oldest friend, is the only person I’ll name here but the others know who they are. And I hope they know what they truly mean to me. I am grateful for the fun times and serious times and silly times we’ve shared too!

I am a very healthy person, outside of allergies, and am rarely sick.  So, I am grateful for my good health and the relatively good health of those I love. My son Russell’s autism doesn’t count as illness; his ability to overcome some of his challenges and remain a sweet guy is something for which I am grateful.

There are many, many more people and things I am grateful for…including YOU!

 Happy Thanksgiving, ChoralNet!