Choral Ethics: Music is the Easy Part

“I don’t care much about music. What I like is sounds.” Dizzy Gillespie

When I was about 18 or 19, soon after I began my undergraduate program, my late mother, a coloratura soprano, told me music is the easy part of being a musician. Being 18 or 19 and knowing EVERYTHING (as you do) at that point in my life, I questioned what she meant. Mom chuckled and told me to think about how recitals and concerts are put on stage and then come back to her for the rest of our discussion.

I did as she suggested. I thought about practicing, learning texts or dialogues before full rehearsals, then coming together with a practically perfect performance product, ready to be put on stage. And said as much. Mom shook her head and asked me to go back and think AGAIN about how recitals and concerts are put on stage. I was flummoxed at that point, not understanding what she meant.

Finally, Mom sat me down, and told me to pay attention to what she was going to say. First, she asked about the music; who decides what is on the concert, and what is programmed? I said, the conductor or director or performers. Yes, she said, but it’s a bit more complicated than that and SOMEDAY, since I was going to be a choral conductor, it would be me who would make those decisions.

How do you decide what’s on the program? As a conductor, do you choose only music you like and so you can have the final say? Or is it dependent on time of year, who your performers are, where you are performing, if there is a governing body of some sort for your ensemble or what repertoire will bring a good-sized audience. Once the music is programmed, it’s “just” a question of rehearsals, and the easy part begins, or so I thought.

The music is programmed, so who are your performers? Must you hold auditions for every concert or once you’re in, you’re in? And are there exceptions, such as, if this is a school chorus and you’re the teacher, do you have auditions anyway?

Now, the performers are chosen and ready for rehearsals, and things should get, I again thought, easier. But how many rehearsals do you need for the music you have programmed so it is sure to be an excellent performance? How do you decide who sits where and when it’s concert time, who is next to whom? Where do you rehearse? Is there adequate space for your ensemble? Is there a piano in the space and is it tuned? What about risers and storage space for your music to be stored properly?

Concerts need venues, and all the questions about rehearsal space extend to the venue, but more so. Are there adequate backstage and greenroom space for your performers? What about lighting; is there enough for your performers, accompanying ensemble and YOU? What about the program and program notes—do you write them or hire someone—and who oversees printing? Of course, if you are writing the program notes, there is research and writing in addition to making sure everyone’s name is spelled correctly.

After the concert is scheduled, there should be PR about your concert, and someone needs to sell tickets. Are your performers required to sell tickets or do you have office staff or volunteers to do that? Are you in charge of ushers or will the venue supply them? If you have a pre-concert lecture, who decides who will do it and hires them?

Concert day arrives, so what is concert dress? It was probably easier in Mom’s day than in ours, since all men wore tuxedos and all women wore black gowns. Will your group go with concert black for all? Or will you stick with standard tuxes for identifying males and all black for identifying females? Or will your group wear something completely different and what will that be?

There is sure to be something I forgot, but you get the idea. As musicians, we know what to do, practice, practice, practice. It’s easy to do because that’s what we are trained to do. It’s all the other parts of our job that usually challenge us. This summer, I hope you are blessed with more music, less of the other stuff and time to savor your break!

This will be my last completely new material Choral Ethics Blog post until mid-August or so. We’ll have some oldies, but goodies and I might write something when I’m on a long-looked-forward-to “real vacation.” I need to slow down as much as anyone else and plotting out the rest of the summer now seems like a smart idea. I try to be here, one way or another, every week because I know many of you look forward to this blog and I don’t want to disappoint you.

 Have a GREAT SUMMER!