Church Choir

Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Invisible Women

September 27, 2018 by Marie Grass Amenta Leave a Comment

“The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.” Oscar Wilde

You all know “her” but you may not know exactly what she does. She is just there, connected with your ensemble in some way. What she does is invisible to you and everyone else, but I am here today to tell you, what she does is important. You’ve never really paid attention to what she does so you’ve never really thanked her. Your groups have always worked as a “well-oiled machine”—and you are grateful—but do you know who the “gears” are?

She is your music librarian or the president of your parent group. Or maybe she’s on your board (or the spouse of a board member) or the secretary of your church or department. She is a section leader or perhaps she has no defined job but is just helpful to you and your choirs. “She” may not be female either, but if pressed, you know exactly who I’m speaking about.

Your main thrust is the music, as it should be, but do you realize how many people it takes to get your concert up on stage? Or your fundraiser up and going and raising funds? There are many people, besides the obvious, who help you and your organization, your church choir, your choral program and without them, you could not do what you do. Think about it; all those little behind-the-scene things which separately, are not as important as the music but together can make or break your choral groups.

Your choir robes are cleaned every summer; someone takes them to the cleaners and brings them back. The concert programs are done in plenty of time for your concerts, collated and inserts are put in if need be. Tour tee-shirts, with all the correct sizes and THIS YEAR’S Tour Logo, somehow magically appear when they need to. Handouts are collated, music is filed and folders have the correct music in them; you are really not sure who made it happen. Your website and Facebook page and Twitter are all updated in a timely fashion. Bottles of water are ready for rehearsals and concerts and recycled without you giving it a thought. Chairs are set up on risers; your accompanist has what they need for every rehearsal. Concert PR material goes out when needed. Auction items and raffle prizes magically appear so your fund raisers can raise funds, with as little hassle to you as possible. All those little things are accomplished by others so you may keep your mind on the “important” things.

This year, as we begin our new academic and concert seasons, make it a point to learn “who does what” for you and your choirs so you may thank them appropriately. Since you’ve never really paid attention and never really thanked those responsible for your success, perhaps it’s time you began. I will guarantee this; if you don’t start thanking people now, you will quickly learn what it is they do for you when they no longer do so!

Next week, we begin a new Choral Ethics series for the month of October; When Times Are Tough.

Choral Potpourri: Success, I Guess

June 21, 2018 by Marie Grass Amenta 1 Comment

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of the intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the beauty in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that one life has breathed easier because you lived here. This is to have succeeded.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today I ran into a former singer of mine; a tenor from an old church job. Always a lovely man, he and his wife were two of my favorite singers and I was delighted to see him. He told me the choir still talks about me, always about something good he assured me, and they miss me. Still. I left in 2004.

I didn’t want to leave, not really, but all sorts of little things about my job and about the church had bothered me. I was crabby, I was stressed and those little things bothered me more and more. My boss (clergy) was married to another professional church musician and felt the need to explain (over and over)how HE numbered the cubbies in HIS choir room at HIS church and maybe I should try it that way. There was nothing wrong with the numbering system of the cubbies in our choir room—it worked just fine for my choir– so I paid no attention to her jabbering. But every time I saw her or talked to her, she pointed out that darn numbering. Of the cubbies. In the church choir room. Doing it her spouse’s way would have meant A LOT of busy work for me, to re-number everything and would have meant the choir would have had to be on board to make it happen; I wanted to work on music with them, not argue with them! This Clergy tended to “throw me under the bus” when it came to taking responsibility for unpopular decisions, so no way did I want to do this. This was not the reason I left, but it was part of a bigger reason.

I loved that job. I loved the people in my choirs; the bells, the children, the adults and my sacred dance troop. I loved their musical abilities and the music we made together, I loved their families, and I loved the rest of the staff (mostly) too. I worked with a total of three organists (not including interims and subs); one of whom I really liked, one who was a newbie and had to be taught everything –we got along okay for the most part—and one who was a total pain. If you saw me work with those three, you would have had a hard time knowing which was which—except for the newbie—because I tried to always be professional, no matter what.

When I spoke with that tenor today, he told me the people who have replaced me are perfectly nice people and the musical standard I had held them to has been upheld. But something is missing. He said I had a certain something they miss; and they miss me. I told him I hoped the choir didn’t bring me up to their new directors often because there is something obnoxious about THAT! He assured me, I was only mentioned occasionally and never to put anyone down. Our conversation made me feel good, as if I had made a difference in the life of that church. It was comforting to know I was still remembered fondly. I had often wondered if I was successful in what I set out to do, which was to rise above the ordinary. Maybe I did.

Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Ethical Dilemma, Part One

June 7, 2018 by Marie Grass Amenta 4 Comments

“Nothing is less important than which fork you use. Etiquette is the science of living. It embraces everything. It is ethics. It is honor.” Emily Post

I have had two ChoralNetters contact me in the last month about two different Choral Ethics dilemmas. Both leave me scratching my head. Perhaps you can help; maybe you’ll have a better answer than I do. Today, I’ll present Adam*’s dilemma and next week it will be Brick*’s turn.

Adam is the choirmaster/organist for a mid-sized Mainline Protestant church. His congregation is a member of a coalition of churches pooling resources. He is the only professional musician in the group of five (now six) churches who share clergy and others things. He plays most Sundays at his own congregation, with the occasional Sunday at one of the other churches. During Lent and Advent, he directs a Festival Choir comprising his choir and singers from the other congregations, rotating among the churches. Since Adam is the only professional musician in this group of churches, he directs the Festival Choir and works with them during scheduled rehearsals several Saturdays before important Holy Days.

This arrangement works for the most part. Adam plays whatever instrument the other congregations have or brings his own keyboard for the one who has none. The volunteer musicians from the other churches respect him but there have been one or two incidents of territorialism. Adam will be moving on in about eighteen months, perhaps sooner, so right now he doesn’t care about whose territory is whose or the fact he is expected to drag his keyboard around. What he does care about is illegal music copying.

Right after Easter, one of the volunteer musicians from another of the congregations asked him if his church would like their quite extensive choral music library. She told him they could no longer use it but perhaps his bigger choir could use some of the music or they could use it when they had their twice yearly festival choirs. She suggested what his choir could not use could be donated to another choral organization or recycled.

He took the boxes and boxes and BOXES of music and put it in the back seat of his car, and some in the trunk. Adam didn’t have time to immediately go through it but put it all in his living room, where it sat for several weeks. After complaining about what a hassle it was, sitting there, one of his friends offered to help him go through it. They found some real gems, never expecting to find anything like that, as well as some dregs but PLENTY of things for his own church and the festival choir. He also found 32 files full of copied music; 32 folders. Some anthems, some hymns from hymnals he doesn’t think they own and some blatant illegal stuff.

Adam has not been especially happy the last year or so in his position. The church hierarchy has not wanted to give him a raise or pay him mileage (or gas money) for all the churches he’s now expected to serve as official professional musician. Since Adam and I began our correspondence in early May, they’ve added yet another church to the coalition. They are, to quote Adam, cheap.

He can’t stand the idea of the music copies he found. I asked him what he did with the folders and he told me he took pictures with his phone and then shredded them with his home office shredder. It took him four hours. Now, he wants to tell someone what he found. I asked him this question; why? Does he want to get someone in trouble? My guess whoever did this is long gone. Does he want to threaten someone? Does he think he could use this as leverage for a raise? Adam tells me he is moving on in about 18 months to go back to school, so I asked if he thought this could be an issue with a reference if he did so.

What would you do? Who would you tell and why? If the copies are shredded, should that be the end of it? And since this is one of the churches in the coalition Adam is not usually responsible for, should it be his business in the first place?

*Name Withheld

Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Almost There

March 29, 2018 by Marie Grass Amenta Leave a Comment

“Nothing is a greater impediment to being on good terms with others than being ill at ease with yourself.” Honore de Balzac

We are almost finished with another Lenten, Holy Week and Easter season. Church musicians are rounding the corner, heading toward the end of the finish line of their busiest six weeks, exhausted and craving chocolate bunnies. Even those in academics are well into rehearsals for their final concerts of the semester. And if you are in the community sector, your last concerts loom ahead in the next two months. All the planning and preparation, all the rehearsals, missed or postponed meals and family events you couldn’t attend because of your obligations are bearing fruit. FINALLY!

Was it worth it? I don’t mean to tell you how you should be feeling in this Blog; only get you to think. Have you even attempted to take care of yourself the last few months? Are you crabby? Have you been short with those closest to you? Are you constantly tired and always feel a bit under the weather? And do you push on anyway? What price has this season exacted on you, physically, emotionally and personally?

I used to think it was selfish; now I see the wisdom and am a great believer in taking care of myself so I am able to take care of others. Some may think it counter-intuitive to take care of ourselves so we are able take care of others. But every time we fly we are reminded in the event of a crash, to put on our oxygen mask before putting on the mask of any young child with whom we are traveling. Makes sense; take of yourself so you are able to help those who will need your help the most.

It IS important for you to take care of yourself during the busiest times in our profession. I am not suggesting you neglect or ignore what your need to do to make your worship services or concerts happen. But one or two small things done for your own health and well-being could make a difference in your mood and ability to get things done.

Know what you need to be productive, less crabby and more pleasant and then DO THEM! Try eating as healthy as you are able, with regular meals especially during Holy Week and have a food you really, really enjoy occasionally. A twenty minute Power Nap right before rehearsal could help your productivity and your mood. Are you a big college basketball fan with no time to watch a game and a bit bummed not being to watch the NCAA Tournament? Have a friend or family member keep you informed or record your favorite’s games and watch them later. The Big Game is on the day after Easter so you have something to look forward to after this marathon week.

I know what I need. I crave the occasional cheeseburger, need my “Huey Lewis and the News” and read Vogue on an irregular basis. My favorite candy bar is a Heath Bar but won’t turn down a Milkyway or Three Musketeers. I detest kale and would be happy with a BLT every day for lunch if I could get away with it. In my quest to be healthy, I rarely have a cheeseburger or a BLT, only have a candy bar when I’m riding a commuter train but I do choke down kale regularly. The Vogue is a guilty pleasure and only I listen to Huey and friends when I am cleaning. However, when I am in the midst of yet another screwy concert cycle, I make sure I have cheeseburgers, Vogue with a side of Heath Bar, while listening to Huey, and then a short nap. Can’t forget my nap!

It is too late for this year but please think what your own needs are to get through your toughest times. Make a list and include it in your notes for next year. Consider incorporating those needs in your life all the time; and do one thing you need to make life a bit easier, so you feel a bit more human. Your choirs will thank you. Your partner or spouse or children or parents will thank you. Catching a sports score or eating chocolate or taking a nap won’t change the world but it might make it just a bit more pleasant and YOU a bit more pleasant!

Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Some Advice Bears Repeating, Part Two

March 22, 2018 by Marie Grass Amenta Leave a Comment

“There is no harm in repeating a good thing.” Plato

Last week, I wrote about recently getting emails concerning three problems I know I have addressed before in this Blog. I wrote about one of those re-occurring problems—tardiness. This week, we will tackle the other two.

Absences

Like the tardiness issues from last week, if you haven’t yet had a problem with absences in your choir, you will. My advice holds true here as well; decide what you would do in a situation, create a policy and then be consistent. Your choir needs to understand what your absence policy is and understand it very clearly. There are plenty of exceptions and you need to decide how you will handle those as well.

Absences from rehearsals should be one part of your absence policy. Grades with absences as part of a grading rubrics are often a slippery slope except for one thing; the concert. If one of your singers fails to show up for a concert, you could be within your rights to give them a lower grade. There are plenty of good reasons for NOT showing up for a concert such as illness or a death in the family. Forgetting about the concert or forgetting to tell a parent they need a ride to the concert is NOT a good reason. If you have a chorus contract, with a parent’s signature in addition to a student’s signature, make sure your concert absence requirements are stated clearly. And consider sending out emails and/or texts to parents to remind them as concert time approaches.

College and University organizations will have their own requirements. My undergrad conducting professor, who also conducted all the major choral organizations, had us sing in assigned quartets (or quintets, depending on the repertoire) a week before every concert. He didn’t care how many rehearsals you came to; he only cared if you knew the music. He would take one complete rehearsal to go through a section of a work we were singing to check–so you better not be absent for that rehearsal!

With church choirs, every Sunday could be considered a concert. There will be times you have a full complement of singers and there are times you will not. Lynn’s* choir doesn’t sing on Christmas Eve because most of her singers are with family and it got to be too hard to have a full choir. She does her big Advent/Christmas music every year on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Everyone in her congregation, including the clergy, is happy. I used to have a choir absence sign-up sheet for the whole choir year so I knew when Betty-the-Alto* would be back from Florida and planned my Lenten Cantata accordingly.

Community choruses have singers paying for the privilege of singing in a concert. Should they be penalized for not attending rehearsals? If they miss a concert, should they not be welcomed back? Only you and your board can make those sorts of decisions. But your other singers may have opinions. If they attend every rehearsal, should those who do not get to sing?

Gossip

I hate gossip. Hate, hate, HATE GOSSIP! And yet, we are all surrounded by gossip, every day. Look at your Twitter feed or Facebook or the magazines in the rack by your grocery store check-out—so much gossip. It IS fun to read about celebrities or people in the news or British Royalty but we can assume most of it is not true.

Earlier this year I wrote about being contacted by people who cannot believe their colleagues nerve or chutzpah or whatever you want to call it. Back-stabbing, undermining and talking smack about others; these are the toads of our profession. What to do when you are confounded by hearing you are being gossiped about? How do you handle it when your singers are being lured away? Why is another choral person questioning your education and ability and program and your choir? I told them there are no easy solutions, other than to take the high road. And I promised eventually they’ll be vindicated because I believe in Karma. The advice to my current correspondents is the same.

I do believe in Karma. I do believe in doing right, not talking smack about others and trying to take the high road. But it is tough. I recently learned one of the chief gossips about my own choral organization bumbled their recent concert. I know this for a fact. While, I suppose, I could take a certain pleasure in their bumbling, I can’t repeat it and behave in a Choral Ethical manner. Perhaps it IS Karma or perhaps it is not. I just know I can’t gossip, even about those who gossip about me. If nothing else, I know I behaved ethically; that counts for something.

*Name Withheld

Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Some Advice Bears Repeating, Part One

March 15, 2018 by Marie Grass Amenta 2 Comments

“There is no harm in repeating a good thing.” Plato

I have been regularly writing the Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics ChoralNet Blog since the fall of 2015. During the last two and a half years, I have received one or two emails every week. There are times which are busier than others, but the emails are steady. And periods when I believe the moon is in a certain phase since many of the emails which come to me, at approximately the same time, concern similar issues! The last few weeks, I have gotten emails about three problems I know I have addressed before. This week, I am writing about one of these re-occurring problems and next week will tackle the other two. My advice will be the same as before, but today, instead of telling their stories, I will state the problem, give the advice and perhaps elaborate a bit on each.

Tardiness

Those of you who direct choruses in an academic situation should have a tardiness policy in place. In grades K to 12, your particular school or district will have a policy; it should be your “go-to” response when you are confronted with any lateness. Be consistent with your response and use the perfectly good policy you have been given. Even if you direct an extracurricular chorus, stick with those policies, it will cut down on issues and headaches!

Colleges and universities should also have a policy and perhaps your choral ensemble has its own which should be in your syllabus stated very clearly. Again, you should reference it when you need to so there are no misunderstandings as to your expectations. Tardiness policies are useful when you are confronted by those students who are always late and expect special treatment. Those policies can also be part of your grading rubric.

Church choirs have their own, unique problems as to lateness and what you could allow. The wonderful baritone who is stuck in traffic one time for your Wednesday rehearsal and is 30 minutes late can be overlooked but the chatty soprano who is habitually 15 minutes late for every rehearsal and the warm-up before service, maybe not. Or should they be treated equally? When deciding what to do, it is best to take your other singers opinions in to consideration as Church Ladies are the ones who usually make things happen; try to make it fair and consult with your clergy, so all are happy. There are no right answers; just what’s best for your choir and congregation.

Community choruses, both children and adult, have constant tardiness problems because there are no grades involved. Unlike church choirs who sing many Sundays, there are usually one or two concerts each concert cycle and that’s it. If singers are always late and miss important announcements or rehearsing difficult passages, should they be allowed to sing the concert? If they pay a membership fee and are late, should they be allowed to sing anyway?

It states in my community chamber choir’s By-Laws that we allow three lates per concert cycle. If I have questions about their ability to sing the concert because of lateness, I will ask them to sing for me privately proving they can sing their part. In twelve years, I never have had to hear anyone sing privately. I also structure the beginning of my rehearsals to take into account traffic and weather (we are in Chicago, when anything can, and does, happen). We begin with warm-ups, then announcements and I consider anyone arriving after announcements, late. We do not warm-up again for latecomers and do not repeat announcements. I used to treat my church choirs the same way.

Several of my current correspondents are hesitant to address tardiness because they had never thought about it before. And now have a huge problem. It is always better to figure out how to handle something—which could potentially happen–before it happens. And then, be consistent.

Tardiness issues not only happen with singers but with directors too. Two community chorus singers contacted me recently about their habitually late director. A few years ago, I wrote about a community chorus who had had it with their always late director. Several members of their board were sitting in a mini-van in an ice storm in December, waiting for their director to show up for dress rehearsal. He had the keys to the venue. They were not pleased to be sitting in an ice storm in a mini-van and decided then and there not to renew their director’s contract in the spring. He didn’t seem to have respect for their time and they decided enough was enough; a perfectly good way of handling this situation. Something for both singers and directors to think about!