The Top
Five Reasons I Love Directing Choirs
I recently
read a blog in which the writer shared five reasons why she loved teaching
music I began pondering her reasons and decided that I would share five reasons
why I love directing choirs.
1. I love working with people -- people of all
sizes, all kinds, and all ages. Choirs can bring together some of the most
diverse people on the planet. Anyone can
sing; God has blessed us all with an instrument. Consequently, anyone is open to being in a
choir. In my conducting life, I have had
the pleasure of directing adult choirs, college choirs, high school choirs, and
children’s choirs. I have directed community choirs and church choirs. Each one
has brought a unique set of challenges as well as a unique set of joys. No
matter what type or size of choir, I have always been amazed at the diversity
of the people that have come together with one goal in mind -- to make
beautiful music.
2. I love getting to know my singers. While I
have a passion for conducting choirs, my passion for getting to know my singers
is even greater. I want to know all about them. I want to know where they live
and what they do. I want to know when they first began singing. I want to know
when they first joined a choir. I want to know when they first discovered their
love for choral music.
3. I love taking the choir's many different
voices and melding them into one. A singer's instrument is not like any other.
While trumpets can sound different when played by different people, their sound
is inherently still that of a trumpet. If you put three women together and ask
each one to sing, their three voices may sound totally different. One of the
biggest challenges a choral conductor has, then, is taking this diverse group
of voices and blending them together to create an unforgettable choral sound. When that sound is reached, however, there is
a sense of fulfillment and ecstasy like no other.
4. I love choral music. I actually love music of all kinds, but I
especially love choral music because it deals with words. Words are powerful. They can be used to express joy and happiness
or despair and sadness. They can be used
to instill a sense of awe or convey a message of tragedy. They can be full of hilarity or wont of
despair. Granted, the melodies, harmonies,
and textures that are used to express these words must also express those same
emotions or feelings, but the text that is sung can take the listener to a much
deeper level or much higher plane than music without words.
5. I love educating people about music. I love
teaching my choir members the proper singing techniques. I love the expression
on their faces when they hear the difference that a slight change in technique
can make in the overall sound of the music. I love taking them beyond just
singing the notes to a place where they can create a piece full of magic and
wonder. I love educating my
audiences. I love sharing information
with them about our music. I love giving
them insight into a song or a composer that they might never have had if they
hadn’t been at our concert. I love
giving them something to think about while they listen and something to talk
about on the way home. I want to give
them an experience that is both educational and musical.
I have shared with you five reasons why I love directing choirs. There are many others, but those five have
had the biggest impact on why I have chosen to spend most of my life standing
around waving my hands in front of a choir.
I love it – what more can I say?
I can only hope that I will have the opportunity to continue leading
choirs for the rest of my life.
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