SPRING in to Music Making!

How is it Spring?!

If you are anything like me, you are wondering how January lasted “forever” and Spring rehearsals/concerts/performances/festivals are immediately around the corner….

The gray-ness and slow-ness of January can create a sense of panic in our February rehearsal time with all of our choirs – school, community and church – yet, YOUR flexibility and steadiness is what is needed by your singers.

Remember that old deodorant commercial, “never let them see you sweat”? As cringey as it may sound, isn’t that exactly what we are all called to do? We, as music educators, conductors & directors absorb all the tension, stress, nervousness of our ensembles. We want them to focus on creating wonderful music….yet, how do YOU take care of yourself?

Here are some ways that I have found aid me in my musical and educational journey during the cold months:

1.        Allow Choristers to Run Warm-Ups!

In every choir there are those singers who would love to have some more responsibility. Empower them to run your warm-ups each rehearsal for the month.

2.        Incorporate Outside Musicians

This is great for church choirs….give your choir (and you) the Sunday “off”. Have some sort of special music – hand bells, soloists (vocal or instrumental), ‘Sunday morning choir’ – don’t be afraid to say “we need a day off”.

3.        Get a Massage

Besides a bubble bath in complete silence, an hour-long massage helps me find my way back to “me”.  Make.Time.For.You.

4.        Festival Preparation

Make time for Sight-Reading and how your choir will maneuver through this process. As a long time choral festival sight-reading adjudicator, the groups that have their own process always succeed – even if they do not sing every note correctly – it’s about the process, not about the outcome (at least for me).

As choral directors, of any ensemble, we are aiding the creation of empathetic human beings. If your focus is solely on outcome, I urge you to reconsider or reorganize your goals. So much of what we do is experienced by our singers and our audiences as an “outlet”, what an amazing job we have, eh?! To be destination for peace, solace, comfort, happiness, joy, fellowship, kinship, etc.

https://youtu.be/oT9i0E-FwQI?si=2cWVBcZKFhF-ITpf

Musically yours,

Megan Higle

Lansing Children’s Choir, Artistic DirectorLansing First Presbyterian Church, Director of Music & Director of Christian EducationDeWitt Community Singers, Artistic Director