So I went to the local community choir last week.
Not feeling it. It felt incredibly disorganized. I didn't get a strong sense of leadership from the conductor. It felt like a bunch of people hanging out and singing around a campfire (or in this case, a stand-up piano). And you know... I can do that with my friends. M and I sing together all the time when we're in the car, or around the house. I want something more professional. I want to take my singing to the next level.
In high school, choir was wonderfully directed. I felt myself learn and grow and make amazing sound. I joined the community choir in my county and I was picked for the a capella group at school. It was great and I still remember some of those madrigal tunes. In college, I feel I leveled off in my development. I joined the university's choir and sang amazing works, and performed in amazing spaces (like at the Boston Symphony Hall). But I wasn't a vocal student, and in a crowd of 300, I was easily overlooked. When I was auditioning for the four (my senior) year the director noticed me. She said I had a wonderful voice and welcomed me to the choir. When I (politely) shared that I had been in the choir for three years already, she was shocked. That year, I was able to do some smaller ensemble singing, but again, I feel that I wasn't able to keep up with all the vocal students.
Five years have passed since I graduated college and I haven't performed since. I know I have a good voice. I know I have a good sense of pitch. The raw talent is there, I just know it. It again all comes down to intention and focus.
I sat down and did a little time analysis in my head: community choir would take roughly 3 hours a week, plus concerts. I would rather spend those three hours taking voice / guitar lessons. Yes, it will cost money, but I believe this is a much more intentional choice than just simply going with what's available.
We'll see. Now I need to find a teacher.
I completely understand. Syracuse Community Choir is an exercise in patience and chaos. But there is method to the madness. I don't expect you to come back... but come to the concert.
ReplyDeleteYou may have gotten the "campfire" feeling from the song I shared (which is getting incorporated into the concert)... or perhaps with the current style of trying to learn most of the songs without music (reading the music is not a strong point for most folks). I'm a bit frustrated by the simplicity of the songs right now myself. My first season had two strong pieces, Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" and Holly Near's "1000 Grandmothers". I keep hoping for another season like that.
I stick it out because I just want to sing and don't know of any other choir I could join. I don't want to sing Christian music. I love the radical world-shifting truth-telling music we sing. I can't sightread music (I can read rhythm and how the music goes, but if you were to point to a note and say "sing that" I don't think I could) and love the fact that we get CDs to practice with, because even as a percussionist I always memorized my music and just used the written notes as cues.
And because the Community Choir is about community. We sing at protests, at funerals, at Plowshares, and include everybody. In that room are so many local old-timer activists, as well as new ones, that going to the rehearsals is actually professional networking half the time for me.
The concerts are even more so. I'll see you there.