“You don’t get harmony when everyone sings the same note.”
Douglas Floyd
I am passionate about music. I have spent countless hours practicing, exercising my voice, humming scales and working on Etudes. For me, it is natural that I would choose a choir and apply it as a model for the relationship between education, community and leadership. Generally, most people have had the opportunity to listen to a choir perform whether at church, a school Christmas concert, or other community function. Everyone who listens forms an opinion of what they hear and shares it with others around them. Some have musical background and can form educated opinions, while others form opinions based on “gut” feelings or emotions. Choirs are seen by some as delivering of that which cannot be expressed—too delightful for words. Others cringe at the thought of sitting through a choral performance. School can be an uplifting experience or a long, drawn out misery. It’s difficult to listen to an Aria when you’d rather be rocking out to AC/DC.
A choir is a reflection of a community. One voice cannot a choir make; one individual cannot a community make. A community is a group of people who live and work together towards a common goal. The goal of the members of the choir is to learn and perform pieces of music. Thus, being in a choir involves a great deal of team work and cooperation. Nevertheless, each must do his/her individual part. The fact is that the overall sound of the group is dependant on its individual voices—the potential of the group only as strong as its weakest voice. Dissonance within the choir is normally unwelcome. As in a community, it is hoped that the individual voices will blend together harmoniously. When a choir performs, we generally do not sing the praises of the individual voices, but of the overall sound of the group. A final outcome of belonging to a choir is enrichment in the lives of its members.
Choirs are formed of leaders, the most obvious being the conductor. The conductor chooses the music that the group will rehearse and potentially perform. The music is usually chosen according to his/her own tastes. Sometimes it is a favorite piece that is well known, others a favorite style or musical genre. Conductors carefully examine the score and analyze all the parts. They develop a general sense of what the piece might sound like. Often times they listen to several recordings of the same piece to get a feel for the different interpretations. It is the conductor’s vision of what the piece should be that he attempts to elicit from the choir. The conductor sets the tempo at which the piece will be performed, communicates phrasing and style, and carefully attempts to maintain balance between the sections.
“A real leader helps others find their voice.” Covey
Each of the sections of the choir is appointed a section leader. These individuals generally have the most experience and training and are usually among the most capable voices in their sections. Others listen to them for pitch, style and phrasing. So much more is accomplished because of their expertise, they can lead others too.
A choir can also be a representation of education. A choir begins as individual voices seeking to find a group to belong to. Choirs can be found in most communities—different types and in different places. Some have been around for centuries, some for years, and others for single occasions. When members finally come together they listen to, and learn from one another. A transformation is eventually made from individual voices to a choir. The more time spent together, the more confident the members are in one another’s abilities. They know they can rely on one another to pull off a really great performance. As with education, individuals must have previous experience with music in order to belong to a choir. Basics such as knowing note names and pitches, the ability to read notation, and understanding how harmonies are built are all foundational. Without being able to link to this background, the experience would be frustrating and the choir members unsuccessful. The conductor needs to listen with a discerning ear and reflect on each and every rehearsal and performance. Does one section require additional practice? Did another sing too loudly? He must be trained to hear each individual part and at the same time hear the whole. Although it is similar with individual members, it is more important for them to hear the others than it is to hear themselves sing.
No comments:
Post a Comment