I don’t often get the chance to be a punter. But this week I went on a two-day voice and movement course and loved it.
It was great to be on the receiving end for a change, and I learnt a lot about what it’s like to be a singer in a group
It’s very easy for us leaders to forget what it is to be a participant in a choir or singing workshop. We spend our time telling singers what to do without too much thought about what it’s like to experience those instructions.
For example, in the workshop I attended we were asked to “find a partner”. A simple request, but (depending on your experiences as a kid) possibly fraught with difficulties.
Will anyone want to be my partner? I’ll just go with the person next to me … oh, she’s chosen someone else! I can’t partner with that person because I was their partner last time.
Similarly being asked to “improvise a sound”.
Will my sound be OK? What if it’s boring? Will it fit with the other sounds? Have I just made the same sound as last time? What if my voice lets me down?
At any stage we might be given an instruction that makes us feel uncomfortable for all kinds of reasons. It’s important that, as leaders, we experience being on the receiving end so that we are more likely to empathise when we go back to working with our own singers. Also, we may be able to come up with ideas for making demands on our singers easier and less challenging.
Being in a workshop puts us leaders in a unique position. We are at once inside (doing the work, being a part of the process) and outside (being aware of how the leader is working, imagining ourselves in their place).
If you get the chance, go to as many different workshops and rehearsals as you can. You can be posh and call it “continuing professional development”. Whatever it is, it will end up benefitting both you and your singers.
other posts
You might find these older posts useful too.
What you can learn from singing workshops to become a better singer or workshop leader
8 reasons why choir leaders should go to more singing workshops
Chris Rowbury
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