This time of year is a great time for most choral professionals to take a step back and try to put play back into the work they do.
You got into this work because you loved it. Because it brought you joy. There was a time when making music with a choir, for you, was like playing a game.
Maybe it still is – but you likely get bogged down in the drudge work that accompanies any job, and you can forget to play with your passion.
Now is a time to play, laugh, experiment. Put off the paperwork and only do parts of the job that bring you pleasure. Many choral directors are pianists, so maybe that’s an hour with Chopin. Or maybe it’s doing a summer group sing sponsored by another organization – don’t conduct or play, just join a section and sing! Or maybe you want to pick up The Real Book and figure out how to play a bunch of songs in 5/4. Or maybe you invite a group of friends for an evening of singing madrigals or Stanford or Abbie Betinis.
What part of your choral job feels like playing a game? Do more of that.