I’ve written before on why I think we should consider calling choir retreats “choir advances”, because of the amazing progress you make in a day or a weekend together.
When you advance, you’re heading towards something. Here, then, are the three goals I invited Shades of Blue, my vocal jazz ensemble from Grand Rapids Community College, to advance towards today.
- Towards a team. (Because we make better music when we’re on the same team.)
- Towards a concept of what vocal jazz is. (Because vocal jazz is a fraught term, and we need to define our terms as early as possible so we’re headed in the same direction.
- Towards our sound. (Every ensemble has a different sound, created by the individuals who make up the group.)
Every activity we spent time on was in service of one, two, or all three of those goals.
What goals would you pick to advance towards?