Conducting

Chapters 5 & 6 had a lot to say about choral rehearsals and gatherings. Chapter 7 pivots with this statement: “Enough about warmth. Let’s talk about heat.” (225) And it has rather less to say about choral rehearsals and performances, even as it has more to say about choral conferences. […]

For this chapter, we’re going to focus on the choir retreat, and specifically about those non-musical hours spent specifically on building the group’s trust and vulnerability with each other. One of the activities I like to include in my retreats is “Special Object.” Each member is asked to bring with […]

…and never start a choir function with talking… “Your gathering begins at the moment your guests first learn of it. […] The intentional gatherer begins to host not from the formal start of the event but from that moment of discovery.” (145-146) I’m thinking a lot about first rehearsal right […]

“A gathering’s blandness is a symptom of a disease….And what is the disease? That the gathering makes no effort to do what the best gatherings do: transport us to a temporary alternative world. (112) The emphasis of this chapter is about creating effective rules – “pop up rules” that might […]

“Who wants to sail on a skipperless ship?” (71) A skipperless ship is not something most choral gatherings need to worry about – indeed, conductors are very accustomed to being the skippers of their ships. That said, I know I’m often motivated to be a “chill” leader in my rehearsals […]

It comes down to this: “A category is not a purpose.” (p.2) So here’s the question of the day: a choir is a category – what is it purpose? Parker writes, “If I were to ask you the purpose behind [your] gatherings, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear what I […]

“As much as our gatherings disappoint us, though, we tend to keep gathering in the same tired ways. Most of us remain on autopilot when we bring people together, following stale formulas, hoping that the chemistry of a good meeting, conference, or party will somehow take care of itself, that […]

I’m beginning a series on the brilliant book The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker, looking at the ideas from each chapter and how they might specifically apply to choral gatherings. As we go, I’m going to write about specific choral gatherings that I encounter in a normal school/concert year, […]