Communities take time.
One of the best things you can do for your choir is to craft a community they can be a part of. Call it communityism.
Being a part of a community makes everything easier. You know who to call for a favor. You know who can solve a problem, you know where to send a complaint or a suggestion.
Learning this takes time, and takes an effort to integrate yourself into the community that already existed before you arrived.
I’m fifteen years into making music in my community, and I find the dividends of staying put only increase, year over year. I know more, more people know me. People trust me, and I know who to trust.
And I trust that the more time I spend finding my space in my larger community, the more I’ll find that that can help me craft the community I lead as a director.
Communities inside communities. Communityism.
Don’t think you’re stuck because you’re stuck in one place. You’re blessed.