On and off, I write weekly letters to my ensembles, emulating but by no means coming close to the legendary “Dear People” letters of Robert Shaw. On and off because my life commitments don’t always allow me to give these letters the attention they need soon enough to be useful.
On and off, too, because it can feel sometimes as if no one reads the letters. Even when I post them digitally and ask a question to be answered in the comments, I often only hear from a third of the ensemble in reply.
So sometimes I give up writing, but I always come back. I come back because there is important information to discuss between rehearsals, and I need to get it out. I come back because if I express it in a letter, I can do less talking and more rehearsing in limited rehearsal time.
Finally, I come back because I remind myself this: even if no one reads, I am better off for having written the letter, because I have clarified my own thinking. The clearer my thinking, the better I can lead. The better I can lead, the better my ensembles can achieve their potential.
I think Shaw knew, too, that his letters weren’t going to be read by every singer he conducted. He wrote them because they made him a better conductor, regardless.