I love being able to hear priorities.
Today at the MSVMA All-State Recital, I was lucky to hear some fantastic soloists and ensembles from across the state. Getting to perform on the recital is a huge honor, but maybe my favorite part is actually sitting and listening to the other choirs.
I especially love it when, as today, repertoire is shared by different ensembles. Then, you hear not better or worse choirs, but excellent choirs with different priorities. How is one different from another? Tempo? Phrasing choices? Poetic stress? Musical line? Students, especially, learn so much from hearing multiple excellent interpretations of the same piece. They learn what conductors and their students value, and they begin to learn what they value most themselves.
That’s a powerful lesson. And a powerful argument for taking time to listen to other choirs.