Innovate but Retain

The balance as you seek to grow, evolve, and improve the work you do with your choirs is important.

Innovate: try new things, experiment (with the singers’ knowledge!), change things you think can be improved.

This promises the risk of failure. Know that up front.

Retain: keep what has worked, even as you innovate changes. Keep the fingerprints of success on the things you do, and maintain the traditions that help your choral program feel special and personal.

This promises continued success, but at the risk of stasis. Know that up front.

If you want to change everything about the program you’re running, consider retaining enough to not shock the system.

If you’ve got everything where you want it, know that it won’t be long (a few years at most) before it doesn’t work perfectly, and you’ll need to add more innovation to what you’re doing.