I used to marvel at how many outstanding choir directors are also wonderful pianists. Seems a weird coincidence, doesn’t it? Why piano in particular? (As a comparison, I didn’t learn any significant piano skills until college.)
It’s no coincidence. And it’s not because you need prodigious piano skills to be a great conductor.
It’s because they learned music skills much younger – and then fell in love with choir.
It’s because they developed practice skills far sooner than non-pianist voice majors. Knowing how to practice might be the biggest possible advantage you can have when entering a college music program.
It’s no coincidence so many successful choir directors are excellent pianists. It’s simply that without those musicianship and practice skills they got from 10+ years of piano lessons, it’s that much harder to get to competence.