The diatonic cluster chords were especially fun. There’s a beautiful moment in the piece in which every member of the choir begins on the same note, but as the choir sings up a scale, one person is left behind, until everyone has peeled away from the main sound and is singing their own note. The work we had done on blend, balance, and vowel shape while singing a semitone apart paid off tenfold here. You can watch the video about that work here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw6xUXuBfMM
Aidan and I have learnt a great deal taking conducting lessons together. Aside from the technique (which requires practice and time to obtain!), we’ve been tutored on rehearsal management and have learnt how to draw up a rehearsal plan and maintain focus in the rehearsal room. Being more assertive when leading has been a challenge for me. Our teacher talks about leading a rehearsal like stepping into a different skin; you need to have a “rehearsal persona” to feel comfortable in. There’s no room for second guessing yourself; if your hand stops moving, the music stops! I’ve learnt that a quiet, calm approach works for me to maintain focus (and am learning to maintain an aura of “calm” externally when I am absolutely not feeling calm!). When the group is losing focus, I don’t like to raise my voice, but find that when I wait calmly for quiet, a sense of stillness will emerge. I have also found that reminding the choir to check in with their breath is a quick and efficient way of bringing everyone back into the present. The whole team learnt a great deal from an administrative point of view. Skills in effective communication, time management, data sharing, and teamwork were all challenged and developed. It’s amazing how much time admin can soak up - I wasn’t prepared for this going into the project! Having successfully completed one concert has shown me what is required and the order that the pieces have to come together in. Now, I’ve been able to draw up a timeline for these tasks for next semester. We’ve already had our first committee meeting ahead of the next concert, and all of our tasks have been distributed out and everyone knows what has to be done, and by when! The most challenging part of admin was co-ordinating membership. It is difficult to organise 20-odd uni students with conflicting schedules and busy lives - many of whom have other musical commitments to attend to. I’m confident now in our core group of members and am excited to work on the next program with them. I feel incredibly privileged to be working on this project with a team of musicians who inspire me. The rehearsal room is a dynamic and energetic space because of the fantastic musicians who are lending their minds and voices to make this work. There is a vast array of knowledge in the choir - different approaches to singing technique, music analysis, and performance preparation - and it’s a joy to watch that knowledge being put into action. -Grace
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