Last night, I finished up my concert season leading up to Christmas with a performance with the Wallingford Community Chorus. It is a non-auditioned group of local people ranging from those in their late 70's and 80's to college kids and high-school students. They also come from all different abilities and skill levels. Some are musician's by trade, some just really like to sing. They are a great group of people, and have the most wonderful attitudes i've ever encountered.
It's a strange contrast between the WCC and the concert choir at school. At school, the group is made up largely of music majors, who eat, sleep, and breathe singing, sight reading, rhythmic exercises, and harmony. We are also under new direction, and there is little joy and desire to perform beautifully because the director doesn't really allow beauty to come out, there is a lot of focus on technical aspects of things, but beauty doesn't seem to be one of those things. Contrasting these two groups in my head on my 50 minute drive home got me pondering the difference between ability and desire, which is better? which would I rather have as a director? Is one more important than the other? The conclusions I came to, somewhat surprised me, as One of the reasons I wanted to teach higher level choirs was for the technical proficiency.
After being on both sides of the musical fence, I have decided that I would rather have people with the desire to sing, over the technically abilities to produce the best sound. Why? It's really simple actually. I mean, one thing i've come to realize working with the community choir is that I have grown as a musician. How could I grow as a musician in a group that is " lesser" then my other groups? Because This group desired to make beautiful music, they had the passion to make their music pleasant and beautiful. Theirs was a sound that could not be produced with technical ability. Over the years as I have studied music and worked with teachers, directors, and vocal coaches, is that passion cannot be taught. Desire and passion have to be within you. Directors and teachers can, as i have experienced, draw the desire and passion out of you to the surface, but you have to have it to be drawn upon.
If you have all the technical ability in the world and have no feeling, you do no good. That is not to say I would NOT want technically proficient musicians, but to say that i DO want passionate musicians. I am a firm believer in the idea that those who lack passion and love tend to be black holes that if not carefully handled can draw the life right out of a group. It would be my ultimate hope that with their powers combined, the technically proficient will rub off on the lesser professional musicians in ability and the lovers of music would rub off on the technically proficient.
I guess, what I really am thinking and saying is : Don't dismiss someone based on their lack of proficiency. You never know the level of greatness someone can reach with a depth of love and desire. They are powerful motivators and greatness can be achieved if only you are willing to find it in others and draw it from them.
Until next time! Keep it Musical!
