I've had quite a few conversations with my colleagues across the state and country. What's next?
It's been a process.
My initial response to the semester shutting down was to create a virtual choir (see post from the end of March). This was a lot work, but I learned quite a bit. Also, it was an important to have something for the choirs, for the seniors, for all the hard work.
Then I started to think about how to deliver instruction. Online? Outside in small groups? Sectional work? Spend more time building other skills?
But this led me to the performance. THIS is the crux. What do the performances look like? This question matters. What does it look like for the singers? For the audience? How and where is it delivered? What will it lose if it's all virtual? What can be done as a virtual performance that couldn't be done in a live performance? This affects the music performed.
The other thing I've thought a lot about is: What is the choir in higher ed? Throughout the conversations I've been involved in and I've listened to, it's clear that choir functions differently in different contexts.
And the answer is not a surprise, but choir is about community. It's about connecting. And my singers have mourned the loss of their community. And they don't just miss the singers... they miss the singing with the singers.
And listen, I've thought long and hard about this. I will continue to think about it. But all of this matters when we look forward to the fall and beyond. They must sing somehow.
Yes yes, I'm brainstorming content delivery. I'm brainstorming collaborative environments and how to support small group singing with my students. I'm brainstorming rep lists.
But they must sing.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Sunday, April 12, 2020
I should always be working
Like many others, I've been trying to be productive, but clearly not staying ahead of where I want to be. I thought: Ah, to make it easier on the students, I'll reduce their work load for my classes. I'll create a schedule for me and my children. We will have split childcare duty. I will be able to work ahead on things! Maybe this isn't so bad.
This isn't a "break." Obviously, we all know that. I didn't anticipate, however, how difficult it is to try to work a full time (plus) job with two small children. They require a lot-- mainly because they apparently like to antagonize each other for fun and sometimes get hurt. And neither I nor my partner are willing to put them in front of a TV all day (although we are allowing for increased screen time for specific purposes). Come to think of it, even if we did put them in front of a TV, my toddler would be interested for all of 15 minutes before he'd be off doing something else.
I've had to let go of a lot of my work guilt. A lot.
Do you know that feeling of "I should always be working"? I thrive on it. But it also destroys me. I think I developed it in grad school, where I always felt I could do- had to do- more. However, let's be fair: I enjoy working because I enjoy what I do. It's easy to do it a lot.
On the other hand, I'm a better musician and a better person when I have a little breathing room from "work." Note: this does not mean breathing room from music. But the music part is hardly work. I call it work. It's really something else-- a mission? Vocation is the word, I think.
I learn new ways to balance every day. And somedays I forget how to balance.
But I do know that I shouldn't always be working.
This isn't a "break." Obviously, we all know that. I didn't anticipate, however, how difficult it is to try to work a full time (plus) job with two small children. They require a lot-- mainly because they apparently like to antagonize each other for fun and sometimes get hurt. And neither I nor my partner are willing to put them in front of a TV all day (although we are allowing for increased screen time for specific purposes). Come to think of it, even if we did put them in front of a TV, my toddler would be interested for all of 15 minutes before he'd be off doing something else.
I've had to let go of a lot of my work guilt. A lot.
Do you know that feeling of "I should always be working"? I thrive on it. But it also destroys me. I think I developed it in grad school, where I always felt I could do- had to do- more. However, let's be fair: I enjoy working because I enjoy what I do. It's easy to do it a lot.
On the other hand, I'm a better musician and a better person when I have a little breathing room from "work." Note: this does not mean breathing room from music. But the music part is hardly work. I call it work. It's really something else-- a mission? Vocation is the word, I think.
I learn new ways to balance every day. And somedays I forget how to balance.
But I do know that I shouldn't always be working.
Monday, March 30, 2020
Virtual Choir-- What kind of issue is it? Or isn't it?
In the wake of schools moving to online schooling, there has been a large number of people asking about Virtual Choirs. I'm amazed at the conversations around this issue.
First, it seems that some people were under the impression that a "Virtual Choir" meant that you could actually rehearse online. I'm sorry, but that isn't possible. It's a disappointment, for sure, but there we are. Eric Whitacre's team has been working on something (apparently-- so I've heard), but they can't fix the latency of the internet.
Second, a lot of choral professionals have been in discussion about HOW to do a virtual choir. Everything from making click tracks to creating the conductor track to the software it takes to do the A/V editing to the amount of time it takes. There have been great discussions about this and a lot of teachers have shared their knowledge and experience. It's been an inspiring thing to see.
Third, there was then a backlash against the "let's make a virtual choir" folk. I get it-- there are legitimate questions about the purpose of a choir, the educational outcomes of a in-person choir versus a virtual choir, and the very important "is the time spent by the teacher worth the outcome" question. I have really appreciated reading these discussions in online forums. And it's nice to see that everybody's music education philosophy is so robust. No, seriously-- think about how you feel about virtual choirs, and your belief is likely influenced by your philosophy of music education or philosophy of teaching or philosophy of church music, etc.
BUT (and here it comes), the backlash against virtual choirs seems to be rooted, for some, in ego. "What is the outcome, really? What are you really providing the students? A choir is NOT online. What about X? But you can't do Z. You aren't providing a real education outcome-- it's a selfish endeavor-- it's for yourself, not for the students." Etc, etc, etc. And I cry "foul." Because a virtual choir is not simply setting up a click track and telling your students to submit you recordings.
But wait, let's pretend for a moment that a virtual choir is ONLY that. Setting up a click track, telling your singers to submit a recording to them singing a click track. Then you put in 40-80 hours of work (by some estimates) to produce a song that you probably could have done better live. You share it with your choir and then what? I'll tell you this: my students love the idea of working on something individually but still sharing in the final product. No, it's not what they would prefer. But they what to have something to end this semester on. They don't want to just... end it. It's not for you (the listener or the conductor), it's for your students. And also-- it keeps them singing.
So now let's back up: Is a virtual choir simply having your singers record themselves singing to a click track? Depends how you set it up. This is potentially a great chance to give your students multiple weeks of dedicated feedback on their voice and your expectations from a singer. That will, of course, enhance their musical growth and contribute to their skill set for future choral participation.
And here comes another but to the big BUT (that I typed earlier)... if a teacher chooses not to lead their singers toward a virtual choir project, that's also okay. I am seeing so many innovative, engaging activities and projects that choral conductors are asking their singers to do.
The moral here is this: You can voice your questions about the educational purpose of an online choral experience, and these questions are useful. But not if they are posed from a position of ego and conceit.
I, for one, am grateful that there is a sudden outpouring of ideas from choral conductors. I will take these ideas, I will steal them, and I will share them with my students for when they have choirs. Perhaps it will encourage us to be more innovative, or perhaps it will teach us to articulate the importance of the communal, in-person experience that a choir is. Or both.
First, it seems that some people were under the impression that a "Virtual Choir" meant that you could actually rehearse online. I'm sorry, but that isn't possible. It's a disappointment, for sure, but there we are. Eric Whitacre's team has been working on something (apparently-- so I've heard), but they can't fix the latency of the internet.
Second, a lot of choral professionals have been in discussion about HOW to do a virtual choir. Everything from making click tracks to creating the conductor track to the software it takes to do the A/V editing to the amount of time it takes. There have been great discussions about this and a lot of teachers have shared their knowledge and experience. It's been an inspiring thing to see.
Third, there was then a backlash against the "let's make a virtual choir" folk. I get it-- there are legitimate questions about the purpose of a choir, the educational outcomes of a in-person choir versus a virtual choir, and the very important "is the time spent by the teacher worth the outcome" question. I have really appreciated reading these discussions in online forums. And it's nice to see that everybody's music education philosophy is so robust. No, seriously-- think about how you feel about virtual choirs, and your belief is likely influenced by your philosophy of music education or philosophy of teaching or philosophy of church music, etc.
BUT (and here it comes), the backlash against virtual choirs seems to be rooted, for some, in ego. "What is the outcome, really? What are you really providing the students? A choir is NOT online. What about X? But you can't do Z. You aren't providing a real education outcome-- it's a selfish endeavor-- it's for yourself, not for the students." Etc, etc, etc. And I cry "foul." Because a virtual choir is not simply setting up a click track and telling your students to submit you recordings.
But wait, let's pretend for a moment that a virtual choir is ONLY that. Setting up a click track, telling your singers to submit a recording to them singing a click track. Then you put in 40-80 hours of work (by some estimates) to produce a song that you probably could have done better live. You share it with your choir and then what? I'll tell you this: my students love the idea of working on something individually but still sharing in the final product. No, it's not what they would prefer. But they what to have something to end this semester on. They don't want to just... end it. It's not for you (the listener or the conductor), it's for your students. And also-- it keeps them singing.
So now let's back up: Is a virtual choir simply having your singers record themselves singing to a click track? Depends how you set it up. This is potentially a great chance to give your students multiple weeks of dedicated feedback on their voice and your expectations from a singer. That will, of course, enhance their musical growth and contribute to their skill set for future choral participation.
And here comes another but to the big BUT (that I typed earlier)... if a teacher chooses not to lead their singers toward a virtual choir project, that's also okay. I am seeing so many innovative, engaging activities and projects that choral conductors are asking their singers to do.
The moral here is this: You can voice your questions about the educational purpose of an online choral experience, and these questions are useful. But not if they are posed from a position of ego and conceit.
I, for one, am grateful that there is a sudden outpouring of ideas from choral conductors. I will take these ideas, I will steal them, and I will share them with my students for when they have choirs. Perhaps it will encourage us to be more innovative, or perhaps it will teach us to articulate the importance of the communal, in-person experience that a choir is. Or both.
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
No posts in 2019?!
Do you realize I didn't post at ALL during 2019?
Also, I've been teaching a huge load. A retired professor I met in the fall asked me what I was teaching, and when I told him, his response was, "For one job? You are working two jobs."
So my New Years resolution became about priorities. Can I give 110% to everything? The answer is no. So there are some things I've stepped back from, a few things I've prioritized, and a whole lot of "this is fine-- do not spend more than X amount of time on."
And now, in face of the COVID 19 (as of now, my IHE is still planning on in-person classes; to be updated tomorrow; I'm on spring break), I've re-evaluating how to use my time-- yet again.
One thing I will do if we move to online learning? Create a schedule for myself and my children while we are at home. Every day M-F.
Also, I've been teaching a huge load. A retired professor I met in the fall asked me what I was teaching, and when I told him, his response was, "For one job? You are working two jobs."
So my New Years resolution became about priorities. Can I give 110% to everything? The answer is no. So there are some things I've stepped back from, a few things I've prioritized, and a whole lot of "this is fine-- do not spend more than X amount of time on."
And now, in face of the COVID 19 (as of now, my IHE is still planning on in-person classes; to be updated tomorrow; I'm on spring break), I've re-evaluating how to use my time-- yet again.
One thing I will do if we move to online learning? Create a schedule for myself and my children while we are at home. Every day M-F.
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