HAPPY MAY

Connecticut ACDA!

Please take note of the upcoming webinar resources listed below.
Add them to your calendar and PLEASE, sign up to attend!
We cannot wait to connect with you.

This month, Dr. Jeremy Wiggins, CT-ACDA Collegiate R&R Co-Chair and Director of Choral Activities at WCSU, comes to us with RETURNING TO THE PODIUM - I am sure you will all find this article comforting, relatable and inspiring, especially during these challenging times.
Thank you, Jeremy!

I look forward to seeing you ALL on Zoom in the next few weeks.

Amanda Hanzlik
President. CT-ACDA

MAY WEBINAR RESOURCES

May 14th (CHANGED from the 13th!) - 7:30pm
CT ACDA - Virtual Happy Hour
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May 21st - 7:00pm
Repertoire Exploration/Reading Session with Roger Emerson
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May 27th - 5:00pm - 7:00pm
RI-ACDA Advocacy Webinar
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May 30th - 10:00am - 12:00pm
CT-ACDA Spring Webinar Conference
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Brainstorming/Sharing/Planning for Fall 2020
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Returning to
the
Podium

by Jeremy Wiggins

My last rehearsal with the WCSU University Choir before we transitioned to distance learning was memorable. We laughed together, commiserated together, and made beautiful music together for what ended up being the last time this semester. For a few moments each day their faces and smiles flash through my memory. I miss my students and miss making music with them. This time has been tough, but I have been trying to find the silver lining in all of this. While my day-to-day has been busy with online teaching (and meetings- so many meetings…), I have found that that I have more time to reflect. Hopefully, when this is all over, and I return to the podium, I will have grown as a conductor, musician, and person. If you find yourself with some extra "you time" now or maybe over the summer, I hope this article gives you some ideas on how you can use this time to benefit your program and singers/students.

"Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act." ~ Pablo Picasso

As choral directors, we lead busy lives. Many of us lack the skill it takes to leave our work…at work. We come home and we answer emails, phone calls, develop lessons, program, and tirelessly plan for the next rehearsal, event, fundraiser, trip, etc. How often do we have time to plan long-term? How often do we have the space to develop or redefine the vision for our programs? Now is an ideal time. Is there something you want to change about your program and you have been waiting for the right time to do it? Maybe it is the structure of your program, student leadership, auditions, or building community in the ensemble? Perhaps you have been searching for a motto or central purpose that drives your music-making? Maybe you are satisfied with your current situation, and it is time to find additional ways to support your current artistic vision? If this pandemic has done anything, it has wiped the slate clean. An apt reminder that tomorrow's rehearsal (or performance, trip, tour, festival, etc.) is not promised and that we need to make the most with the time we have with our singers. I truly believe that when we return, our students will be ready to make music and make music with intention. We will return with a renewed passion and perspective, and we will meet singers hungry for connection and eager to be part of something bigger than themselves.

"Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many flavors - it's how you combine them that sets you apart." - Wolfgang Puck
"To me, there's no great chef without a great team." - Daniel Boulud

Choral directors in Connecticut and around the country have been a continuous source of inspiration, especially during these last two months. While I never tire of listening to their wonderful work, I also love finding inspiration from professions outside of music. We can learn so much from the success of others. One of my favorite, quarantine appropriate, sources of inspiration is a Netflix show called Chef's Table. If you have not seen it, I hope you have a chance to watch a few episodes (or binge every season…no judgment). Every show highlights a different, world-renowned chef and their restaurant. The way they create is so similar to ours. They all use local, humble ingredients (singers). They take these ingredients, which by themselves are appealing, and weave them (rehearsal) into edible works of art (music). Here are four takeaways I gained from the show:

The chef's dishes are extensions of who they are as people. They embrace their heritage and personal experience to create food that is honest to them.
Every chef uses a different process and techniques to create one-of-a-kind dishes.
Have a team that supports you and shares your vision.
If there is a problem with the dish, the chef is to blame and not the ingredient.

This show is a reminder to resist the temptation to compare yourself to others. It's okay if the process is different, and these culinary virtuosi find the most success when they embrace and highlight that which makes them unique. As a choral director, I also have to remind myself to try to let go of bad habits in rehearsal. If my way of fixing a problem in rehearsal is not working, I need to find a different way to "cook the food." I hope in all of this that you find time to be inspired. Inspired people, inspire people.

Listen to the unstruck sounds, and what sifts through that music. - Rumi

I have tried to take a little time every day to listen or look at uncommon music. Choral music that comes from an array of periods and cultures in which I am not familiar. This has been a great escape, and I hope this is a habit I maintain post-pandemic. I highly recommend perusing IMSLP.org. I paid the $28 for a yearly subscription, which gives me instant access to hundreds of thousands of scores and thousands of recordings, many of these recordings which are historic and very difficult to find. I recently gave a presentation on finding underperformed historic choral works, and the two links at the end of this article are pdf’s of my presentation and repertoire list of works/resources appropriate for a range of choirs in size, experience, and voicing. IMSLP has also been especially useful in finding works from historically neglected composers such as female choral composers and composers of color. My latest obsession is perusing (translation- geeking out on) the choral works on The Finnish Amateur Musicians' Association Website (https://sulasol.fi/en/front-page/). There are so many hidden gems on this site. If you are really interested in finding exciting works from around the world, I have discovered so many amazing pieces while looking through the downloadable programs from the World Choir Games or other, similar, large choral festivals from around the world. Lastly, I have also been listening to choral playlists on Youtube, Spotify, and Pandora. They play in the background as I work, and if anything, it has been a calming practice.

When we return to the podium, our singers and students will need our leadership and vision, but, perhaps more importantly, they will need our empathy, our compassion, and our support. There is a long road ahead, but I have complete faith that we will be stronger and more committed when we get to back on the podium. Why? Because I believe in the people in our profession and believe in their passion, resilience, and fortitude. Stay safe and healthy!

Dr. Jeremy Wiggins

Coordinator of Choral Activities and Co-Coordinator of Graduate Studies
Choral Music Education
Western Connecticut State University

Collegiate Repertoire and Resources Co-Chair
Connecticut ACDA

Conference Presentation
https://tinyurl.com/ybqpt7o3
Repertoire List and Materials
https://tinyurl.com/y845ter6