From Our President

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

If someone asked me to describe myself I would say that I am a wife, mom, grandma, sister, teacher, quartet singer, and administrator. Along with all of those is a role which holds a special place in my heart. I am a director. I feel very fortunate to direct the River City Sound Chorus in Region #3. Like other chorus directors I’ve had the interesting, fun, and sometimes challenging experience of finding out what works — and what does not — for virtual rehearsals. At first I was really grasping at straws, not knowing how long to meet, what content to include, and what to do with our contest songs and preparation. I also felt it was important to address the emotions surrounding the abrupt change in chorus life, acknowledge everyone’s feelings, and find proper words to inspire my members to remain hopeful and connected in this new, virtual way. Our journey into this unknown territory began.

Pretty soon I fell into a routine. Having a regular agenda for the evening, much like when we were together in person, helped me to be more comfortable with my leadership and seemed to provide security for my singers. I found I could still teach about resonance and vowels, and we could also “sing together" with our Full Mix recordings, each of us muted, to avoid the craziness of being out of synch. I discovered the joy of inviting guest educators into our rehearsals which eased my burden and provided variety and education for my singers. It didn’t take long for the novelty to subside, so my Music Team and I decided the chorus should learn a couple of new songs. Each time we tried a new activity in our weekly rehearsals, memories of my years as a young mother raising children drifted back to me. I was in a constant state of investigating and adapting to the changing needs of my children. This is how chorus rehearsals started to feel. We continued to take steps on our journey, but they often felt unsure.

One night during chorus, something unexpected happened. While working on our new song, I got very involved in the musical arrangement. I guided my chorus through an analysis and comparison of two similar phrases. We listened to the learning track, took turns singing along, then put the parts together for a deeper understanding of these tricky spots. At the end of the song, I exclaimed to my members, “That felt like normal chorus rehearsal!” Heads nodded, hands clapped, faces smiled silently back at me, and for those 15 minutes, things felt "normal” to me. It felt as though our journey had finally taken us to a new, hopeful place.

I continue to explore our rehearsal routine, finding moments of normalcy throughout the process. I realize that in order to cope and remain optimistic navigating through these times, my perspective cannot be limited to past, personal experiences as a director but instead needs to remain open to the possibilities of finding new ways to connect, educate, and be strong. This is easier at certain times than others. My journey as a chorus director continues.

Since becoming President of Sweet Adelines International, my perspective about many, many things has altered. My journey began in very unfamiliar territory and didn’t match any of my preconceived notions of what it should be. I adapted and reminded myself not to make assumptions about people and situations based on past experiences. I learned that the way things have always been is not the way things necessarily should, or always have to, be. The way I look at songs, at singing together, at understanding each other, and being together has grown. With the help and wisdom of others, my perspective on where we’ve been as an organization has broadened. My view about our choices for the next 75 years has widened.

Our journey as an organization has not been on a straight path, with steps sometimes going sideways or backward on the way to moving forward. My current perspective on our potential as an organization is centered on recognizing our history, remembering it, learning from it, and using it to guide us on our journey ahead.

In the side mirror of my car, the words say “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” My wish for Sweet Adelines is that wherever our journey takes us, we can see each other “closer” in many ways in the days, months and years ahead. Into the next 75 years, our journey continues…

In song,

Joan