Expanding the Definition of Winning

Lions Gate Chorus offered us a fabulous performance package in the 2017 International Chorus Finals in Las Vegas. In

“How The Grinch Stole Contest,” after an intricate and clever storyline with outstanding singing, the Grinch realizes that no matter how she tried to ruin the contest, she couldn’t. Then the Grinch thought of something she hadn’t before. Maybe the joy of contest, she thought, doesn’t come from a score. Maybe the joy of contest means a little bit more.

Oh, yes, contest can mean a little bit more! I’m not sure there has ever been a more significant time in Sweet Adeline history for letting this proposition into our hearts and souls.

It’s been said that in school, you learn a lesson and then take a test. In life, you are given a test and then you learn a lesson. We have been thrown many curves these past few years, and our patience, tolerance, acceptance, health, and staying power have all been tested. If we have learned from this test, what is the lesson?

In news stories, people often say the pandemic has taught them to look at what is really important. This has guided my thinking about Sweet Adelines as well. I have always cherished my chorus, but now I don’t think I will take any moment together for granted. I have always loved workshop weekends and events with other singers, but now I don’t want to miss a single opportunity to learn together and harmonize together. I have always thrived on competition, but now I think I will be able to focus on and celebrate what is really important about contests. This is a profound time for us to expand what success truly means.

Medals, high scores, ribbons and crowns are all mighty fun. I long to be on a contest stage again soon, but perhaps my reasons differ from yours. There are three reasons that I miss competition and can’t wait to get back to it!

1. I need the judges’ wisdom and perspective. I so trust and respect our judges and the judging program, and their input serves as a yardstick for me. It helps me celebrate and affirm the things we have been working on and have improved upon, and see that they were noticed! It guides me to the areas where we can perform better. This may lead to higher scores, but it also helps us sing better for our local audiences, have a musical product that will attract new members and keep our own members thriving, and ring those chords even more.

2. There is nothing like a contest audience! Singing for your peers is a blast because they appreciate the work that has gone into your performance. They ooh and aah at all the right places and

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burst into enthusiastic applause at your tags. I love singing for a local group, but they might not understand barbershop like we do. I can’t wait to experience that contest audience again.

3. I long for the fellowship that happens at a contest. We all know that we don’t compete against each other — we compete with each other. When we understand that, it makes contest a joyful mutual admiration society. Every chorus success is my success. Every quartet success is my success.

I once read a definition that has stuck with me: Healthy competition is the interaction between individuals that promotes and fosters higher achievement yet creates an environment where everyone in the group hopes that everyone will do well rather than wishes that others will fail.

We might be wondering how it’s going to feel to compete again. It might look different. Choruses might be smaller. Audiences might be smaller. It might sound different. We haven’t had the rehearsal time on songs that we used to have. But, oh! How delightful it’s going to feel! And we may learn to redefine what it means to win. We will be celebrating the sheer joy of sharing a stage, ringing a chord, and moving an audience. Being there and contributing what we can is a championship performance. As a director, and maybe for the first time, I am less focused on our score or placement and cheerfully focused on the experience, the opportunity, the joy of taking the stage again. Scores, medals, and crowns are fun but fleeting. Growth, accomplishment, and opportunities are poignant and profound.

I enjoy looking back at the rich history of past competitions. And I look forward with great anticipation and joy to our next contest season. No matter when it happens, where it takes place, or who comes out on top, we will all feel like champions because we are sharing the stage with one another once again!

Karen Breidert is Master Director, having directed Melodeers Chorus #3, Choral-Aires #3, and Spirit of the Gulf Chorus #9. She is a past president of Sweet Adelines International (1998-1999), served on Sweet Adelines International Board of Directors, and received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2017). She is a member of Sweet Adelines Master Faculty and Education Direction Committee. She is also a busy coach.