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Retirement and

the professional

Choral Director

We Never Get too Old to Make a Difference… What’s Next?

by R Wayne Bailey

Wayne Bailey’s musical experiences places during the middle of the day. Soon I realized
include: performing/recording with the that the years and years I enjoyed as a teacher might be
Robert Shaw Festival Singers, Robert over, but I wondered, what would my purpose be now?
Shaw Chamber Chorus, Atlanta Sym- In the spring of 2010, I attended the final concert of
phony Chorus, and the Concert Chorale the ACDA Southern Region Conference in Memphis,
of NYC; teaching middle school, high school, commu- Tennessee. I am not overstating a fact when I say that
nity college, university and community choruses; and attending that concert would not only change my life
serving as a professional soloist and guest clinician. but would literally change hundreds, if not thousands,
of lives in my hometown. After the first choir sang, a
men’s chorus was introduced. Their name was Breth-
I can still remember my first day as a teacher. I clear- ren, conducted by Patrick Vaughan. As they sang their
ly see the road as I drove to my school. I still see my first first note, I heard a sound that I had never heard in
classroom. The whole memory is fresh in my mind. It my entire life. Such beauty, such feeling, such passion!
was the memory of a lifetime for me. My journey as a I was totally blown away. At the conclusion of their
choral director had finally begun, and looking back on program, the audience literally sprang to their feet.
it, I could never have imagined what the future would The applause went on and on and on. As the chorus
hold! left the stage, the applause kept going and going. The
Fast forward about fifty years. I remember my last men came back on the stage, which is rare at an ACDA
day teaching choral music. As I concluded packing up conference, and they took one final bow. As I departed
my office, I drove out of the parking lot for the final the church, I thought, “We have got to get this started
time and my feelings were diverse and complicated. in Jacksonville.”
My office would never again be my office. The stage Upon my return home, I posted an announcement
my students and I had performed on for years would on Facebook for upcoming auditions for a new men’s
never be the same. I was now retired. What was next? chorus, and in a few weeks, we had our first rehearsal
For the next few months, I enjoyed the freedom. I with twenty-seven singers. The journey of the River
enjoyed eating lunch wherever I desired. I watched TV City Men’s Chorus of Jacksonville, Florida, had begun.
whenever I liked. I enjoyed not having to organize my A few summers later, we were asked to start a wom-
day into fifty-minute blocks, and I enjoyed traveling to en’s chorus. After thirteen successful years, our men’s/

CHORAL JOURNAL February 2024 Volume 64 Number 6 71