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Non-negotiables include adequate sleep and meals. I used to list do not have the luxury of living within a reasonable
these items as self-care numbers one and two, but sleep distance, the same principle can be applied by going
and meals are, in fact, basic human needs and could be out to a nearby restaurant and finding a moment to
held in the same category as going to the bathroom or decompress.
breathing. (See the following article in this issue from
Christina Vehar and Sierra Manson Randall for more.) Programming choices affect our daily mood. Avoid selecting
Eat when it is time to eat. Breathe when it is time to music you don’t like. The piece you like the least is gen-
breathe. Do not confuse elements of human survival erally avoided and risks being underbaked by the time
with those of self-care. of performance.

Exercise is crucial and can take on various forms. It is won- Consider adjusting the course load. This doesn’t necessarily
derful to be in the regular habit of distance running mean lighten. A respected teacher experiencing fatigue
or going to the gym. But even at our busiest times we recently added a special-needs choir class to her sched-
can afford a ten-minute walk around the building. I am ule, which became an exciting change in an otherwise
privileged to teach on a campus surrounded by woods mundane routine and is now the class she looks for-
and find myself refreshed if I walk the exterior perim- ward to the most.
eter of the building during the day.

Vocal health must be at the forefront of our practices. As choral Two. Maintain a Healthy Perspective
musicians, ensure you are taking steps to maintain vo- The second area of management involves simply
cal health, including regular hydration, using a micro- reframing or adjusting one’s perspective. This requires
phone, and monitoring your coordinated onset while very little action but can yield immediate results. Here
singing and speaking. Take time once a year to visit a are a few examples of mental changes that are easily
laryngologist and address any internal medical needs. implemented.
Consider working with a voice coach during the sum-
mer. Bad day barometer. Let us stop and recognize for a mo-
ment the joyous nature of our choral profession. A bad
Be a participant in the choral art. Too often, we are the day, for us, might be when a particular student breathes
ones doing the cooking but are unable to sit and enjoy in the wrong moment of a phrase. Is this a true emer-
a meal. Join a community choir, opera chorus, or sing gency? No. And aren’t we lucky to be involved in a
in a church choir. If your schedule is restrictive, ask a communal art form? When we feel our day is ruined
student to conduct while you take a seat in the choir for due to a musical situation, take note of the bad day
a few minutes each day. barometer.

Designate spaces that are free of choral music. I have chosen Drawer of joy. When sitting at your desk, identify the
to confine the listening of choral music to my offices at drawer that is closest to you. This is where all the thank
home and work. Recordings of choral music are not al- you notes, student success announcements, gradua-
lowed while driving in my car or cooking in the kitchen. tions, weddings, promotions, uplifting emails, and oth-
I enjoy cultivating playlists far from choral pedagogy. er items that make you smile can be stored. Open this
drawer often.
Going home for dinner is a healthy way to escape. As previously
mentioned, eating is not an appropriate use of the term Observation. There is satisfaction to be found when we
self-care. Beyond that, however, try wearing jeans on a can attend a nearby choral festival and appreciate the
concert day. This practice creates an opportunity to eat good work being done. Even at an event that involves
at home before returning for the evening event. If you your own choir, would it be possible to send the singers

CHORAL JOURNAL October 2024 Volume 65 Number 3 11