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A Delicate Balance—Caring for the Music and the Singers

1. Is caring for the music and the singers a neces- singers. So, even through your programming, you’re think-
sity for a choral conductor’s success? ing about how you’re caring for the singers, not just doing
all the music that you like but what they need.
Ferguson: Absolutely! I believe that you must value the
person and the music. Especially in an educational institu- Wis: At North Central College, we always frame their
tion, our job is to help students grow. We must pay atten- learning and experience within this larger context of lead-
tion to the individual growth of our choristers as well as the ership, and we help them understand how to balance musi-
growth of the choir as a whole. If you don’t value them, cal excellence with the needs of the people they are given
they’re not going to want to sing! Tone comes from your to lead.
inner spirit, I believe. And if their spirit is not well, if their
well-being is not at peace, the color and the vibrancy is not Carlson: One of the first things is that you have to love
going to be in the sound! So, I think the sound of the choir what you do. I still try to maintain that idealistic, happy ig-
directly depends on how well you value all of the individu- norance that I had when I first walked into my elementary
als in it. school, as a new teacher, and I was so excited. I don’t ever
want to lose that.
Wilson: For me, excellence in music and caring for my
singers are not mutually exclusive ideas. They come togeth- 2. How do you envision the ideal balance in the cho-
er and are essential in a choir. ral rehearsal between caring for the music and car-
ing for the singers?
Wis: It is not an either/or, but rather, a both/and mindset
that we need to have as conductors. But this can be diffi- Stegall: Caring for the music and the singers are one and
cult to develop when we consider our undergrad, and even the same. Choosing high quality repertoire with profoundly
graduate, education and training. The discussion or study communicative texts makes it possible to simultaneously in-
of the singer as a being is minimal, at best. It’s usually about spire singers and enhance their performance.
what they can do. But at some point, for most conductors,
we start to realize that what we are doing is engaging with Hurty: For me, it’s not as much a balance between those
people at a very deep level, and in order for this to happen, two things as if you were to use 75% to 25% or fifty-fifty.
it has to be built on something that’s really powerful. Music But rather, pushing for the limits of both of those things is
is very powerful, but there has to be a relational connection. what I view as being the ultimate way to achieve excellence
And there has to be buy-in. There has to be an investment. while caring for your students—simultaneously. I don’t
There has to be a payoff. think excellence in approaching the music is in any sense
exclusive of caring for the people. You will actually get a
Hurty: The old school was “it is my way or the highway” more excellent level of musical accomplishment by caring
and I think directors who use that method probably would for your choir. You have to completely commit yourself to
not be successful these days since we are working with a both of those things.
different kind of singer. Unfortunately, it does seem like the
old school to not care so much for the person and just care Carlson: In my rehearsals I generally try to set up the at-
for the music or the product more than anything else. mosphere and mind-set that rehearsals are for learning the
music and related issues. There has to be a modicum of
Holmes: There are probably examples of successful choirs professional distance, even though I like them very much.
under a conductor who has a poor relationship with the But when we’re rehearsing, it’s about the music. It’s not
singers. But I’d like to think that the best music is made with about me, and it's not about them.
the best human situation.
Johnson: It’s not about me! That’s the biggest thing we
Hopper: I believe a conductor should balance the quality have to learn as conductors.
of the music, the quality of texts, and your obligation to the

ChorTeach Volume 15 • Issue 2 32 Winter 2023