One morning last Fall, I was out running and saw up ahead of me (on the other side of the street) a guy who appeared to be running rather slowly. I'm ashamed to say that my pride got the better of me in the moment and I thought "I'm glad I'm not as slow as he is."
I soon realized however that for some reason, I was not catching up with him, let alone surpassing him. Surely, I thought, I was going faster than he was! In reality though, I had to face the conclusion that I was not. After awhile of staying pretty evenly apart distance-wise, I decided to kick it into higher gear and only then was I successful at passing him.
This whole experience bothered me. First, I had misjudged this guy. Second, my perception of how fast I had been running was way off. Third, I realized I must appear like a very slow runner to other runners (which bothered me because I've been running all my life and thought I was faster).
Applying this perception issue to singing in the Tabernacle Choir, there are three things I've learned:
First, often times we singers might have the perception that we are singing in key or that we have mastered the rhythm or that we are listening louder than we're singing. Our directors, however, offer constant correction which helps realign our misaligned perception.
Second, it's often easy to judge another section/part in the Choir. Particularly when the directors get after the sopranos or altos or tenors over and over and over again regarding a certain part of the music. It's easy to say "C'mon people! Get it right already why don't you?" But then empathy sets in when it happens to your section and you realize that getting it right it not always as easy as it may seem.
Third, it's best to let go of any negative perceptions you have of yourself (either preconceived or imagined) because such perceptions are not helpful in achieving your goals. Sure, if you know you struggle with a particular part of the Choir experience, do your best to fix it. But constantly worrying about unsubstantiated perceptions is a waste of emotional energy.
I hope that all of us, regardless of who we are, what activities we engage in, and who we observe, keep our perceptions in check. Giving people the benefit of the doubt and showing kindness propel us onto the "higher" road that is much more satisfying to travel. Also, showing kindness to ourselves is just as important.
Until next time, may God be with you.
I'm a member of the Church in Tasmania, Australia, and stumbled across your blog midway through last year when I was trying to find online versions of hymns to share with my ward and stake while we weren't able to meet (I'm our ward's primary pianist, music chairman, and choir director). I've enjoyed reading your blog since discovering it, and I appreciate your insights into the work of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. I wanted to express my deep sympathy to you for the challenges associated with not being able to do this thing that you love.
ReplyDeleteWe have been fortunate here in Tasmania, in that we don't currently have any community cases of the virus, and are working to keep it that way. This means that we have been able to get back to a cautious new normal. Outside of Church I sing with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Chorus, which is associated with our state orchestra. I am probably best described as an alto, but in the TSOChorus I sing tenor, due to a shortage of tenors in the world (the fact is, I have a very limited range, and I don't have the top end of an alto's range, nor the bottom end of the tenor's, but I seem to be filling a need in a functional enough way). Anyway, after some months of rehearsing via Zoom, we have been able to find outdoor spaces and then a big indoor space in which to rehearse with careful social distancing (our choir numbers 60-80). We ended the year with a limited-audience concert, which allowed to present some aspects of works that we had originally planned to do during 2020 with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (such as Beethoven's "Mass in C").
There was one other project that we did which we called "The Sunrise Project", under the direction of our Chorusmaster June Tyzack. We began by submitting recordings and then we found ways and places to perform out in the open (for COVID-safety) in some marvellous bits of Tasmania (for the beauty of the place). Many of these events occurred shortly after sunrise (which, because of our latitude — and the timing of the easing of restrictions — meant that much of this was done in winter and spring, when the sun rises later).The piece of music that was chosen was "The Ground" from the Sunrise Mass by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo. Here is a link to the end result; I thought you might enjoy it.
https://youtu.be/WHHDgIXqnbc
I really hope that it won't be too long before you can get back to singing with the Choir. Music has such power to uplift and strengthen and I know I have felt blessed and grateful for being able to continue to sing in some way over the past crazy year. May you be blessed with peace and consolation. My very warmest regards, Helen.
Hello Helen! Thank you so much for your comments. I loved hearing about you and your choral work there in Tasmania and particularly loved hearing and watching your performance of The Ground. As you know, the Tabernacle Choir has performed that piece several times and each time we do, I'm amazed at the feeling I get--one of peace and tranquility. I got that same feeling watching your video. Please pass along my congratulations to your entire choir on a job well done. I'll be sharing your video with my fellow choir members so they can enjoy as well. Again, thanks for taking the time to write and to share. May God be with you.
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