I’ve been a member of the Juniata College Concert Choir for two years now, and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. The music is wonderful, I’ve made some great friends, my worldview has been changed for the better, and, hey, I got to go to China. How’s that for a perk? In between all of this, however, I’ve had my fair share of, *ahem*, learning experiences. If you’re a first-year choir member or someone thinking of auditioning in the future, here are some things I suggest keeping in mind:
Just because music is not our POE, doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy.
If you’re a new member, you’ve probably figured out by now that Dr. Shelley isn’t here to mess around. He expects you to be familiar with your music before the rehearsal when the choir starts working on it together so that he can use the time to polish rather than teach notes. I’ve found that the easiest way for me to do this is to write in the solfège for each note, but some people prefer to learn by listening to study tracks. Experiment and figure out how you learn best. Whatever you do, don’t wait until the last minute. You might think you’ll be able to learn seven songs in two days, but trust me, you can’t.
The social scene is as important as you want to make it.
There’s something really special about being a part of a group that can create something bigger than you can imagine, which is the real advantage that a choir has over solo singing. For many people, though, Concert Choir goes beyond that and becomes a second family. Those people tend to see bonding with the other members and participating in traditions as very important. Others love the singing, but see the social aspect as take-it-or-leave-it. Both are perfectly valid attitudes, so don’t feel bad about which one you identify with more. Either way, you can count on the members of Concert Choir, both current and former, to love and support you in good times and bad
Tour isn’t for the faint of heart. Plan accordingly.
This isn’t your typical spring break trip. You’ll have to wake up early, stay up late, and spend much of the time in between concerts sitting in a rental coach with fifty other college students, some of whom are probably sick. You won’t always be used to the food you’re eating, especially if the tour is international. It’s inevitable that you won’t feel 100%, but taking extra care to eat healthy and get enough sleep in the week leading up to tour will help. I would also recommend keeping the rest of your March plans low-key so that you can recover quickly. It’s a small sacrifice for getting to see the faces of the people you perform for…trust me.
This is just a start, of course. I know I don’t know everything, and I doubt I will two years from now. But remembering these tips will keep you ahead of the game, and that’s certainly better than where I was two years ago. If you’re new to Concert Choir, welcome! If you’re thinking of auditioning, DO IT.