Re: Career in Insurance

-----Original Message-----
From: John Carter [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2003 6:24 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [CHORALTALK-L] Career in Insurance

... I went into my change-careers-and-go-into-insurance -sales way of
thinking.

John, have you considered becoming a missionary in China or managing a
Pizza Hut or McDonald's?  I have...every Monday when my middle school
students seem to have forgotten everything they learned over the weekend
and on Fridays when they are so wired that they can't concentrate.

Think about the football coach who loses a blowout game on Saturday.  He
plays a round of golf on Sunday and returns to the practice field on
Monday with a new or revised game plan.  We have to revise our rehearsal
plans (or lesson plans) frequently.  In education jargon it is called
"Monitor and Adjust."

As you study your music and plan your next rehearsal, play the "What If"
game.  What if the tenors can't sing the high G's, what if they struggle
with that German pronunciation, what if the whole choir sags a
half-step?  I usually work under the philosophy FOR EVERY MUSICAL
PROBLEM THERE IS A PHYSICAL SOLUTION.  If there are wrong notes, take
away the text and sing on a neutral syllable.  If there is a rhythm
problem, count and clap or chant text in rhythm.  Robert Shaw used to
have singers march to improve rhythmic precision.  A lot of the physical
things that voice teachers have students do in the studio will work in
the choral rehearsal.  Do some things that free the body to sing better
and release tension (emotional and physical).  Identify the problems you
had in the last rehearsal or try to anticipate what might be a problem
in the next rehearsal and have a trick in mind to correct it.

Sometimes it helps to know that you are not alone.  We've all been
there.

Have a good Turkey Day and be renewed for Monday's rehearsal. Good Luck!

Rusty