Christian Music News: All you need is love ... well, its a good start. (2024)

You've likely heard it before but we'll say it again. The most important factor in the success of any choir is the relationship you build with your singers.Each person in the choir knows that we genuinely care about them as people, not just as sound-producers. We take time at every rehearsal to talk to each singer and single them out in a positive way. When you model this kind of behaviour, it isn't too long before the kids begin to act this way with each other as well.We've discovered some very

You've likely heard it before but we'll say it again. The most important factor in the success of any choir is the relationship you build with your singers.Each person in the choir knows that we genuinely care about them as people, not just as sound-producers. We take time at every rehearsal to talk to each singer and single them out in a positive way. When you model this kind of behaviour, it isn't too long before the kids begin to act this way with each other as well.We've discovered some very

Musician Musician
Jun 1, 2023 - 23:55
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All you need is love ... well, its a good start.
You've likely heard it before but we'll say it again. The most important factor in the success of any choir is the relationship you build with your singers.Each person in the choir knows that we genuinely care about them as people, not just as sound-producers. We take time at every rehearsal to talk to each singer and single them out in a positive way. When you model this kind of behaviour, it isn't too long before the kids begin to act this way with each other as well.We've discovered some very good singers because we cared about the kid first. In a few cases, we are even talking about children who couldn't always accurately match pitch when they started. Both of us firmly believe that virtually anyone can learn to sing well if given the chance; what people can't learn is that special spark that helps us know if a child is right for the choir.So what steps can you take to improve your relationship with your singers and improve the relationships between singers?1. Greet each of your singers as they enter the room. It's important that they realize you know they are they and that you are glad to see them.2. Use the minutes before rehearsal starts to interact with the singers. Prepare for rehearsal in advance, so that instead of running around at the last minute, you can use this time to socialize with the choristers. For the first year or two of the choir's existence, we would sit on a bench by the door for 15 minutes before the start time of each practice. As people came in they would join us and at the rehearsal start time, we would all go upstairs together to our rehearsal room. Now we all meet upstairs in the choir room to chat before rehearsal.This might seem like wasted time to you, but this is the best chance you have of finding out what is going on in their lives. Are they having trouble in school? Did they win their soccer game last weekend? Are they excited about an upcoming family trip? Knowing these things will help you connect with the singers and find ways to make the music more relevant to them. By taking the time to have these conversations with our singers, we have been able to help them in many ways, including sorting out difficult relationships at school or finding tutors for them when they are struggling, and even on occasion helping their parents deal with custody issues. It's extremely important that they know we see them as people, not just singers.This is also an opportunity to observe body language and social patterns between the singers. Is there one chorister who always stays by themselves over to the side or one person who is annoying everyone else? Noticing these minor issues right away will help you change these patterns so they don't become major social issues later on.3. Have a time during practice for choristers to have fun together. Go outside if possible, or find a different space where the choristers feel like they can relax.  For us this period was originally called "Fun and Frolic Time" and we would go out to the church lawn, weather permitting. We run a pretty tight ship during rehearsal so this time allows our Choristers to have a snack, chat with each other, and run around like maniacs for ten minutes. You may think that this time become less important as singers get older, but actually the exact opposite is true. Little kids need the time to move and play, but older kids need the time to connect with each other even more. One further note about this. People are often shocked when they see the Choristers before and after rehearsal and during breaks, because of the energy and noise level. We expect them to act like professionals during rehearsal but encourage them to act like kids any time we are not singing. It is important to make the expectations for rehearsal behaviour clear and distinct from free time behaviour. 4. Be direct with feedback during rehearsal. Kids know when you are lying to them to try to make them feel good and will appreciate honesty and clear directions. To the outsider, these moments can often seem harsh. Our Choristers know that during rehearsal they have a job to do and that we need to get things done quickly. However you direct you are, you must be thoughtful and kind, and all comments should be related to behaviour and performance. Negative comments can never be personal because that can quickly destroy any relationship you create through these other practices. It is impossible to know which of the hundreds of comments we make to singers will have a lifelong impact on them and you can never take back a thoughtless or mean comment made in anger. 5. Single out in a positive way. Each singer in the choir has the opportunity to sing by themselves every week. One way to initially make this a positive experience is to ask the other singers to give compliments after someone has sung. What did they think was good about it? Soon, everyone in the choir will want to sing by themselves and you will be developing a culture where each individual is recognized for their particular gifts. Each singer will also recognize the courage it takes to sing by themselves, encouraging a supportive and safe environment. We often think that building a choir begins with music and attracting kids who are naturally talented. The reality in our case was quite different, as our choir began with an average amount of musical talent and a lot of enthusiasm and desire to be with us and to be together. That turned out to be the magical component in holding the choir together. Musical excellence becomes possible when you have this type of loving and supportive environment, the result of putting relationships first. 
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