A few more answers to questions that are coming my way:
Question: why the rehearsal time differences?
Answer: In my discussions about the choir structure, I was told that I needed find a way to make things work with my existing time slots for the time being. Any change in one area affects others.
When I started the auditions today, I did not know what the final existing structure would be . . . I depended on the auditions to tell me that and they did. I could either go to the two choir structure or retain what I had . . and I was unhappy with the structure as it currently existed.
Question:
Why is the "other " choir only meeting 2 times a week, and the other 5? Why is the rehearsal time for the concert choir significantly more than the "other" choir?
Answer:
I wanted more time for the other choir and asked for that initially. With the limitations that I was given, I used the time slots that I had. One choir has 300 minutes of rehearsal, the other has 150. If I detect that the Chamber Choir needs/wants an equal commitment as Concert Choir, I will work towards that end.
8 comments:
As a parent I watched the drama play out last night as 20+ choir students found out their academic lives had just changed dramatically – two days before classes begin. With only three days notice about a significant change in choir structure and scheduling, these students were left with little understanding and few options. Their consternation at being placed in what seems to be the lesser of two choirs is understandable. I wonder if there could have been another way to accomplish your goals that would have also shown more consideration for the students who have served you so faithfully.
As a respectful insight, I hope this comment will not be deleted.
Actually, there is not.
You can't do choir placements without including the new people and the only way to do that is right before classes begin.
I don't know structure and numbers until people actually show up, and then I go from there.
It's difficult, I know, but I don't think there is another way to do it. Feel free to recommend another way . . .
I have great concern and appreciation for all my students; this isn't an inconsiderate action of mine . . it's one I considered carefully.
There's just not another way to do it.
From what I gather, I think the other way to do it would have been to leave the choirs as they were, having a large concert choir and a smaller chamber choir. You could have let everyone who showed up into Concert choir and only the best into Chamber choir. To heck with voicing and size.
Actually, that is exactly what most college choirs do and that is exactly why they are stuck in the same mud they have been for years. You will learn the most and have the most fun in a properly voiced and well constructed choir. If you were not placed in the choir you wanted to be in, work harder! Vocal performance is a highly competitive area of music and should not be attempted by the easily offended. I of all people know how hard it is to work your schedule around every audition and crazy practice schedules. That is why it takes dedication and perseverance to pull this thing off. Just my humble opinion.
Congrats to everyone in every choir!
I'm proud of the way you're handling this, Philip. Keep up the good work!
So... what is the difference in the two choirs? Is one more elite than the other, or what? I'm confused as to what this all means.
The first poster is so correct in their assessment of the whole situation.
I think it's extremely easy to take an outside perspective in this situation and talk about how many problems you have with the way things are being run. It becomes even easier to point out faults that you can see when you have the option of posting all of your criticisms as "anonymous". (I realize that I'm also posting under "anonymous", the reason for that is because I really don't feel like having a bunch of people be angry at me because they feel insulted, that isn't what I'm trying to do.) I think it's much harder to take into consideration how hard it is to pull something like this together, and how much harder it gets when you take into account people's personal feelings and such. With that in mind perhaps the wiser and more mature thing to do would be to just take things as the come and try to understand how difficult things might be for the person heading all of this up.
I also agree strongly with what Clayton said up above. If one choir is superior in some way to the other and you feel like you've been put somewhere because you're inferior, then by all means, work harder to get the position you feel that you deserve. That's the only way you'll get to where you want to be. Not by voicing your discontent about everything to all of your friends and in anonymous comments.
Thank you for all your hard work at UAB Dr. Copeland. You're doing a fantastic job.
Congratulations again to everyone who got into any sort of choir, I'm sure you're all in for a fantastic year.
You know, college is a great time to NOT have your parents still try and stick up for you.
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