Goosebumps- Colorado Middle Allstate Choir- Out of the comfort zone.

They say the growth happens outside of our comfort zone.

And I was WAY outside my comfort zone.

In February of 2023, I presented some sessions at the annual Colorado Music Educator's Convention.  

At the end of one of my sessions, two energetic teachers came up to me and asked if I would be interested in conducting their 2024 Middle School Allstate Choir.  

What an honor!  So, I immediately said yes.  

This would be my third Allstate Chorus conducting experience of my post-retirement career, and I have loved every single one.   I am so grateful for each opportunity to work with such high-level students who've worked hard to get their spots.  

Being the third, I've learned which questions to ask so that I can help the students reach their peaks in the rehearsal time we've got.  

For me, it was always the third year in a new school when things turned around, and I guess the same is true for this sort of endeavor because this experience was beyond magical.  I definitely haven't gotten goosebumps while conducting this many times since 2019/pre-covid, and I think this experience gave me more goosebumps than I've ever had.  

Last summer, when it was time to send in my music choices, I was paralyzed.  I couldn't get over the hump.  I'm not sure why exactly...other than the fact that I had actually been to Colorado's Music Convention and saw how well run it was?!  So, maybe I felt extra pressure?  Not sure.  Or maybe it was because I was conducting the SSAA Treble Choir (mostly female), and I knew I needed to find all literature that was brand new to me so I could grow and stretch my own skills.  

I had chosen three of the six songs.  It was turning out to be a girl power concert for sure, but I couldn't find the other three songs.  

Enter Alicia Moreno Mulloy from Alabama.  I had adjudicated her choirs in March 2023, and I was blown away by her work with them...so much so, that I, for a quick fleeting moment, thought I wanted to get back into the classroom.  I interviewed her in July 2023 for "Ask Mr. D".  She gave lots of great insights about how she works her magic.  If you missed it, here is the link.  She is authentically Alicia, and middle school kids love that.  

Then, I came to my senses!  Loved that chapter...Next.  No regrets.

I messaged her and asked if she'd help me finish out the program, and she sent me a ton of options until we finally came up with this.

I loved every piece.  I loved the flow...the message...

I sent it in.

And then, I started to question myself.  Were they going to be able to do Sisters?  I picked it because I found this video, and loved the choreography.  I went back and looked at the video after I sent it in, and the song was performed by a University Choir.  I am conducting 7th and 8th graders!  

I'm talking to myself...Ok...I'll just cut it if I have to.  That way we can make magic with the other songs...

But the flow of the concert won't be the same?!  

And I kept having more thoughts like this about the other songs.  "Those dissonances...Those Sondheim rhythms..."   And on and on.

November approached, and I knew I had to start preparing.  My Mississippi Allstate conducting gig was just 14 days ahead of this one, so I had two things going at once.  

I dug in.  I loved every second of the preparation process for both events, but this music...this concert flow...oh how I wanted it to work.

I started emailing the organizers.

How are the students screened?

When did they get the music?

Are they expected to walk in memorized?

Who checks?

Anxiety...mixed with excitement.  

The day arrives when I meet the singers.

I did my a capella vocal warm-up.   Tone quality is very nice.  They respond well to my conducting cues.  The energy is definitely good.

Then, I do my normal thing.  I have them pretend that it's the night of the concert.  They, the collaborative pianist whom I've just met and I sing straight through the concert.  I told them that no matter what happens, we are not stopping.  We will recover and move on.

First song...very nice!  It is clear they are prepared with all pitches and rhythms.

Same for second and third.  

Fourth is Sisters.

I don't tell them I'm scared, but I am shaking a bit.

It's a capella, and I've told the collaborative pianist that if she needed to bang a pitch or five half way through to save them, then she should do it.

She didn't have to do it AND they stayed in tune throughout...not missing anything.

After they sang Sisters, I broke my rule, and talked to them.  I let them know how scared I'd been, and thanked them for prepping so well.

The final two pieces went great.

I don't 'have to cut anything!  And...I don't have to do any remediation of pitches/rhythms.  YIPPEE!

Instead, I get to take them straight to the magic of creating meaningful choral art and give them and the audience an experience they'll always remember because of how it made them feel, and they can take that excitement back to their classrooms and lead.  

It truly was magical.

Here are some samples of dress rehearsal.

Sisters

I am.

Lineage.

I think we will have professional recordings within 2 weeks, and I'll try to find a way to share.

I am so grateful for this experience, and I hoping to have more opportunities like this in coming years.

Thank you to all of the S-Cubed teachers who invite me to to Allstates and Honor's Choirs.  It gives me the opportunity to keep working with children since I am not doing it daily any longer, and I love it.  It makes me push myself outside of my comfort zone.   I am so grateful for S-Cubed because no one would know anything about my work without it, but these opportunities give me the chance to show that I'm not a one-trick pony, and that means a lot to me at this point in my career.

Thank you!