Originally published in Voices of Hope Choir
newsletter Jan – June 2007
This is a new monthly column that will
highlight different issues of relevance to the Choral Singer. This is the first in a series…
GOOD
TO GREAT
You can recite one of my mantras by now…”We
are going to be better than the average church choir.” There are plenty of poor music groups out
there. There are even an abundance of
average, mediocre choirs. Great choirs,
however, are few and far between. That
is one reason why choirs are dying at a rapid pace.
If a start-up business is not great but
average or mediocre, one can be certain that it either becomes great or it is
doomed to a sometimes slow but certain death.
Eric Kauffman, member of the Ohio Choral
Music Association draws the analogy between a
successful business and a successful choir.
He notes that a major paradox is that “good is the
enemy of great.” Too often good is
interpreted as good enough and sets one on the path toward mediocrity.
The moment we settle for good enough we set ourselves on a new path that allows complacency to set in. We get sloppy and lazy and quality
suffers. Success gives way to failure.
Stagnation sets in and death becomes inevitable.
Kauffman goes on to say that inefficiencies
commonly found in choral organizations would never be tolerated in the business
world. Think about the businessman who
continues to make thoughtless mistakes.
How long would he survive? Do
businesses tolerate inefficient employees?
A great choir doesn’t either. In the weeks to come, we will look at the
development of this analogy as we work to become a great choir.
-
Don
This is a new monthly column that will
highlight different issues of relevance to the Choral Singer. This is the 2nd in a series…
GOOD
TO GREAT
It is said the “People are your most
valuable asset.” Eric Kauffman points
out that actually “…the right people
are your most valuable asset.” A company
will not thrive unless the right people are in the right positions. It isn’t always the most talented people that
make organizations functions but it’s the people most interested in being a
critical member of a winning team. We
can have the largest choir made up of people who don’t really want to be there,
who aren’t committed to rehearsing and learning the music, who would rather do
their own thing then work to be blended into the group as a whole. If that were us, we would have a mediocre
group at best and potential chaos at every turn. Going from good to great takes people who
“…want to make it happen.” We’ll never
go from good to great without the passion of each and every member, to go
beyond our limits and pull together to be an exceptional organization.
Next issue we’ll talk about confronting the
brutal facts, including the attitude that “I’m as good as I can be.”
-
Don
This is the 3nd in a series…
GOOD
TO GREAT
“Confront the Brutal Facts
(Yet Never Lose Faith)
“Good-to-great choral directors must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, AND at the same time have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your reality, whatever they might be. When failure is not an option, the positive spirit can become contagious. Be proud of the progress you make daily.” Eric Kauffman, South Central Region Chair
(Yet Never Lose Faith)
“Good-to-great choral directors must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, AND at the same time have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your reality, whatever they might be. When failure is not an option, the positive spirit can become contagious. Be proud of the progress you make daily.” Eric Kauffman, South Central Region Chair
You don’t know how much I
needed that paragraph tonight as I sat down to work on the newsletter. Since
December we have lost 7 members. Though
I feel discouraged I also believe that we can make it. I believe in our mission. I believe in the power of what we are
doing. I believe I can lead us from good
to great. Yet the brutal facts of
needing more men and constant improvement in our sound and look are always
staring me in the face. That is why each
Saturday we are together I attempt to bring an energy and enthusiasm that is
infectious. As you catch the dream we
will continue to progress to where we want to be. So along with me, let’s keep
the faith.
- Don
- Don
This is the 4th in a series…
GOOD
TO GREAT
The Curse of Competence
“To go from good to great” Eric Kauffman says, “requires transcending the curse of competence.” Many of us have sung since we were in the crib. Some of us stole the show at the Children’s Christmas Pageant. Some of us did children’s theater. Some of us were leaders in our HS Choir. Some went on to sing in college and beyond. All of us are passionate about singing. That’s why we pay dues, come to rehearsal, sacrifice time and energy. But even though we have done all these things doesn’t mean we are as good as we can be. Glenn Dell, one of our basses has sung in choirs for years. Since joining VoH he has also started getting voice coaching because he realized he had some areas he needed to improve. And improve he has! I applaud this attitude. Once we believe we have arrived we should probably start to worry. It has been said that you are either growing or you’re dying, but there really is never “arriving”. I look forward to the day when I can attend another Conducting Seminar to learn new tools, improve the tools I already use, and grow in my ability to lead. Do you have the courage to grow as a musician? Personal growth will ultimately be reflected in the quality of the group as a whole. Learn, learn, learn.
- Don
“To go from good to great” Eric Kauffman says, “requires transcending the curse of competence.” Many of us have sung since we were in the crib. Some of us stole the show at the Children’s Christmas Pageant. Some of us did children’s theater. Some of us were leaders in our HS Choir. Some went on to sing in college and beyond. All of us are passionate about singing. That’s why we pay dues, come to rehearsal, sacrifice time and energy. But even though we have done all these things doesn’t mean we are as good as we can be. Glenn Dell, one of our basses has sung in choirs for years. Since joining VoH he has also started getting voice coaching because he realized he had some areas he needed to improve. And improve he has! I applaud this attitude. Once we believe we have arrived we should probably start to worry. It has been said that you are either growing or you’re dying, but there really is never “arriving”. I look forward to the day when I can attend another Conducting Seminar to learn new tools, improve the tools I already use, and grow in my ability to lead. Do you have the courage to grow as a musician? Personal growth will ultimately be reflected in the quality of the group as a whole. Learn, learn, learn.
- Don
This is the 5th in a series…
GOOD
TO GREAT
A
Culture of Discipline
I believe it was Martha Graham, the great Ballet Dancer, who said “Years of discipline for a moment of freedom.” But the years have to start sometime. How about now? Eric Kauffman writes about the need for a choir to have a “culture” of discipline if they want to go from good to great. There is a difference between having discipline and having a culture of discipline. A culture of discipline requires disciplined members, disciplined creative thought, and disciplined actions. When you combine these things with an ethic of musicianship, a choir can reach its goals and go from good to great.
I believe it was Martha Graham, the great Ballet Dancer, who said “Years of discipline for a moment of freedom.” But the years have to start sometime. How about now? Eric Kauffman writes about the need for a choir to have a “culture” of discipline if they want to go from good to great. There is a difference between having discipline and having a culture of discipline. A culture of discipline requires disciplined members, disciplined creative thought, and disciplined actions. When you combine these things with an ethic of musicianship, a choir can reach its goals and go from good to great.
So the challenge is to be a
disciplined member. Be at rehearsal, be
on time, listen to the music, learn your parts. During rehearsals learn what is
being taught. Focus your mind on growing
together as a group, harnessing the creative energy in the room, growing as a
productive member or the group. You’re
already a musician. We know that because
you are in the group. Help us go from
good to great by growing with the rest of us in discipline. Keep moving forward.
-Don
This is the 6th and final entry
in a series…
GOOD
TO GREAT
Process
leads to Product and Good to Great to Built to Last
Transformation in the choral group doesn’t
happen in one fell swoop. There is no
single defining thing. Becoming great IS
a process. Kauffman says “Consistency, insistency, and persistency are major
elements of daily success.” The process
from good to great will only happen with consistent attendance, persistent
listening to rehearsal CDs, hard work, and insistence that each singer conforms
to the leadership of the director and the team.
Maintaining the high standards of greatness
is harder than creating it. Each success
builds an expectation that the group must never settle for less. Excellence is not something that we will
compromise. “In order to overcome the standard of mediocrity which exists…you
must never forget the importance of renewing what makes your teaching
“superior” and “innovative.” says Kauffmann. By giving yourself wholeheartedly to the
dream, to the philosophy, to the mission and to the team, you will be on your
way from good to great!
-Don
-Don
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