THE WEDNESDAY REPORT: July 27, 2022

WE'RE BACK!

Tomorrow is the first of our regular Thursday gatherings as we resume full-time work in Music Ministry. I'm excited to get back to rehearsing with you all (and for that picnic next week; more below)!

Today's post contains several important topics for you: notes about our rehearsals; an update on Adopt-a-Song; opportunities to help make our Concert Series a success; and an update on our potluck next Thursday. Read on!

REHEARSALS RESUME JULY 28

THE PLAN...

We'll cover:

MUSIC FOR JULY 31

— Psalm 90: If Today (scores available this weekend)
— In Every Age

MUSIC FOR AUGUST 7
—Psalm 33: Blessed the People
—In Your Dwelling Place (scores available this weekend)
—Halleluya! We Sing Your Praises

And, we'll begin reading through the new Mass of St. Mary Magdelene!

CHOIR FOLDERS

From tomorrow on, each of you will have a choir folio to use on a regular basis. These are the black folders with elastic and rings for scores that the veteran members among you are very familiar with from Christmas, Easter, concerts, etc. Please keep all your octavos and other "loose" music in these folders and bring them to every rehearsal and Mass.

THE "ALWAYS" LIST

We are not just a bunch of people in the same room singing the same music at the time, we're an ensemble with a common mission and genuine care for one another (which is awesome). Anything that each of us can do to help ourselves and one another be better prepared is a beautiful thing... so please keep these three small-seeming but big-impact practices in mind.

Always arrive early for rehearsals and Mass warmups whenever possible. It's our goal not to arrive when rehearsal starts, but to start when rehearsal starts, so that you and everyone who took the time to come that day gets every minute of rehearsal and preparation they bargained for. It's an integral part of making music and community.
Always bring a pencil. Always. Neither you nor I are going to remember every note given for every song, even if it's right before Mass. Marking your score is one of the greatest favors you can do for yourself as a musician! In fact, I'd suggest using erasable colored pencils (my favorites are Prismacolor Col-Erase pencils) to mark your score, so that you get the advantage of color without the damage of a pen or highlighter (see the "never list" below).
Always stop by the music stands first, before you take your seat. This gives you the opportunity to organize and be prepared for the music we're about to rehearse, and it means we don't have to take time in rehearsal to hand out music.

THE "NEVER" LIST

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction... and for every unhelpful thing we do in a choir, there is an impact on our ability to reach our potential and serve our mission (which is not awesome).

Never use ink. Ever. The only ink that should ever be on a page of music is what the publisher placed there. Things change, directors change their minds, someone else may need to use that music in the future. Please remember that every musical score you sing from here is an investment by the parish, and we need to keep that music in good shape for as many years as possible. While it may be helpful to you in the moment, it's stuck there forever and that may make the score unusable down the road.
Please refrain from excessive chatter or conversation in rehearsals. By that, I'm not saying that every second of our time together must be unyieldingly disciplined (I mean, you've met me!) but we all know how frustrating it is to try to communicate over an unnecessary conversation when time is precious and there's a job to do. It's especially frustrating to have conversations going when trying to teach a part to a section... distractions only make it harder for your partners in ministry to learn. Knowing when and when not to get into a sidebar conversation is a gift of conscientious respect and support for me and each of you.
Never settle for the basics. As I've said before, the ink on the page is not music; it's an instruction set for making music. The notes, rhythms, and words of any song we sing are fundamental, but also the basics. What more can each song become through applying phrase, shape, dynamics, and good diction? Even more importantly, never stop praying this music! Remembering that everything we sing is prayer for ourselves and our parish family is the most important thing to keep in mind for us... that takes what we do to a level beyond good music... it's powerful prayer in a musical medium!

ADOPT-A-SONG

Your response to this proposal of mine has been amazing! We already have nine of the fifteen pieces I listed adopted by named and anonymous donors. I'm so grateful!

If you are interested in adopting a song, I'm asking for a donation to Music Ministry of $200 to cover the purchase and shipping/printing of one piece of music. Here's the six remaining pieces from last week's list:

FAMILIAR PIECES

Be Not Afraid, Bob Dufford, SJ
Bread for the World, Bernadette Farrell
Take and Eat, Michael Joncas (I hear you've done this one in the past... it's a great piece, perfect for Triduum!)

NEW PIECES (with audio samples)