Three Ways to Keep People First

Last time I wrote about the importance of the people-first idea in choirs( link is HERE). Here are a three simple ways to practice that idea:

1. Talk to everyone

It’s easy to fall into the habit of talking to the singers in the choir who are our friends. But how valuable is it to talk to people who are outside of our circle? Before and after rehearsal, make a point of approaching one or two people and just asking “hey, how are things?” And then listen to what they have to say and try to relate. This goes beyond the singers. It includes pianists and other instrumentalists involved with rehearsal, any support or custodial people who are around, any friends or family who have come to watch and listen. The simple act of caring about something beyond rehearsal lets people be people before they are singers and pianists.

2. Be a person

We all know it’s important not to bring the stress of our day into rehearsal. But that’s different from bringing in our humanity. Tell a relevant story from your life, whether it’s celebratory or a hardship. Make a joke about how you couldn’t find two socks that matched this morning. Be proud of your child. When we talk about how every person has something unique to add to the choir, we’re not just talking about their timbre or their musicianship. Music is art that reflects humanity–humanity is all that stuff that happens outside of rehearsal. By letting your humanity show, you give value and permission to the humanity of others.

3. Encourage storytelling

Telling stories from our lives lets us practice being human. It lets us practice being vulnerable. It also lets others practice accepting our humanity and our vulnerability. If a piece of music is built around a key human experience, then encourage singers to share stories with each other or with the group.

During a rehearsal of “Still, Still, Still” I shared a story of being the choir director at a church in a small town in Wisconsin. Every year on Christmas Eve, I was the last one to leave, and many times, I found myself in the parking lot, alone, watching the snow fall, feeling the peace and goodwill of Christmas. It was so still the silence was almost tangible, and for that instant every year, walking out of the last thing on the calendar until the next year, there was always a moment of real peace. You could hear the silence of the snow falling.

When the story was over, I asked them to think about a time they might have felt something similar, and if they had something, to share it with those around them. A few minutes later, when the sharing was done, we sang the piece again, and it was transformed. We were singing more than notes and rhythms, we were singing human experience. We never could have gotten there had we let each other be singers and not people first.

Have ideas for how to keep people first? Please share below!