Wednesday October 17, 2007
In the past sixteen years I have participated in two church choirs with approximately seven different directors (what a track record for many directors in one choir) and been tutored briefly by two private voice instructors. Last night after chorus practice I started thinking again about how different every director is. No wonder a choir goes through this sort of “slump” when the director changes. They all have such different strengths and weaknesses. Different ways of bringing out the music. Different vocal exercises certain to bring out the perfect sound. Different styles of directing. Different personalities. Different ways of wording the same message.
Right now I’m missing Edmund Najera, my favorite voice teacher. In the line up of my musical directors, he gets the most superlatives. Most talented. Most educated. Most gracious. And interestingly enough, least religious. What amazed me so often was how he could be so gifted, tutor such phenomenal university students, and then turn around and do all he could to bring out the best in David Lee and I. And he did. Both of us love to sing; but neither of us is gifted. Yet he pulled out voices from inside of us we didn’t have earlier. I heard the most dramatic change in David Lee in that years time; but I also loved what happened to me. Finally, after so many years of being told so many ways, someone taught me how to get the sound out (instead of telling me all these strange motions to think to get it to float out) by using lip flutters, consonants, and other things. And when something wasn’t working, whether it was phlegm or a swallowed sound, he could give us an exercise that helped clear the problem. He believed in us, much more then we believed in ourselves. That year is a memory we will treasure all of our lives … and one of the gifts we gave ourselves we will probably always most want to repeat.
Yeah right, you’re not gifted. Anyway, he did do wonderful things for you and I hope for the chance sometime (if we’re ever somewhere where we’ll get to use the knowledge).
I ROFL, at Adam’s comment. 🙂
I loved the tribute, I especially liked.. He believed in us, much more than we believed in ourselves.. that is tremendous.. now we as a church should do that and even more.. God Bless..KG
And I thought you were very gifted 🙂
I came here planning to say something, but I totally lost my train of thought!
It was really important, I think?! It’s just too early in the morning! ha
Anyways, I think you’re very gifted!!
I remember the group of you who came over in… 2000 was it? and sang so beautifully! It was my first experience of accapella, and… little did I know that I’d be signing-in to an accapella choir 7 yrs afterwards!! 🙂 I remember being awed by how lovely voices could sound w/out instruments (not that I think they don’t sound good w/ them…). hope everything’s ok!
I can echo an Amen to your post…. Our chorus has gone through some big changes in the last year and until they can get everything figured out we will continue getting used to the change in directors. It really is important to give each one a fair trial even though it comes much easier to see the negatives. I’m determined though to not give in to that temptation and make the most of the situation. We’re doing Christmas music right now and I’m thrilled….
Ryc: I’m not sure if he comprehends death either, because he told me that if you giggle at the squirrel it will die… Hmm, not sure where he came up with that. 🙂 One day Brooklyn was coughing like she was choking and he said, “Mom! Brookie’s dying!” I think it’s a hard thing for their little brains to comprehend!
RYC – I’m due April 14. What about you? I loved the Dr. Suess in the previous post.
I always admire those that can take voice lessons & really enjoy it…I did one year out of pure peer preasure…my, it was not my thing..what kind of camera are you getting? I got a Canon Rebel xti…just having fun with it, and not knowing the half of what I’m doing.
hi!! it’s been so long …love looking at your pics! you do such a marvelous job! wow….almost makes me decide not to post any pics anymore cause they are so not professional. oh also…i’m so happy for you! i’d just been wondering how things are going when your mom called and told me the wonderful news! i haven’t found out when jr. will make his entrance into the world.
oh and i wanted to ask you about your granite top in your kitchen. do you like it? would you do it again? do you know anything about whether you have to do something with it every year? cause that’s what we were gonna go with ….but….was wanting some feedback from someone that has it. didn’t realize you did till your mom told me the other day.
well….gotta run….luv,K
RYC: HOW in the world do little boys learn all of this stuff???!! I can just imagine a very matter-of-fact (like, duh! Mom!) tone in his voice, even though I have no idea how he actually talks (I hear that type of tone in my boys’ voices almost every day). We moms of boys are soooo uneducated!
Thanks for the smile! ~Jo
P.S. Oh, I forgot to say—–Adam’s right! It’s a Dodge Ram, if you want to get specific…