Stretching Boundaries

The Voces Novae/Harry Pickens collaboration concert was this past Sunday. We sang to a sold out crowd (about 500 peeps!) and even got a great review in the CJ.

The rehearsal process was difficult (terrifying, even) for some of our members, myself included. I like to think I am more accepting of change than most people. I am, but not right away. I hated and loved it all at once from the beginning. As we progressed, the hate faded and by Sunday, I adored what we were doing. Harry wrote or arranged all the pieces we sang. Several peices he wrote just for us - using our style of singing and featuring the things we do best. He came to our rehearsals and even did extra weekend workshops to help us learn to improvise and to "trust the music within" oursleves. I think that in addition to a fabulous concert on Sunday, we have become better musicians in the process.

We choral singers are used to having the music in front of us, knowing what the notes and rhythms and words are. In fact, in a chorus it is vital that everyone know what is expected and what everyone else is doing or it's just a big jumbled mess. That's what I used to think. Harry taught us to make it up, let it flow, let it change and be what it is right now. To let all this happen as a group. It might not be the same thing it was yesterday and it won't be the same thing tomorrow. This is true to some degree with all music. The page looks the same, but the performance is never the same thing twice. In the weekend workshops he would give us a note, tell us to harmonize it and then sing our own song. It was interesting how a group of 10 individuals could make a song that ebbed and flowed as a single piece and ended on its own without any one person in charge. Really cool.

I have trouble being present - here and now and not thinking about last week, 5 minutes ago or tomorrow. I think a gift I got from this experience was the ability to just be where and when I am. It's something I have been trying to learn for years. Funny that something I have been doing for most of my life (singing) is what provided the opportunity to get there.

I have always believed it's important to stretch our boundaries - to do things that make us uncomfortable. I have also always tried to avoid actually doing that myself. I am so grateful for the experiences of the last couple months. I am a more confident singer, more aware of the moment, more conscious of my creativity. I am a better person.