Recruitment, Retention, Attention...are there really any new ideas?

I have been struggling with the ideas of recruitment and retention of singers in choral ensembles.

In my last post, 

http://lcadirectorsconnector.blogspot.com/2015/02/lee-nelson-voicing-seating-and-lincoln.html

I announced an event LCA will be holding in late April. If you are interested in singing please check it out.
Here' my dilemma however, my gut tells I should stay true to programming and planning music that is at the heart of good choral writing, but also incorporate the occasional pop oriented music. This has always been my default and the groups I have worked with including LCA, have seem to responded. 


However, the response in recruitment and attendance at concerts, doesn't necessarily match with the singers experience. This is part of the reason I am hosting the "In Choir" event I mentioned above. 

Does the community in a wide sense know what it's like to sing with a group of people who really want to sing, sing well, and sing with purpose? My head tells me no, but my gut says people need and want to experience events personally. The issue is that singing feels really exposed, even if you are singing with a group. I love and support instrumental ensembles, so I am not saying anything negative, but beyond the need to understand the instrument well enough to play in an ensemble, the instrument can function as a buffer between the individual and the audience. It can be about the player and instrument. The professionals will of course say that they are always thinking about the audience. I believe that is true. But it is still tough to stand in front of a bunch a people and open your mouth, praying the "right" stuff will come out. 

It's easy to poo-poo the pop culture and media, and say that today people are so jaded by "perfect" music they hear on their portable devices and in the car. But that's a cop out. Some of the music is great and often has the emotional quotient that really engages people. And the engagement is the key.

So on our upcoming concert we are connecting with the audiences, maybe new singers, and definitely supporters of choral music and Lincoln Choral Artists with some very unique songs.

Five Hebrew Love Songs, composed by the very popular and talented Eric Whitacre, features 5 short movements of text about love, written by soprano soloist and wife of the composer, Hila Plitmann.

Lambscapes is a collection of fun, tongue-in cheek settings of Mary Had a Little Lamb.

The Men will have some fun with a song about the importance of good tailoring, especially when it comes to your lower half.

And the women will inspire us with their tongue twisting agility in a setting of the the text "Peter Piper."

There's ample opportunity for friends, new friends, and the whole community to enjoy some great music and be apart of the event!

WITH ONE STEP — Begin Anew

May 15, 2015 | 7:30 pm 

First United Methodist Church, 2723 N. 50th Street