Reflection on the past two weeks

How do you define choir in your own mind?  Maybe you've been involved in choir from your very first opportunity.  Maybe you've never been involved in choral activities before.  How do you see choir students?  

I was in Chorus and Vocal Ensemble in high school.  I saw all kinds of people walk through the doors and attend those classes - from the quiet, most secluded kids, to the most gregarious social butterflies.  Our choruses consisted of mathletes and athletes; football players, cheerleaders, wrestlers, and Thesbians.  The only problem with this combination of characters, is that often times our chorus consisted of individuals who were there for the "easy A."  Those few individuals were the ones who would hold us back - the ones who never really wanted to be there.  Sometimes, if we were lucky, they would have a change of heart and, in realizing the passion that the rest of us had, would be infected with the same passion and have a change in heart.

When I came to Behrend, I had read about choir in an email that you will probably get at least eight times, and probably only read maybe once (assuming that you are either already at Behrend, or planning on coming here).  I tried to decide whether or not to take the challenge that was laid out in front of me, and in thinking about high school, decided against it first semester.  I thought it was going to be just like it was in high school - a few divas, a few modestly dedicated, and enough people who didn't want to pull their own weight to slow everyone else down.

One semester sitting on the sidelines while everyone else was finding their niche was enough for me.  A friend convinced me to join choir - you meet great people, you get credit for the class, and you have fun being a part of something.  That was the platform upon which I made my decision.

Now, this is my third semester in Concert Choir, and my first semester in Chamber Singers.  You know what I see?  You know what I think about when I think about choral activities and choral students?

I see a group of dedicated individuals.  I think about the hours and hours of time that we spend each semester in and out of class, working tirelessly on our music with the hope that we might scrape the surface of perfection.  I think about the general philosophy that we have as Choirs at Penn State Behrend:  We strive for excellence - good is not good enough.  Greatness in one practice is almost always at the expense of the next, unless you develop the skill to pinpoint your own strengths and weaknesses within the piece.

I see a choir made up of people who are passionate about music, and serious about improving their own skill.  We have people in our choirs who are involved without getting scholastic credit.  That's what makes us different.  There is no music major (yet) at Behrend, so all these people come together to create music because we want to, not because we have to - and God knows that choir is anything but an "easy A."  We work hard to earn our credit.

We also understand when its time to have fun and relax.  In just a few short weeks we'll be invading NYC!  We've been working hard to memorize all of our material before performing there.

We take our time seriously...  This past week, we still held rehearsals even when our director couldn't be there due to a conference.  We'll have a few pictures up on our photobucket of that practice (unfortunately, my camera died about halfway through).

Well, I'm trying to get over a cold and it's a little late.  We'll talk later!

Mandee :)

Hey Everyone!

I'd like to start by introducing myself.  My name is Mandee Kate Morrow and I'm your '08/'09 Publicity and Concert Manager of PSB Choirs.  I'm the one running around rehearsal taking pictures, and also the one before the concerts who is trying to make sure everything runs the way that it should.  I try to post the pictures that I take in a timely manner, but it doesn't always go as expected :).

Evan and I have agreed to start this choir blog, and we are so pumped about it.  We are more excited than anything else to have the opportunity of showing you what choral activities are like through our eyes, and the eyes of our classmates.

I just want to explain that the Choirs at Penn State Behrend are unlike any other choirs that I've ever participated in before.  Under the direction of Dr. D. Jason Bishop, our choir unifies as more than just a class, more than just a choir, or a group of individuals.  Our choir has developed into a community and a "surrogate family" environment.  Our programs foster special values and gestures that I have rarely seen anywhere else.  We value each other as friends and family.  We welcome constructive criticism, and even raise our hands to take blame for a flat, sharp, or just dead wrong note.

That last comment is a phenomenon that continues to shock and amaze me about our choir.  Living in a world where people are so quick to choose scapegoats and place blame on others, it is refreshing to see and be a part of a group of students who take pride not only in their accomplishments, but also in their faults - and are so willing to take the initiative to improve.

Fall semester had brought so many complications and obstacles that had sometimes blinded us from seeing the light of our potential; yet, with Dr. B's help, hope, and guidance - and our own willingness and dedication, we broke down those barriers.  This semester is no different - as every semester shall reveal.  We take the time to realize our flaws, and we work hard to eliminate them and any other barriers that might hinder us from achieving greatness.

In this choir, you have to want it - even when you can't understand what it is that you want...and you can never walk away from a rehearsal thinking "that went well," because the only way to reach and surpass your own expectations, is to understand that there will always be room for improvement.

Welcome to the experience of a lifetime!

And yes, I do emphasize that this will be something you never forget. Whether you're just one part of the collective body, or you're the audience we perform for, the Choirs at Penn State Behrend truly leave an impact on you no matter which aspect you take on. For those of you reading, I'm the President of Choirs here at PSB for Fall-Spring 2008-2009 school year. As the spring semester is about a third of the way though, I've realized that though I'll only be on board for another ten weeks, myself and the other officers (and even the rest of the choir) have a lot in store for us!

As it stands, around 45 of the almost 60 members of choir are attending a New York City trip at the end of March! This is extremely exciting, because it will be the first trip anyone from a PSB Choir has taken with the still-fresh Dr. Jason Bishop. A lot of hype, planning, and effort on all parts have gone into making this trip a possibility and we're all looking forward to spending four musical and exciting days in the Big Apple!

As the officers make last minute preparations [such as where we might be performing, including the above location of Times Square], many students - prospective singers, curious members, or just curious students - might be wondering what's in store for the future of choirs here at PSB. A lot of this answer lay largely on the future of the leadership of the choirs. Diligently, your elected leaders work to bring you a quality of education in choral activity that's both enriching and enticing; whether or not this includes trips (and more often than not it will) is up to them!

Stay tuned for more information on New York and for upcoming videos of choral rehearsals!


Your Choir President,


Evan



You're one and only Director of Choral Activities