Two of my Favorite Chorus Concert Traditions
If you’re like me, you’re already thinking about concert season, coming in about a month for most of us. This time of year presents a unique combination of excitement and stress, experienced by both students and teachers. I know personally, concert season makes me feel like I’ve lost it. I love my chorus, but sometimes the to-do list feels a mile long. To hold onto the joy of concert season, I decided to shift my focus to fun, using two of my favorite chorus concert traditions!
The Concert Ballgown
As an online shopping addict, of course I jumped at the chance to go shopping for the perfect concert dress. And what better way to get kids excited to perform than to show you’re equally as excited!
Each concert, I buy a dress to direct my ensemble in. Think prom attire. Now that I have a history of doing this, the kids will start asking what I’m going to wear- though I love to keep it a surprise. During concerts, I always get comments from students on what my outfits look like. “New York City!” “A fairy princess!” I love these fun conversations that distract all of us from the stage fright that lies ahead, and adds excitement for some of their first performance experiences.
The Dance-Along
The story of all my best ideas is a spark from one of the students. One year I’ll never forget, the chorus was high-energy as they waited in the rehearsal room. Who can blame them? The anticipation for this event sparks nerves in even the most experienced. One of my students asked me, “Can we do the macarena?” Since the kids had energy to spare, I turned the song on, and this started a tradition I’ve kept with me each concert season. Before our concert performances, my chorus performs line dances, from the Cha-Cha Slide to the Cupid Shuffle. For new performers, this has been a great coping strategy for pre-concert nerves, putting their energy into something fun AND musical.
As the concert season begins, from early morning rehearsals to late night performances, I wish you all joy! Thank you for supporting your students and showing them that performing is possible, and exciting.
