Most mornings I listen to news, advice on how to sing better and/or TED talks. This morning I came across a TED talk delivered by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, presented in Vancouver in September 2019. That was only a few months before Covid-19 changed everything. He spoke about how our desire for attention can and will affect our creativity. Near the end of the talk he said that he tries to find collaborators rather than competitors. And it hit me that that is what happened during the pandemic. Many music and arts organizations started reaching out and holding webinars, workshops, round-tables and courses aimed at making connections rather than competing with other organizations.
I direct a children’s choir (James Bay Children’s Chorus) and we have been rehearsing online since last April. Teaching online piano lessons was not much of a concern for me, although I did appreciate the BCRMTA suggestions that were sent around. I definitely was not expecting the huge amount of support and encouragement for my online choir adventures! There were the weekly check-ins for choir directors in Victoria, discussions of studies on aerosols and droplets when singing together (University of Colorado, Boulder) webinars and discussions from organizations such as BCCF, NATS, choral organizations around the world including Europe and Australia.
Composers (Mark Sirett and Karen Linford) offering to drop in to our Zoom rehearsals and talk to the children about their song and answer questions. Choir directors from across Canada and USA generously sharing ideas that have worked for them. I could go on and on, but what I really want to say is that each small collaborative effort by these people and organizations have been greatly appreciated. This collaboration has been one of the blessings of the pandemic and I hope it will continue.
Reflections 