Sigma Alpha Iota

PAN PIPES Spring 2019 15 CHORAL SURVEY In a survey sent out to fraternity members and community members alike, I received back 121 responses. To be clear, the survey and data collected was not done in a truly scientific and research based manner; it was sent out as an information-gathering tool only. 90.1% of respondents were Sigma Alpha Iota members and 9.1% were non-members. Being a member was not a requirement to take the survey. Fascinatingly enough, out of the 121 respondents, more than half (53.7%) did not hold a degree in music. is statistic immediately supported my own personal goal of shaping my students to find a joy in choral singing that would extend the rest of their lives outside of high school or college. Questions that were a part of the survey included: 1. Do you have a degree in music? 2. If you have a degree in music, what field is it in? 3. If you are a working music professional, what is your primary employment? 4. If you are not a working music professional, what is your primary employment? 5. What kind of choir do you belong to? a. Community b. Faith Based c. Both Community and Faith Based d. Other 6. Duration of your current choir? 7. Did you sing while in college? 8. If you belong to a community choir, what is the repertoire? 9. Is the choir auditioned? 10. Performance frequency? 11. And finally, why? While siing through responses, I discovered answers that I predicted, and others that I was very pleasantly surprised by. e predictable responses of those who were music professionals were the particular specialties- teacher, performer, music therapist. ose who were not music professionals, the range was much wider than I thought: hospital scheduler, technical account manager, preservation specialist, Amazon warehouse worker, college mathematics professor, pharmacist, and landfill gas engineer, just to name a few. Looking at the wide range of professions, it never ceases to amaze me that our connecting link is music. When polling people to see what types of choirs they belonged to, 41% belonged to a faith- based choir, 19% belonged to a community choir, and 13% of respondents belonged to both types of choirs. For the remaining group, those polled responded that their participation ranged from current college choirs, to the BSO's Tanglewood Festival Chorus, to even ukulele groups. Why the percentage is what it is, that could be a whole new discussion, and does it potentially have to do with the group being auditioned or not? e question could certainly be raised as nearly 54% of respondents reported that their group(s) were auditioned and nearly 47% were not. ese results could also potentially be linked to the reasons why one joined their particular choir(s), and does the repertoire have anything to do with it? e overwhelming majority at 72% said they joined their choir(s) because they just plain love to sing. A close second and third related to the conductor and then the social interaction. With all of the research available of what singing in a choir can do for both your physical and mental health, it is not surprising that the top three responses are related to those benefits. At the end of the survey, I asked respondents to add anything that they thought was important to know about their choir experiences and what choral singing has meant to them. While reading through these responses, there were many people for whom choir was a lifelong endeavor, an amazing and impressive range of experiences singing with larger choirs such as the Detroit Symphony Chorus, singing at Carnegie Hall, singing under the direction of Robert Shaw, traveling abroad with choirs, and having the opportunity to do choir as an outreach endeavor. Here are some other responses that were given by those surveyed: "We become like family!" — Gloria Manitta "I like being a participant instead of being the director or accompanist. It's nice and so much more enjoyable not having to be in charge." — Kristy Piper "I'm also the pianist and leader of a klezmer band that plays for synagogue services and other events." — Susan Cohn Lackman "Choir for me is something to look forward to since I do not study music. It's a break from what I normally do." — Rachel Smith at particular quote rings a chord for me and reminds me of many people I sing with in the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. ere are multiple singers in our choir for whom music is their outlet and creative time away from their everyday work. I sing with musicians who during the day are everything from nurses, to bio-medical researchers in the top Boston hospitals, to financial advisors, to project managers. It's quite the range of professions, just like in our beloved fraternity, and music is the one common thread between all of us. e response that stood out to me the most was this: "Choir taught me the discipline, focus, drive, and confidence to reach a little farther every time life presents an opportunity. Had I not joined choir in my freshman year of high school, I would have been a woman that I don't recognize. Music filled all the gaps and nooks and crannies in my soul that I never knew were even there. Singing in an ensemble so tightly knit creates a spiritual bond that no one can explain, and creating such beautiful music through the most vulnerable parts of you is both an intimate and incredibly freeing experience. Choir truly is something that I've been involved with my whole life, and will continue to attempt to be involved in for the remainder of my time." — Payton Smith-German I have a particular theory that choral people are some of the most dedicated individuals around. ere is something to be said for that feeling you get when your hearts all sync along with your breathing and you allow yourself to let go and enjoy each others' company to create something beautiful, all while working so diligently with great care to be sure that your end product is one you are proud of and want to share with the world. If you have the opportunity to create music, especially choral music, in a way that fits your lifestyle, I encourage you to do so. You will not regret taking the time for yourself and giving that creative outlet a chance to be heard. ank you from the bottom of my heart to all who took the time to fill out my survey, and to SAI Philanthropies, Inc. for the Professional Development Grant which allowed me to travel to the ACDA Eastern Division Conference, that sparked a new found love and project for my choral singing endeavors. Stephanie Riley is an initiate of the Gamma Delta Chapter at SUNY Potsdam and currently a member of the Boston Alumnae Chapter. A passionate music educator, Stephanie teaches 8-12 choral music on Cape Cod and is a member of the MMEA state board.

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