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Though I made the decision to start looking for a new job primarily in the VA Beach area, I find myself with conflicting desires.
On the one hand, I could possibly have a job in a place close to one of my most favorite places in VA and be near very dear friends whom I miss terribly.
On the other hand, there is the Chorale who has a chance to sing at the Kennedy Center next Christmas season thanks to Mark Hayes. The Kennedy Center. This will probably be my only chance of doing something so awesome. But maybe I hold that place in too high regard.
It's odd that the Chorale has so much pull on me, especially now that we are doing our third all CHRISTIAN concert in a row (well, almost all Christian concert - we're singing the William Tell Overture. Yes, you read that right. We're singing the William Tell Overture.) That's three out of four concerts that primarily focuses on Christian music.
This is not why I signed up with a community chorale. If I wanted to sing Christian music I would actually attend church and join the choir. But I don't want to sing this music. And it's not like I despise the music or Christianity. It's just that I thought by joining a community chorale, I would be able to sing a wide variety of music. That isn't to say there isn't any variety in the styles of Christian music, but there's not much variety in the theme of Christian music.
Our first concert was awesome. We did it, literally, in the style of a 40s/WWII radio show. We had an announcer, skits, commercials, sound effects, an "in studio" audience, the whole works. It was fun, light hearted, and best of all secular. It set the bar to what I thought we would be doing each concert and it set that bar so high that I don't know if we'll ever surpass it.
Don't get me wrong, we've done some beautiful music. But there is other stunningly beautiful music that isn't about Christianity that I had hoped we would explore. And I'm highly disappointed that we're not.
So why would I let this group tempt me, even for a second, into staying in the Northern VA area? Why does it hold such sway over me that I would consider giving up one of my longest, most desired dreams?
The potential maybe. This group has so much potential to do so many great and wonderful things vocally, publicly, and yes, even spiritually. Every single concert that we've done this year has been a "Concert with a Cause." This is where we select a charity or struggling non-profit and ask that members and guests donate to them. Through our efforts, we've managed help out in the lives of hundreds of men, women and children, especially when they needed it the most. We often go around to retirement homes and lend our voices to those who can't make it to the concert.
We've done so much in our community already. But we could be doing so much more in our community by appealing to a wider audience by not focusing solely on Christian music.
Maybe I only want to stay because I hope to one day see a time when the group isn't so closed off.
And maybe because of the Kennedy Center.
On the one hand, I could possibly have a job in a place close to one of my most favorite places in VA and be near very dear friends whom I miss terribly.
On the other hand, there is the Chorale who has a chance to sing at the Kennedy Center next Christmas season thanks to Mark Hayes. The Kennedy Center. This will probably be my only chance of doing something so awesome. But maybe I hold that place in too high regard.
It's odd that the Chorale has so much pull on me, especially now that we are doing our third all CHRISTIAN concert in a row (well, almost all Christian concert - we're singing the William Tell Overture. Yes, you read that right. We're singing the William Tell Overture.) That's three out of four concerts that primarily focuses on Christian music.
This is not why I signed up with a community chorale. If I wanted to sing Christian music I would actually attend church and join the choir. But I don't want to sing this music. And it's not like I despise the music or Christianity. It's just that I thought by joining a community chorale, I would be able to sing a wide variety of music. That isn't to say there isn't any variety in the styles of Christian music, but there's not much variety in the theme of Christian music.
Our first concert was awesome. We did it, literally, in the style of a 40s/WWII radio show. We had an announcer, skits, commercials, sound effects, an "in studio" audience, the whole works. It was fun, light hearted, and best of all secular. It set the bar to what I thought we would be doing each concert and it set that bar so high that I don't know if we'll ever surpass it.
Don't get me wrong, we've done some beautiful music. But there is other stunningly beautiful music that isn't about Christianity that I had hoped we would explore. And I'm highly disappointed that we're not.
So why would I let this group tempt me, even for a second, into staying in the Northern VA area? Why does it hold such sway over me that I would consider giving up one of my longest, most desired dreams?
The potential maybe. This group has so much potential to do so many great and wonderful things vocally, publicly, and yes, even spiritually. Every single concert that we've done this year has been a "Concert with a Cause." This is where we select a charity or struggling non-profit and ask that members and guests donate to them. Through our efforts, we've managed help out in the lives of hundreds of men, women and children, especially when they needed it the most. We often go around to retirement homes and lend our voices to those who can't make it to the concert.
We've done so much in our community already. But we could be doing so much more in our community by appealing to a wider audience by not focusing solely on Christian music.
Maybe I only want to stay because I hope to one day see a time when the group isn't so closed off.
And maybe because of the Kennedy Center.
