Often to many times we visit other music ministries and wonder why our music ministry singers and instrumentalists are not ministering to that potential. As music directors we have to put in the extra work to get the choirs to sound better and the musicians to play better. As the director, you have to always stay fresh with music, the terminology, and the technique. Enroll in workshops, clinics, have music ministry mentor. Excellence is not an overnight fix, its a 24/7 work in progress. Some of you may say, how can I create a standard of excellence if my choir members are stubborn and set in there ways. It starts by your demeanor, you set the tone for excellence from day 1.
Setting Excellence is coming to choir rehearsal on your A game, meaning knowing what you are going to rehearsal, teaching correct parts, and knowing exactly where you want the song to go. Something they teach you in college is to have your music well planned out, such as having alternative parts in case choir members cannot reach notes in the song. You also want to coordinate your vocal warm ups with the material you going to be teaching.
For instance if your singing Total Praise then your warm up should be in Db and you should work with the sopranos in their higeher range around the Db, Eb, F where they are singing the highest.
It is one thing to warm u your choir but what good is the warm up if its not going to help the choir sing the songs of zion.
Setting Excellence also is having your accompaniment or other instruments already rehearsed so that they know the material as well. You should have musician rehearsal prior to choir rehearsal so that the musicians have the music learned and are prepared as well.
Being a music minister is full time job, its more work outside the sanctuary then inside. But dont get to consume in Church work, meaning that music is ministry and you have to make sure that your choir is ministering and help saving souls. Without those two key components all your hard work is in vain.
