Experience as a Musician

Savannah

Fortunately in my major I get immediate hands on experience in my field. Especially being in a freshman voice class of only 15, there’s plenty of opportunities. One of the newest experiences I have gained as a vocalist is working gigs. Specifically working in a church choir.

Plenty of voice majors, performance or education, are paid to be section leaders in different church choirs on or close to campus. As section leaders, students attend rehearsals and services throughout the school year and are expected to learn their music thoroughly enough to be able to help the rest of the section learn their part and provide the proper harmonies. This year I started as the alto section leader at one of the local churches.

At first I didn’t know what to expect. I had feared that I was in over my head, or that it would be far too intense for me. While that could still be true of certain churches, I have been pleasantly surprised at my experience working in a church choir.

Every Thursday at 7:30, rehearsals start with the whole choir. At my first rehearsal I was given several choral arrangements of pieces, along with the program for that Sunday’s service which included the hymns we would be singing, and the psalm of the week. It was mainly sight-reading—looking at the sheet music for the first time and singing it without preparation—but it was nothing too anxiety-inducing. I then rehearsed the music outside of church rehearsal in preparation for that Sunday.

At every service someone solos for the psalm and is also the "song leader," meaning they sing the hymns into a microphone so the congregation can sing along to the melody without being confused by the harmonies from the choir. For my first time as a song leader I prepared meticulously to be certain that I performed to the best of my ability.

Unfortunately, sometimes musicians are not always given ample time to prepare. For example, just today (Sunday) the song leader lost her voice the night previous and I was needed to substitute for the day. I had not reviewed the soloist's part of the psalm and had not learned the melody of the hymns, since I typically sing the harmonies. This served as a great example of inconvenient scenarios that I could be subject to in my career as a musician.

Having a church job—and having to be an emergency substitute—gave me a new level of understanding. I now know what it's like to have to perform with little to no preparation. This experience will help me continue to grow as a musician well into the future.

Writing this article helped me realize that being a musician is so unique. You begin making connections, networking, and performing semi-professionally from the moment you get on campus. It really stresses the importance of being able to present myself professionally and network for new opportunities.