The dog days of summer have settled in early around the country. I cannot remember the last time when August got this hot this early. Rita Mae Brown said, "A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it is better than no inspiration." - The heat saps my little inspiration, but the deadline looms close, and it is time for the year end report.
A good friend of ours calls this time of the year as the "summer mode" of the Association. It becomes harder to contact people, to get things done and to keep working on projects. There is certainly a labor of love for those that fight this mode and push for progress. While most choruses have ceased activities for the summer, some folks are still working on items of interest for our Association. We thank them all.
Music Arrangements
Preliminary report from one such person is John Roberts, working with Bob Russell, to get some new arrangements for the AMCA (TTBB). The plan they hope to move on this fall is to have each chorus send in a list of music selections the chorus would like arranged, to the district reps, and have these selections become the choices for working on. I have simplified the statement from John's report because the details are not completed. We always appreciate finding the good arrangement of a piece of music well liked. The work of this project may bring more of the music we all appreciate, and audiences love to hear, for our future performances. Watch for John Robert's report early this fall.
Big Sing 2008
The big issue of the day is the Eau Claire Big Sing next spring. I am pleased the Eau Claire Male Chorus has posted information regarding the event on the Association's website. All member choruses can now prepare for the music and plan what they wish to do with the opportunities availed to them. We are hoping everyone makes an attempt to join the activity, not only showing support for the AMCA, but also to share their chorus experience with other members - the fellowship of our people.
Recruiting
Recruiting new member choruses means searching out those active choruses in your area and asking them to get interested. My own experience with this in NYP District has not been successful thus far. It is discouraging to find very little interest in male choruses. I hear of some chorus with interest in bringing them in, but upon approaching them with information they are not interested outside their own activities, or they are very cautious and suspect about joining. Sometimes the same is true of individuals to join our Glee Club, other times men are just "stand-offish", maybe afraid to join another activity that taxes their time. Recruiting needs some further attention if we are to continue.
Communications
Communications with each chorus directly is my own personal assignment for the start of this next fiscal year. I will try making contacts to aid communications from the member chorus to the Association. As Mark Twain said: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream." My hope is for good response from those contacts, or good reasons not to participate. Some way, I wish to find why we are not doing this in the day of the Internet, if indeed it is not good to try.
Chorister
The Chorister got published as best as the news came in for Ed to make an issue and the Association website is running well. Committees still need work and projects need champions. I try to return to a list of things I keep that remind me to stay centered on the issues of the Association. I would like to say the list is diminishing, but we still have much work to do.
AMCA Council
I am honored by the members of the Executive Council asking me to take another term at the Chair. I have some trepidation about it, and expressed this to our Council members - the NYP District is not well prepared to continue and needs some agreement on what is the best way to press forward. I have agreed to stay on as long as the NYP remains. I am enthused by individuals who have stated their appreciation for what the men in the Executive Council are trying to do for our Association. Thank you all for this opportunity.
Volunteering
Work parties are usually a useful experience and good service. My wife and I have had two family work parties recently - one at her mother's and one at our son's house. While doing efforts for the communities are more of "service" to others, the help was appreciated just as much. The elder of the family cannot do many of the tasks involved in upkeep around the house, and the younger wanted to do as much as possible over the week of the 4th, while he was off. All that work can be tiresome, but it got me thinking about how we could use some work parties around the AMCA. Think about helping another district chorus or just volunteering around your town, as a group, to attract attention to needs of the community. These kinds of efforts call for 'sweat equity' and are not that much drain on the treasury. Yet the kindness extended builds much value in your chorus. Give it some thought! "Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." - James R. Cook.
If you have a project that proved useful to your community, or your chorus, please share that with others by posting it on the website and in the Chorister. It helps to inspire other chorus members to do something in their home area and gets others to think about what possibilities are out there if they just get at it.
Our Lock City Glee Club annual picnic comes up next weekend - the official start of our season. I anticipate the year with hope and optimism. I enjoy male chorus singing and wish to advance our chorus and our Association.
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