I’ve recently been considering how important it is to “live in the moment.” We’ve all heard the cliché about how yesterday is past and tomorrow may never come – today is what we have. Taken at too simple a level we can all understand the silliness of such a comment. If we don’t learn from the past (including both failures and successes) and if we don’t plan for the future we are destined to lead a rather pointless existence. Still, we’ve all been guilty at one time or another of dwelling way too much on yesterday or dreaming an inordinate amount of time about tomorrow. So much so that we often miss the beauty of today. I think little children get it best. In observing my youngest granddaughter (age 3) I can see how she lives totally “in the moment” and is joyful most of the time.
Would that it could be so easy for all of us, but obviously that can’t be so. As adults we have regrets about the past and worries about the future that crowd in on our daily lives, crushing much of our potential joy. Still, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could somehow recapture some of the joy of a child? Over the years one of the most satisfying comments I have heard from members of my choral organizations is that our weekly two hour rehearsals provide such an intense period of concentration on a single activity (singing) that daily cares seem to evaporate during that period. I’m sure this doesn’t happen for everyone, and not even all the time for anyone, but what a goal!
Have you found that choral rehearsals sometimes enable you to temporarily put aside your cares and concerns? How do feel after a particularly inspiring or invigorating rehearsal? Does “living in the moment” become easier through your singing? Share your story.
Filed under: Choral experiences Tagged: | choral music, Michael O'Neal, rehearsal
Your comments seem very much like what my yoga instructor keeps telling us– to ‘be present’. Our yoga classes always begin with concentrating on and listening to our breath. This is a form of meditation and makes you concentrate on just being and taking your mind away from the many avenues it can travel in a day….something like 20,000 random thoughts. Unconscious multitasking!
It’s true for me that rehearsals take me away from all other thoughts because I’m concentrating so fully on learning, producing, and following directions that there is no time for random wandering. Attempting to produce the same sounds as those around you is all encompassing activity. Once the music is learned, there is nothing so satisfying as living it as close to what the composer intended as possible.
My favorite rehearsals are always those during performance week when all the music is learned and the nuances and love are added. How lucky we are that we can sing music many times when our audiences only get to hear it once!
This is what keeps you young..to keep learning, producing, and challenging your brain….it works for me!
Sandy said it very succintly…that last few rehearsals as we become one is breathtaking. Doing the National Anthem was worth the price of admission and the last note of Music of the Night was proof of the genius of the conductor…We all pray daily for full recovery. Peace.
When my son was in a serious car accident a few years ago and he was in the hospital for 4 months, sometimes I felt that going to MOS every week was the only thing in my life then that kept me grounded and sane in the midst of so much pain and sorrow. I remember telling you Michael, I didn’t know if I could continue in MOS during that hard time in our lives. But I am so glad I did! For a few hours each week, you reminded me of the beauty of music and how it raises each of us up. I am so thankful for you and MOS.