The Choir Director Corner Podcast
The Choir Director Corner Podcast
096. "My Choir is SO Unmotivated!" I Have Questions.
The social post said, in so many words--"My Choir is SO Unmotivated!" And this is obviously a widespread problem, because the responses were flying fast and furious, all from choir directors with the same problem! But most of the responses never dealt with the real question, which is WHY our singers are so unmotivated. Pinpointing the root cause is the first step to coming up with potential solutions to combat the issue.
This is an issue that I have dealt with myself as well, and in Episode 96 of the podcast, I'm sharing with you the questions that I ask to help myself analyze the situation, get to the root of the problem, and get my singers back to the attentive, engaged, motivated choir that they normally are! Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at our Choir Director Corner Community Membership's upcoming video training that shares with you a multitude of options for responding to this issue!
If you want to dive deeper into topics just like this one, then you should really check out the Choir Director Corner Community Membership! Inside the membership there are Online Courses, a Resource Library with over 50 PDF's and Google Docs, and "Monthly Missions" Trainings where we focus on a specific topic, and you can ask questions and get feedback on how to tackle your biggest teaching challenges. And, as a member, you'll get access to our brand new CDC Searchie Hub, the AI tool created specifically for choir directors!
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There was a post recently online about a choir director who was really struggling with their singers being apathetic and unmotivated, and the responses to this post were just flying all over the place. This is a huge problem for choir directors and one that I have encountered myself. In today's episode of the podcast, I'm going to share with you the questions that I asked myself to analyze the situation and really get to the root of the problem when it comes to unmotivated singers. Let's dive into it. Here we go. Music and hello, my friends, welcome to the Choir Director Corner podcast. My name is Matt Walker. I am your host. Thanks so much for stopping by and joining me for today's episode. Well, in the intro I mentioned today's episode all about unmotivated, apathetic singers, and I'm guessing we have all dealt with this issue at one time or another. And there was a post recently online choir director really struggling with this, and boy the amount of responses, that of choir directors raising their hand. Me too, yes, me too. It just there was an overflow of responses. So this appears to be a very widespread issue and for me, when I've dealt with unmotivated singers, the first thing you have to do is analyze the situation and figure out why you have to figure out what's going on right and, depending on the age level of singer you are dealing with, it can be for lots of different reasons, and so it could be, from you know, different because of the time of year or, you know, whatever concert you happen to be working on right Lots of different reasons, and before you can decide what to do, you have to really analyze why this is happening and why you're dealing with that issue in the first place. So I then go through a series of questions, and so I'm going to share those questions with you here today. So if you happen to find yourself in the situation where you are dealing with some really unmotivated, apathetic singers, I would humbly suggest to you here are some questions that you should ask yourself so that you can then figure out, maybe, why this is going on and then make a plan to deal with it, right?
Speaker 1:So question number one are there external stressors that are present with your singers right Now, this time of year when this episode comes out? There probably are some external stressors, right, it's right. During the holiday season there's holiday gatherings, there's travel, there's lots of different things going on here. You know, we've got winter break coming on and so, you know, trying to get everything done before winter break, there could be some external stressors going on, right, and if you're dealing with singers that are in school, things like academic pressures, right, is it something where you're currently at the end of a grading period and so students are really stressed out?
Speaker 1:Or, you know, at a previous program, after the first of the year, genuine February we knew I mean one of the advanced writing classes like that was the time that they are working on their, their big research paper, and so it happened every single year and we knew there was going to be a certain added level of stress with that. Yeah, are there some personal issues going on? Are there some extracurricular commitments that might be affecting their level of motivation in your class, in your choir rehearsals? Yeah, have you also then considered the overall workload and stress level of your students that could be because of the time of year, that could be from other things you know, if you're out in the the church choir community or the community choir environment, are there certain times of year where there are things going on, where there are, you know, things that could add to the workload and the stress level that could be sort of affecting your singers and how they rehearse with you, right?
Speaker 1:So that's sort of the first thing is that we need to stop and consider are there any external things happening? And if that's the case, you know there are obviously gonna be some different things, different ways that we're gonna go about solving this situation. But to me, if it's external things, that's maybe not quite as concerning right. It's not my fault, but it's still my problem. I still have to figure out a solution and how to deal with it. But it's not necessarily anything that I have that I myself have created right and help me feel a little bit better about the situation, but then it's still something that I have to figure out a solution for, right.
Speaker 1:So that's question number one are there external stressors?
Speaker 1:The next question is this really a big problem or more of a little problem? So when my kids were both very little and you know as children well, they come to you and they complain about certain things, and so the first thing we always did was we stopped and we said, okay, now is this a big problem or a little problem? And that kind of puts things in perspective a little bit, kind of lowers the intensity of the anxiety a little bit right. So for us as choir directors, we have to ask, you know, is this issue isolated to a small number of singers or is it truly a pervasive issue across the choir? Because those are very two, two very different things. If it's just a small number of singers, we can actually go in and sort of interact with them individually, and that will go a long ways to solving the problem. But if it's a more widespread issue, then we're gonna have to combat that in a different way. Also, is it an issue that's more superficial, or is it truly having an impact on the daily performance and the experience of the singers?
Speaker 1:Now, we all have people in our lives where they just aren't happy if they aren't complaining about something, right, and so we kind of have to discern and ask ourselves is this that type of problem where it's people just complaining to complain, or is this really a situation where it is significantly and truly impacting the daily performance and the experience of the singers? If it's that sort of issue, if our answer to that question is yes, then we need to certainly be asking some more of these questions and dive deeper into the situation, right? The next question that I ask is speaking of asking have you asked the singers about their perspective? Now, depending on the age level of singers you are dealing with, you can take these responses with a grain of salt. Right, again, we're gonna deal with people that, again, are just kind of complaining just to complain and are never really happy about whatever. Okay, so you do have to sort of take this with a grain of salt, especially if we're dealing with younger singers where their brains aren't even fully formed yet.
Speaker 1:Right, it used to drive me crazy when, in a previous school, our admin was always honest about oh well, we must supervise our students every second of the day because our students' brains haven't fully formed and they cannot be trusted to make good decisions, and yet same school would then have the students do evaluations of all their teachers at the end of the year and then would take that as the gospel truce at the end of the year when you went into your evaluations. Those two things are not matching up right. But that being said, sometimes there are some little grains, some little nuggets of truth and reality in those perspectives. So, have you asked your singers directly about their feelings and motivations, and sometimes you can get a more accurate representation when you're dealing with singers one to one and dealing with them individually, right? And then, on the top of that, are you open to feedback from your students about their experiences in the choir, because sometimes they may say some things that are a little tough to hear from our perspective, and again you have to take everything with a grain of salt, but sometimes there are some things that you have to sit and say, hmm, okay, I think there's some grain of truth in what my singer is saying to me right now, and that's something that I need to do a better job of, right. So asking the singers about their perspective and incorporating that into your decision-making.
Speaker 1:Next question I'm asking is is it possible that it's a repertoire issue and that can be on both sides? Is it possible that you have over-programmed or is it possible that you have under-programmed? Because both of those can really be the seed that grows unmotivated and apathetic singers, right? If they're over-programming then Then they feel overwhelmed and they start to shut down and just like we're never gonna get this. So why try? Right, but if you're under, if you've under-programmed, then they could be Boy. I am just so done with this music. I can't wait to just move on to something else, right?
Speaker 1:So it could be an issue on on both sides of the coin there, along with that issue when considering repertoire off to have also have to consider is there a lack of connection to the music? You know, are the songs, the, the repertoire? Are they engaging and relevant to my singers? And If they are but you haven't really expressed that or communicated that how do you discuss the meaning and the emotional connection behind the music? Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the nuts and bolts, in the pitches and rhythms and everything else that we stop. We fail to stop and really make those connections. Help our singers make those connections to the music and you know we need to help them make those connections. We can't just assume that they are making them on their own and by doing that we may feel like we're losing ground because we're not using that time to again Rehearse the nuts and bolts, the pitches and rhythms, but in actuality, by doing that, your performance will end up being more Authentic and engaging because your singers feel more connected to the music, right?
Speaker 1:So Thinking is this a repertoire Problem? Right, and I could be on a number of levels. The next question I'm asking is? Is the rehearsal environment Positive or has it been positive recently, right? If this is a more recent problem? So is the rehearsal environment nurturing, respectful and Inclusive? Do students feel comfortable expressing their concerns or their ideas? Do they have opportunity to express ideas right? Do singers feel that their contributions and their efforts are being appreciated and Recognized? These are all things where, if you give your singers opportunity opportunity to have input and to Talk and discuss about their ideas or even their questions they feel like they have more involvement and therefore more investment in the process. And when they have a greater level investment, there's going to be a greater level of Engagement in that rehearsal process and they're going to be more motivated because they feel like They've had the opportunity to have more ownership in the process.
Speaker 1:Along these lines and talking about positivity, are you stopping to highlight those achievements and to highlight their progress? Right? We need to call out those wins, because there's so many areas of their life where you know they aren't necessarily celebrated. Now, I'm not saying we need to go along the lines of everybody gets a trophy here, but you know, sometimes we need to make sure that we stop and acknowledge those successes and go ahead and give them some praise, because Almost every instance where I've given singers praise in public, the result is they try harder Because everyone likes to be told that they're doing a good job and so they're gonna work harder for that. If they know that their progress and their achievements are being recognized, if they are being seen in that way and Also along these lines of sort of community building, do students feel a sense of Belonging and unity within the ensemble?
Speaker 1:And have you made some opportunities for social bonding among the choir members? You know, stopping to have, um, a little social interaction. This doesn't have to be during rehearsal, this can be totally outside of rehearsal. But doing something where the singers get to interact on a more personal level right, that's going to improve your music making. They're going to feel more connected to each other and therefore there's more of a sense of responsibility to their peers in the ensemble. And they feel that sense of responsibility. There's that sense that, oh, I don't want to let the other people down in my ensemble, I don't want to let my conductor down, so I'm going to more consistently give my best effort in rehearsal. Right, all of these things are built into it. So asking that question on a number of levels? Is the rehearsal environment positive? What am I doing to build that choral community?
Speaker 1:The next question I'm asking is are my expectations clear? Our expectations really need to be super clear as far as, logistically, what I expect to happen, but also as far as just the different rehearsal level, the performance level, the attention to detail. All of those expectations need to be very clear as well. So, have you clearly communicated your expectations regarding attendance, effort, logistics, behavior? Yeah, musical expectations as well, but this is really getting to all the other types of expectations. Have you not only communicated but in some instances, have you demonstrated what you expect? Because, yes, there are going to be times where you literally have to spell it out for them, as frustrating as that is. Hopefully you only have to spell it out for them once, yeah, but yes, there are. Sometimes you actually it's not just enough to say you actually have to show them how it's done, especially if you're working with sort of beginning level singers. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Another question I'm asking is is there a lack of variety in rehearsals? Have we gotten into a rehearsal rut Because the concert is coming up and we just got to make sure we get to that concert right? Well, when we get into that mindset, chances are we're doing the same things or similar things every day in rehearsal. So we've got to ask ourselves have our rehearsals gotten repetitive or monotonous? Are you incorporating innovative, engaging, creative rehearsal techniques and activities that are going to resonate with your wide variety of singers? You have a wide variety of personalities and wide variety of learners in your ensemble, so you need to make sure that you are using a wide variety of rehearsal strategies and activities so that you can reach that wide variety of singers that you have in your ensembles. Yeah, and there's a lot to be said for the idea of a pattern interruption. By changing that typical pattern in rehearsal, you immediately are going to be able to gain their attention. Right, they snap back into focus when you change things up into rehearsal and then, once you get their focus back, that is your opportunity to really increase that engagement in rehearsal, right? Here's another question I'm asking Am I providing constructive feedback?
Speaker 1:Am I providing clear feedback? So, along with clear expectations, our feedback needs to be balanced with both positive reinforcement but also some constructive comments as well. Right, and as clear and as specific as we possibly can right. The more specific you can be, the greater impact it's going to have on the singer's rehearsal and their consistent performance, and are singers aware of specific areas where they can improve? Have you communicated that? And sometimes it's communicating that outside of rehearsal. I've done things where I've sent them an email following up on rehearsal and detailing five or six things that happened in choir rehearsal that day or things that we are going to look at the following day, and I've just given them a short list. Again, we don't want to overwhelm them, but giving them a short list of five or six things. Would you please review these things prior to the next rehearsal? Yeah, that's constructive. It's specific. I also put some positive things in there as well. Hey, really good job on this. Now can you take this a step further, right? So providing that positive, clear, constructive feedback for them and being as specific as possible can really be helpful.
Speaker 1:And another question I'm asking is are singers responsible for their own learning? Have you discussed individual goals and aspirations as well as the ensembles goals with your singers? Right, because we should have whole ensemble goals, but there are also individual skills and goals within our rehearsal process that we want our singers to be working on and accumulating as well, right? So pointing those out is not. Yes, it's very important to have the ensemble be successful, but when you also make it sort of the dual thing of not only ensemble but also individual goal you know individual outcomes, individual skills that they are working on that can again sort of reignite that motivation for our singers.
Speaker 1:In what ways do singers take responsibility for their own learning? Are you spoon-feeding them all of the time, or are there some things that you have put in place or things that you could put in place that could encourage them to be more responsible to themselves? You know, responsible for their own learning, but also more responsible to you, responsible to their fellow singers? Right, how do you communicate and or encourage the idea of singer responsibility in rehearsal? What are the things that you are doing currently to encourage that? But then also, if not, what are some of the things that you could potentially do right in the flow of rehearsal? What are some of the things that you could have them do outside of rehearsal that could help them to be more prepared for themselves and not just relying on the singers next to them to coast by right? How are you currently using assessment as a way to encourage singer preparation? Are you using assessment as a way to encourage singer preparation? If not, it's a great tool. I mean, we have to do assessment anyway. Why not do it in a way that's going to encourage and, yes, motivate our singers to be prepared for those the things that we're working on in rehearsal. Some singers are going to be very motivated as far as the level of assessment and wanting to excel at those types of things, right, and so that can be a powerful tool in our tool bag.
Speaker 1:Two more questions that I'm asking. One is is there an opportunity for singer leadership? Are there opportunities for singers to take on leadership roles or responsibilities within the choir? How are singers involved in determining the path of the rehearsal process? Are they given the opportunity to give input? And then, in what ways could singers get involved in other aspects of your choir program? These are all really things that help engage our really advanced singers, right? Because if our advanced singers they've got the music already learned while other members of the choir are still fighting through it, yeah, they could maybe get bored. So how can we engage our really high achievers, our fast learners, right? Or the students that are natural leaders and they want to take on more leadership roles, but they just don't have the opportunity. Giving them that opportunity that's going to engage them and you're gonna see a higher level of motivation If they feel like they have input in the rehearsal process. That's really gonna go a long ways to increasing that motivation and giving them some things, maybe in other parts of your choir program right. Maybe they're really good at journalism, maybe they're really good at graphic design. Yeah, what opportunities could you provide them to use other skills that they have? When they have that opportunity to do that, they're gonna be more motivated, they're gonna bring more motivation to that music making process.
Speaker 1:And then, finally, last question I'm asking have you included outside perspectives? Could you include a perspective of a colleague or another choir director that could offer input and really just solidify if anything else solidify some of the things that you have been talking about with your singers? How could you recreate the performance environment right, to put them in that mindset of an actual performance? Maybe you could even create another performance. So if you've got a concert upcoming, what could you do as sort of a pre-performance to help you get ready? That would motivate them more quickly to be more prepared. How might you give the choir an audience to perform for Boy.
Speaker 1:I've seen it time and time again you're going through that rehearsal process and the singers just they don't really seem excited or engaged. But when you put an audience in front of them, boy, they snap to attention and they really light up as far as their performance goes. So could you give them an audience, right, and that could be something that really increases that motivation. So all these different questions that you could ask yourself, and what it's going to do is it's going to help you isolate the problem or the problems, right, it could be multiple things on this list and then, once you've got that, you can go forward and start making a plan as far as how do I combat this unmotivated environment, this apathy amongst my singers, right?
Speaker 1:So if you would like some ideas, some options, as far as some strategies, as far as how you might deal with singers being unmotivated and apathetic, I'm going to have a video training go live later this week inside of our Choir Director Corner Community membership, and this is all about how Choir Directors can respond to singer apathy, and I'm going to give you a list of roles that you could play. There's the Choir Dictator, there's the flexible Choir Director, right? So I'm going to give you some options as far as dealing with unmotivated singers Because, depending on what you've decided is the issue, it's going to depend a lot on your personal situation, the relationship you have with your singers and your specific context in order for you to really decide what is the best path forward as far as working with my singers to sort of overcome this issue. So if you would like some ideas, some more strategies as far as to how to respond to unmotivated singers, make sure you check it out and become a member over at ChoirDictacorncom. Forward slash membership.
Speaker 1:Well, thanks so much, my friends, for listening to this episode. I've hoped you have some ideas as far as how you can narrow down the issues that are at the root of the problem of your unmotivated and apathetic singers. Thanks so much for listening and until next time, keep being awesome. Hey, are you looking for resources that will save you time and frustration? Want to dive deeper into topics related to your teaching? Then check out the Choir Director Corner Community membership over at ChoirDirectorCornercom. Forward slash membership. Yorsuncom.