Good Job!

Hi Chorus,

It's exciting to hear the difference between the way we sound now as compared with some of our earlier attempts. Cory gave us a couple of "good jobs" this week. One was on "Breath of Heaven," at the end of Thursday's rehearsal, and then today, we got the thumbs up on "Ding! Dong! Merrily on High." We can pat ourselves on the back, but briefly, because we still have 16 other songs, right? And they all need to be that good.

I've been thinking about this lately, and decided it might be beneficial to post a few tips on singing with Cory. So, here are some things you need to know about Cory:

1. He is a professional level conductor. Seriously, we're so lucky to have him. I know he is tough sometimes, but if he wasn't, we would never reach our potential. With Cory at the helm, at least we have hope.
2. He expects us to approach this chorus with professionalism. That means we show up on time. It means we learn our parts. It means we show respect for one another. It means the director of the chorus is the boss. Think how you would act if you were in the Tabernacle Choir. That's how we should act.
3. Cory never asks us to do something he wouldn't do himself. Have you ever known him to be late (without at least letting us know ahead of time)? Have you known him to miss a rehearsal, even when he's sick? I have frankly been concerned about him a couple of times when he came to rehearsal when he really should have been in bed. He doesn't ask us to be any more dedicated than he is to the chorus. He's not getting paid for his time either, and he has a family too.
4. Cory hates excuses. I would recommend you not make them. At all. My daughter's math teacher has the following sign on the wall: "Don't make excuses, make improvements." Cory has made similar remarks. I think we would all do well to follow that advice.
5. Cory hears everything. He can tell if you're having a bad voice day. He can tell if you're coming down with a cold. He can tell if you're off pitch. He can tell if you don't know your part. You can't hide from him.

I am planning on updating some of the audio files to reflect a more current version of how we sound. It will probably take me a couple of days. I'll let you know when they're updated.