Although I began my journey as a musician at the ripe old age of 5 (I still celebrate that date), I did not fully experience life as an ensemble musician until I began my undergraduate studies at the University of Connecticut. At that time, I was a Music Ed major with Organ as my applied area. That meant that I was required to perform with one of the choral ensembles. I started off as a member of the Chorus. This was very much a “catch all” group for people who were good but needed to polish their skills.
As luck would have it, the major work selected for that spring was Mendelssohn’s Elijah. A monster of a work but filled with glorious choruses and solos and, especially wonderful, accompanied by the University Symphony. Since I was a member of the Chorus, my section sat to the outside of the entire Chorus with the esteemed Concert Choir centered on the risers. It was during those rehearsals that I realized just how much I wanted to conduct. I could feel it. I could see it. The reason for what I was sensing was the not-so-tall African-American man on the podium: Dr. Peter Bagley. Dr. Bagley (I couldn’t call him anything other than that to his face) embodied so much. His musicianship was unparalleled but not only because of what he could get out of an ensemble but because of how he attained it. I wanted to be able to look at an ensemble the way Dr. Bagley did. I wanted to have my musicians connect with me the way his did.
Fast forward nearly 35 years since I last sang in his ensembles, alumni and friends came together from across the country to honor his memory and do what musicians do best…make music this past weekend. We gathered in Von derMehden Hall as we always did and reconnected with ensemble mates we hadn’t seen for many years. We warmed up and we made music the way he taught us. I had the honor of conducting a movement from Handel’s Messiah. I surely do hope that I got Peter’s approval from up on high.
Take-aways from my time in a Bagley rehearsal:
- Always have at least one sharpened pencil available at rehearsals (Ticonderogas are still the “pencil of champions.”)
- Number your measures. Just do it.
- Always post the “order of worship.”
- An ensemble’s first sound in warmups will indicate how the rehearsal/performance will go.
- The power of the “wink,” “trembling hand covering eyes,” and “beaming smile.”
- Diction. Diction. Diction.
- The meaning of “ensemble” and the value found in building a community.
- The same sound (no pun) teaching practices used in middle school settings are transferable to conducting in higher education.
- First, be a teacher.
My classmates and I were in Dr. Bagley’s ensembles during the “golden years” of UConn…remembering “Peter, Paul, and Gary,” Victorian Dinners, Spring Tour ’90, and so much more.
Thank you, PB.
#choirmom
NotesByNan 