[Perform-Talk] Choral Staging Logistics

Fri Oct 2 17:30:12 UTC 2026

Hi all,

Thank you for all the suggestions. I have no intention of quitting over this. I have grown up in church and totally expected some bumps in the road and drama. People are imperfect after all. 

I had a very honest talk with them the other night, and after that, everyone actually started tattling on each other. Not in a bad way, but one of the tenors immediately started telling me that the sopranos were in the wrong spot. It was actually pretty great. I did not expect this, but it's almost like they needed permission to be a part of the discussion. 

I don't think this choir doesn't respect me because of my blindness. At least, practically all of them are good about it. I am learning with this group that it's more an issue of not knowing how to address things with me. This is probably the third time I've been open about an accommodation I need from them as a leader, and they've responded well. Will they be in the correct order on Sunday? I guess we'll see. 

Thanks for the reassurance that having my section leader step in to address issues in formations on stage shouldn't be a problem or undermine my authority. I can't think of any other solution for now, so this is what we're doing. 

It's really helpful to talk to people who get it. I am not aware of many others doing this work, so sometimes I feel like a bit of an island. 

Julie

-----Original Message-----
From: Perform-Talk <perform-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Annie Davis via Perform-Talk
Sent: Thursday, October 1, 2026 2:37 PM
To: 'Performing Arts Division list' <perform-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: annedonnellon at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Perform-Talk] Choral Staging Logistics

Hi Julie,
This does not sound like a "you" problem, particularly if they're not following the directions of your fully sighted section leader.  I pray this is only a bump in the road and does not cause you to quit what you've worked so hard to achieve! ❤ Perhaps you could arrange a meeting with the pastor and the section leader you trust and express your concerns.  Once you've got it all laid out, maybe call a check-in with the choir and encourage them to express any concerns they might have.  If, even after said meeting the choir members don't cooperate, that is going to take some prayer and discernment.  Simply kicking them out might be tempting, but I'm not sure there's a "simple" answer.
Best of luck and keep us updated.
Annie

-----Original Message-----
From: Perform-Talk <perform-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Julie A. Orozco via Perform-Talk
Sent: Monday, September 28, 2026 4:07 PM
To: 'Performing Arts Division list' <perform-talk at nfbnet.org>; 'Music Talk Mailing List for Blind Musicians' <musictlk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Julie A. Orozco <kaybaycar at gmail.com>
Subject: [Perform-Talk] Choral Staging Logistics

Hi everyone,

I cross posted, so apologies if you see it in multiple places. I am a music director at a Methodist church, and we have a small choir that I conduct. I am having a difficult time working with them on standing in the right places when we sing, and I would like some advice. 

We have a choir of about 10. Depending on the piece we are singing, they either sing in the choir loft, on the stage in a semicircle, or on the stage and the steps to the stage in lines. I know that singing in the choir loft would cut out all these problems with moving around, but I don't hear them as well when they sing there, and if our choir is too small, they don't hear as well in the loft either. I like to be able to use our formations on the stage when I can. We have a number of problems with this, and I'll list them below. 

I tell them where I want them. Like, I will literally say their names and give them their order, and they will not end up in that order. 

I have asked one of our paid singers, section leaders, to draw a diagram on the board for them. She does, and we still have the same problem as above.
They don't follow it. 

This problem is only made worse by the simple fact that I cannot make eye contact, I cannot see what's happening on the stage and redirect, and I cannot use gestures to show them where I need them to be. I do not have usable vision, but I cannot speak while we are up on the stage. 

Here are some solutions I've come up with. Some of them have sort of worked.

I have asked one of our section leaders to do what I can't on stage. She has the job of directing them and making sure they are where we have decided. I trust her implicitly with this. But some of the members don't follow her lead. 

We have rehearsals where we practice in the sanctuary. I've taught them stage directions because those help me communicate where I want them without having to point or say over there. This usually helps, but this year, the choir seems particularly resistant to being shuffled around. 

I have had diagrams drawn and gone over them personally with the choir. I have memorized where everyone needs to be, gone over it, and memorized it.
And still, we have people not going where they are supposed to, people standing back from the microphones, etc. 

I am not sure how to address this and how to manage it. It makes me feel anxious that this is actively out of my control as a director. I can't see what's happening on the stage as our singers are getting into place, and I don't see a way I can change that. Short of teaching my choir telepathy, there is no way I will know what's happening while I'm taking my place to conduct before our song. 

Has anyone directed a choir and dealt with this before? What did you do? I don't think it would undermine my authority to ask a section leader to take point on this while we are on the stage, but I do have that nagging fear that this would somehow confuse the choir, since the director should be doing this part. Choirs only have one director for a reason after all. 

Thanks for any thoughts you have,

Julie

Julie A. Orozco MM, JD 

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