[Perform-Talk] Choral Staging Logistics

Mon Sep 28 21:53:54 UTC 2026

Do you have a sighted accompanist who plays for rehearsals and performances? My limited conducting experience involved conducting a choir from the organ. I used my head instead of my hands. I gave up music as a career for a variety of reasons. My worst memories concerned choir members not following directions and not being able to learn their parts. I know many church musicians and the lack of cooperation on the part of choir members is a universal problem. You might enlist church members you trust who are hot in the choir or the pastor.

Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: Perform-Talk <perform-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jana Jackson via Perform-Talk
Sent: Monday, September 28, 2026 3:30 PM
To: 'Performing Arts Division list' <perform-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Jana Jackson <jana at janajackson.com>
Subject: Re: [Perform-Talk] Choral Staging Logistics

Hi, Julie! Wow, sounds like we've got some difficult church folks! Nothing new there... I'm a PK, a preacher's kid, so I know all about those! LOL!

It seems that in your case, having someone you trust to help with this would save you a lot of anxiety and allow you to do what you do best, which is to direct the music! You could certainly step in if needed, but I am all for whatever eliminates stress and makes this experience more enjoyable. It sounds like you are handling this very well! 😊 Blessings!

Jana

-----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 3:07 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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