[Perform-Talk] Choral Staging Logistics

Mon Sep 28 23:36:13 UTC 2026

Hello Julie,
I think you have gotten some good thoughts so far. It is certainly possible they are rebelling and not doing what you want them to because you are blind. It's also possible they have just always done something one way, and don't understand why you are asking them to move around and do things in a different way. Have you talked to them directly about this? Have you pointed out that you are aware they are not standing where they are being asked to stand? Have you asked if they are uncomfortable being asked to stand in different places for some reason? You could do this with the entire choir, or, if there are individuals who generally don't toe the line, you may want to bring them in separately and have a conversation. I think it's important for them to realize you want them in specific places because you believe the choir will sound best. You want to show off their talents and hard work for all to hear. (It might sound a little over the top, but people often respond when their egos are stroked just a little.)
Is this happening during rehearsals, or just on stage during the actual service? I don't think people would get confused if you ask the section leader to make sure they are correctly placed on stage. As long as that leader isn't doing other things you do not ask him or her to do, I think it would remain very clear you are the director and are just using that person as an assistant for placement only.
Another thing you might want to try... Could you allow them to stand where they like for a rehearsal and have members sit in the audience to hear how it sounds, or record it for everyone to hear? Then could you ask them to stand where you want them to and rerecord the same song? If there is a major difference, you might be able to make your point that it truly is about their sound and not about wanting some type of control over them.
I hope some of this is helpful. You could always get the pastor involved, but I might not do that unless members are going against you in other ways, such as refusing to sing the music you pick, not following your advice about how pieces should be sung, etc. Oh, you might want to talk with the pastor, or some others you trust in the choir, to see if the people who aren't willing to follow directions have been problematic before. Again, it could be about your blindness, but I'm also thinking it might be just that, for whatever reason, there are a few that have never really wanted to follow directions, no matter who the director was.
The best of luck! I know it is difficult, but I do believe it's best, when possible, to have direct conversations to see if you can figure out the "why" in a situation.
Melissa

-----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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