On February 19, Alliance Chorale de Québec hosted a round-table discussion on choir conducting. Marc-Antoine d’Aragon moderated the discussion between choir conductors Roseline Blain, François Ouimet, Josée Fortin and Léa Moisan-Perrier. The ins and outs of the life of a choir conductor—from negotiating proper salaries to finding work-life balance—were touched upon. Here are the key points of the discussion:
A Role with Many Hats
The discussion on the role of a choir conductor quickly turned into a discussion on the role of an artistic director. While a choir conductor is responsible for studying scores and communicating musical ideas in a clear and inspiring way to choir members, an artistic director is responsible for this, and so much more. The artistic director must be a visionary, someone who dreams big about the future of the ensemble.
Léa Moisan-Perrier, artistic director of Orchestre symphonique de l’Estuaire and choral conductor at Montreal’s Church of Saint Andrew and Saint Paul, explained that the personality of an ensemble is inextricably tied to its artistic director. As the “guiding light” and the “driving force” of the group, the artistic director is the first link between the group and the audience. The artistic director must work to develop a relationship with the public so that the audience feels a certain sense of pride in and attachment to the group.
In many ensembles, particularly amateur choirs, the artistic director is not only responsible for dreaming big, but for accomplishing a host of more practical tasks. From responding to never-ending emails from children’s parents to managing group member absences, an artistic director can sometimes be the go-to administrative contact of the group.
For Roseline Blain, conductor and artistic director of Les Petites Voix du Plateau, it’s the lack of a general director in many community-based amateur choirs that is the problem. Depending on the group, the general director of an ensemble can be responsible for everything from budgeting to communications to the production of a concert.
Working side-by-side with the artistic director, the general director turns dreams into realities. How can the artistic director’s vision for a concert be implemented in real time and space? What are the constraints the group will face, and the compromises they will have to make? For Blain, being responsible for both the artistic and general direction of one group is “too much for one head.”
The Money Question
The million-dollar question at the round table was: What is a reasonable salary for a choral conductor or artistic director?
François Ouimet, choir director at Chœur Métropolitain, explained that the rates provided by the Musician’s Guild of Quebec are a good barometer for knowing how to price yourself. Blain explained that it is important to make a list of all the tasks—from studying scores to conducting rehearsals to answering emails—that you foresee being part of your role.
Once you get an idea of all the tasks that you will be undertaking, it will be easier to come up with an hourly rate for each. Josée Fortin, conductor of Ensemble vocal Diapaison in Rimouski, Quebec, explained that making a clear list of all the tasks that will be required of you is much simpler than taking on extra tasks as they come.
Both Blain and Fortin stressed the importance of musicians knowing their worth. Musicians often have trouble demanding proper remuneration because participating in a choir, or other musical activity, is generally thought of as a leisure activity. Yet choir conducting is a highly specialized skill, and teaching music to amateurs, which both Blain and Fortin specialize in, is “an art that demands proper pay.”
Finding Balance
A choir conductor’s professional formation does not end with a degree. All choir directors stress the importance of continuing to learn about their art, whether it is through taking classes in Alexander technique, or singing in choirs themselves.
Interestingly, Ouimet and Moisan-Perrier had different views on this point. While Ouimet sings regularly in choirs to remind himself of what it is like to be under the baton, Moisan-Perrier believes that the leap from chorister to conductor is difficult, especially at the beginning of your career. Moisan-Perrier explained that choir members are more likely to take you seriously as a conductor when you haven’t been a part of the vocal team.
Each conductor had a slightly different take on the topic of work-life balance. While Moisan-Perrier has made a conscious decision to work all the time, Ouimet states that he “is not a workaholic”. “I worked like a dog before I had kids”, he said, “but when I had kids it grounded me, and made me not want to work too much.”
While choral conductors often work evenings and weekends, Ouimet restricted his working hours to the daytime, when his kids were at school. Blain is of a similar mind. At some point in her life, her agenda was so full of her own professional responsibilities as well as the activities of her four children, that she “doesn’t know what she did to balance it all.” Now, she works less and has “made a decision to prioritize her physical and mental health.”
