An Unexpected Choir Girl Opportunity

Greetings readers!

I thought I would take the time to inform you of a recent development in my social media life --- I'm now helping run the Pro Coro Canada Twitter and Pro Coro Canada Facebook accounts! (feel free to "follow" and "like" them both). It's both unexpected, yet, logical at the same time. I never expected my role within Pro Coro to move beyond the level of chorister; however, assisting with Pro Coro's social media is a natural extension of what I already do for this blog. 

My initial intent in starting this blog and getting involved in the social media world was not for any personal glorification. Shocking, I know. World-wide domination does not begin with blogging... unless you're Dr. Horrible :) Previous to this blog, I had a private one for friends, but I wanted to expand into the public blogging domain. I knew that, in order to do so, I had to write about something I was passionate about. Choir was a natural choice. 

Blogging is not about any form of compensation for me. I blog because I want to. I like writing about my choral experiences and thoughts. It's quite cathartic. As a result of having this blog and connecting to social media, I have been driven to seek out singing opportunities and challenge myself as a musician. At the same time, my experiences provide content for my posts. Social media actually provided me with the nudge I needed to audition for Pro Coro in the first place, such as this reply tweet from @convohall:

It still amazes me when people tell me that they read the blog. I give my hearty thanks but brush it off with an air of flustered modesty so that I draw attention away from myself. It's a fine balance in regards to how I receive compliments because, due to my cultural Chinese upbringing, self-deprecation is the only socially appropriate response, however, Western culture acknowledges and expresses gratitude for compliments paid. What is a Chinese-Canadian choir girl to do? Overall, I'm just not used to positive verbal feedback. I have not been raised to expect it and it's not something that I actively seek from others. However, I do have to say, it feels fantastic to receive. A positive comment from a reader can fuel me for weeks. If you ever pay me a compliment in person, you will most likely see me awkwardly fumble with my words as I attempt to compose a response that is grateful, yet, deflective. Clearly, I have not mastered the process of composing a socially appropriate response that respects two cultural norms.

Thus, the fact that I was recognized for my blogging by the new Pro Coro Artistic Director and the Pro Coro Executive Director astounded me. While I do recognize that it makes logical sense for me to utilize the skills I've developed from blogging to assist with Pro Coro's social media presence, it's another thing entirely for this opportunity to be presented to me. 'Tis a big deal to be a social media co-administrator for a professional Arts organization! That's a huge amount of support and trust in my abilities. A specific thank-you needs to be given to the new Artistic Director of Pro Coro, Michael Zaugg, who saw my work on this blog, recognized its potential, and made this opportunity available. While I may not be verbally eloquent in-person to display my thanks, I have composed it in the way I know best--- via blog post ;)

Therefore, to all of my readers who read my posts, I leave you with a simple and genuine thank-you for all of your continued support by reading my posts.

Until next time readers, take care!