Saturday, April 21, 2012

The Cool Kids on the Block



Greetings readers!

Last weekend, Pro Coro had a concert out in Morinville with Jim Reader as well as choirs from the surrounding area (i.e. Sturgeon Composite Highschool, Notre Dame Elementary School, and Camilla School), but I had a unique experience as a chorister... I think I was cool. 

I know, right? It was strange for me too.

I wasn't able to make it out to the schools in the preceding rehearsals so the first time that I met the young singers was on the day of the performance. My feeling from the weekend was that choristers from Pro Coro were the cool kids on the block. I'm not exempt from this cool effect because I have my own cool idol: Rajaton. When they came to my choir in highschool and stood near to me during rehearsal, I had a massive choir-girl-fan-overload moment. During the rehearsal, Pro Coro members distributed themselves evenly throughout the mass of choristers. It was interesting for me to insert myself into the choral unit because I was able to observe the reaction of others towards myself, a chorister with an assumed level of prestige. There were some who offered warm smiles... and others who were somewhat paralyzed, averting eye gaze in the hopes avoiding any potential embarrassment. If I was a teenager, I would be in the latter group.

Thus, I knew it was my duty as an older chorister to be friendly and chat with those around me since it's proper of me to initiate those social formalities. This whole situation was very new to me. But even as I was chatting to those around me, making comments about the music, complimenting a girl on her sparkly sneakers - the most I would get is a shy smile or one word answer before their eye-gaze reverted to their toes. While I do recognize that this post makes me sound full of myself, that is not my intent, since I am genuinely perplexed that my presence could induce this behaviour in choristers around me. It stems from the fact that I, personally, don't feel cool.  

My aim is just to do things I'm passionate about... as a result, how it manages to me me appear potentially cool in the eyes of others is beyond my comprehension. Admiration is all relative in terms of where you place yourself in the hierarchy of coolness. It doesn't help that, as I attempt to define these parameters, it is a completely subjective hierarchy. There will always be somebody who you admire. Thus, there will always be an ample supply of cool people for everybody to idolize. It may be Bach, Eric Whitacre, or Pro Coro choristers - Whoever it is, it's flattering to know that we're all cool to somebody.

Until next time readers, take care!

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