I'd never been to Directors' College before and I really didn't know what to expect. I am an Assistant Director of the LABBS Chorus, the Wessex Corn Dollies. I'm used to coaching quartets and choruses, but my actual directing experience has been fairly limited. My approach so far has involved a lot of waving my arms around enthusiastically, with an encouraging smile on my face. Directors' College was to change all of that….

As with all things in the barbershop world, the more you know about something, the more you realise there is to know about it. Directors' College didn't attempt to tell everyone how to be a great Chorus Director, but to give delegates a vast amount of diverse information to take away, consider and build into our practice. To make us think, not just about the movement of our arms and whether we mouth the words to the song or not, but what we need to do to build and maintain a happy, purposeful chorus, whose members are motivated and hard-working.

Steve Armstrong (Director of Northern Lights Chorus, International Silver Medallists) set the tone of the weekend by cheerfully telling us all the things he'd done wrong as a Director! His willingness to admit to his own errors of judgement made it much easier to see being a Director as a position of constant development, self-evaluation and being willing to admit to mistakes.

Steve also spoke about the benefits of efficiency versus effectiveness. It may be efficient to do everything yourself (it's always tempting to think you have worked out the best way of doing things), but how does that make the members of the chorus feel? What happens if you break your leg or move house? How much do the chorus members actually feel part of a team or just people who do as they are told?

Neil Watkins gave us all an incentive to progress with an explanation of the BABS Chorus Directors' Certification Scheme, which will track an individual's progress from Novice to Expert with an emphasis on actual skills rather than courses attended.

Saturday was a well-constructed mixture of practical skills and further consideration of leadership. Having free choice in which sessions to attend was great (self-evaluation and ownership, again!). Cherry Hartshorn and Kevan Liebling challenged us to balance a penny on one hand and drink a glass of water held in the other to demonstrate left/right hand function; Mike Taylor and Rhiannon Owens-Hall calmed us down and smoothed us out by encouraging us to leave out everything but the most important gestures and Colin Touchin encouraged us to be prepared - look at all aspects of the song and consider your directing before expecting the chorus to follow you.

Chris Davidson talked to us about crisis management, the importance of having a 'Guiding Coalition' of people who you trust to talk honestly and give you good advice and the value of allowing people within the chorus to take control and use their skills and talent for the benefit of everyone.

Saturday finished with an opportunity for everyone to sing in a chorus. It was lovely to sing after so much listening and Mike Taylor re-invigorated us after an intensive day with his 'Don't Blame it on the Sunshine' dance routine.

Being videoed directing the Belles of Three Spires on Sunday was immensely useful. Having spent Saturday working to tapes, it was fantastic to have real people to work with, who actually respond to what you are doing. Despite having to sing the same piece of music over and over again they still managed to listen, watch, look alert and smile beamingly at me, which was so encouraging. It was great to have Rod Butcher commenting as I went along and to have enough time in the feedback session to really get to grips with areas to work on.

I can definitely say that this was an immensely worthwhile weekend. The organisation was extremely slick and every minute was used to its full. The programme was a great mix of practical and thinking activities. I was very honoured to be there on a BABS Harmony Foundation 'Steve Hall' scholarship and I am very grateful to everyone who contributed their time so willingly to make this such a valuable weekend.

See you next year!

Mel Lane
Wessex Corn Dollies Poole