Choosing Our Future

The Midwest Vocal Express (MVE) recently raised a large banner at our rehearsal hall that hangs on the front wall facing our risers. On it is the phrase that we are going to be using and referring to as we push forward this fall and winter and throughout next year on new music and membership.

You see, after twelve consecutive appearances at the Barbershop Harmony Society's annual International Chorus competition, the men of the MVE decided to take a year off from formal competition. Instead, we will focus our energies on growing the chorus, both in terms of our musicality and our membership.

Like many great organizations, we chose to adopt a phrase as our rallying cry for these efforts.  Many great suggestions were put forth, but one stood out:

Bigger is obvious. We are aggressively working to grow the chapter with the strongest of performers, and each man should work to bring a person into the fold that is a better singer than he is.

Better is meant to be taken two different ways.  First and most important is that we need to take this opportunity to make ourselves better.  We only become better if each man gets better.

The second meaning of this part of the phrase is that if we attract better performers to our ranks, we will become better. Our talent pool will be deeper, our performances more exciting and vibrant and meaningful to the audience.  We will change more lives.

Notice, this does not say that we will be better because we are bigger, but we will be better if we grow bigger with better performers.

Best is both the result of the other two legs, but also an important reminder. We will be at our best ever, if we choose to work our BEST at becoming Better and Bigger – at the same time.


Let us know what do you think...