Wednesday, September 30, 2009

TENACITY is a virtue


Some of you are chuckling as you see this picture of the mouse. For those that don't know, one of our chorale members has had one of these unwanted visitors in his house for several days. He has tried EVERYTHING to get rid of it. The mouse is tenacious. So far the score is mouse -3, human-0. How could something so small and insignificant get so tenacious?
For those of you that need a refresher in the definition of that word, it means holding firmly, tough, persistent, stubborn. The Thesaurus lists words like bulldoggish, steadfast, resolute, true.
So what does any of this mean to you? Well, in the most immediate scheme of things, your tenacity in "hanging in there" through tough, challenging rehearsals is beginning to pay off.
I heard it today, both in Chorale rehearsal and in frequency rehearsal, and I know YOU heard it, too. Your section leaders are tenacious...their work is paying off. Heavens knows that Laura and I are tenacious. I've been called worse than a bulldog for my stubborn insistence on excellence (same first letter, different word). But anything worth having is worth exercising the virtue of tenacity to achieve it.
In the GREATER scheme of things, some of you are exercising tenacity in getting your degree~against all odds. It might be lack of family understanding, lack of funds, skills that are tough to master, illnesses, life. But I repeat~anything worth HAVING is worth being tenacious about. That includes relationships (but that is another post).
So, as the cliche goes, hang in there. You are not alone and you have advocates ALL around, ALL the time. Your extended musical family (fill in the ensemble of your choice) is with you.
Always.

2 comments:

  1. I love the mouse picture.
    I can hear what you are talking about in class. Our music is beginning to flow and have a shape to it. Rather than sections singing different parts, we are working towards a single body of sound that is telling a story. It has taken time to get to this point and a lot of hard work.

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  2. hey its ariel! im just saying hello and letting you know that i've read every entry you've posted :)i truly enjoy reading these and find it enlightening to get a little insite on the mind of the director. it helps me understand where you come from. i sincerely appreciate you taking your time to do this dr. o, thank you.

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