October 2023: Captivating Audiences Through Creative Transitions

Captivating Audiences Through Creative Transitions
Kyle Zeuch, President-Elect of ACDA-PA
 
Let’s face it, we live in a world of 21st century humans that can be entertained 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year with the screen in their pocket! While we may not see our primary focus as entertainers (the journey is just as important as the destination, right!?), as choral conductors and teachers, we can captivate our audience in creative ways. Maybe an audience member has limited experience with choirs but is attending the concert because their child has joined the seventh-grade chorus. Maybe they have been to high school choral concerts before and just don’t get why this singing thing is so important. Maybe the audience member is a choral enthusiast looking for something new. The suggestions shared in this article are for all of the above!
 
Beyond captivating the short attention span of our audience, creative transitions can speed up your concert and eliminate down time. Transitions can connect your repertoire selections with a common thread that adds to the thematic nature of the concert. Perhaps the creative transitions limit the number of times the audience applauds. When an audience member applauds, they are thinking about what just happened, when they are asked not to applaud, they are thinking both about what just happened but also what’s happening next. This lack of permission to clap may lead them to think about their emotional reaction to what they just heard and anticipate the applause that they can generously give when appropriate.
 
Creative Transition Suggestions:

• No pause- one song goes directly into the next because they relate to each other in a specific way.
• Piano interlude- the accompaniment of the previous song or the next song can be used to change formation, switch choirs, or bring on instrumentalists for the next number.
• Choirs in multiple locations simultaneously- one choir is on stage but the choir in the aisles sings the first song, followed directly by the choir on stage.
• Music interlude feature- utilize the musical strengths in your ensemble by highlighting individuals to perform solo pieces while choirs swap on the risers. They could even play the melody from one of the songs on the program to serve as the connecting thread.
• Lighting or other special effects- the possibilities are endless.

 
Creative Transition Considerations:

• Logistics are challenging. Conductors face a great deal of extra work to pull these transitions off smoothly, but it gets easier as you gain more experience.
• Audiences may need guidance. A quick “please hold your applause until…” plus some direction in the program will do the trick.

 
Creative Transition Benefits:

• People don’t come to choir concerts to hear talking, they come to hear singing. Let’s give em’ what they came for!
• Audiences become more invested in the concert because it breaks from the norm.
• Captivated audiences are more likely to come back and be excited about it.
• The more creative we are with how we present our concerts, the more the audience will buy in to the stories we share.

 
If you’d like more ideas about adding creative transitions to your choral program, let’s talk! E-mail me at president-elect@acdapa.org.