Choral Pianist: The Unspoken Leader

In this article, Namminga shares the benefits of considering the choral pianist as a co-leader. Knowing that many individuals can relate to sports, the author describes the choir as a team. The conductor is the head coach, and the pianist is the assistant coach. Depending on the institutional level, it is up to the conductor to determine if the pianist has the skill set, experience, and expertise to be a co-leader. This article provides the attributes a co-leader can offer, how they acquire them, and how the conductor can guide a young pianist.

The first step in assisting a young pianist in becoming a co-leader is communication. The pianist can understand what the conductor is looking for in a score or musical delivery through careful observation and listening. Through this, the pianist learns the conductors conducting style and tendencies and determines how to complement them best. Conductors need to know that this doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, especially for young pianists. Namminga makes us aware as conductors that once we can identify our choral pianists as co-leaders, it is then that we find their trustworthiness, reliability, and musical influence.

During my thirteen years as a choral conductor, I spent twelve years teaching from the piano bench. It was not until now that I had the pleasure of having a collaborative pianist with me during the rehearsal setting. It was at this moment that I began to receive advice or feedback about how the music was going in the rehearsal or feedback given to my students in front of me. I felt some way the first time this happened and did not know how to respond. Was the advice given to overrule what I had said? Was the comment to my singers or the corrections meant to make me feel like I wasn’t good enough? Not at all. But it did take me some time to adjust and to realize that we are a “team.” While I always encouraged working together with my singers, I was now in an environment where I had an extra set of ears in the room. I realized it was okay to have that additional assistance in the rehearsal. At this moment, I found the connection and meaning of being a team.