2020 Tour Announcement and Tour Myths and Truths
I have been on tour three times with the choir. They have included the following places: East Coast Tour (2015), European Tour (2016) and the West Coast Tour (2018). They have all been fantastic.
If I am able and then if I am selected to go on this next tour, this will be my fourth tour with the choir in seven years.
I just want to clarify some myths and clarify some truths about touring with the choir that I often get questions about from friends and social media acquaintances. I have answered some of these back in a previous post from 2015 but it's good to revisit it again.
1. Isn't tour like going on vacation? No.
I have always approached tour like it was a job. Be where I am needed. Be on time. Be present and 100% focused on what I am doing. Contribute.The choir does have free time during tour. We are allowed to sightsee in some of these areas. What most people see on social media from choir members is probably 99% of our free time. What you often do not see is that we spend a lot of time on buses, in music halls, waiting in lines to eat, backstage waiting, etc. We do have fun though. To answer the question, no, it is not a vacation.
2. Do you take personal vacation time off to go to work? Yes.
I have to take time off of work to participate in a tour. Some members of the choir who work for the church have an easier time scheduling time off to attend the tour. I do not have that luxury. During my first tour, I opted to work while I was on tour but that didn't work out well. I can work remotely so I can work wherever I can find an internet connection. The past two tours, I have opted to take time off and work occasionally. It is a choice that I gladly make.3. Do choir members get paid to go on tour? No.
No. We do not get paid to go on tour.4. Does everyone in the choir go on tour? No.
It would be impossible to get everyone to go on tour. It is difficult to get everyone to attend broadcasts or concerts. While choir life is an important part of our lives, it is still only a part of it. We have parents that we care for, children that need tending, work schedules that are demanding, sometimes we are strugglings with an illness, etc. Everyone's circumstance is different and not all situations allow for everyone to go on tour. The choir takes a smaller amount of choir members.5. What determines if you go on tour?
A lot of factors and many out of the choir members own control. These can include the following:- balance of choir voice parts
- attendance of the choir member over the past year
- active participation in choir events
- if this is a person's last tour with the choir before they retire
- a medical release
- physical health and stamina
- Seniority
- If I can get the time off of work
- If I want to participate (tour is optional)
- If I am able with the other responsibilities I may have (extended family, etc.)
- Scheduling (tour is during the summer during many reunions, marriages, etc.)
Some of these things are within the choir members ability to control and some are not. There is a registration period and everything gets sorted out from there.
The announcement of a tour is always wonderful. After the announcement, there is a time of contemplation of whether or not going on tour will work. For the last tour, I prayed to see if I should go and I felt as if I should. I'm glad I did.
The upcoming tour is exciting. I am so happy for the saints in those areas and for the people of those countries to hear the choir live. It is a wonderful opportunity. Currently, I am in the pondering stage of whether or not this next tour is something the Lord would like me to participate in.
The choir will bless so many lives on this Heritage Tour.
I hope this answers all your questions. If not, let me know.
