Author, Conductor,
Teacher, Clinician
Dr. Joel Plaag
Singing in the Moment
A Choir Director's Notes on Life, Learning and Contentment
What a moment can teach us.
Singing in the Moment resulted from many years of working with choirs - with real, authentic, wonderful human beings who come to us with their own set of good and bad difficulties. It's my hope that some of these lessons I had to learn the hard way can benefit others. Categorized into 50 "notes," some lessons have more to do with music than others, but all of them have to do with life and contentment.
Would you rather listen?
I'm currently developing an author-read audio version of the book, which I'm hoping to release soon. You can see a recording session here.
Chapter List
Have a plan. Feel free to ignore it ....................................7
Hold fast to the tree ..................................................................10
Walk down the hallway ..........................................................14
Take the compliment ................................................................20
Learn their language or quit talking .............................24
Take a break ...................................................................................33
Stick to the plan ..........................................................................38
Allow others to do their job ................................................42
Say thanks as often as possible ......................................48
Don’t create a sorry letter .....................................................52
Allow failure as an option .....................................................56
Stay away from intellectual vices ...................................60
Love your friends ........................................................................66
Remember we are all aliens ...............................................73
Open the window ......................................................................77
Wait for more to be revealed ............................................82
Be a channel ...................................................................................85
Ignore the fear. It lies ..............................................................93
Act as though you are ............................................................97
It’s not what you think .............................................................101
Stay in today ..................................................................................105
Drive the bus .................................................................................108
Allow extra time ..........................................................................113
Be still and know .......................................................................118
Make a change by being a change ..............................122
D.I.Y. just for F.U.N. ........................................................................126
Pitch in. It’s always worth it ...................................................131
Understand your inner saboteur .....................................136
Resist the storm ..........................................................................141
Don’t just go. Boldly go .........................................................146
Watch how God works ...........................................................149
Pray. It’s good for you .............................................................153
Choose your level of aloneness ......................................159
Check out antique stores .....................................................165
Take your ultimate opinion ..................................................170
Deal with difficult people ......................................................174
Your feelings are irrelevant ...................................................179
Put your phone down ..............................................................184
Use an alarm clock ....................................................................188
Learn to praise and deflect ...................................................192
Accept errors before overcoming them ...................196
Visit nature ........................................................................................200
Find your purpose .......................................................................204
Go prove it ..........................................................................................208
Get a cheerleading squad ....................................................212
Work in your yard .........................................................................217
Take time for yourself .................................................................221
Use your shoes ..............................................................................227
Singing in the moment .............................................................232