Conducting the Starling Cloud Choir

 A friend has recently given me some yoga nidra recordings which are great for relaxation. As part of the yoga nidra you are asked to think of an intention and plant the seed of it in your conscious and subconscious mind. My intention at this moment in my life is to "let create energy flow through my life." I want to be in a creative zone, to efficiently use all the energy I have in a given day to be as creative as I can. That's not much to ask is it? Ha!

When you study breathing as a singer, you learn to let the energy of your breath support the sound. You work at trying not to let your body get in the way of allowing the natural breath support to carry the voice. You simply become a resonating conduit for sound.

When someone asked if I was conducting the Starling Cloud Choir, I blanched. I mean I don't think of myself as a conductor. I think of myself more as a facilitator in this case--also traffic director, catalyst, and a moderator. Then I thought about the connotations of the word "conductor".

Here's what Collins dictionary says about the word "conductor":

1. an official on a bus who collects fares, checks tickets, etc.

2. (Music / Classical Music) Also called (esp US) director a person who conducts an orchestra, choir, etc.

3. (Transport / Railways) US and Canadian a railway official in charge of a train

4. (Physics / General Physics) a substance, body, or system that conducts electricity, heat, etc.

5. (Engineering) see lightning conductor

So yes, there is an element of being in charge of a moving vehicle in traffic, the traditional musical definition, but let's look more closely at the scientific definition from the American Heritage Science Dictionary.

A material or an object that conducts heat, electricity, light, or sound. Electrical conductors contain electric charges (usually electrons) that are relatively free to move through the material; a voltage applied across the conductor therefore creates an electric current. Insulators (electrical nonconductors) contain no charges that move when subject to a voltage.

Et voila! The scientific definition of a conductor suits my purpose in a metaphorical way. I will act as a conduit for the creative energy of the choir. That fits! Speaking of energy, the birds are starting to ramp up their mating calls for spring. Have you heard them? We heard a chickadee today that sounded like he'd been taking steroids!