, and this week I will like to share with us one of the things that gladden my heart and give me joy, ah, which is the joy of leadership. Well,in the year 2023, I was made the music director of my church. Well, my church is Destiny Assurance International Limited, and it's a growing church, it's a youth church, it's a student-based church.
Well, I would say for me, it wasn't a dream to become a music director, though I do music, I have a passion for music, and I've been in music for over a decade. But I didn't... I didn't see it as something that will be a reality one day for me to become a music director. Mm... although I was giving it, I didn't reject, but what will I do? I've never been a director before of a choir, but I've been a director of bands. So I didn't... I just said okay, I will do the application of band to choir to see if it's gonna work. But I took it extra mile, prayed often, studied about music directorship, I read books on choir performance, I watched performance of choir on TV, I follow some different choir groups to see how they function, and then I started my journey.
It was not a nice experience, eh... it was not easy starting, yeah. I had to be calling my choir members... the choir wasn't an active choir, but there were a few members, and the few members, majority, ninety-seven percent, were not good singers. they had never been in a choir before, so I had to start with them.
I started by calling them during the week to check how their week was, how their studies were. I call them before rehearsals, like a day before rehearsals, and call them before rehearsals, I call them after rehearsals to know if they have gotten home. I call them on Sunday mornings to know if they have woken up and also preparing for service. I call them after service to know how they got home, and most times, I see how I pay their transport fare.
I organize all-night rehearsals, and then I get them prepared. most times organize fasting programs, then after they break their fast, I will get them what to eat. And I mean, I checked on their health. I did everything to see that I infused a family kind of love in them.
It got to a point I had to pair them each... everybody will check on each other, you have to call your neighbor before and after rehearsals, call them during the week.
You see, most times during rehearsals, if they are doing well, I just get snacks for them to spur them up.After service I do appreciation for them.
I never for one day spoke ill or to them that they are not good enough. I kept encouraging them that learning is the only way for us to get out of this mess and be good. I encourage them and recommended, give people they can listen to, to be good also. And I gave them tasks... gradually, we started, gradually, we continued, we kept on pushing, we kept on pushing... boom! It is finally out! It is a paying of... yes, people can congratulate us now while we sing. People can applaud while we sing.
And yesterday, it was openly credited to me that I have done well, and my choir were gifted, gifted some money by our senior pastor for refreshment after service, telling them they have indeed done well. I'm happy, yes, I'm happy. I had to bring this joy outside today, and I see that today, I don't need to call them, they call me. If they don't see me at rehearsals on time, they call me, 'Director, where are you? We want to see you. We are waiting for you.' And even in my absence, I can just tell one or two persons what to do, and they deliver.
I'm happy that I have achieved success. I'm happy that, by God's grace, I'm able to shift from nothing to something. Yes, and today, I can randomly pick anybody to sing, and they will deliver. But not like those days where wherever I am, I will run to church to see how things get better. But to the glory of God, things are well.
What I want to say is, I paid money to learn, even that I didn't go to a music school, but I paid money to professionals to be taught, to learn the skill of playing, to learn the skill. But I gave it out free, just because I saw people that are ready to accept it. Please, whatever you know, and there is somebody that is willing to accept it, even without payment, distribute it out. Knowledge is not meant to be hidden. What you know, share. What you know, share. I repeat, what you know, share.
And as a leader, my advice to you is, don't always do the things by yourself. Make sure you carry them along. Give them tasks to carry, and you see that things will get better. And once the things get better, you yourself, you are gonna be free of more duties. I stay now for months without even singing, and everything is going well. Leader, stand up! You must not lead a group. You must not lead a choir, but you can lead someone. What you know, share it, for the world to become a better place. Ignorance is taking over many places.Do you know if the strife to build my choir I was building myself too?
I also developed myself daily to always be ahead of them ,you see how it's also adding value to me?
I can even get a job today as a music director because now I have wat it takes including the experience??