Harmony has more than one meaning

When I tagged along with a friend to a Sweet Adelines event in Cleveland, I was completely captivated by the intensity of community spirit I found there. So, even though this was a women-only group (and thus only half of any community could participate in it), I thought it was still worth exploring in an interview for Your Community Matters.As it turned out, my conversation with the director of the Pride of Toledo Sweet Adelines Chorus, Dawn Seigneur (below), revealed aspects of this type of community singing that would be relevant to anyone. One of them was the concept of “woodshedding.”Dawn explained to me how the term is used with barbershop-style singing, the musical genre of all Sweet Adelines groups. Curious about its origins, I looked it up online (where else?) and discovered the term is also used by jazz musicians, but in a somewhat different way. Nevertheless, in both cases it represents the work musicians do in private, apart from an audience, to craft their own distinctive sound.This idea of woodshedding strikes me as fundamental to the camaraderie that was so salient among members of Sweet Adelines choruses. And conversely, perhaps the reason so many of us feel alienated and disconnected from those around us is because we aren’t “woodshedding” with anyone.Dawn and I also talked about how much we loved high school band — and it wasn’t just because we loved music. It was also because band members worked together on a common project that brought us joy. Doing our own woodshedding in the band room and practice field, week after week, we forged a musical unity that in turn gave us connection, confidence and a sense of personal worth. And, best of all: it was fun!There are many ways we could be woodshedding with others. In my own neighborhood, we have almost literal woodshedding happening with neighbors who have come together to restore an architecturally significant home. And here at YCM, we’ve already heard how one area artist helped reframe her community’s sense of pride through a shared creative project, and how classes developing hands-on skills can build commonality between participants.So if you love singing, can match a pitch, and have two X chromosomes, Sweet Adalines might be the right woodshedding opportunity for you: prideoftoledo.orgfacebook.com/PrideOfToledoChorus/Your Community Matters is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Oh, and if you are an XY, no worries — there are area groups that include men, too: barbershop.orgfacebook.com/barbershopharmonysocietyThanks for reading Your Community Matters! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Your Community Matters at yourcommunitymatters.substack.com/subscribe