Back to basic: What is missing in the virtual choir as a practice?
Indra Kusuma Wardani
Abstract
Conventionally, choir as a group activity has its dynamics through interpersonal interaction. In many studies, even interpersonal interaction became the main focus in examining social skill enhancement. The 2020 pandemic has forced our choir society to move from in-person interaction into one that includes telecommunication media massively. The idea of media changing brought up the broad known concept of a virtual choir with its problematic terms and processes. This practice’s pros and cons arise in tension, purpose, and perspective. The present study would like to portray the interpersonal interaction in a choir that has the potential to enhance empathy as a social skill and how the concept of the virtual choir proposed a different perspective to this world of empathy.
Through an in-depth interview of choir conductors this study compares the form and role of empathy in the traditional choir and the virtual one. It also tries to explain the hole of interpersonal interaction in the virtual choir and predict its effect on the singer inside the group.
It is showed that virtual choir and online rehearsal scheme is potent in maintain choir continuity and give alternative of flexible rehearsal. Meanwhile, in terms of learning materials dan social interaction many things is missing such as the ability to build advance musical achivement and choral sound together, the chance of building sense of team, and the collective energy that foster empathic ability.
Keywords: choir, virtual choir, empathy
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