Charisma and Musical Leadership

Dear Choir Enthusiast,

Welcome to my survey about choir leaders and charisma. This measure was developed as a part of my dissertation at George Mason University and will be analyzed to investigate information regarding the professional relationship between choral conductors and their choirs.

Your participation is completely voluntarily your responses will remain entirely anonymous. No one will be able to link your answers back to you. Please do not include your name or other information that could be used to identify you in the survey responses.

The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. You can skip questions that you do not want to answer and/or stop participating at any time. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me: jrauten@gmu.edu.

For more information about the privacy practice of SurveyMonkey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/legal/privacy/

If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, you can contact the George Mason University Institutional Review Board at irb@gmu.edu reference Study # 00001229.

By participating, you agree to the information above.

Thank you so much for your time,

Judith Rautenberg

Demographic Information:

1.I am:

An active choral singer

An active choral conductor

Both

None of the above

3.I identify as:

Female

Male

Other/None of the Above

5.I am currently (check all that apply):

A singer in amateur ensemble(s)

A singer in professional ensemble(s)

A conductor of amateur ensemble(s)

A conductor of professional ensemble(s)

A conductor of children or youth choir(s)

A teacher

6.I currently live:

In the United States of America

Other (please specify)

7.I believe charisma is:

A skill set that can be learned

A gift or talent

Both

Definition of a Charismatic Choral Conductor:

Value/Signal

9.A successful choral conductor gains the trust of the singers.

10.Respect is a core value for successful choirs.

11.Emotional safety (atmosphere free of retaliation, rejection or personal judgement) is a core value for successful choirs.

12.Comradery (trust, mutual respect and team work) is a core value for successful choirs.

13.Listening is a core value for successful choirs.

14.Musical achievement is always the most important value for any choir.

15.Singers should feel safe to make mistakes.

16.The values of the conductor and the singers of the choir need to match in order to work successfully together.

17.The musical expectations of the conductor and the singers of the choir need to match in order to work successfully together.

18.The behavioral expectations of the conductor and the singers of the choir need to match in order to work successfully together.

19.A choral conductor alone cultivates and enforces the values of the group.

20.A choral conductor honors and acknowledges the human component of a singer.

Vision:

21.It is the conductor's responsibility to foster musical improvement.

22.It is the conductor's responsibility to foster and develop a desired repertoire.

23.It is acceptable if the choral conductor does not explain all future projects in detail.

24.It is acceptable if choir singers need to figure out musical intentions on their own.

25.The broader future of the choir should only be shaped by the conductor.

26.A choral conductor has the option to change a choir's purpose.

27.A choral conductor's vision influences musical and behavioral expectations.

28.Long-term goals are essential to motivate choir members.

Symbol/Mission:

29.A choral conductor needs to represent the choir values and expectations.

30.A choral conductor needs to embody the choir values and expectations.

31.A choral conductor must be convinced to be the right person for the choir to bring out the best in them.

32.A successful choral conductor lives up to the group's moral expectations.

Communication:

33.A choral conductor is predictable.

34.A choral conductor is emotionally approachable.

35.A choral conductor is emotionally involved with the choir group.

36.A choral conductor communicates according to the singers' musical level.

37.A choral conductor's body gestures are engaging and welcoming.

38.A choir conductor's facial expression, gestures, and breath are essential for good musical communication.

39.A choral conductor's voice modulation is engaging.

40.Unclear communication leads to confusion and insecurity.

Subject knowledge:

41.A choral conductor needs to musically outshine the choir members.

42.A choral conductor needs to know how to push the choir to the next musical level.

43.To be respected, the choral conductor only needs to provide a convincing musical interpretation.

44.A musically flawless conductor motivates singers to stay in a choir.

45.The musicality of a conductor is more important than leadership qualities.

46.Other general comments:

Charisma and Musical Leadership - Measure