Can I make a living leading community choirs?

In my line of work, I spend a fair bit of time chatting to conductors, choir leaders and singers, both on and offline. One of the things I'm most often asked is how I managed to get myself in a position where I could ditch my "day job" as a lawyer and spend my time doing what I love: conducting and leading singers. So I thought I'd tell you the story of how I made the transition from respectable legal professional to full-time choir leader!

Part of what's led me to where I am now has been sheer luck, part has been the result of planning and tenacity. If you're on (or considering) a similar journey, I hope my experience gives you some ideas.

Chapter 1 - in which I decide something has to change

I had been working in the legal profession in England for about twelve years when I started to think that I might need to make a change. At first, it was really scary to even entertain the possibility of a career switch; I had spent over a decade progressing in a particular niche. I was well known in my field and good at my job, which paid well. Not only that, but I realise with hindsight that I really defined myself by my job. I couldn't imagine being asked 'what do you do' and not replying 'I'm a lawyer'.

Why on earth would I think about jacking all that in and starting something that risked failing before it even got off the ground? Well, for one thing, I had never loved my job. I was good at it and it was an intellectual challenge, but I wasn't passionate about it. Call it a mid-life crisis if you like, but I started to get a nagging feeling that if I carried on along the same path, I was going to get to retirement one day, look back and think "wow, I really wasted my time".

Chapter 2 - in which I hatch a plan and find the right business partner

Having steady work as a lawyer gave me the luxury to take my time and really think about what I wanted to do. I went through various ideas: moving sideways into legal training and/or lecturing (not a huge leap as I was already experienced in that area), going back to university, starting any number of product or service-based businesses that caught my attention.

In the end, my choice to build a business around choirs and singing was one of those serendipitous situations that come along every now and then. I had been singing all my life and had been part of numerous choirs and ensembles over the years. It was what I did for fun. I had never seriously considered a career as a solo singer because, even if talent and opportunity allowed, I knew I would hate the lifestyle. I had done a bit of conducting, but hadn't taken it any further or sought formal training. Musically, I was a keen, competent amateur, nothing more.

My busy working schedule had forced me to give up singing in the nearby Bournemouth Symphony Chorus a couple of years earlier and I was really missing making music with a group. When a new choir, Total Voice, started up in my village, I joined immediately. The leader, Christine Mulgrew, wanted to form a choir that would be open to all and would focus on singing a fantastic, upbeat, feel-good repertoire. It was great to make new friends in the village and wonderful to be singing again. Christine and I became friends and when she announced that she was pregnant, we discussed my stepping in to cover rehearsals while she took much-needed maternity leave.

This phase was a revelation to me. I'd totally forgotten how much I loved conducting. In the months I led Total Voice, I rediscovered a musical vocabulary and a way of encouraging and developing the choir that I hadn't tapped into in a long time. I was also reminded very starkly of just how jaded I had become in my career; nothing I was doing during the day inspired me remotely as much as leading the choir.

When Christine returned to the choir, we began to discuss how we could develop Total Voice into a business we could run together.

Chapter 3 - in which I try to play to my strengths

Had I not been in the fortunate position of being able to rely on someone else for financial support for a while, I would have had to juggle old and new careers for a while before finally making the big leap. Thanks to my lovely husband, however, I was able to wind down my legal practice sufficiently to give me plenty of time to develop Total Voice.

The first thing we did was start a second choir, the Total Voice Chamber Choir. This was aimed at local singers who wanted a little more of a musical challenge and a broader repertoire. With the contemporary choir now fifty to sixty strong, a smaller choir also gave us the scope to perform at venues and events that couldn't accommodate us before.

It was clear that there was an appetite among our singers to develop their skills, so we planned various workshops focusing on confidence, performance skills, microphone technique etc. We also held choral workshops covering different singing styles, either led by us or by guest conductors and singers. We learned a huge amount about these kinds of events in our first two years. Most importantly, we learned to ask our customers what they want to do!

Chapter 4 - in which I look to the past, and the future

Looking back over the last few years, I can't imagine why it took me so long to find my new career, and why I was so nervous about ditching the old one. Of course, it's been unbelievably hard work, but I can honestly say that the change has not only improved my working life immeasurably, but has fundamentally altered how I see myself.

And, of course, the choir business is what led Christine and I to set up Total Choir Resources, which has become a successful business in its own right. We realised that we were exceptionally lucky to have each other to bounce ideas off and get support from when things were challenging or tough. Most choir leaders don't have that. We created Total Choir Resources to give support and advice to choir leaders and to help them get as much out of their role as we get out of ours.