Annual Report 2016_web

For two decades, Gerald Chafin has brought a world of unique
experiences to the LWC Singers.
Because of Chafin’s leadership and imagination, the Lindsey
Wilson Singers are one of the more popular affinity groups on
campus.
“Music is emotion,” said Chafin, who is an associate professor
of music and director of choral programs. “Students remember
material in a certain way because it’s implanted artistically
in their minds. So when you tie emotion together with the experiences
and travel, it makes sense – there’s a fondness for their
time here. You don’t forget the freezing cold at Fort McHenry
or the spectacular views on the top of Pike’s Peak. It’s impossible
for our students to not remember the incredibleness of it
all.”
Since the late-1990s, Chafin and the Lindsey Wilson Singers
have given more than 500 public performances in 33 states and
seven countries. Performances abroad include Austria, Canada,
England, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
Chafin uses several mottos and sayings to motivate the
Singers.
“One that I like to use quite frequently is, ‘Don’t practice it
until you get it right, practice it until you can’t get it wrong,’”
he said. “We believe that if you work hard, practice and be confident,
great things will come from that.”
Chafin is known for dropping a pun or turning a phrase during
a rehearsal or public performance. A new word developed a
few years ago among the Lindsey Wilson College community
to describe his unique expressions – “#Chafinism.”
“People talk about the word ‘Chafinism’ a lot, and it is true
that I love words and especially puns,” he said. “But what’s
funny about them is that I never plan for them; it has to be in
the moment. They just come up.”
The Lindsey Wilson Singers have also benefited from a rich
partnership with Commonwealth Musicians, a group of professional
musicians in Kentucky. Chafin said that the Singers’ collaboration
with Commonwealth Musicians provides students a
unique experience.
“Many of the people in Commonwealth Musicians are also
members of the Louisville Orchestra,” Chafin said. “When we
started performing with those folks, that was huge. Our students
are excited to rub shoulders with the best of the best. And they
learn so much from these guys. Every time we work with them
it makes our performances grander. I can remember when they
accompanied us during President Luckey’s inauguration. It was
a really big deal for us.”
And Chafin says when you add up all of these experiences,
A Stellar Crew: Chafin pictured with the members of
the 2016 Lindsey Wilson Singers.
students get a music education that is unique to LWC.
“I don’t know if anyone else does what we do here. When
you combine our travel with the fact that we are doing choral
ensemble like no one else – then choral students get an experience
here they can’t get anywhere else,” he said.
Chafin said his most memorable experience at LWC was
when the Singers performed the national anthem at a Sept. 18,
2001, game between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs. It
was Major League Baseball’s first post-9/11 game.
“Baseball was shut down after 9/11,” he said. “The country
was in unrest and it was a time of great uncertainty. We were
able to be the group that sang the anthem at the first Major
League Baseball game played after 9/11. I have to say, it was
electric. Everyone was chanting “USA, USA!” It was pretty
amazing.”
Chafin said he feels blessed to have enjoyed such memorable
experiences with his students, and he also loves seeing the successful
professionals that they have become. Chafin attributes a
lot of that success to his program’s emphasis on creativity.
“I think my favorite thing about Lindsey Wilson College is
the fact that we are given the opportunity to be creative,” he
said. “We create unique programs and experiences for students
because it’s encouraged here. I’m just so glad to be a part of it.”
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