Motivation

Motivation is a psychological state in which the individual is willing to perform an action, either at work or in any sphere of his life. At the Latin root of the word, movere, there is one of its key characteristics, movement, dynamics, that is, motivation is not something permanently implanted in the individual, but a continuous process in which factors of different natures act, based on the fulfilment of people's desires, the fulfilment of their goals and the fulfilment of their expectations (Amato Neto, 2009).

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Regarding the goals for which people seek to participate in a choir, these are quite diverse, ranging from the search for the development of musical skills, the opportunity to perform in public, the possibility of social integration, even the simple fact of enjoy singing (CHIARELLI; FIGUEIREDO, 2010).

Other reasons are cited by Dias (2012), stating that people seek the choir because they like music, because they learn to appreciate and experience music in their life trajectory, but at the same time, to make friends, to get out of loneliness and, above all, to feel part of a group.

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Thus, when participating in a choir, interpersonal integration can be achieved - through the conductor's treatment aiming at equality in the transmission of new knowledge to all people, regardless of social origin, age group or education level - and promote if the motivation, due to the very nature of this activity - artistic and creative -, which allows choristers to be involved in a process of “doing the new” (singing different repertoires, performing in different places, etc.).

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In addition, there is an intrinsic motivation to building knowledge of oneself (of your voice, of your speaking device, of your artistic skills) and of performing vocal production together, culminating in the aesthetic pleasure and joy of each performance with quality and mutual recognition - among choristers, by viewers in front of the vocal group (Fucci Amato, 2007).

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In the words of De Masi (2003, p. 677-678), motivation is a consequence of the leadership that the conductor must exercise over his group:
 

“A creative group bases its fertility on the competence and motivation of its members, on the charismatic leadership capable of indicating and sharing an innovative mission in a supportive and enthusiastic atmosphere.”

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This leadership can be translated into bases of authority, which can be applied to the choral conductor at three levels (Maximiano, 2006):

- Charisma;

- Technical authority (musical and educational competence of the conductor);

- Political authority (conducting the group with the establishment of goals and a good level of relationship between the conductor and the choir).

According to the author Rita Fucci Amato, motivation in choral singing is configured as a process that can only be effective through a leadership process of the conductor, who, using people management skills, must develop a human environment conducive to collective artistic (re) creation. Upon reaching a high degree of motivation, based on an efficient human resource management by the conductor and his leadership, the choristers themselves would become self-motivated.

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Below is a table organized by the author that demonstrates two types of leadership by the conductor, the authoritarian conductor, and the innovative conductor. Which of these profiles do you recognize yourself in?