Choir! Choir! Choir! at ChefConf
Chef has always recognized that the community is our foundation. ChefConf is the greatest celebration of our community. It is the event where our community gathers for a few days of collaborating, sharing, and learning from and with each other. Sure, the technology takes a leading role in the story but the community has an equal role. We bring our whole selves to ChefConf: technologists, music lovers, artistic problem solvers, and more.
We build things as a community. We create a safe space to explore, share, and connect. At this year’s ChefConf, Choir! Choir! Choir! joined us. I will tell you a bit more about Chior! Choir! Choir! soon but first, the video of the event. Watch this and then come back for more background.
What is Choir! Choir! Choir!?
Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman (AKA “DaBu”) started Choir! Choir! Choir! as a weekly drop-in singing event in February 2011. Equal parts singing, comedy, and community-building, the event unfolds like a dream: you get a lyric sheet at the door, DaBu teach you the vocal arrangement, and a video is recorded. Everyone has a ball and leaves feeling great! Learn more about them on their website.
Singing at ChefConf?!
Singing at a technical conference? Um, why?
ChefConf has many musical traditions including: live performances from bands like AC/DShe and Brown Sabbath, karaoke at the Highball, awesome venues like Chicago’s House of Blues, and long-time conference DJ, Darek Mazzone. Our community loves music.
ChefConf also has tradition steeped in working together in hands-on workshops, hackdays, and the hallway track. Our community loves collaborating.
It’s also a safe place where everyone’s ideas, opinions, and self expression are welcome. Choir! Choir! Choir! gave all of us another safe space to connect and share with one another and, as Nobu said, a chance to show all of those that told us “you should never sing in public” that they were right.
Our love of music, collaboration, and creating a safe space for everyone to express themselves meant Choir! Choir! Choir! would be a great manifestation of everything that makes this community and ChefConf great.
Was it for everyone?
We may be hard pressed to find anyone on the planet who does not like music. However, it is safe to say that the Choir! Choir! Choir! experience at ChefConf was not for everyone. First off, the experience was a surprise that started at 8:30 in the morning. We knew that announcing the early morning event in advance would have an impact on attendance. Many people went with it and had an amazing experience, as you can see on the video. There were definitely some for whom joining a choir was a bridge too far. I would like to thank those folks for allowing the rest of the community to express themselves in a really beautiful way and apologize for asking you to get up early for something that was not, pardon the pun, your jam.
Thank You
Thank you to everyone who participated in Choir! Choir! Choir! The experience and video are the best conference swag I have ever received and will not soon be forgotten. Thank you to Darek Mazzone for introducing us to Choir! Choir! Choir! and to Aaron Straight, Guido Ronge, and the team a Soulcraft Allstars for capturing the experience on video. And a huge thank you to Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman for guiding our community through this incredible experience.
Connect with the Community
ChefConf is over but our connections with the community continue throughout the year. The Chef Community Slack, Community Summits in Seattle and London, and other upcoming events are a great way for you to connect with each other. And, be sure to mark your calendar for ChefConf 2019 – coming to Seattle in May.
