Those indispensable members in the choir

First of all, I appreciate the effort that you put into the choir. When it comes time to sing, you always know your part and you're ready to sing it. That takes focus and effort. That's why the other singers in your section look to you to keep them on track. That's why they ask, "When we sing tonight, can I stand beside you?".

If there's something in rehearsal that I haven't explained completely, you are sure to ask me for clarification. You don't worry about looking ignorant; you're focused on getting the right results.

Another thing that makes you indispensable is that you're always looking at the big picture and not just looking out for yourself. You want everyone around you to sound good. You don't feel a need to be recognized as the best soprano or alto or tenor in the choir. It's not about who gets the credit, it's about being effective as a group.

And your spirit of willingness is priceless. You don't know how it makes a director feel when choir members start sighing and frowning in rehearsal because they think a part is too difficult. But you are always willing to give things your best try. You don't shrink from a challenge. And once other choir members see that you're putting some effort into it and it's working, they step up their own game, too. You make everybody better.

And if the person next to you is making a mistake you help them correct themselves sometimes before I even get there. That's a beautiful thing. It saves me from having to interrupt the rehearsing in order to address the problem, and it also saves your choir-mate from having to be singled out by the director for hitting a wrong note. That's another way that you make everybody better.

One of the best things you can do for me is to always be at rehearsal if it is humanly possible for you to do so. You have a great attendance record already, but if you could hear what your section sounds like when you're not there, you would never ever miss a practice.

Don't be surprised if I sometimes choose a weaker singer to do a lead. On some songs it's more important to have your strongest singers anchoring the choir parts and less important to have a strong lead vocal. You will get to do some leads, I promise you, but on some songs it's crucial that I keep you in your section.

There are times in rehearsal, when I'm going over a part with another section (not the section you're in), that you sing along anyway to help out. This is very helpful sometimes! But at other times I need to hear how the tenor section sounds without you, because that's the way they will sound when we perform and you're singing your usual alto part. Also, if the altos near you are a little shaky on their part, they might lose their note if they hear you singing the tenor part. So just keep an eye on me anytime you're singing someone else's part. I'll let you know whether to continue singing or stop. Thanks.

But the main thing I want you to know is how much I appreciate you. Your drive to go beyond the minimum requirements makes you an indispensable part of the choir. If you ever left us, it would take 2 or 3 people to replace you.