I hated high school. I hated it a lot, but choir always seemed to brighten my day (at least I didn't hate the people in there). But aside from obvious things, I learned some pretty important stuff in choir.
1. Don't be that soprano.
Everyone knows that one soprano that is the epitome of diva. She always holds out a note a little longer just to have a solo. She will not drop out during warmups because she wants to prove her superiority to the whole choir. She is the worst sight reader, but insists on leading the section. Yeah, don't be her.
2. Eric Whitacre is an even bigger diva than the sopranos.
I'm just saying, anyone can slam their hand down on a piano and claim that it's a chord. It isn't that groundbreaking or impressive. And also, his alto lines are made to make a girl pass out.
3. Your director is your go-to person.
Ninety percent of the time, their sarcasm is as strong as Christina Yang's, but you wouldn't have it any other way. No matter the day or situation, you can go to them with anything (even telling them to end that soprano's tyranny).
4. People are weird but in very different ways.
Coming in to choir, I never expected to meet people who I thought were weirder than me, but, boy, did I ever. Eventually, I learned that there is no such thing as "weirder." There is just weird in many different ways. This is something you learn to appreciate more and more over time.
5. When altos get the melody, it's like Christmas.
Really though, I should compare it to leap day because it happens almost as often. But when your choir director passes out that one special piece of music, it's the best day ever.
6. A good tenor I is hard to come by.
But when you find the one, and they hit that special note, it will make you weep harder than the angels.
7. You don't sing just one voice part.
"Well, I sing soprano one for the foreign piece, but alto two for the Whitacre, and then I sing alto one with a few soprano two notes in the Latin piece... So I'm a sopralto?"
8. You never sing in English.
That foreign piece, here's what I think during every critique session:
"Please don't ask for the translation. Please don't ask for the translation. Please don't ask for the.... dang it."
9. Everyone actually wishes that they could sing bass.
Don't lie to yourself. You wish you could sing as low as a bass, but unfortunately you're a soprano. Good luck.
10. Your friends are your choir.
There is no one else that I would rather sit beside on a bus for 18 hours to sing in Disney World with. And some of you snore, but y'all are alright.
