The Weirdness fo the Choral Musician

We're all geeks.
People who do choral music for free are geeks and we should warmly embrace that label. Take for instance our chorus - in all its iterations - weird.

1. "Oh my God, he hates my voice". He really doesn't but all of us, me included, get all wrapped up in whether "he" likes the voice or not - as if it is a measure of our own worth that one person in a hundred doesn't like what we sound like.
2. [pouty face] "I dont' want to stand with _______"
Unfortunately, in our chorus, you won't find two choristers who actually like each others sound either. Very few people want to stand next to anyone not of their own choosing. I envision this scenario: Okay - everyone stand next to people you want to stand next to all the time - go. . .now. . those of you who feel like crap because no one wants to stand near you - you sit on the side. Geez. And here's the other weird thing - they think they get to choose where they stand, LOL. [This leads to a whole other discussion about submitting to the authority of the conductor, but no time for that here].
3. "But, I wasn't cast/put in small ensemble/etc." [pouty face] - we've all been there. Goes to our egos - choristers are egotistical - we thing we're as good or better than the next guy all the time. Again, LOL.
4. "I'm not really going to say what I mean but I'm going to say something". This goes to preserving our own hides whiile trying to make a point - LOL.

Recently, we've received a mysterious friend request from "Clueless Chorister". Analysis: Passive - aggressive or painfully shy; secretive and therefore suspect - saying things that can be read both ways; psychotic? Yet to be seen.

This goes to the straightforward thing. . . JUST say what you want and who you are.

Being the Rehearsal MANAGER can be a landmine of interpersonal relationships and you get used to the ideaa that you please no one. Take for instance our gig at SSHS where the man running the place, anonymous, said that I told him it was "his job" to . . . whatever. Fast forward two weeks later in discussion with a teacher at that venerable institution - "Oh my god, we've been trying to get rid of him for years. He's a lousy________. Even forced him to interview at a middle school. " I feel vindicated - he apparently makes things up that people say :) Of course, can I tell my conductor that - probably not - as he woudln't believe me and just think it was CYA. So, I suck it up. Wouldn't do any good to bring it up anyway.

See what I mean - weirdness. People who are Choral musicians are just weird.
We show up and rehearse with people we don't seem to like, with a conductor we don't seem to agree with, in a room we hate, doing music that we despise to look at during the week and we still expect that we will be treated well LOL

And thus ends my rambling for the day.
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