I am an alto. For those who don’t know what I mean, I sing harmony to the soprano voice. That feels true in other areas of my life too. I am very good at supporting and being in the background. I make others look good and feel comfortable in their roles.
Sometimes the role of alto feels safe, especially when it’s part of a team that understands this supporting role. It’s safe because I am not the one out in front. I get to follow the lead. The truth is everyone in the choir follows the lead. And the lead is the director or conductor. We each know our part, and we follow the conductor. Even the soprano. In my life, the conductor is Spirit.
But it’s very easy for the alto to be missed and to be undervalued. When listening to a song you always recognize the soprano. It’s generally the higher part and the melody of the song. It’s obvious when the melody is missing. A song doesn’t need an alto part to be understood as a song. But harmony makes a song sound fuller and sometimes brings mood and movement to the song that you would miss with only the melody.
I really like being an alto. I like supporting a fuller sound. I like listening and harmonizing with all the voices in the song. I hear the whole piece and pride myself with being able to pick out what harmony works. Sometimes, however, I want to be the solo, the melody. Sometimes I long for the recognition of a soprano, the lead, the melody. It is hard to be underestimated, undervalued and my contribution missed altogether. So, speak up, you say.
Stepping into the lead isn’t easy. Especially with years of being the support. I am the one everyone comes to. They expect me to coordinate group events. Probably because I will and can. They come to me to vent and talk over their frustrations. They often say they feel better after speaking with me. I bring a calm presence to the room. I am easy to be with. These are all comments I have often heard and cherished.
Why does any of this matter? It takes all the parts for a team to work. It’s time to recognize all the parts. Leading isn’t running with the guru mentality anymore. Wisdom comes from all the players. Leading is being sure all the voices are heard. Leading is making decisions, but after all the voices are included. Leading is being able to see the big picture and know the micro parts of the picture. In music, it’s knowing the overall mood and feel of the song that you want to convey and knowing where the rests and soft tones are too.
These are the skills and abilities that I have. And I am disguised as an alto. A supporting role. And the conductors have gone rogue. So, supporting characters, we need to step into leadership roles. We know how to include all the voices and still steer the plan forward. We know how to listen to the conductor and make sure that the soprano doesn’t drown out the tenor, bass or alto. We know how to rest, and when to emphasize the note. We need each other – to support each other in taking the leading roles, in having a voice in the conversation that is noticed and heard. We need each other when we need to tag out and rest. It’s a marathon not a sprint. I want to build a community that harmonizes even through dissonance. I need to find my fellow altos and supporting members.
I am going to connect with the conductor (Spirit) intentionally and watch for my cue. Let’s see what happens.