Being Alto

After several lessons, it was clear--at least to Larry-- that I am drawn to certain types of songs. I enjoy "Someone Like You" from Jekell & Hyde, a woman singing of her desire to be loved by a man...a man whom she sees only the good side of his dual identity. One of my favorite character pieces is "The Gentleman is a Dope" from Allegro. The secretary sings for most of the song about what an idiot her boss is, and then finally in the last verse admits-- both to her self and the audience-- that she loves him. Still, my favorite piece is "Someone Else's Story" from Chess. Florence sings about a women letting go of a relationship and, perhaps more poignantly, of letting go of her promise to the relationship. By the end of the song, she advises that moving on is the right thing but also acknowledges the depth of her loss. Moreover, she finally admits the real story--the "story is the girl is me". After a few weeks of this material, Larry asserted, "We need to find you some upbeat songs!". I fondly retorted, "The alto never gets the guy".

There is a relational pattern in musical theatre....typically the soprano and tenor fall in love, experience conflict, and reunite for the happy ending. The baritone is the bad guy. The alto either loses her man or supplies comic relief. As I think about my own relationships thus far, it seems I've played my vocal part well. In spite of what seem today to be insurmountable challenges, it has been hard to let go of relationships or, more pointedly, to the commitments I've made to relationships. I have not wanted to be that person who gives up or doesn't live up to her convictions. In the end, thought, I've woken up and wondered with Florence: how did I come to live "someone else's story"? In my quest to not let go, I've lost myself. As I work on these pieces in my repertoire, I now hear, and give voice to reality of these pieces...a longing to be loved that sometimes overwhelms a judge of character....to sometimes funny and othertimes tragic results. And as I contemplate the idea of relationships for the future, I long to love and be loved in an authentic way, that enables me to live my own story. I love being an alto....I just don't have to play the role off stage!