leadership dot #1812: stagger

I read a post on Facebook about a lesson that choir members follow. Lori Ahl Cartwright posted:

“Sometimes in band or choir, music requires players or singers to hold a note longer than they can actually hold a note. In those cases, we were taught to mindfully stagger when we took a breath so the sound appeared uninterrupted. Everyone got to breathe, and the music stayed strong and vibrant.”

 Cartwright went on to use this as an analogy for keeping up the political resistance and not becoming fatigued. She encouraged readers to take a breath and then rejoin so others can breath, allowing the group to sustain a song for a longer period.

While her advice is certainly applicable, the music analogy is not limited to political movements. Think about how your chorus needs to tend for each other to sustain the whole over long periods. Colleagues can relieve each other during a push on a major project. Families and family can tend to each other during periods of a new baby or extended illness. Teammates can relieve each other during games.

We don’t need to do everything alone. Let the choir back you up instead of insisting on being a soloist.

Lori Ahl Cartwright, February 10, 2017