What part are you in this?
I love the idea of identifying what part of the whole you are when you sing: foreground, middleground, background. Each are important but they exist in relation to each other and we should sing differently depending on our part in any given moment.
But the same is true of what part you play in any given situation.
For example, tonight my group is singing the National Anthem and Alma Mater for GRCC Commencement. We are an important piece, to be sure, but we are not the foreground. It’s important that we serve our purpose and stay out of the way of the many more important pieces. That includes how we take up space and time in the sound check and rehearsal, how we appear onstage and off, and even how we interpret our music – my tempos are brisker in this setting than in other settings, because I know how the Alma Mater relates to the entire night’s festivities.
When your ensemble is in rehearsal, it’s the foreground of the entire situation. But when you leave your rehearsal, take a minute to understand what part you play.