“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Mahatma Gandhi
One of the things I love about ensemble singing is the way that it is a repeated practice of service. When you commit to excellent performance you are practicing at least three different kinds of service.
– Service to your fellow ensemble members
– Service to the music and the author’s intent for it
– Service to your audience
Service and ego are antithetical; we find service when we abandon our ego and commit to what others need. In doing this, as Gandhi says, we actually find a more profound vision of ourselves.