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Introduction
In January 2011, I took over as the Artistic Director of one the oldest LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer) community choruses in the country. I approached the mixed (SATB) ensemble as any choral teacher might: with the goal to create a fantastic musical experience for the singers. Improving each chorister's musicianship was an immediate goal. The importance of blending and balancing the ensemble sound was in the front of my mind. Programming inspiring and entertaining concerts was a top priority. And, of course, getting to know the singers and becoming a part of their community was essential to me.
As a professional singer and voice teacher, I was (and continue to be) comfortable in the vocal technique aspect of being a choral director. I re-voiced everyone in the chorus and discovered that several of the lower female singers were in the tenor section. I relocated them to alto, as I thought it would be best vocally for them. During this process, I also heard a tenor with a lovely higher range. (From my training, I don't necessarily expect a tenor to have a resonant falsetto, like a baritone might.) This tenor not only had a strong falsetto, but seemed to have familiarity in the upper range. Even though he could have sung alto, I kept him in the tenor section to maintain a balanced sound. With multiple degrees and a high pedigree of professional work on my resumé, I (so foolishly) thought I had all the skills and knowledge to serve as the chorus's music leader. As a gay man and activist, I considered myself well-informed of issues regarding the LGBTQ+ population.
In the subsequent weeks of working with this ensemble, new to me, I discovered that singing tenor was a source of pride for some of the women I had moved to alto. While some were happy to sing wherever they were needed (the chorus had almost no altos but plenty of tenors when I assumed the podium), I did not account for any singer's vocal history or identity. I also learned that the tenor with the upper extension is trans,1 having been, at that time, on testosterone for a few years. While I was bringing experience and knowledge to the chorus,...