This is something I wrote for Concentus' blog.  It was sanitized a bit to make it less 'harsh' - my original sports analogy involved Lance Armstrong relying on his team and banned substances...

Ensemble Music is a Team Sport

As a member of a chorus, it occurred to me that a choral group (or an orchestra or band) is very similar to a sports team. Our "coach" is called a conductor, or director, and has to study the "play book," or score, and get us to perform it to our best ability. She drills us during “practices” (rehearsals), singling vocal parts out to repeat passages until we perfect them (thankfully, ours does not single out individuals, or punish us with push-ups).

Just as in sports, where there are a few stars but many more supporting positions (Joe Flacco didn’t win the 2013 Super Bowl on his own – he had a team of talented receivers and an offensive line to protect him), in ensemble music there are sometimes soloists, but most of the singers are part of the team, singing their line in the score, working to blend with the group so that individual voices do not stand out. In choral music, especially, it’s important not just to hit your own notes, but to listen to the other parts, and make sure that you’re in tune and time with each other. In long passages with sustained phrasing it’s critical that the singers work together, explicitly or implicitly, to make sure we’re not all gasping for air at the same moment.

The Demands of Musicianship

Being a musician also requires physical ability, in addition to the talent to play an instrument or sing. The breath control needed to sing or play a wind instrument well is considerable; the arm muscles needed to play strings or percussion are not insignificant. Singers must also usually stand for their performances, which can be very tiring (and I’ve actually seen some singers collapse from the fatigue).

Music can also be as competitive as team sports. Although musical groups don't usually face off against each other (then again, the premise of TV’s Glee is the burgeoning industry of high school and college choral and a cappella group competitions), there is certainly competition between groups to be the most renowned in a particular genre, or to attract the best members or conductors (think Metropolitan Opera vs. La Scala). And there is competition for audience. Just as in sports, where people have their favorite teams, and root for them and get season tickets to the home games, musical groups woo audiences with season subscriptions and member benefits, and rivalry between fans can be very vocal (again, think Metropolitan Opera vs. the declining New York City Opera).

It’s sad that when our school systems find their budgets constrained, the first things they look to de-fund are the performing arts, and the very last are sports. The performing arts teach not just technique but also team-building, and unlike sports, there’s much less risk of injury!

http://www.concentus.org/blog/e/ensemble-music-is-a-team-sport