Why I record the songs at the end of every singing workshop I lead

Some years ago I began to record the songs learnt at the end of each of my singing workshops.



Here’s why I continue to do it, and what the benefits are.

What to do with your hands while singing – 5 ideas for singers in choirs

If you’re not holding sheet music, what should you do with your hands while singing?

photo by mr. throk

This can be problematic in a choir. Here are some ideas.

Why ‘learning by rote’ can be an insult

Somebody asked on Facebook the other day for suitable songs to ‘learn by rote’.



I imagine they meant songs to ‘learn by ear’ rather than by reading sheet music. I must admit, I was insulted. Here’s why.

A little rant: don’t diss those who don’t read music

Somebody wrote to me recently about how other choir members look down on them because they don’t read music.



It made me very angry that this sort of thing is still happening.

How to warm up your voice on the bus (or any other public space)

Sometimes we don’t get the chance to do a full warm up in private before a performance.

photo by Justin Morgan

Here are some ideas for warming up your voice in public without drawing attention to yourself.

How to know which harmony part to sing – a guide for new singers

Many people who attend my choirs and singing workshops have either not sung since school or have never tried singing in harmony before.



I am often asked “Which part should I sing?” Here are a few ideas which might help new singers.

How to put on a successful concert 2: songs and concert structure

Last week we looked at planning and asked a series of questions like why? what for? when? who’s coming?



This week we’ll look at the how: how you actually put a concert of songs together.