You need to dance, then you can sing

There is an old Zimbabwean proverb that says, “if you can walk, then you can dance; if you can talk, then you can sing.”

But I believe that you need to be able to dance in order to sing well. It should be: “if you can dance, then you can sing.”

Explanations for singers need to come in many different forms

Sometimes when we’re learning a new song, a singer might ask a question because they’re having difficulty.

photo by ywammadison

I will then offer what I believe to be a helpful explanation. But sometimes this won’t help every singer.

When conducting a concert, less is more

Many choir leaders over-conduct in concerts.

But if you’ve done the work in rehearsal, you should hardly need to conduct at all.

It’s good to fail as a singer (and you should do it more often)

Most singers starting out are terrified of getting it ‘wrong’. They hold back in all sorts of ways and approach singing hesitantly. 

But if you’re not ‘failing’ and getting it ‘wrong’, then you’ll never progress.

When a choir rehearsal is cancelled, should singers get a refund?

When you have a salaried job and get sick, you can usually claim sick pay for a day off.

But if you’re running a choir and are self-employed, what happens then? Do your singers still need to pay?

Vocal exercises to help singers tune into a cappella harmony

I thought I’d share a few vocal exercises that I use to help singers tune in to a cappella harmony. 

© Susie Mendelsson

I often integrate these into the warm up sessions to get people listening more closely before we move on to learning harmony songs.

What’s more important: your well-being or the next concert, rehearsal or singing workshop?

We’ve all been there: we’re feeling a bit rough, but we soldier on any way.

photo by Peter Reed

A big concert is coming up so we can’t let people down. But is that the right way to think?