Think it's all going wrong? Spoiler: nobody's noticing!

I had a bad workshop experience the other day. I felt that the whole day had gone wrong and I wasn’t up to snuff.

Yet loads of people came up to me afterwards to tell me how much they’d enjoyed it. What’s going on here?

Magic words that will help you become a better singer or choir leader

We’re all very good at sabotaging ourselves. You know the kind of thing: “I can’t do that” or “That was a disaster.”

However, there are some simple and powerful phrases that can help us overcome these self-doubts.

Why learning harmony arrangements of pop songs is hard

I led a Beatles a cappella singing day last week. As usual, it attracted people who love to sing pop songs.

Everyone enjoyed it, but many pointed out afterwards how hard it had been to learn the songs.

Why do humans sing?

A guest video from Michaela Bartoskova reminding us all of why we sing.

“We sing to taste the freedom that music brings.”

Are you cleaning your water bottle enough?

As singers, we’re encouraged to keep hydrated by bringing a water bottle to rehearsals and workshops.

photo by Basile Morin

But did you know that harmful bacteria can easily build up on reusable water bottles? It’s important to clean them often, especially as warmer weather arrives. Here’s how.

Vocal range 1: 5 relevant reads

This is one of a series of summary posts around a specific topic, bringing together five relevant posts from the past.

This summary is all about vocal range: how it’s relevant to being in a choir and how you might go about finding where you fit.

Become a better choir leader by taking classes unrelated to singing

As mentioned, I recently started going to line dancing classes.

What I hadn’t expected is that I’m learning so much about becoming a better singing workshop leader.

The unwritten agreement between singer and audience - what each can expect from the other

I mentioned briefly in last week’s post the implicit contract between performers and audience.

I’d like to look at the idea in a little more detail.

Why we can’t sing in public wherever and whenever we want

I was on holiday in Portugal recently when I heard a group of young people coming towards me singing. It seemed like it was some kind of street protest and made me feel a little uncomfortable.

Then there was the guy on the train next to me singing quite loudly to himself, which was quite irritating. It made me wonder: are there only certain situations when it’s OK to sing in public?

You have to accept where you are as a singer or choir leader before you can improve

Many of us want things to be other than they are. Perhaps you dream of being an amazing singer, rather than the struggling beginner that you actually are.

Or maybe you wish for more singers in your choir, rather than the handful that turn up each week. In all cases, accepting the reality is the first step to getting what you want.

How to choose a song to sing solo

Occasionally singers want to sing a song on their own. It might be for a local folk club, a choir solo, or to surprise someone on their birthday.

But how do you go about choosing a suitable song? Here are some pointers.

How much new information can singers take in before they become overloaded?

I’m learning a lot about teaching from the new line dancing class I’ve started!

The teacher has an awareness that there is only so much new information that we can take in, but it doesn’t stop her from overloading us.

Is it OK to sing a ‘foreign’ song in English?

Somebody recently bought my arrangement of the Welsh national anthem, but wanted the lyrics in English.

I put a call out to see if anybody had an English translation which would fit the music and got quite a lot of flak!

My approach to choir leading

I often take it for granted that people approach choir leading in a similar way to me.

 

Then I realised that there are many different methods and I should outline what my own philosophy is.

Ask me anything! (about singing and choirs)

I occasionally get emails from people with specific questions about choirs and singing.

These are often good starting points for writing a blog post with more general appeal.

Sometimes intention and context are more important than singing technique

People often ask me if I can give them an individual singing lesson because they have a big event coming up.

They’re worried that their singing voice won’t be up to the job. I usually dissuade them and here is why.

Why silence is important to singers, singing and choir leaders

I came across an interesting article the other day: Quiet, please! The remarkable power of silence – for our bodies and our minds.

It got me thinking about how vital silence is for singers, singing and choir leading.

Do you have to like your choir leader?

… and their lame jokes and teaching style and clothes choice?

Does it matter if they’re really not your kind of person?

Want to get close to people quickly? Sing together!

We all know the many health benefits of singing together.

But did you know it’s also an excellent way of bonding a group of people together, even if you don’t know them?

Does your choir's public image truly reflect what you want your choir to be?

Choirs need to promote themselves in order to recruit singers, get people to come to concerts, buy CDs and so on.

But does your public face truly reflect your choir as it wants to be?

Protecting you choir brand: monitoring photos, videos and recordings

Every choir has a reputation to maintain. Your choir and its name are essentially your 'brand' and, as such, need protecting.

When anyone shares an unauthorised photo, video or audio recording in public, it has the potential to damage your brand.

Time to start singing – even if you’ve not done it before

Many of us resolve to try new things when the new year starts.

It might be to join the gym or to learn to cook. Why not try singing?