“I don’t know”: Why vulnerability makes you a stronger choir leader

Sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing. There, I’ve admitted it.

We usually keep quiet when we’re unsure, but I believe it’s much better to own up in public. Here’s why.

Feeling like everything is falling apart? Here's a hint: no one really notices!

Last week I wrote about song leaders and singers in rehearsal and at workshops feeling that they’ve made a big mistake. Yet nobody noticed: Think it's all going wrong? Spoiler: nobody's noticing!

photo by madaise

This week I want to consider live performance, both from the perspective of choir leaders and singers.

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?

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?

Choir can feel like being back at school – and that’s not always a good thing

We all like to think our choirs are friendly spaces where everyone is equally welcome.

photo by theirhistory

But being in a choir can bring back all sorts of memories of our time at school. All the things we found difficult as children can come back to haunt us.

Choir leaders: it’s important to put yourself in your singers’ shoes from time to time

I don’t often get the chance to be a punter. But this week I went on a two-day voice and movement course and loved it.

photo by ssalonso

It was great to be on the receiving end for a change, and I learnt a lot about what it’s like to be a singer in a group

Starting back to choir after the summer break: 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 about the challenges and opportunities of getting back to choir after the long summer break.

The hidden costs of performing for ‘free’

Has your choir been asked to perform at an event for free? Or maybe you’ve been asked to run a singing workshop for a big corporation for ‘exposure’.

It’s easy for people to imagine that there are no costs involved in doing a bit of singing, but that’s far from the truth.

How can a group of “non singers” make such a great sound?

Recently I led a local singing day open to everyone and, as always, we ended up making a great sound.

photo by Paul Baker

But talking to people in the breaks, many of those who came claimed that they couldn’t really sing. What’s going on here?

Always remember to bring a spare: song, set of lyrics, pen …

No matter how well-prepared we are, there’s always a chance we’ll forget something. 

photo by Kurt Nordstrom

That’s why it’s important to always remember to bring a spare.

Choir leaders: are you being too nice to your singers?

Sometimes an individual choir member needs to be told that they’re getting it wrong. 

photo by Ondřej Lipár

In our attempt to not be unkind, we can sometimes end up being too nice, which is not helpful.

Looking after your own needs in a choir: don’t be a sheep

We went to the theatre the other day and we were the only people in the audience wearing masks.

photo by Nigel Mykura

But in all other ways, we were exactly the same as any other audience member. The same, but different.

Need some motivation? Create a deadline and let everyone know!

It was blue Monday this week: apparently the most depressing day of the year here in the UK.

The short days, bad weather, cold nights, all conspire to rob us of our motivation. Here’s an idea that might help.

Why I became a choir leader

People often ask about my background, assuming that I have a musical education.

They are rather surprised when I tell them that my training is as a computer scientist, but I then spent over 20 years as a theatre maker and performer. So how did I end up as a choir leader?

How do you know when your choir is performance ready?

Most choirs get to the point where they want to share the songs they’ve learnt with an audience.

Prepared by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images

But how do you know that the songs are in a good enough state to share?

How to finish a choir rehearsal well

Everybody talks about the importance of warming up and properly preparing to sing before each rehearsal.

photo by spelio

But what about ending a rehearsal? Not as much attention is paid to that. How do we end so singers go away feeling great?

Choir starts back soon: is it time for re-invention?

Here in the UK, many choirs have a long summer break and start back in early September when the schools go back.

This may be the perfect time to try something new, a time for re-invention.

In a choir, it’s not about singing loud vs. soft – it’s about balance

I’ve written before about How to know how loud you should sing in a choir.

photo by Malingering

But as a choir member you are working as part of a team, so it’s not entirely up to you. It’s all about balance.

Always have a spare song up your sleeve

No matter how well you plan your singing workshop or performance, you can find yourself with an unexpected slot that needs filling.

Which is why you should always have a spare song or two up your sleeve.