Looking for inspiration? It might be right in front of you

The thing about creative inspiration is that you can’t conjure it at will.

It pops up when you least expect it. Rather than tackling lack of inspiration head on, simply wait and something will appear, often right in front of you.

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.

In for the long haul: commitment, motivation and persistence

I’ve been writing this blog for 18 years, a total of 994 posts. It’s one of the few things that I’ve ever stuck at.

It can be hard to stick at something for long periods. Let’s look at how commitment, motivation and persistence interact.

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.

How to get on with things when you’re just not in the mood

I’m not in the mood to write this blog today. But I need to.

How can you get on with things when you’re just not in the mood?

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.

Slow and steady wins the race – it takes time to become a singer or choir leader

We live in a fast, short-attention span world. People expect instant gratification.

photo by Rose Davies

But becoming competent at something takes time.

How to use singing to lift you out of a low mood

Like everyone in lockdown we all have good days and bad days.

Today I’m feeling particularly low and unmotivated. But I got out of it. Here’s how.

Create your own deadlines and bring some structure to your life and work

Essentially I’m a very lazy person. I don’t do anything unless I absolutely have to.



The way I manage to get things done is to set public deadlines. That way I can’t escape!

How to lead your choir when you’re just not in the mood

We all have off days, even choir leaders.



Here are a few hints on how to cope when you’re feeling low or burnt out.

7 ways to hold onto your choir members: why retention is more important than recruitment

I often hear choirs asking how they can recruit more members.

photo by Laura LaRose

But if you hold onto your existing members, you won’t need to recruit that often. Here are some of the reasons why singers might leave your choir and what you can do to stop it.

Why returning to your choir after a long absence need not be difficult

Sometimes life intervenes and singers need to take a whole term off or even longer. It could be illness, bereavement, job demands or just that it’s good to have a break from time to time.



But when it’s time to return to choir there can be all sorts of psychological obstacles, and some singers never make it back. How can you avoid this?

Stepping up – how to find the courage to volunteer for solo or small group singing

There are times in most choirs when a soloist or a small ensemble is required. These roles can be allocated by the MD but in many cases singers are asked to volunteer to try out.

photo by Paterm

What if you think you’re up to the job but lack the confidence to step forward? Here are some ideas that might help.

How to encourage regular choir attendance – balancing fun with commitment

Lately I’ve been wrestling with the problem of inconsistent attendance at choir. If not everyone comes each week it’s hard to do any development work and it means I have to keep teaching the same songs again and again.

Sing For Your Life Choir, Tasmania

Jane Christie-Johnston from Tasmania contacted me recently and we had a bit of an email chat. I asked her how she dealt with the challenge, and this post is based on her reply.

When you don’t feel like singing, that’s the perfect time to do it – sing yourself happy!

Many of us wait until the mood hits us before we do something. But often the doing something is what changes our mood for the better.



The saying “Don’t sing because you’re happy, be happy because you sing” hits the nail on the head. Here’s why.

What if the singing session is a success, but you feel like a failure?

Sometimes we’re asked to lead a rehearsal or run a singing workshop or perform a song and we do our job very well. But afterwards we don’t feel particularly good about it.

photo by www.stockmonkeys.com/

What’s going on here? Is it possible to be successful, but fail at the same time?

It’s summer – where have all the choir gone??!!

The evening’s are lighter, the weather is warmer, the songs are amazing, the singing’s as good as ever – it’s summer!

Sunday school by Ansel Adams

So where has everybody gone? Why are people not turning up to choir?

Avoid toxic choir leaders – the end does NOT justify the means

There are some workshop and choir leaders who work through fear. They are not particularly nice people, but they do get good results.

photo by Craig Sunter

Yet it is possible to work compassionately and with fun to get the same results. That’s my kind of choir leader!

What motivates you to turn up to choir week after week?

You can tell winter is on its way because it’s dark and cold when I set off for choir each week.

photo by Todd Shaffer

It would be much easier to stay at home in front of the fire, so what motivates you to wrap up warm, leave the house and brave the cold to get to choir?