Is there a difference between “men’s songs” and “women’s songs”?

I often come across choir leaders asking for “men’s songs” for the men in their choirs.

It make me wonder: is there a difference between “men’s songs” and “women’s songs” and what does that even mean?

How to ask a singer to leave your choir

Very occasionally there comes a time when you will have to ask a singer to leave your choir.

photo by id-iom

What’s the best (and kindest) way to do this?

Novelty vs. familiarity – how to keep things fresh without alienating your singers

Familiarity breeds contempt. If you do the same thing over and over again it can become boring.

However, constantly introducing new things can be hard work and it can feel like you never arrive. How do we maintain a balance between these two extremes?

Don’t forget travel time when charging for an event

People often ask how much they should charge for leading a workshop or concert.

They usually focus on the professional fee for the contact hours, but forget any travel time involved.

How to avoid new choir members feeling left out in the breaks

I always thought I ran friendly, welcoming choirs (see How welcoming is your choir?). There was always someone around to buddy new members so they wouldn’t feel left out.

photo by theirhistory

But then one day, a new member said to me that standing around in the break felt like being the new kid in the playground at school.

The benefits and drawbacks of working in a circle when singing

I like to outsource elements of my teaching practice when leading singing days.

photo by Global Partnership for Education

I allow the singers to put chairs out (or not), and to decide how they want to stand. Often, it ends up being a circle. But is that the best way to sing as a group?

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.

Your mouth knows more than your brain does

I’ve pointed out before that too much thinking is bad for singers. See The curse of confusion: why thinking is bad for singing.

In fact, your mouth knows far more than your brain does when it comes to songs!

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.

The pep talk I give before every singing workshop 4: what if you already know one of the songs?

I give an introductory pep talk at the start of all my singing workshops.

The aim is to give out useful information, but also to reassure and relax the singers.

The pep talk I give before every singing workshop 3: learning songs (it takes time)

I give an introductory pep talk at the start of all my singing workshops.

The aim is to give out useful information, but also to reassure and relax the singers.

The pep talk I give before every singing workshop 2: nobody knows what’s happening

I give an introductory pep talk at the start of all my singing workshops.

The aim is to give out useful information, but also to reassure and relax the singers.

The pep talk I give before every singing workshop 1: preparing to sing

I give an introductory pep talk at the start of all my singing workshops.

The aim is to give out useful information, but also to reassure and relax the singers.

Why you might need lyric sheets for even simple songs in English

I usually try not to use lyric sheets at all. I’d rather have singers with their heads up, watching me and each other.

photo by Sheila Scarborough

But sometimes, if a song is in a foreign language, or has lots of words, I’ll put lyrics up.

Don't wait for the day when you'll finally be ready - the time is now!

Many of us are waiting for "the day" when everything finally falls into place and we can truly think of ourselves as a singer or choir leader (or writer or parent or ...).

But what if I were to tell you that day will never arrive?

Singer or choir leader, you are not as indispensable as you think

Whether singer or choir leader, your choir can’t do without you. You are what makes it.

photo by Kathryn

Yet, at the same time, you can be replaced. You are not indispensable.

Procrastination: harnessing your subconscious to help with creative tasks

I’m a big procrastinator. I leave everything until the last minute. If I didn’t have deadlines, I would never get anything done!

But I’ve come to realise that this is my way of working and it has good results. Here’s why procrastination is not necessarily a bad thing.

10 ideas to help you balance stress with enjoyment when putting on a singing event

A little stress can be good for us. It helps us to get things done or to focus on something that needs our attention. 

But too much stress can affect our mood, our body and our relationships. How can we put on a successful singing event without getting too stressed out?

The secret world of … the fifth SATB harmony section

This is a series of five posts looking in a light-hearted way at the different types of singers in a typical community choir. 

You might have thought that SATB choirs (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) have just four different voice sections, but you’d be wrong. There is a fifth section known as the Floaters (or Flexitarians).

The secret world of … Basses

This is a series of five posts looking in a light-hearted way at the different types of singers in a typical community choir. 

I've covered Sopranos, Altos and Tenors. For the last SATB section, here are the Basses. Enjoy! In my final post I deal with Floaters.

The secret world of … Tenors

This is a series of five posts looking in a light-hearted way at the different types of singers in a typical community choir.

I've covered Sopranos and Altos so far, now here are the Tenors. Enjoy! In other posts I deal with Basses, and Floaters.

The secret world of … Altos

This is a series of five posts looking in a light-hearted way at the different types of singers in a typical community choir. 

Last week it was the Sopranos, now here are the Altos. Enjoy! In other posts I deal with Tenors, Basses, and Floaters.

The secret world of … Sopranos

This is a series of five posts looking in a light-hearted way at the different types of singers in a typical community choir.

First up are the Sopranos. Enjoy! In other posts I deal with Altos, Tenors, Basses, and Floaters.

You can never be too humble to go back to basics

As singers and choir leaders we grow and develop skills over time. We leave behind us things we consider to be only for beginners.

But no matter how elementary something is, we can always learn something new by revisiting it.

Are written lyrics a hindrance or a help when learning a song?

Many choir leaders hand out sheet music or lyric sheets to their singers when teaching a song.

photo by freeimageslive.co.uk - gratuit

But does this do more harm than good? Is it better to learn the lyrics by ear?

The concert was great, so why do I feel like a failure?

Sometimes a performance is a blinder. There is a standing ovation and cries for more.

photo by svenwerk

And yet … it is possible to come away feeling that it’s all gone wrong. How is this possible?

Everything you need to know about choral jargon (but were afraid to ask)

If you’re new to the choral world, you might find some of the terms used a bit unfamiliar.

photo by duncan cumming

Don’t worry, I’m here to help! Here’s a glossary of some of the more common choral jargon.

The good enough singer

Last week I wrote about the notion of being “good enough” and how it could be applied to choir leaders: The good enough choir leader.

This week I want to look at how singers can usefully use this idea.

The good enough choir leader

We all aim to do the best we can. But if we wait until we’re perfect, we’ll never get anything done!

photo by Rich Bowen

It’s OK to be “good enough” at what we do. Here’s why.

What not to do with your head when singing very high or very low notes

It is human nature for our heads to go up and down as we sing extreme notes.

photo by jaime.silva

If a note is very high, we tilt our head up to reach for it. If a note is very low, we tip our head down. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help us to reach those notes. In fact it makes things worse.

5 reasons why every choir concert should include at least one a cappella song

Many choirs use instruments or backing tracks to accompany their singing.

photo by Andrea Pineda

But I believe that you should always programme at least one a cappella song in every concert. Here’s why.

Preparing for a new year of singing: how looking at the past, present and future can help

It’s that clichéd time of year again when people make New Year resolutions.

Whether you do or not, it can be a good time for reflection and to prepare for the year ahead. Here are some ideas that might help.

Coming down after a big event – how to land softly

It’s the day after Christmas Day and, however well or badly it went, there can be a sense of a let-down.

photo by Inga Munsinger Cotton

After any big event like Christmas or an important choir concert, there needs to be a transition back to ‘normal’. This is not always easy! Here are some ideas of how to deal with the come down.

“It’s only a show!” – keeping perspective when preparing for a concert

Rehearsals can become somewhat fraught when a concert is coming up.

photo by Bernard Goldbach

It’s easy to become fixated on the work and to lose sight of the bigger picture. It’s only a concert after all. Here’s how to keep a sense of perspective.

10 tips for singing outdoors in the cold, dark, damp winter

It’s that time of year when choirs get asked to sing at all manner of Christmas events. 

Htm, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Some of those will be outdoors. How best to deal with the challenges?

What is the right balance between new and old songs in your annual concert?

Many choirs are gearing up for their annual Christmas concert.

photo by Dick Thompson

Do you repeat the same songs each year or add new ones to your repertoire? Let’s look at the pros and cons.

Work with what you’ve got and not how you want the world to be

There are choir leaders who are disappointed that their singers aren’t doing enough homework in the run-up to a big concert.

There are singers who try in vain to reach the high notes of the melody and who constantly complain about the songs in their choir’s repertoire. But this is what is on offer and fighting against it will always lead to unhappiness.

A concert is coming, but singers have missed rehearsals and not done their homework! What to do?

We’ve all been there: a big concert is coming up, but the singers just aren’t ready.

photo by Allan Harris

What can you do?

Why hiring a choir or singing workshop leader can seem so expensive

When people ask me how much I charge to lead a singing workshop they are often surprised by how high my fee is.

photo by One Click Group UK

It works out as an enormous hourly rate. Here’s why it’s not as expensive as it seems.

Singing with the dirt left on

I was honoured to be invited for a video interview/chat recently with New Zealand singer, musician and composer Tony Backhouse.

One of the things we discussed was how we like music to be honest, gutsy, muscular and authentic. But how to describe exactly what we mean?

Working with an established group (who are set in their ways)

No matter how flexible and self-aware we think we are, inevitably we all end up becoming a bit set in our ways.

photo by Social Gabe

This can particularly apply to any choir or singing group who’ve been together for a long time. What happens when a new leader comes along and tries to change this?

How those little social interactions in choir make your happier

We’re often told of the many benefits to our physical and mental health of singing together.

What is not often mentioned is the benefit of the many small social interactions that occur.

Winding down after a singing session

I don’t know about you, but when I get home late after a singing rehearsal I find it hard to sleep.

photo by Jorbasa Fotografie

I don’t feel particularly over-excited, but something inside me must be! What can we do about this?

When men and women sing the same harmony part

Often, when I’m teaching a song, a man might ask to sing the tune, or a woman might ask to sing the bass.

photo by Keith Hamilton Putnam

I usually say no, as I don’t like mixing men’s and women’s voices in the same part. Why is that?

Don’t chase fame – singing is reward enough in itself

You don’t have to be the best, or famous, or sing to a professional standard.

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

Singing is reward enough in itself.

Are warm ups necessary for singers?

In a recent blog post, Robert Sussuma urges singers to “stop warming up, doing exercises, and practising.”

see source, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

He is being a little provocative, but it has prompted me to reflect on whether singers need to warm up or not before singing.

You sing with your whole body – not just your vocal apparatus

As a member of the Natural Voice Network (NVN), I share a belief that our voices are rooted in our bodies.

photo by Nottingham Trent University

But it’s not just the NVN, most professional singers believe this too.

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.

Why be perfect when you can be great?

We all strive for perfection in our singing. At the same time, we realise that being 100% perfect is impossible.

photo by Ars Electronica

By aiming for perfection we can become blind to our achievements and how good we actually are.

Recordings of concerts may sound disappointing at first – give it time

I often record the songs I teach in workshops and the concerts that my groups do.

photo from depositphotos.com

But when I listen back a few days later, I’m often disappointed. Why is that?