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.

Why singing together is magical and unique

There is something special about a group of people singing together.

photo by Jason Paris

And it’s not just about sense of community and the health benefits. It really is a unique activity.

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.

My friend wants to be a professional, but can’t sing in tune — should I tell them?

Lots of people often tell me a similar story: someone they know is planning to go professional, but they can’t sing in tune.

Should they be told, or be allowed to make a fool of themselves in public?

When is a song ‘inappropriate’ to sing?

Not all songs are appropriate to sing in all circumstances.

But how do we know when a song is ‘inappropriate’? Here are some guidelines.

Looking for new warm up ideas? Don’t dismiss the old and familiar

I’m always looking for new ideas for the warm up start of my singing sessions.

But constant novelty is not necessarily a good thing. It can often lead to overlooking old, familiar, tried and tested exercises.

Changing your choir members’ payment system

I wrote an earlier post about different choir payment systems: Pay as you go or regular fee upfront – what is the best system for singers in your choir?

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

What if you want to change from one system to another? How can you make it as pain-free and simple as possible?

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.

What is ‘community singing’? — an attempted definition by Liz Rog: part 2

A couple of months ago I wrote a post entitled What is a ‘community choir’?

Now it’s the turn of Liz Rog to attempt a definition. Last week was part 1, now this is part 2.

What is ‘community singing’? — an attempted definition by Liz Rog: part 1

A couple of months ago I wrote a post entitled What is a ‘community choir’?

Now it’s the turn of Liz Rog to attempt a definition.

There is no ‘right’ time for taking stock, but it’s important to do so from time to time

Many people use the New Year as a trigger to set themselves goals for the future. And many people fail by being unrealistic.

Whether that’s you or not, it is vital to take stock from time to time, even if it’s not at New Year.

The Sheffield carols

What could be more true to the spirit of Christmas than standing in a crowded pub and singing Christmas carols?

photo by Delaina Haslam

Especially if the tunes are only to be heard in a few towns and villages near Sheffield, in South Yorkshire.

If you don’t know the songs that well, should you sing in your next concert?

We’ve all been there: a big concert is coming up and we feel under-prepared.

photo from depositphotos.com

Should we just duck out, or soldier on and busk it? Here’s what I think.

How to look after your voice (especially in the winter): 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 looking after your voice, especially in the winter months or when you have a busy concert season or if feasting is involved.

Why I write my blog “From the front of the choir”

I started this blog way back in December 2006. That’s 17 years of weekly blog posts!

I thought I’d make a little video to let you know why and how I got started.

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?

Pay as you go or regular fee upfront – what is the best system for singers in your choir?

Many choirs charge their members as and when they turn up: a pay as you go system.

photo by freeimageslive.co.uk - lensicle

But there are disadvantages to that approach, so other choirs operate a lump sum in advance system. Let’s look at the pros and cons of these and which might suit your choir best.

Problems arising when men and women sing the same pitch: 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 difficulties and apparent strangeness of men and women singing the same pitch together.

What is a ‘community choir’?

The term ‘community choir’ is used a lot, but what does it actually mean?

There is no single definition, but I thought I’d look at some common characteristics.

Why harmony singers are (usually) lovely people

Not everyone likes to sing in harmony with others, but those who do are often really nice people.

photo by Richard Foster

Why is that? And is it a universal truth?

How to find specific topics on this blog

I’ve written over 900 articles on this blog since I started in December 2006.

photo by Bram Cymet

That’s a lot of information to wade through! Here’s a short guide to help you find what you’re looking for.

If it hurts to sing, then stop!

Often a singer will come up to me in a session and tell me their throat is hurting. I usually tell them to stop singing. 

photo by Marco Verch Professional Photographer

In this post want to look at what might cause pain or discomfort when singing and what you can do about it.

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?

Why your concert publicity isn’t working

We all want audiences at our concerts, so we have to let people know about them.

I’ve seen so many bad examples of concert publicity recently, I thought I’d write a few tips.

What is a ‘Natural Voice’ choir?

I am a member of the Natural Voice Network and all my work is based on their ethos.

But what exactly is ‘Natural Voice’ and how do Natural Voice choirs differ from other kinds of choir?

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?

Don’t forget that your singers have come to SING!

It’s easy to forget, especially when preparing for a concert, that singers come each week to have a good old sing.

photo by Alex Beattie

They don’t want to be learning new material all the time or focusing on vocal development.

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.

Which direction does your choir face?

Do your singers always face the same direction in your rehearsal space? What about outdoor performances?

Maybe it’s something you’ve not thought about, or have just got into a habit without much analysis.

What do do if you’re missing singing over the long break

Here in the northern hemisphere it’s (supposedly!) summer. Most choirs are having their long break.

I’m often asked by singers what they can do if their choir is not meeting for several weeks. Here are some answers.

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).