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?

What are you going to leave behind this year?

As the year draws to a close, many people start to think ahead and make plans for the new year ahead. They might look back on their achievements this year, but the focus is usually forward.

But instead of reflecting on all those new things we want to have/achieve/create, what about those things that we’d like to leave behind?

Koliadka: Slavic winter singing traditions

Koliadka are traditional songs usually sung in Slavic, Central European and Eastern European countries during the Christmas holiday season. 

It is believed that everything sung about will come true.

Are your choir members ageing? If you don’t recruit new singers, your choir may die

Many choirs here in the UK have an ageing membership.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but if you don’t bring in new members regularly, your choir will eventually die out!

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.

Is your booking system fair and fit for purpose?

Most of us take bookings for our choirs, concerts and workshops on a first come, first served basis.

But is that the fairest and most effective system? Let’s look in more detail.

A nice problem to have – what to do if your choir or event is over-subscribed?

Some of us are lucky and sell out our concert, or have to close our choir to new members.

photo by Pacopac

It’s a nice problem to have, but I hate turning people away, so are there alternatives?

Using visual imagery in vocal training – help or hindrance?

I’m not technical when it comes to singing and use lots of visual imagery in my teaching.

But does it help or can it be confusing?

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

Why can't I hit the right note, and can it be taught?

Some people believe that singers can either hit the right note or they can't. That's why many choirs audition before you can join. 

But like any physical skill — playing the violin or scoring goals, for example — it's something that can be learnt.

How volunteers can help run to your choir more smoothly and with less stress

I’ve written in the past about how to get choir members to volunteer for supporting roles.

But what I didn’t mention was what kind of roles they might fulfil. Here are some ideas.

The practicalities of running a singing event: 7 tips for absolute beginners

When talking about choir rehearsals or singing workshops, the emphasis is always on the musical skills involved: teaching, conducting, vocal training, etc.

But if you don’t get the basic practical elements right, then the singing event won’t work.

Warm ups for singers: 5 relevant reads

Last week I wrote about Why a warm up shouldn’t be just vocal exercises. 

This week I’m going to revisit five old posts which look at warm ups in more detail. This is one of a series of summary posts around a specific topic, bringing together five relevant posts from the past.

Why a warm up shouldn’t be just vocal exercises

Many of us choir leaders are constantly on the look-out for new warm up ideas.

Whenever I look on the internet, I always come across sheet music for vocalises. But these are only a small part of what a warm up should be.

Always listen more loudly than you sing

It always surprises me when singers sing so loudly that they can’t hear the rest of the choir.

photo by Constantin Tacke

It’s hearing the other harmony parts that keeps you on the straight and narrow, and it’s where the singing pleasure lies.

A great choir sound is all about balance: backing tracks, arrangements, voice parts, song choice, etc.

I came across a choir doing an outdoor performance recently.

They were really good, but were let down by the balance between backing tracks and the voices.

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.

Aiming high: trust the process, don’t focus on the goal

There is a big difference between succeeding at all costs and not bothering to make an effort. Neither brings true satisfaction.

The secret is to pitch somewhere in between: to take the work seriously, but to not lose sight of how relatively unimportant it is compared with what else is going on in the world.

How to promote your singing event on social media (and actually get people to come)

I regularly come across social media posts promoting events, but it’s not clear where or when they’re taking place. Or sometimes even what the event is!

photo by Ibrahim

People think just bunging an image of their poster on Instagram will persuade loads of people to turn up to their event. But it’s not that easy. Here’s why.

How to get off the concert treadmill — 8 questions to help give you perspective

Some choirs (believe it or not) are already researching new songs for their Christmas concert repertoire in August. Some even begin rehearsing their Christmas concert in the summer!

If you feel like you’re on an endless concert roller coaster and want to get off, here are some thoughts that may help.

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.

Who should sing soprano in mixed choirs?

I had an interesting query from someone recently. In their choir, the tenor men sang the soprano part (an octave lower) and the soprano women sang the tenor part (an octave higher).

They asked me if there was any rule in choral music about which gender sang which part.

By letting go of ‘perfect’ you open yourself up to perfection

I used to create a choir from scratch over six rehearsals – all strangers, no auditions. We would then present a concert of the songs we’d learnt. I was always amazed at how good we sounded.

One day one of the participants explained: “There’s no way we’re going to be perfect with so few rehearsals, so we let go of that possibility.”

Singing together is about feeling safe, supported and valued

It seems obvious to me, but I’ve known choirs, singing workshops and singing groups who don’t always work in a safe space.

But how else will you get the best out of singers? Here’s why a safe, supported space is important.

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?

Vital information when using a new space for singing

I used a new space for a singing workshop recently and realised (too late) that I’d forgotten a few practical things.

photo by Joshua Morley

I thought I’d list some of them here to you can avoid the same mistake.

How can you keep your singers energised?

No matter how engaged your singers are, there will come a time in any rehearsal or workshop when the energy is low.

Time to energise your singers! But how can you do that?

We all fail from time to time – and that’s a good thing

I saw an interview with George Clooney the other day and he pointed out that “You learn nothing from success. You learn everything from failure.”

Fear of failing is what holds people back. Yet failure is how we grow and learn.