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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...
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There is no ‘right’ time for taking stock, but it’s important to do so from...
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,...
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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. This is a guest post by song leader Liz Rog who is based in the US in...
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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. This is a guest post by song...
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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...
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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 YoungsonCC BY-SA 3.0Alpha Stock...
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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...
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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. A teacher emailed me recently to ask for my advice. They had...
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My friend wants to be a professional, but can’t sing in tune — should I tell...
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?...
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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...
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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. Think of an...
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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...
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Moving outside your comfort zone – comfortably
My partner is always sending me videos with ideas for singing warm ups, usually involving complex clapping or stepping. I tell her that they will be too difficult for the singers I work with. But am I...
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Why does it take me so long to learn a song? Everyone else seems to pick it...
People often write to me asking me why it takes them ages to learn a song. photo by matea2506 They think it might be due to age, dyslexia, or all manner of other ‘problems’. But it’s probably simpler...
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The 3 steps to becoming a singer: step 1 — SING!
People often ask how they can become a singer.Here are three simple steps to follow. Results guaranteed. It may seem obvious, or even patronising, but the first step to becoming a singer is to actually...
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The 3 steps to becoming a singer: step 2 — JOIN A CHOIR
Last week I wrote about the first step to becoming a singer.photo by Rex PeYou need to actually start singing! Now here’s step 2. Once you’ve started to sing on your own, you’ll probably find that you...
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The 3 steps to becoming a singer: step 3 — SELF-AWARENESS
In the last two posts I’ve outlined step 1 and step 2 to becoming a singer. Now it’s time for step 3 to help you grow and develop as a singer. No amount of singing lessons, choir rehearsals, warm ups,...
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The 3 steps to becoming a singer: bonus step — RELEVANT READS
I’ve now outlined all three steps to becoming a singer: 1: sing, 2: join a choir and 3: be self-aware.image by rawpixel.com on FreepikNow here is a bonus fourth step: relevant posts from the archives....
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Toxic choir (and committee) members – how to stop them spoiling it for others
Many of the queries I get sent concern ‘toxic’ choir members. People who disrupt things and spoil it for others. photo by eek the cat I thought I’d look a bit deeper into what’s going on and consider...
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Why is my throat sore after singing?
I ran a full day of singing last Saturday. At the end, a few people came up to say that their throats hurt. Let’s look at why this might be and how you might avoid it.There are three main reasons why...
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