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Why are some ‘easy’ songs hard (and vice versa)?
Sometimes I start a singing session off with what I consider to be an easy song.photo from Wellcome ImagesBut the group end up struggling and it turns out to be really hard! What’s going on here.I’m...
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Why you need many different ways of telling your singers the same thing
As I started yet another singing workshop, I realised that I say pretty much the same thing in the introduction each time.That got me thinking: if singers hear exactly the same thing too many times,...
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How to cope with too many male singers (a rare and unusual problem!)
It’s very common for choirs to be short of men. Most of my singing workshops attract far fewer men than women.But sometimes – very occasionally – loads of men turn up unexpectedly. Which can be a...
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How to find the balance between easy and challenging songs in a drop-in...
A drop-in singing group is exactly what it sounds like: singers don’t need to make a regular commitment, but can drop in any time they want to.I’ve written about before the pros and cons of these kind...
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Why do I sound much lower (or higher) than the person next to me when singing...
In choral singing, you often hear the term blend. Much attention is given to the shape of vowel sounds to help achieve blend.However, the timbre of voice is perhaps even more important than vowel...
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How to work with a mixed group of music readers and non-readers
I always teach songs by ear. As a member of the Natural Voice Network, our ethos is to make singing accessible to as many people as possible. This means we never assume any prior musical experience or...
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What to do if you think someone in your part is singing it ‘wrong’?
There are times when you hear someone in your part singing something different from you. Especially when you are learning a new song.photo by Peter O'ConnorWhat’s the best thing to do in this...
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Singers, don’t be afraid to make mistakes – it’s the only way to learn
Many singers hold back because they’re afraid of getting it wrong.But if you never make mistakes, you’ll never learn what getting it right is.We are all familiar with the hesitant singer.That person...
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The hardest thing about going to choir is leaving the house!
Humans – dontcha just love ’em?! They say they really want to do something, then they don’t turn up.What is that about? How come it’s so hard to leave the house when it’s choir time?OK, maybe not...
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Choir anniversaries – and how you might celebrate them
I’ve just realised that this blog is 12 years’ old! Amazing how time flies. I was wondering how I might mark the occasion.Then I realised that I’ve been hearing a lot recently about choirs who have...
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Have you become too dependent on your choir leader? You might be denying your...
I’ve been noticing something interesting recently: when I move away from a part when I’m teaching them a song, they tend to fall apart.Since I’m not actually doing anything for them at this point, I...
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Christmas comes but once a year — so when to learn all the carols?
Christmas is coming. Time for concerts liberally sprinkled with seasonal songs.But when do you start learning your Christmas repertoire? It takes a lot of work to add songs to the repertoire and then...
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Taking stock – self-reflection for choir leaders and singers
In order to develop as a singer or choir leader it’s important to take stock from time to time.People often use the New Year as a time for reflection, but you can take stock at any time.why take...
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Can you ‘be in the moment’ yet plan for the future?
There’s a lot of talk about ‘mindfulness’ these days. Of being present and in the moment.But if you are truly in the moment, how can you think about the future and plan ahead? Let’s look at this...
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Where are all the birthday songs?
Today happens to be my birthday. Which got me thinking: how come most people in the world sing the same birthday song?photo by Ed g2sWhere are all the other songs for birthdays?the original happy...
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Tell your choir leader what you’re struggling with, otherwise they can’t help...
Sometimes one section of the choir struggles with their part. I ask what the problem is, but am faced with a sea of blank faces.photo by CollegeDegrees360If I don’t know what the difficulties are, I...
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Finding song information – Chinese whispers, wishful thinking and the oral...
I was choosing songs for a project the other day when I remembered one that I really liked from way back.However, with a bit of further research I discovered that it was a very lewd song and not...
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When patience wears thin – 5 strategies for choir (and other) leaders
Patience is one of the most useful traits a choir leader can have.But sometimes – despite your best efforts – you become impatient. What can you do to prevent taking it out on your singers?I’m often...
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Feedback is vital – even when things are going well
If you’re like me, you read reviews on sites like TripAdvisor and Amazon before you buy.But how many times do leave reviews yourself? For systems like this to work it’s important for everyone to give...
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Does singing have to have an end goal?
Some people sign up for classes because there’s a goal to work towards.But surely it’s possible to do things just for the sake of it? Does singing always have to have a goal?There was a great article...
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