[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of songs from traditions across the globe. Your experiences may differ from mine, so do feel free to leave a comment and let's begin a conversation! A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]
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 with a permanent frown on their face who sings quietly and is never quite sure of their part.
They are afraid of “getting it wrong”.
But if they continue to sing along quietly and fit in with everyone else, they’ll never really know when they’re “getting it right”.
We all make mistakes as we learn something new. That’s part of the learning process.
Gradually we filter out all the ‘wrong’ things and end up with only those things that are ‘right’.
As a singer you need to be loud and proud and make big mistakes as you learn new songs.
If you can’t hear your own voice and how it compares with those around you, you’ll never know when you’re going astray.
Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed. Everyone does it. It’s part of the process.
Sing out, sing wrong, sing better!
Chris Rowbury
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