• Drink champagne for no reason at all.
    Compliment even small improvements.
    Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
    Commit yourself to constant improvement.
    Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
    Look people in the eye.
    Stop blaming others.
    Sing in the shower.
    Keep your promises (no matter what).
    Feed a stranger's expired parking meter.
    Rekindle old friendships.
    Be the first to say hello.
    Use the good silver.
    Count your blessings.
    Ask for a raise when you feel you've earned it.
    Watch a sunrise at least once a year.
    Carry jumper cables in your trunk.
    Don't expect life to be fair.
    Call your mother.
    Don't be afraid to say "I made a mistake."
    Wave at kids on school buses.
    Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation.
    Send lots of Valentines Day cards and sign them "Someone who thinks you're terrific."
    Floss your teeth.
    Keep secrets.
    Plant a tree on your birthday.
    Avoid negative people.
    Don't be afraid to say "I don't know."
    Say "please" a lot.
    Over tip breakfast waitresses.
    Compliment three people everyday.
    Strive for excellence, not for perfection.
    Be forgiving of yourself and others.
    Learn three clean jokes.
    Always accept an outstretched hand.
    Take responsibility for every area of your life.
    Make new friends but cherish the old ones.
    Buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yards.
    Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
    Remember other people's birthdays.
    Return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank filled.
    Dance like no-one is watching. Sing like no-one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt.
    Keep it simple.
    Say "thank-you" a lot.
    Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.
    Marry only for love.
    Return all things you borrow.
    Plant flowers every spring.
    Leave the toilet seat in the down position.
    Leave everything a little better than you found it.
    Never underestimate the power of love.
    Wear polished shoes.
    Have a firm handshake.
    Never refuse homemade brownies.
    be there when people need you.
    Have a dog.
    Sing in a choir.

Engage your audience

This is why people come to see you – to be entertained. To entertain means, obviously, to be entertaining.

Nothing is more engaging than eye contact – it’s a fundamental thing about people. It establishes sincerity, interest and trust. So next time you perform, pick someone in the audience and sing your song to them. Some examples:

  • Ask them, personally and sincerely, “Shall we Dance”? Make it feel like an actual invitation.
  • Look them in the eye and try to make them believe that no matter how badly you slipped up, “You Were Always on My Mind”.
  • In “Yesterday” you open your heart and your hurt and your longing – make them believe that you chose just them to share that with.
  • If it’s a happy song, put that smile on your face and that twinkle in your eye as you romp through “Mairi’s Wedding”.
  • Pick someone else for the next verse or the next song.

People are also attracted to movement. In the context of a choir, this takes some coordination. Individuals bopping about can be more distracting than enjoyable, so this is where it’s essential to follow your director’s instructions. All sway together, all clap together, all march together – whatever the song calls for.

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