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

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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