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

Warmups

Your voice is a muscle. As with any exercise, you must warm it up. This can take many forms, most of which you can do on your way to a rehearsal or a performance. Credit for several of the following tips goes to musicnotes.com, who are a great source of…

Continue reading

About Dynamics

Dynamics are more than just loudness and softness. They’re what makes a song punchy and animated or smooth and mellow. They put the mood into a song. They affect the balance between parts – do the men have a soft “oo” underneath the women’s parts or does the men’s part…

Continue reading

Voice Placement

It is a sad fact that most of us are lazy singers and creatures of habit. Many of us are also scared of the sound of our own voice. But voice is really what choral singing is all about. Your voice should come from your open mouth. This implies a…

Continue reading

Posture

Good posture is all-important for proper singing. It allows for easy movement of your breath in and out of your body. It also aids in effective projection of your voice and makes the choir as a whole look good. Stand if you’re able, or sit up nice and straight. Close…

Continue reading

Breathing Tips

We all know how to breathe – we do it all the time. But when we sing, we have to adapt our normal breathing patterns to give us more control and capacity. This means becoming conscious of exactly what’s going on. Breathing happens from your diaphragm, not your ribcage. We…

Continue reading