Regular readers may have picked up on the fact that not much actually happens in my life. It's mostly the same sort of thing every day, which leads me to comment on the weather or the news. But today I actually have something to blog about. Today I had my first singing lesson.
I have mentioned before that I've been performing with Sing Live for a couple of years now. This does cost a fair bit but I love it and can't imagine ever wanting to give it up. I have met so many lovely people through Sing Live; every one is very friendly and supportive and I always look forward to rehearsals as much as the actual performances, which are always thrilling. There are plenty of choirs and singing groups out there but Sing Live is the only way (for an ordinary person anyway) to get to sing in some of the best venues. I have performed at the Royal Albert Hall and others have sung all over the world, from Disneyland in Florida, to The Vatican.
However, as much as I love singing with the choir I think I've developed as far as I can in the group environment. I have loads of confidence when I'm singing with others, but when you're solo there's nowhere to hide and I'm my own worst critic. I'm a complete sod for always pushing and striving to be better; some people might say that's a good thing but it can be a failing... perfectionist might be a good word to describe me. So, when my birthday rolled around, I decided to ask for money towards some private lessons.
It's taken me the best part of 3 months to find someone that I got a good enough vibe from to actually take the leap and go for an initial session and I was not disappointed. I'm not going to go into too much detail because my iPad battery is dying, but the tutor, Jamie, reassured me and made me feel comfortable and relaxed, even though singing on my own usually terrifies me. We did some warm-ups then some vocal exercises and finished with some Adele (one of my favourite artists).
As well as doing the private lessons, Jamie also works with a couple of other performing arts coaches to form the Rhapsody Academy, which offers singing, dancing and acting classes for kids and teenagers. They are based at Rivington Park School near Horwich, Bolton and offer a range of courses. You can get more info here.
Despite my crippling nerves, I love singing and performing. It's is a great confidence builder (especially choral singing - safety in numbers and all that) and it's good for you too. Not only can singing (done properly) be quite physical, it can help you expand your lung capacity and boosts seratonin levels, which combats depression. In other words, it's good for your health and it makes you happy. I am a firm believer in the ethos that everyone can sing, it's just a case of some people finding it easier than others to pitch a note. So if you like to sing in the shower or you sing along with the radio in the car, maybe it's time to try something like Sing Live. Or if your kids are into the music, maybe give something like Rhapsody a try. There really isn't much to lose but so much to gain and so far, I haven't regretted getting involved.
I have mentioned before that I've been performing with Sing Live for a couple of years now. This does cost a fair bit but I love it and can't imagine ever wanting to give it up. I have met so many lovely people through Sing Live; every one is very friendly and supportive and I always look forward to rehearsals as much as the actual performances, which are always thrilling. There are plenty of choirs and singing groups out there but Sing Live is the only way (for an ordinary person anyway) to get to sing in some of the best venues. I have performed at the Royal Albert Hall and others have sung all over the world, from Disneyland in Florida, to The Vatican.
However, as much as I love singing with the choir I think I've developed as far as I can in the group environment. I have loads of confidence when I'm singing with others, but when you're solo there's nowhere to hide and I'm my own worst critic. I'm a complete sod for always pushing and striving to be better; some people might say that's a good thing but it can be a failing... perfectionist might be a good word to describe me. So, when my birthday rolled around, I decided to ask for money towards some private lessons.
It's taken me the best part of 3 months to find someone that I got a good enough vibe from to actually take the leap and go for an initial session and I was not disappointed. I'm not going to go into too much detail because my iPad battery is dying, but the tutor, Jamie, reassured me and made me feel comfortable and relaxed, even though singing on my own usually terrifies me. We did some warm-ups then some vocal exercises and finished with some Adele (one of my favourite artists).
As well as doing the private lessons, Jamie also works with a couple of other performing arts coaches to form the Rhapsody Academy, which offers singing, dancing and acting classes for kids and teenagers. They are based at Rivington Park School near Horwich, Bolton and offer a range of courses. You can get more info here.
Despite my crippling nerves, I love singing and performing. It's is a great confidence builder (especially choral singing - safety in numbers and all that) and it's good for you too. Not only can singing (done properly) be quite physical, it can help you expand your lung capacity and boosts seratonin levels, which combats depression. In other words, it's good for your health and it makes you happy. I am a firm believer in the ethos that everyone can sing, it's just a case of some people finding it easier than others to pitch a note. So if you like to sing in the shower or you sing along with the radio in the car, maybe it's time to try something like Sing Live. Or if your kids are into the music, maybe give something like Rhapsody a try. There really isn't much to lose but so much to gain and so far, I haven't regretted getting involved.
1 comment:
Yay! Congrats for taking the plunge! :)
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