Why learn to sing?

When you think about it, most of the cultures on this planet have some form of singing that is fundamental to their way of life. You may only sing when it’s absolutely impossible to avoid it, like at birthdays or when you are amongst a group of people singing your national anthem or at a family sing along. Whatever the occasion, there are many people who are terrified to be heard singing in public. They would rather chew on road kill than sing in front of other people!

The desire to sing is really quite natural and it happens to everybody at various times. How many times have you been driving along when a favourite song comes onto the radio and, before you know it, you are tapping the steering wheel in time with the beat and singing along almost oblivious to the world around you?

Why is it that so many people who sing boisterously in the shower cannot be convinced to do the same thing in front of an audience?
In western societies we tend to think of singing as something that only professionals do. Somehow, if you are not a pop star or at least in a band then you can’t possibly be any good at it. You would simply embarrass yourself if you were to sing out loud in a public place!

The truth is; most people can sing quite well if given the right encouragement and a few basic tools to help them progress. The fundamentals of good singing technique are quite easy to understand and can be learned by almost anyone with simply the desire to improve themselves. There is no reason to be one of those people who have rotten fruit thrown at them when they sing!

In 2001 I spent a lot of time helping develop a revolutionary approach to singing. Together with Kate Slaney, one of the most successful singing teachers in Australia and Roger McLachlan from The Little River Band we set about to create a contemporary singing course that could be used over the internet. The result is at http://www.exploreyourvoice.com
After decades as professional musicians and singers we figured we could produce something that was accessible, fun to use, and was able to dispel the entire mystique about singing.

Honestly, it was an enormous gamble. We dedicated 2 years of our lives to building this online course that streams straight to your pc from a website and we were not at all sure how well it would be received. The net can be a fickle place.
Now, 2 years later, thousands of people have used Explore Your Voice to build their confidence and discover their own unique voice.

Ultimately it all depends on what you want in your life. For some people, a great singing voice is not so critical, they would prefer lots of cash if given the choice! To others it is as important as breathing. The ability to sing in key with a strong voice and a warm, charming tone is one of life’s true rewards.

In my experience, many would-be singers simply never make that necessary decision to invest a little time in themselves. They like the idea of singing well but find themselves always putting it off to another day. The next time you pass by a karaoke bar think of this - what is stopping you?