There is one phrase I have heard too much from people when I tell them I direct choirs. That phrase is “I don’t sing”. Really? You don’t sing in the shower? You don’t sing in the car when your favorite song comes on? I find that very hard to believe!
The next most common thing I hear is “I can’t sing”. Often times my verbal response to this is “Oh okay” And I allow the conversation to move on to something else; but inside what I really want to ask is “Who told you you can’t sing?” One of my professors during my studies had perhaps a polar opposite perspective on singing. He says that everyone can sing and sound great with the right training. I still strongly agree with this. The voice is like a muscle. You have to give it a workout until it is strong, or in this case, begins to sound lovely.
Singing is referenced constantly in scripture readings. There are endless reasons for singing, both in the Old Testament and New Testament. We sing to the Lord for creation, for His blessings, for His glory, and many other reasons given in scripture and likely even more reasons we can come up with in our personal lives. It is one of the most wonderful ways of expressing our love of God, and our joy at receiving the Holy Eucharist.
Bring on the singing, no matter how bad you think you sound, and believe me you likely don’t sound as bad as you think! Sing at home, sing in your car, and sing your joy to God.
With September around the corner, we are getting ready to start up our choirs at St Mary’s Church. If you or someone you know sings, or would like to sing, or plays an instrument, please contact me at daniel_sauceda@bostonconservatory.edu and we’ll help you get started in participating as little or as much as you would like!
Daniel Sauceda, Music Director