Sing as though no one's listening... Week 1

Ever thought about developing your voice, or wanted to learn to sing? Maybe you don’t think you can sing? Maybe you can sing and want to improve your tone and technique further? Maybe you love to sing at home, but aren’t sure about singing publicly? Ever wanted to join a contemporary a cappella vocal group? Maybe you’d like to gain the confidence to join an established group?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then this course is for you!

Singing is as natural to humans as it is to the birds; as a species we’ve been doing it for thousands of years. But, in today’s modern world, surrounded by TV talent shows, Grammy Award winners and karaoke, it’s easy to think that most of us just can’t do it well.

This is simply not true.

In a nutshell, singing well is about using your ears to hear the notes, breathing, and knowing which muscles to engage and which muscles to relax. There are various techniques involved with all of these elements, but none are particularly difficult to learn. Yes, they take a little time to master, and the more you practice the better you get, but nothing is particularly hard.​

Whether you are strictly a singing-in-the-shower kind of girl, or a Karaoke Queen, we aim to teach the basics of good, healthy singing technique, demystify what it means to sing well, and help you to develop your unique voice.

Myths About Singing​

Singing is natural – it’s easy to do. Or, talented singers are born like it – it’s hard to do.

Right and wrong on both counts! Singing is a natural thing to do, and it isn’t rocket science … but to sing to the best of your ability takes a bit of know-how and practice – which is exactly what the pros do, and what we aim to teach you.

Of course, we do all sound different because we’re all made differently. Whatever kind of voice you were born with, our course is about what your unique voice can do, and how to get the very best from it, in a healthy way that avoids vocal damage.

Singing lessons are expensive.​

Sometimes they can be, but our course is free! Why? Because we love what we do, and we believe that everyone should experience the joy of singing. In the words of Jessie J, ‘It’s not about the money, money, money!’

It's all about being a diva and getting that solo.​

Not quite! At North Coast Harmony, we sing four-part harmony, and that means that no one sings alone. Solo’s are a rarity. We are very much a team, every singer in the group brings something to that team, and we’re greater than the sum of our parts.

Group singing is about so much more than just the singing! It’s about being a part of something, teamwork, self-confidence, learning, achievement, stress relief, feel-good brain chemistry, heart and lung health, laughter, friendship, and on occasion, cake!

Goldsmiths, University of London have written a great article on the benefits of group singing, which you can find here.​

To be any good, I need to read music and understand music theory.​

Not at all; the only thing you’ll ever need to read on sheet music are the lyrics. We teach by ear, so you don’t need to know what the dots and squiggles mean, or understand the concepts and rules of music making.