The Sing Portland! Blog
How singing helped me rediscover my inner harmony – and save me from the workday from hell!
Overwhelmed and spread too thin…sound familiar? For many of us it’s more than familiar — it’s just normal life! My beautiful choir member, Kelly, can relate. The very first night she came to Sing Portland! that’s exactly how she was feeling. She says that the...
When history divides us, is music the bridge?
Some things just stay with you, don’t they? If you’ve read my December post in which I described my experience of last October’s “Singing on the Edge” weekend at Esalen, you won’t be surprised to hear that the experiences I had there won’t be leaving me any time...
The Deke Sharon method for giving the perfect performance: forget about perfection.
“Deke Sharon is Marion on steroids!” Well, I don’t know how Deke Sharon would react to the comparison, but I was thrilled when one of my students said this about me recently. What a compliment! I know that if I could harness even a drop of Deke’s talent I’d be...
Coming to Sing Portland! from another choir? Here’s what to expect…
In case you haven’t noticed, we do things a little differently here at Sing Portland! (What can we say, we are in the capitol of “doing things a little differently”.) So if you’re thinking of switching choirs but you’re not quite sure what to expect, you should know…...
Letting the dust settle (plus two incredibly exciting announcements!)
Stress is a sneaky little creature; you’re busy riding a wave of success, reveling in the excitement and activity that comes with it, little realizing that burnout has you in its sights. It’s only a matter of time until it has you firmly in its grasp but you’re just...
The courage of showing up
You’ve heard of FOMO, right? The fear of missing out? It’s a real thing — countless therapists have penned articles on how to conquer the stress that “FOMO anxiety” brings and it has even made its way into the Oxford English Dictionary. But here’s the thing: I’m not...
Sex and singing: the one thing they have in common (plus an announcement)
I’m the first to admit it: choir doesn’t have the sexiest image. If you cast your mind back to your high school days, if you were rushing to put your name on the sign-up sheet for choir, it was probably all about the singing and nothing whatsoever with the thought...
Why Success Isn’t a Dirty Word
Are you afraid of success? I’ve come to realize that I was — absolutely. And I don’t think I’m the only one. Admittedly, we can’t all be millionaires, we’re not all cut out to be brain surgeons, or to have a thriving Broadway career. But … for many of us, there are...
Embrace the competition, because abundance has no limits!
Imagine with me for a minute that you’re looking at your favorite painting, one that makes your eyes light up every time you see it. Or think about your favorite poem –– the one that speaks to your heart and brings the world into complete focus whenever you read it....
What Music Can Teach You About New Year’s Resolutions
Hands up if you’ve ever set a New Year’s resolution and failed by February 1st. Let me guess … I’m looking at a sea of hands right now? Don’t worry; my own hand is up there too, waving along with the rest of you. And while we often have a tendendcy to blame ourselves...
Singing At the Edge, Music At the Heart
People randomly burst into song in front of the fireplace, others wander through the garden humming a tune, friends harmonize in line for the buffet, guests serenade you at the dinner table. You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d wandered onto the set of a 1940s MGM...
Vocal Improvisation: the unexpected antidote to a crazy world?
I imagine all previous generations have had similar thoughts, but we really are living in a crazy world, going through crazy times. We could despair, shake our heads, and lose hope. But I see hope all around us and nowhere is it more obvious than when I’m taking part...