The Sing Portland! Blog
The secret to finding the right pitch: it’s all in the eye contact.
Sing Portland! is going up in the world — singing with Deke Sharon, performing at Carnegie Hall. We’re getting a bit of a reputation. So it’s about time we shake things up a bit, right? It’s about time we take a look at our ‘everyone welcome’ policy and start making...
Finding your purpose: let music be your guide
Money worries: we all have them. For you, it might be paying off your student debts, making rent, or stressing about your 401k. Me, I wonder daily how the heck I’m going to get my kiddos through college. Sometimes I fantasize about making big bucks to make it all...
![[guest post] Every Musician Should Give a TEDx Talk. Here’s Why.](https://www.singportland.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Finding-inner-freedom-Dec-2019-940x675.png)
[guest post] Every Musician Should Give a TEDx Talk. Here’s Why.
I had imagined that the day after my TEDx talk I’d be physically and emotionally exhausted. But I wasn’t. Usually after an important performance, I experience a fabulous afterglow followed by a letdown, even a vulnerability hangover. But not this time. Why was this...
![[Guest Post!] Coming Home to the Music](https://www.singportland.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Coming-home-Nov-2019-940x675.png)
[Guest Post!] Coming Home to the Music
Music has always been a huge part of my life. I was born in Nashville, the home of country music. I grew up singing in choirs, musicals, and a capella groups, and even now, I can’t walk out the door without my headphones and a playlist. I have a constant soundtrack...
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...