(*I know I called it Riverside “Choir” in my video ^^ TWICE! Oops! I’m still getting used to this too. Thank you for your understanding.)
To join the 10-week session of the Riverside Sing starting Monday, September 8th, for $149 - go to https://thecincising.com/theriversidesing
Hi Neighbor! A big welcome to everyone who found The Cinci Sing this weekend thanks to that amazing, full-page (just wow!) article in The Cincinnati Enquirer written by journalist Hailey Roden. It was fun to talk with Hailey about all my plans for community singing in and around Cincinnati back in July, and pretty unexpected to get that “April, Congratulations!” text from my aunt-in-law at 8 AM this past Sunday. Happy Labor Day!
Why a “Sing”, April?
Well, let’s just be honest. How many of you (or someone you know) have been told that you couldn’t sing or carry a tune? Maybe you didn’t make the cut in your school choir? Ever get a suggestion that it would be better if you just mouth the words in church because someone around you didn’t think you were much of a singer?
Or maybe you were that little kid that sang all day until someone told you that you didn’t sound good, that you were singing the wrong words or that you had it all wrong. And so you stopped.
Well I can’t believe how many stories like that I’ve heard. They all break my heart. Because almost always, those same people enjoy singing and can, in fact, sing.
We’ve all heard the stories of superstar singers who were told they couldn’t sing. And maybe it happened to you too.
Choir
And what I have found is that the word “choir” can be off-putting for so many people. The opposite of welcoming. The opposite of playful, joyful, soulful singing, and togetherness.
I ruminated on this fact for a long time. Because the word “choir” is clear. Everyone knows what a choir is. Oxford dictionary calls it, “an organized group of singers… that performs regularly in public."
After thinking about it long and hard, I decide that I would not use “choir” for The Cinci Sing. Nothing against choirs. I love ‘em. Growing up, choir changed my life. But the word has an emotional meaning for so many people, and often times that meaning is some version of “exclusive”. And that’s the opposite of what we’re doing here.
So I thought, I’ll just call it something else. Let’s just call it a SING!
SING is perfect because that’s what we are doing. We’re singing because singing is good for you mind, body, and heart. Science says so, but dang, you can just feel it when we’re doing it. It’s fun!
And also, there’s something in the definition of choir that we’re NOT doing…
We’re Not Performing
The Cinci Sing’s Sings are about our time together in community singing. Do we sound great? Yeah, often times we do. But that sound comes from the fact that we’re having a great time together right then and there. You won’t ever have that back-of-the-mind pressure to be prepared for some future event. We’re in the moment, enjoying what we’re creating together and it makes us happy.
The Cinci Sing has no auditions. No solos. No time requirements.
Where Do I Sign Up?
Singing in community has always been my greatest joy and I want to share it with you. The place to sign up is at TheCinciSing.com.
Song we learned today:
May All Be Well by Meg O’Dell
May all be well
as the day gives way unto the night,
For steady are the mountains
(we sing For steady flows the river)
‘neath the starry light.
