View Full Version : Do You Sing?
Do you sing? Hum? Whistle while you work? If so, where? In the shower, in the car, while working, community choir/theater, church, putting the kids to bed? If so, what? Opera, show tunes, nursery rhymes, made up songs, other? I’ve been in choirs, musicals and small ensembles but my some of my favorite memories are of my 4/5 grade music class and those old music books with big notes on one line (peas, peas, peas, peas, eatin’ goober peas). Anyways, just curious.
Hi Goldensmom! :) I do- I do!!!!! Lots and lots! Drives everyone in the house nuts, well sometimes it does. I'll occasionally get a few strange looks (friendly albeit), but strange nevertheless, and then whomever is looking at me will exchange looks with someone else in the house (other than myself), then they'll pass a giggle or a chuckle or a laugh! I'm OK with it though. :) I'm old enough where I'm comfortable with both myself and my actions. :~)
I sang and hummed to my kids (all the time) when they were babies, holding them and nusling them. Sometimes I'll get a song in my head (after hearing it or remember it after years and years) and it is those songs I sing, re-sing, then sing again- over and over and over AGAIN! :laff:
When I drive or am in a vehicle I hum a lot. I've heard that happy and content people sing and hum a lot. Great thread!
I sing, usually when nobody is around, or when I'm driving in the car by myself. I used to sing in a band and I'm not really shy about singing in front of people; I don't have the greatest quality of voice, but I sing in tune. My son sings all the time, especially when he's in the bathroom. Last year I made a video compilation of him singing in the bathroom (so the video only shows the closed door); he belts out Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, etc. at the top of his lungs with great gusto. A couple days ago I heard the song by Rhianna, "Love the Way You Lie" in the middle of the night and thought he had turned his stereo on, but he was singing in his sleep.
I sing all the time but, mostly when I am alone because no one likes to hear me....I sound great to me, but have been told
by anyone and everyone who has ever heard me that I am totally tone deaf.
Too bad because there is one swinging "Shania" want a be in me....lol
Yes, in church and constantly at home and in the car. I'm Orthodox, and our music is a capella, no instruments at all. I'm a soprano, and one of the core choir members. I'm in a church of Russian heritage, so we do mostly four-part Russian melodies, but sing in English. There's a bit of Byzantine chant.
The size of our choir varies from four people on a Saturday evening Vespers service to 25 at Pascha/Easter. A normal Sunday is 8-12.
Just a few links so you can hear some of what I sing:
Byzantine chant (O Gladsome Light - Phos Hilaron in Greek - evening hymn)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZsUdepjEa0&feature=related
The Trisagion Hymn (Holy God) - in the Russian style, by an American priest-composer):
http://www.youtube.com/user/weef723#p/u/14/GZwuZv9_xic
The Cherubic Hymn (I sing this in English), by Dmitri Bortniansky, 18th Century Russian composer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDCwdreKpXI
I'm fortunate my choir director and I have the same favorite pieces. If we've not sung a particular one in a while, I'll put in a request - and we usually sing it the next Sunday. :) I get such joy out of our music!
I LOVE to sing!! Have been singing daily since I was a little girl. :) I have a good voice if I do say so myself, and was always the pick to sing solos in high school. At one time I wanted to be a professional singer, but suffer so with stage fright I decided not to pursue it. My family enjoys my singing and I have occasionally sang at weddings and funerals for those that have asked me to. But there again, it is very hard for me, the introvert, to stand up in front of any group and sing....
I sing all the time, when no one is around. I used to sing to the kids all the time when they were young, and they loved it, but now I might get a "dog howl" from my otherwise sweet daughter. I don't really mind though. I don't hold any illusions as to my singing voice. But I still love doing it.
My father in law used to sing in his sleep. Long, loud versions of old country and gospel songs. And he managed to remember EVERY verse while asleep.
My son also sings in the bathroom. He has a great voice and when he visits, we are often treated to acapella opera, 'Carmina Birrana' (sp) being his favorite.
treehugger
3-9-11, 12:28pm
I love to sing...in private ('cause no one should have to hear me, but my husband counts as "private"). I listen to music and sing along whenever I am driving, and usually when I am in the kitchen (cooking or cleaning up). I love my MP3 player! My poor, dear husband has to hear me and he's a good sport about it, even when I am singing louder than his favorite songs.
Some day I would love to take singing lessons, not because (as peggy said) I have and illusions about my voice, just because I think it would be fun to learn proper techniques.
I sing out loud or hum if I've got a particularly catchy song going around in my head, but that doesn't happen too often.
I've sung in choirs since I was in high school and at the moment I'm part of one that does pop songs; it's pretty fun!
I don't sing much anymore. I was going to be an opera singer, but that didn't work out. But I loved the singing I did in my earlier years. It was some of the most wonderful things I'd ever felt.
So all you virtuosos, are you toe-tappers as well? Last night as I was watching television, a perky tune began to play and I looked at my feet and they were swaying to the music, not of my will but of theirs.
I agree that singing is a sign of happiness/contentment as I’ve never seen anyone sing with furrowed brow (except maybe in an opera). Anyone can sing or at least string words together with a melody. I have a friend who loves to sing. He cannot find the tune but he puts his whole heart and soul into it. I love to watch him sing because his enthusiasm and countenance makes me happy.
My whole life I would just start singing the jingles from commercials, or the main song from a TV show. sometimes I drive myself nuts. haha
Singing has been a big part of my life! In school glee clubs, church choirs, community choirs, local theater productions, wakes and weddings. I'm currently a cantor and choir member at church, and sing with a local university ensemble-in-residence.
I've sung all sorts of church music, Broadway musicals, classical, opera, folk, you name it, it's ALL good! One of the recent high points in my very long singing career (I'm 76 and somehow the Old Lady can still sing!) was singing with the university group at the White House in December 2009. I hope to keep on singing as long as I'm still breathing.
singing is the best -- so much fun! i always sang as a child (really, always -- much to my family's chagrin) and in school and church choirs growing up. i've been in some bands and that was a blast. i absolutely love singing a song i know and love in front of a crowd -- there's nothing better!
my singing is mostly done in the car now, or around the house. once my business is a little more stable, i'm thinking about starting another band. a soul band with horns and everything. how awesome would that be?
goldensmom
Despite the fact that I am the worse singer. I love to dance and people always ask if DH and I took lessons. No, we just loved it.
I guess one can have rhythm and not be able to care a tune.......
Not a toe-tapper, but I do cross my leg over the other one and dance my free foot back and forth, side to side, and round and round to music. Got to love people who are fully content and comfortable with themselves! :)
I used to sing in my church choir and in a community chorale and for several years my highlight activity was singing in the Snowflake Chorus in the local Nutcracker production. I'm an alto, but do a pretty creditable tenor, and I've been known to help out the baritones in a pinch. Since my chemical sensitivities became bad enough to keep me from attending church I'm no longer able to sing in a group, and really, really miss it. Usually I sing wherever I am, but for the past few months my throat has been irritated from the chemical stuff and so I've pretty much had no voice. Horrors! The parrot pretends to be horrified most of the time when I sing, except when I do "Rubber Ducky" while he takes his shower to encourage him to dance (a hoot in itself).
ApatheticNoMore
3-10-11, 3:04am
I sing in the car and at home sometimes to music. I took singing lessons for 4 years as an adult (fairly recently) but just burned out on that terribly. So the thought of doing that again (singing seriously) encounters resistance .... but singing unseriously, sure I do it without thinking even.
I toe tap occasionally, I prefer dancing around my place to music. I have no training of any sort in dancing, but hey I'm not claiming I'm any good :).
I agree that singing is a sign of happiness/contentment as I’ve never seen anyone sing with furrowed brow (except maybe in an opera).
There is a quote I like, heaven knows from where, something I read somewhere obviously, maybe here, maybe who knows where, that goes something like: "If you must be alone then at least sing" - what this is about is how singing does kind of dissipate loneliness. I also think, into much more speculation here, that singing is good for depression, actually works on it. But haha, that's one of my "theories" and I hold a few "theories" without a lot of proof :)
goldensmom
3-10-11, 7:15am
danna, I want to dance so badly. I’ve taken voice lessons, have a decently trained voice with a higher than normal range for an alto and am a pretty good sight singer so I can get through an a cappella piece without much effort but I cannot dance. I can stand and move to the music so I made it through high school dances but I long to experience classical and ballroom dance. I enjoy watching ballroom dancing, ice dancing and ‘Dancing With The Stars’ on television. I’ve taken dance lessons but to no avail, my feet just don’t cooperate. It’s like my larynx and feet belong to 2 different people. I admire people who can naturally dance. There is an old joke that Baptists can’t, as in prohibited, dance but in my case it is literal as in I cannot dance. Guess I will be a life long toe-tapper.
Mrs. M., your crossed-leg-swaying-foot reminds me of my now deceased mother. After she had a stroke her activity was severely limited but not even limited mobility could keep that foot from rhythmically swaying.
treehugger
3-10-11, 11:54am
I also love to dance! Again, I have no illusions about my dancing ability, but dancing is the one activity where, once I am into it, I absolutely do not care what I look like, I am just enjoying myself that much.
I don't do much dancing regularly. I used to have a group of girlfriends to go dancing with. We always went to a local gay club. Those are the best places for females *not looking to hook up* to go dancing. No unwelcome attention. :)
Once a year my mom and I go to an event called the Dickens Christmas Fair, in San Francisco. We spend quite a bit of time in "Fezziwig's Dance Party" and waltz and polka and mazurka with the wonderful gentlemen there. Oh, I dearly love to ballroom dance with a partner who knows how to lead (the man is in charge on the dancefloor, if no where else ;))!
This weekend my husband and I are going to a Celtic Fair in the Sierra Foothills. We have friends in a band and we work their booth for them for entry tickets. Lots of great music and dancing to look forward to all weekend!
Bottom line: I love music (despite having no musical talent) and appreciate it as a huge part of my life.
Oh God no. I have no musical talents whatsoever. :doh:
Originally posted by Goldensmom.
Mrs. M., your crossed-leg-swaying-foot reminds me of my now deceased mother. After she had a stroke her activity was severely limited but not even limited mobility could keep that foot from rhythmically swaying. I like that. :)
So all you virtuosos, are you toe-tappers as well? Last night as I was watching television, a perky tune began to play and I looked at my feet and they were swaying to the music, not of my will but of theirs.
Yes indeed. Both my feet get going when there's a good tune on :)
toe-tapper, goofy dancer, loudish singer, and just general ham: that's me. :)
In fact, some time ago a relative came out to their immediate family by announcing they were joining a local gay chorus. I was astounded that anyone in my family could carry a tune! They even perform solo! Amazing! (And I didn't know about the gay part, either...)
I don't remember singing much when I was a kid until Carole King's "Tapestry" album came out when I was ten and I really liked singing to that. Until I knew you could change the key to a song to fit your voice I just thought I was pretty good at singing some stuff until I got to the really high notes ~ think Janis in "Piece of My Heart" and I just couldn't pull it off! It wasn't until I started taking guitar lessons back in '04 that I started singing, mostly to Lucinda Williams, Van Morrison,Neil Young, etc. I also took about 6 months of voice and performance lessons to learn the proper techniques. I have now been performing with my buddy John as an acoustic duo called As The Crow Flys and we do original songs as well as some very eclectic and cool cover tunes! In fact, we are adding Carole King's "I Feel The Earth Move" to our repertoire right now for our next gig in a few weeks. A couple of years ago I was in a blues/funk/soul band as the lead singer and while it was fun for awhile, I very soon found out how hard it was to be able to belt out three long set late into the night...I'm very glad to have had the experience but I can satisfy that urge to be on stage by going to our local electric blues jam (which is tonight) and belt out some Stevie Ray Vaughan, Allman Brothers, and Bonnie Raitt!
Learning to play guitar and sing on stage in my forties has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my life because it was of my own need and desire to break out of my introverted shell ~ however, I still fight stage fright but I make myself do it anyway!
If anyone cares to listen to us, we are on www.ReverbNation/As The Crow Flys
I thought about this thread while singing at church this evening (it's the first week of Lent and lotsa services...) I was lead soprano (which scares the heck out of me) as usual was gone, with another soprano who was "feeling" her way around. We did much better than I suspected. And when I was nailing a particularly difficult bit of Byzantine chant, I realized I was tapping my foot and moving a bit, helped me to "feel" the time and stay on track - important for me, anyway, since we're a capella. :)
Tradd, that makes me think of Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act. Lots of swaying and joyous singing.
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