Wednesday 13 November 2013

Something for Me: The One Where Mum Joined Rock Choir

In September, youngest started school, leaving me with some extra time during the day to do more work do something for myself. So, with all of this extra time on my hands, I decided to rekindle some old hobbies. 

When I was younger, I used to sing in school choirs and played a musical instrument in the school band. I also had singing lessons (classical)  and even performed in a few shows. Sadly, I was never going to be Katherine Jenkins, and so the singing lessons petered out quickly after I left school. However, my love of music (and singing in particular) has continued as I have grown older, and before I had children, I had a stint in a couple of adult choirs - the classical kind with sheet music and lots of serious music types. Even though I love singing classical music and performing songs in lots of different languages (o mi babbino caro) anyone?, I enjoy singing more contemporary current songs today - with a few songs from the Musicals thrown in for good measure!

When a friend introduced me to Rock Choir a couple of years ago, and I went to a taster workshop, I knew that I had found a place to rekindle my love of singing. I'm sure you've heard of Rock Choir - It's been running since 2005 and there are over 240 choirs around the country. There was also a TV series on it, so it's pretty hard not to have heard of it. Rock Choir doesn't require any audition or the need to read music (although for a muso like me - I do like to have the notes to see what i'm singing) but the words are enough and the songs are learnt by rote, so it's easy to include everyone. So once youngest set off to school, it left me free to join Rock Choir! I have been going for the last few weeks, and joining others filling the rehearsal hall with lovely harmonies and melodies. It has taken a while to get used to all of the clicking, swaying and clapping which accompanies the songs (a Rock Choir trademark) but I think I have finally got the hang of things - and a good job, because there are lots of performing opportunities for Rock Choir members. I joined a little too late for a couple of big ones this year - a concert at the 02 and singing at Wembley Stadium, but I have been encouraged to get performing, and so I am starting small which I think is good ......

I am excited as I will be doing my first Rock Choir performance this weekend at the switch on of our local Christmas Lights, followed by a charity concert the week after. Although I will probably be the one standing in the back looking hopelessly out of place amongst all of those pros who have been there since the choir began, I am looking forward to getting that buzz from performing again.

I am also looking forward to the girls seeing me sing. Eldest and youngest are both avid singers, with eldest following in my foot steps having Piano lessons and singing songs. She is desperate to join a choir, so hopefully this will inspire her, as well as providing a good opportunity for me to claw back a tiny bit of the sense of self that you lose when you become a parent. I'll keep you posted as to how it goes!

1 comment:

  1. Hello, fellow Rockie. I hope you enjoy Rock Choir. I love it.

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