With the New Year here, it’s time for us all to look back on the year that has passed and figure out what we want from the year ahead.
We’ve spoken a lot about why you should spend time singing and how it can benefit other aspects of your life, from your happiness to your health. So the question then becomes, how do make 2019 your most music year? What New Years Resolutions should we be putting into action?
1. Get involved in the choir
Some of us will have let attendance lapse, especially during the cold months. Between the Christmas parties and the never-ending shopping, it can seem hard to take the time away from life to focus on yourself. For others, the time away has been longer.
Whatever the case, the new year marks the perfect time to get stuck in again and rejoin the choir.
For other, perhaps this is your first time thinking about choir. We’ve already written about the benefits of joining a choir and the new year is the best time to get stuck in.
2. Practice in your spare time
There’s almost no such thing as too much practice. Obviously, when we say practice more, we don’t mean until your voice hurts but a few cycles of warm-up exercises can see your singing ability grow in leaps and bounds.
Most of us don#t practice nearly enough because we think it’ll take an hour that we just can’t find in the day. Light exercises can be performed around the house while you take care of other business.
3. Quit smoking
The most common New Years Resolution of all time is especially useful for singers. Smoking reduced lung capacity and in turn your vocal power and stamina. Its hard to draw on your breath properly when you’re lungs are clogged up.
Quitting can be hard though and it’s easy to start again but remember, you’re not judged by how many times you quit but by your perseverance. You only need to quit for good once.
4. Try out a new genre of music
Increasing the range of music you draw from might have some incredible benefits. Studies have shown that people who listen to a broader range of music may increase their ability to multitask. Though at present, the research has looked more at music in different languages, it is believed future studies will show that different genres have a similar effect.
5. Take care of your voice
This is something everyone can apply, whether that means shouting less or giving your voice time to rest when it needs it. Our voices are our most important asset as singers and they should be protected. Guitarists buy new strings, trumpeters oil their valves, so why shouldn’t we, as musicians, take the same care of our instruments.
So there we are, five possible New Year’s Resolutions. Which ones are making it on your list? What are your other revolutions?
Choir rehearsals resume on 9th January at St Andrews Church Hall on Grimshill Road in Whitstable.