I can’t sing. I do sing, but not in public.

One of the regrets in my life is that I am not musical. Although I love music, I can’t carry a tune. Nevertheless, Gary and I recently joined a local chorus. It is called A Joyful Noise. It is advertised as a chorus for people who can’t carry a tune in a bucket.

Gary learned about the chorus last spring when he was chatting with our friend Sam Uhlick. Sam raved about his experience in the group. Gary immediately signed us up.

The primary goal of A Joyful Noise is to build musical confidence in its members. There are no auditions. Everyone is welcome. There is no expectation that we sing well or that we read music. Despite this there is an expectation of commitment to the process.

Eva Bostrand the chorus director believes that most members of the chorus find that they actually sing quite well. Others need a bit more help to find their singing voices. In A Joyful Noise there is no expectation that participants know anything about singing. However, Eva has assured us that as the year progresses we will find ways to follow the music.

The very first week I was overwhelmed with the beauty of our combined voices. Eva explained that we sound so wonderful because we gain confidence from each other. I believe that is so. I also suspect there are some people in the chorus who sing very well.

Like many people I have a history of musical failures. I played the clarinet in elementary school. I think I was doing well enough but we played the same songs for three consecutive years. In retrospect I believe the teacher was simply uninspired. However, the message I took was that I could not master “The Merry Widow Waltz.”

In high school I longed to be a part of the choir. I remember the teacher telling me that I really did not sing well enough to merit a spot in the prestigious group. However, he eventually took pity on me and allowed me to join. He suggested that I stand beside the strongest alto who would keep me on track. He should have insisted that I join the glee club where I probably would have had an opportunity to develop some skill. Instead I was ignored because I couldn’t keep up.

My sad story continues. When he was five years old my son David asked me not to sing to him anymore. He said I hurt his ears. At that point I gave up all illusions that I could sing.

What makes A Joyful Noise so special? I think it is the belief that we can all develop sufficient skill to create and enjoy beautiful music. There is assurance that no one will be humiliated. It provides a disciplined approach to learning, a challenging repertoire and an expectation that we will perform publicly (to date we have three performances scheduled).

We are thrilled to be a part of this wonderful chorus. Although I still believe I can’t sing, I hold the intention to develop the skills to be a competent member of the chorus. In the meantime if I can’t carry a tune, at least I can carry the bucket!

© C O P Y R I G H T   2 0 0 7.  Mary Sullivan Holdgrafer ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.