Sing Up For You

How to develop your skills in leading singing with the Sing Up Workforce Development Team

Singing is completely natural - that's the first principal of the Sing Up Workforce Development programme. Our bodies are the instruments, and we know we can always learn to play our instruments better. The happier and more confident we feel about using our own voices, the more effectively we can support and inspire children to use theirs.

Sing Up isn't only about helping kids find their voices, it's also about helping YOU find your voices. Our goal is to support you on this journey.

There are all kinds of different ways you can develop your skills and confidence in leading singing. Attending an inspirational training course can positively affect your way of working or even point you in a new direction; observing a visiting leader can give you a fresh perspective on your own practice; sharing questions and challenges with others can offer new ways to develop what you're doing; singing with friends and colleagues for fun can help you enjoy the experiences you're creating for children.

We're creating routes to all of these opportunities through the Sing Up Workforce Development programme. Training days are being set up all over the country, exemplifying and sharing diverse approaches, and they're aimed at everyone, regardless of their background. We're also linking with existing training and professional development activities. Across the country, schools are getting together to share in mentoring, shadowing and developmental programmes, as well as setting up staff singing groups.

There are loads of ways for you to get involved in all of this. You can visit the Skills & Training page to find out what's on offer, and we'll also get you connected through our network of Area Leaders.

Top Tips...for getting to know and enjoy your own voice

• Sing your favourite songs out loud by yourself for your own enjoyment in the shower, the car, the bath, the garden - anywhere you feel relaxed and comfortable
• Also by yourself, experiment with the different sounds your voice can make and notice what you're doing to make the changes
• Invite friends round and play Mouthful's karrivoki: someone starts a song, any song, and everyone else joins in with tune, harmony or any kind of vocal percussion, whether they know it or not - singing lalala, or dumdumdum is fine! the song continues until someone starts another one over the top of it that has some connection - in their mind - to the first. Everybody then changes what they're doing to join in with that one. Keep going as long as you can - the record at the time of writing is 95 minutes...
• Join a community choir - these are open access, non-audition singing groups that welcome new members. To find your nearest community choir contact your local library, arts development team, or the Natural Voice Practioner Network.