Start A Choir in Your Work Place
Our Choirs are for anyone who wants and loves to sing and have fun doing it. You don’t need to be able to read music, hold a tune or keep rhythm. The terrified and tone-deaf are welcome! There’s no audition and you won’t be put on the spot. You will find yourself in a group with people who, perhaps like you, have fears about singing or think they are no good at it.
The emphasis is on fun, lifting our spirits and singing our hearts out, for the love of it! We sing the very best of contemporary music styles; pop, rock, gospel, R&B, folk, jazz and like a show choir, we use simple choreography to bring extra energy and impact to our performance – we’re talking lifting arms and clapping rather than high kicks and spins though, so don’t worry!
We passionately believe in music and singing in organisations as a bonding, uplifting, stimulating, team building, dynamic and health generating activity. Results are well documented to show the multi-benefits of people singing together (see appendix 1) and Choirs in organisations have the effect of; raising moral; providing a focal point for personnel to engage in an activity on a democratic basis outside of normal work commitments (e.g. head of departments singing alongside mail room staff or students); providing entertainment and a voice for any functions within the organisation itself like Achievement Ceremonies or Campaigns; and as a fundraising tool for local charity events in the community thereby increasing the profile of the organisation for the general public.
We have a good track record for building and establishing choirs; getting them known and taking them into the community. We have run multiple choirs as far afield as Manchester, London and the South West and in many different organisations. We have been reviewed by the National Press (see our press page on our web site and below) and appeared on national TV (“Honey We’re Killing the Kids!”) and BBC Radio 4 Singing for Health and Well-being.
WHAT WE OFFER
The format we offer is Pop-Rock-Gospel Music Choirs for Organisations using popular, contemporary music of the kind that has recently been portrayed in various TV series about choirs. More than that, on a consulting basis we will help you set up and run your choir.
Our intention is to help you develop, build and establish your choir as a self-sufficient entity in its own right without any further need for funding from the organisation or our support. We have a tried and tested model for doing this and the necessary experience to advise and support you on how to do this.
WHAT IS INVOLVED?
Here are a few aspects involved in running a choir that we would ask you to consider carefully before initiating the project.
You will need advice on:
- How to build up numbers and promote your choir
- How to manage enrolment and keep an appropriate data base (typically for a choir of 30+ people you are looking at managing a data base of a minimum of up to 90 or 100 people)
- How to maintain the numbers in your choir given the term-by-term change-over of choir members in a large scale organisation
- Event planning and co-ordination (to include a proper event and rehearsal schedule)
- Preparation of lyric sheets and arrangements
- The technical aspects of running a membership online drop box with lyrics and harmony parts for your choir
- You will need to have a coordinator from the organisation to act as an intermediary between your choir and your Choir Director.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
Using cutting edge techniques taken from holistic education, complementary health and the performing and healing arts through singing, music and psychology we help people improve their creativity, self-confidence, raise moral, leadership skills, teambuilding, communication, imagination, health and well-being.
“…hundreds of people move through their insecurities and emotional blocks…”
Time Out
METHOD OF DELIVERY
The approach is upbeat, highly motivational and interactive
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- An electric keyboard that is well amplified
- A PA system to play backing tracks
- A radio microphone to be heard by a large group
MATERIALS NEEDED
- Lyric sheets for you to copy and backing tracks
- Down loads and lyrics of songs and harmony parts through a drop box or online storage so that choir members can have access to them to practice
- Promotional materials to include – publicity suggestions and templates for you to promote your choir in your organisation
REQUIRED STUDIO AND SEATING
Almost any large space can work providing there is adequate seating and that the acoustics are not either too bright (like in bathroom with echoing hard surfaces) or to dead (like in a thick carpeted and curtained room). Conference rooms, class room, theatre (some organisations have been known to use their canteens where no other space can be found) will usually suffice.
FURTHER BACKGROUND (appendix 1)
The dramatic interpersonal transformation that the participants experience as they face their real or imagined fears about attending or joining a choir is spectacular, captivating, inspiring and very, very moving. It has the same tension, humour and passion that we see in other popular TV programs with the additional identification for the home viewer with the internal agonies of putting yourself “on the line”, or “raising your head above the parapet”.
What makes our approach unique is that it is as much about personal development as it is about singing. It uses singing and music to facilitate and improve creative thinking, self-expression, productivity, teamwork, leadership health and success. To achieve this it draws on Psychology, the Healing Arts such as Meditation, Qi Gong and Yoga, NLP and other therapeutic models of personal development work, and of course, the traditional Performing Arts.
“Health is about a total sense of well-being, not just an absence of illness.”
Dr Jane MacNaughton, director of the Centre for Arts and Humanities in Health and Medicine
“Our clients frequently report a new sense of enjoyment, confidence and effectiveness in all aspects of life after doing our courses and workshops.”
Clients have reported experiencing:
- More energy
- More commitment
- Better health
- More self-confidence
- Improvement in work and personal relationships
- More productivity
- A reduction in the use of drugs, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and other compulsive behaviour patterns
- An ability to move through difficulties easier
- A feeling of MORE JOY
TESTIMONIALS
Here some testimonials from some of the organisations and private individuals from all walks of life that we have had as our clients:
“The RD&E NHS Trust welcomed Lorrayn as their choir leader and little did we know what an impact she would have. From a group of staff that didn’t know their alto from their soprano she developed a choir that now performs at local gigs with great success. Her expertise and professionalism is second to none and our choir has developed its repertoire and confidence under her guidance. Thank you Lorrayn!!”
Review from Marie Taylor – Organizational Development Manager at The Royal Devon
and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (01-1-2012- 09-07-2014)
“I thoroughly enjoy the choir evenings and look forward to it all week. I think it is a fantastic idea and I would love to be involved in next term.”
“…I’m so grateful. I was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 years ago and as a consequence have had a tough time. Having returned to work part-time and feel well enough to join in the choir has boosted both my self-esteem and outlook on life 10 fold. For that, I’m forever grateful – thank you girls”
“Really enjoying it!”
“I like the emphasis on building people’s confidence and making sure it is fun”
“I love it – it really has given me the ‘courage to sing”
“Many thanks for your innovation and hard work in setting it up for us all at the RDEH- not only is it good to sing it’s also such a positive thing to get back from the hospital and helps bring together hospital staff in such a great ‘choir community’ Thanks again – all your hard work is very much appreciated”
“It’s a wonderful stress buster and I find it very uplifting. Thank you so much”
“The choir has really helped to lift my spirits as I have been suffering from stress and mild depression. Thanks so much”
“Loving it, makes me feel good!”
“I am enjoying it very much and am willing to help out in any way that I can.
It’s a shame its only once a week”
Reviews from Staff Choir members at The Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation
Trust (01-1-2012- 09-07-2014)
“We at OAC Ltd were delighted to have Lorrayn as part of our Team for last weekend’s great Event with London clients. It was a joy to see high flying business folk really relaxing and letting their hair down together, singing their hearts out! It worked a treat – mixing music with our activity events!! Cannot wait to have you on board again, Lorrayn!”
Review from Nick Aga-Manning MD, OAC Ltd Managing Director of Outside Adventure Consultants Ltd (09-09-2014)
“Ten out of Ten”– Stephen, Director
“Really Good”– Crispin, Director
“I am enjoying it very much and am willing to help out in any way that I can.
It’s a shame its only once a week”
Reviews from Staff Choir members at The Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation
Trust (01-1-2012- 09-07-2014)
“We used THE COURAGE TO SING to run a singing workshop for our staff Away Day. I would thoroughly recommend both singing as a team building activity, and particularly Lorrayn as an excellent facilitator and singing coach. The day was a great success and everyone found their singing voices.”
Review by Jon Wyatt Director of Social Care Services Autism Wessex. (24-9-2013)
“By singing, which is something I enjoy, I have more energy and I become more effective as a human being”
Maria (Life Coach, London)
“Thank you for providing such a life-affirming environment and giving us much more than the courage to sing, but the courage to learn, to have a go and to do our best. It has been lots of fun and inspiring, I will miss it.”
Mark (Personal Assistant, London)
“It completely changed my life”
Christina (Legal Secretary, London)
“You really have reversed far too many years of negative thought on my part about the possibility of me singing. It means an enormous amount.”
Philippa (Teacher, Exeter)
“I have just been through the darkest time of my 41 years of living, and I can’t explain how much your course has helped me. Not just to hang on in there, but has also given me real hope that things can be different in my future.”
Jules (Health Worker, Exeter)
“…I’ve made loads of new friends, have created some ‘time for me’ and have just signed up to join a choir- a year ago I’d have never thought it possible!!”
Wendy (Teacher, Manchester)
“The environment you provide is one of support and encouragement, which in turn helps one search for and work towards fulfilling their potential both musically and in life”
Denise (Care Worker)
THE BENEFITS
This is singing for ordinary people who have no intention of becoming famous Opera singers or “Pop Stars”. They do it because they love music and singing, and because they want to challenge themselves and achieve greater interpersonal satisfaction. As much as possible THE COURAGE TO SING provides an emotional environment of support and encouragement for people who want to sing that promotes team building and confidence.
The psychological, health and well-being, social and team building benefits of singing report:
- An uplifted work force
- Better communication between departments where staff have been in Choirs
- Better physical health and less time off work (improved respiratory and immune systems)
- Greater productivity because people feel happier
- Increased ability to deal with responsibility
- A lowering of stress levels
WHY IT WORKS
“In THE COURAGE TO SING… sharing with others really helps people to forget their fears – they feel part of the community when they sing together.”
Health and Fitness
Music touches the mind, body, emotions and soul
Music is one of the most powerful and ancient healing tools known to humankind. It by-passes the intellectual and limited conscious mind straight into the sub-conscious where thoughts are created. Here real change can occur.
The thinking part of the brain is conditioned by experience patterns. By producing new and positive experiences using music, song, dance and therapeutic healing practices, old and redundant experience patterns can be replaced with positive and useful constructs and new behavior can occur.
When you are completely immersed in the moment; when you are enjoying yourself so much that you are mindless; when you are in a community where it is safe to release old patterns at a very deep level, then you are able to connect with the essence of your being. This is what some people call the soul level or the sub-conscious mind.