The work that I love to do is to create a non-judgmental atmosphere of support and ease in which people can explore their singing voices. Even if people have not sung for many years, perhaps since they were small children, I will encourage them to move into a place where they can, at their own level, get the feeling of accomplishment and joy that singing in community brings.     

In doing this I will to a large extent use songs and exercises that will be particularly appropriate to the group at hand. I have a large repertoire of many different kinds of songs and I will focus in on the best songs and activities for a particular group. Typically I would introduce early some simple rounds or perhaps an easily-learned harmony song in two or three parts.

At some point I will explain about singing in parts and will separate the people into soprano, alto, tenor, and bass sections. This allows a greater sense of camaraderie to grow within the sections as well as a real incentive to work as a team within the section in order to hold up, as well as possible, their assigned part.

An ideal situation is to have me attend gatherings over several days so that a small repertoire of several songs can be learned. People will likely be enthusiastic about the upcoming choir sessions as they will be keen to learn their parts better and re-join the place where they have found a new way of expressing themselves.

If time permits a "performance" is often a wonderful way to bring the set of activities to a close. The choir members can share their new-found skills with their friends and family members and, for some, have their very first experience of performance in front of an audience! This kind of an experience can have a profound impact, and can inspire a new level of confidence in group members.

I always ensure that any "performance" will be successful. I do this through careful choice of repertoire and through careful attention to the progress of the group, as well as by using clarity, encouragement, and musicianship.