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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask whether you can sing?

204 replies

Apoiads · 12/04/2019 01:30

I can sing, but I don't, because I'm shy.
I sang once in public in a pub and apparently everyone was talking about me the next day (I was really proud to hear that). That gives me every sort of stage fright and fear of performance failure that you might imagine, so I haven't sung since.
I sound a bit like this woman when I sing...

So I can 'carry a tune' but I'm never going to set the world on fire!

My dd can sing, but not x-factor level, she's just good at carrying a tune 'I can get by' as she says herself.

Less about me.

I'd love to hear from any singers - I think it's a beautiful talent that you either have or haven't. Anyone who's a shower singer care to share?

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SwayingInTime · 12/04/2019 22:28

I also think tunes are the same a lot when they're not even that similar.

WitchyBollox · 12/04/2019 22:29

Thanks Silver, such kind words. It helps he plays guitar and piano as he can do all sorts with his music then, not necessarily just singing/performing.

Original poster
Apoiads · 12/04/2019 22:41

I think it takes confidence to belt out a note. DD was learning Alleluia on guitar and sort of singing along to it, I got her to put her whole voice into the high notes and she did. Everyone on FB was raving about it when I posted it I was then forbidden from ever posting anything from her ever again . She has the ability to sing but shyness can mean sometimes people don't let their full voice out. I'm sure there's a technical term for it, but I never studied music. DD is studying music though and intends to do so to A level. She plays 3 instruments as it is and goes to traditional Irish singing classes.

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Original poster
Apoiads · 12/04/2019 22:43

Just listened to Maura O'Connell and I've never heard her before but I like her. She has the knack of putting emotion into the lyrics.

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Original poster
Apoiads · 12/04/2019 22:45

Witchy, your son might like this young guy

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WitchyBollox · 12/04/2019 22:45

Shyness is definitely part of it, also many talented musicians are perfectionists, especially when they are young, so I think they feel if they sing/play loudly and it is not perfect it'll be even worse. Wow, 3 instruments, that's a lot of work!!!Shock

NottonightJosepheen · 12/04/2019 22:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WitchyBollox · 12/04/2019 22:46

Thank you, I will check the link out in the morning, DH sat next to me in bed so best not play it now Grin

Original poster
Apoiads · 12/04/2019 23:02

She plays fiddle, banjo and guitar. She has just won her county competition in fiddle slow airs so is through to Leinster. She came 3rd in Leinster last year so didn't get through to the All Ireland, but this year fingers crossed. She usually gets through to the All Ireland in dancing, so gets to have a bit of a hoolie where we have to stay overnight a couple of nights for the fleadh, so that is her motivation I think - any excuse to get away for a weekend. She's a massive party animal at 14 now!

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Original poster
Apoiads · 12/04/2019 23:54

Has anyone any opinions on the most difficult song to sing?

For me, it's the American National Anthem. There's a heck of a lot of high notes there!!! And not even building up to notes, it's jumping from low the high e.g. 'how so proudly'

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Original poster
Apoiads · 13/04/2019 00:11

And this lovely lady is now 7 years dead. What a loss.

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GlitterPixie · 13/04/2019 00:15

I can’t sing at all even singing along in my head I’m completely out of tune. It’s one of the things I really wish I could do

GlitterPixie · 13/04/2019 00:19

Wow Sinead Lohan is someone I’ve not heard mentioned in a long long time

Original poster
Apoiads · 13/04/2019 00:37

"But it grieves my heart love, to see you try to be a part of a world that just don't exist - it's all just a dream babe, a vacuum, a scheme babe that sucks you into feeling like this'.

Brilliant lyrics. As a very lonely teen, this was my song.

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Original poster
Apoiads · 13/04/2019 00:41

The lyrics of that song are quite brilliant actually. Must 'enlighten' my teen. She'll no more listen!

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Linnet · 13/04/2019 01:01

I can sing. I sang in the school choir, i sang in pantomimes as a child, I sang in the school shows as part of the chorus, I sing in the car and I have to sing to children as part of my job. I do enjoy it but I don’t feel able to join a choir as an adult, I don’t feel confident enough, even though I have to sing to children and parents very regularly.

One of my daughters is a musician but refuses to join the school choir as she doesn’t like singing even though she can sing and is great singing along in the car or in the house. My other daughter also likes to sing and did singing for part of her music qualification at school but again wouldn’t join a choir. I think it must be a confidence thing with them too.

EleanorAbernathy · 13/04/2019 01:06

I can only sing when I'm either drunk or in my car!

edwinbear · 13/04/2019 01:16

I’ve not RTFT but inspired to post because I’m just dealing with a ‘singing issue’ with 7 yr old DD. Nobody in our family can sing, on either side, and we’ve all accepted, with good grace, that this is not our thing.

DD was accepted into KS1 choir due to her ‘enthusiasm’ but goodness me, she can’t sing either. Dreadful. Now school are doing festivals we’ve had to extract her from choir without dampening her dreams of being the 5th member of Little Mix 🤣

We are not singers

StillMedusa · 13/04/2019 01:20

I love singing... spent my youth in local choirs and the youth theatre, but recognise y limits Grin
But my eldest son (26) can sing (and play guitar and writes his own music) and has a fabulous voice... deep and mellow , and he plays gigs all over where we live and is opening the music festival here this summer!
What he has that I don't is the ability to perform AND engage an audience. I love seeing him at local gigs... people chatting away and then falling silent as his voice draws them in, and they cant help but listen. It sends shivers down my spine.

Now if only he could get famous... :)

WarmthAndDepth · 13/04/2019 01:44

I can sing, and sing lots in my professional role and in a choir. I have always loved singing but really struggled with shyness around singing publicly until my 20s, which stopped me from taking up so many fun opportunities. I think my breakthrough was living in a busy shared house where we used to love endlessly goofing around, singing and playing the guitar and throw karaoke parties, so lots of 'no-pressure' singing in small groups. Now I could sing in a packed football stadium and not bat an eyelid.
I often wonder what it is that holds us back from expressing ourselves as singers? People don't talk that way about their ability to drive, do maths or cook. If you proclaim to be a fair singer, you are likely to be met with scepticism or thought to be a bit big-headed.

CardsforKittens · 13/04/2019 01:58

I used to be able to sing, when I was young. A few years ago I lost the ability to pitch my voice. I don’t know how or why. I can’t hold a tune any more. It makes me sad.

Original poster
Apoiads · 13/04/2019 02:20

I think when you sing, you're very vulnerable. It's a bit 'this is me'. When you play a sport or an instrument it's what you can do, it's not you in quite the same way.
I very much doubt I'll ever sing again on my own, but I might join a choir and gift them my voice haha.
Would love to see my dd gain confidence in her own voice. I don't think she's xfactor brilliant, but she's good - she has that ability to put feeling in, even though she might lack in vocal ability.

It has been a really interesting thread for me, so thank you all. I really think I will try to sign up to a choir this year - if they'll have me.

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Original poster
Apoiads · 13/04/2019 02:51

In our choir at school we had Firsts, Seconds and Thirds.

For our auditions, we all had to go and stand by Sister Therese on the piano and sing LA LA LA LALALA LA as she went up keys. I ended up in seconds. I don't know what that is in technical terms. I presume mid range.

It was obligatory in our school to do choir for first year. Then it depended on whether you were studying music I think.

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VanillaBlossom · 13/04/2019 02:55

You are all amazing...go for it!
I would love to be able to sing but quite frankly I can't (I can move like Beyonce though so don't feel too sorry for me haha,)
I think it's such a fantastic talent to have so I find it beautiful to hear peoples voices.

Original poster
Apoiads · 13/04/2019 02:57

Our school choir has won All Irelands a few times. It wasn't the first years though, it would have been the ones who were studying music.

Sister Therese was a massive fan of Simon & Garfunkel

I wonder what she'd have made of this:

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