Would you like to join a singing group especially for Mums? “I quite fancy that but I can’t sing!” I bet you just said to yourself?
I hear you because I was you and then I completely by accident created Singing Mamas twelve years ago and my life changed! I believe everyone can sing and should sing, for joy, for well being and without judgement. Singing Mamas isn’t about teaching you to sing correctly, it’s about helping you find your voice and then singing loud and proud, unabashed by what comes out! But I can assure you, from my experience what does come out is usually very beautiful, even more so when the voices come together in harmony - You should see the look of love and amazement on your baby’s face too, it’s magical.
Still don’t believe me? I successfully lead a global organisation smashing our mission to get every mum singing but without ever receiving formal musical training; being kicked out of the school choir and spending most of my working career as a Nurse!
You can sing too, and I bet you already do! Do you ever catch yourself singing in the car and think to yourself, “hey, I’m not that bad” and then a lovely feeling of enjoyment comes over you?
We are not a choir
We recently dropped the word ‘choir’ from our name and now refer to ourselves as just ‘Singing Mamas’ - You won’t find any sheet music; there are no auditions; our group leaders are trained in singing for well-being and there are no wrong notes or right notes...none... zilch...nada!
I can hear you thinking again, “But isn’t that going to sound pretty rough if everyone gets in without an audition and you don't mind people singing the 'wrong' notes?” Not at all because when you remove any sense of good and bad, wrong and right, it’s immediately a level playing field, it’s not a competition. We sing for pleasure, we sing simple, heartfelt songs which are quick to learn and allow our bodies to relax and for it to just feel natural, so normal as you look around the room. When you hear a group of mums singing in harmony for the first time and you are part of that, the experience is unforgettable.
It’s all about the song
At Singing Mamas, the thing that bonds and connects everyone is the song. Songs about our experiences as a mum, and songs for every mood and occasion. We tell our mums to fill up their song pockets so that when they might be having a really bad day or just a moment, the subconscious can pop out one of these brilliant little songs and “wham, bam, thank you mam” you just turned your mood around! It's like being programmed with wonderfully positive affirmations that lift you out of the fog and back into your true self because when we're well and happy, we're amazing beings and do amazing things.
Maternal Mental Health at crisis point
Singing Mamas is not ‘just another singing group’. We are a not for profit, national movement for maternal well-being seeking to challenge, innovate and improve how women are supported on their parenting journey.
Singing Mamas know that being a Mum is hard and the pandemic didn't make it any easier. I have four kids and I've struggled with my mental health several times over the years, and I have friends who have really struggled too – It's not uncommon. What you may not realise though is that mental illness is one of the biggest threats to life for pregnant women and new mums. We find this unacceptable and are on a mission to support women’s mental health through the proven benefits of singing together.
We are proud to be part of the solution to this crisis. As well as our network of groups open to all women, we are also working in partnership with the NHS in many parts of the UK to make coming along to a Singing Mamas group part of their treatment and support for improving mental health and well-being in the perinatal stage. We call this the ‘Singing Mamas On Prescription’ programme and it’s going great guns – please get in touch if you are a Commissioner or health professional and want to know more.
You can sing too
I love my job so much and if you've read this far, thank you. It’s surely a sign that you’d like to know more, you’ve probably got a nagging feeling about sending an email, or checking out our Facebook page. Gosh, you might even want to set up a group in your area and train to become a Singing Mamas Group Leader - brilliant, literally music to my ears!
Singing Mamas has groups all over the UK and hundreds of ordinary Mums come along every week, with and without their little ones, finding themselves right at home with their singing voice and a lovely community of women.
So come along, one and all, all of you non-singers; shy-singers; hairbrush divas; sing in the shower singers or even professional singers, we’re a real mixed bunch and you are so welcome.
You can find more info here.