Ryanne Molinari

If you have yet to read the first posts in this series, you can access them using the following lints: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

From One Self-Conscious Singer to Another…

Having read the first three posts in this series, you may be convinced that singing is an essential and enjoyable discipline…in theory. But if you’re anything like me, you’re self-conscious about your singing.

Yes, I said it.

As a collaborative pianist, I work almost exclusively with choirs. I also direct a church choir and its members don’t believe me when I tell them I used to be shy. I write posts about singing for my blog and other platforms like The Gospel Coalition.

And yet I am wildly self-conscious of my voice.

But I keep on working with singers, writing about singing, and singing all the while because I do not have to be a recording artist or lead vocalist to answer Scripture’s repeated call to song.

As for you, you might not be a soloist. You might never join a choir or praise band. But as a human being, you are uniquely created to sing. And if you’re a Christian, you are uniquely commanded to sing.

That said, I’d like to leave you with some practical advice to help you sing with greater confidence and joy. The following tips are primarily to help you participate better in congregational singing, but they certainly can apply beyond Sunday mornings as well.

Practical Tips

The following are practical tips to make singing in church services more comfortable, though they certainly apply to singing throughout your week as well.

1. Ask for help. Ask your worship director what resources he or she recommends. There are so many free resources online to help people sing better! He or she may also be able to refer you to a teacher or coach if you are looking to really get serious about singing.
2. Listen to the songs ahead of time. Ask your worship leader what his or her setlist is for the upcoming week. Listen to the songs throughout the week so Sunday isn’t the first time you’re hearing them. Alternately, add the songs you sing each week to a Spotify playlist because your leader will probably repeat them in the future.
3. Make noise on Sunday morning. Nothing is more uncomfortable for vocalists than trying to sing well in the morning without a proper warm-up. (I feel more like a bass than a soprano when I first wake up!) You may not need to do vocal exercises on your drive to church, but try to make sure you’ve had some water and vocalized a bit—even if that’s just chatting in the foyer! This will ensure your vocal chords are ready for action.
4. Treat singing as service. The cure for self-consciousness is others-centeredness. Stop thinking about how good or bad you think you sound and, instead, think about how your singing might benefit those around you or even your worship leader. Part of why I sing more freely now is because I have to. It’s how I demonstrate technique to my choir. It’s how I help coach student vocalists. It’s not about me; it’s a way to help others!
5. Think about the words. Singing is not merely about the tune and tone. Otherwise we wouldn’t bother with lyrics and would just hum aggressively. If you’re not confident in your musical abilities, intentionally focus on the words you’re singing. Ponder their weight. Consider their composition. Think less about whether you sound good and more about the good words put before you.
6. Just do it. Ultimately, you just have to take the plunge. If you dive right in and sing, you might feel awkward—but you’ll feel awkward for less time than if you were timid about it for months on end. And really, unless you’re doing something truly out of the ordinary—like bringing your own tambourine to a traditional service—nobody is paying attention to you. You’re not the center of their praise, so why are you holding back?

Stay Tuned

Thank you so much for your readership. I hope this series has motivated you to sing more regularly and more joyfully. Please stay tuned the final installment, where I’ll share some encouragement from the musical monk himself: Martin Luther.