Every spiritual tradition has one thing in common: music. People have always sung the name of the divine & played music and sung to connect more deeply to the mysteries of life. Whether Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Pagan, Islamic – music plays an instrumental (pun intended) role in ceremonies, helping bring a human and celebratory element.
In teaching FamilySong and other early childhood music classes for kids and caregivers, I encounter adults all the time who are shy to sing and explore their voices. It’s completely natural to be shy if you haven’t had much singing experience in your life. (Especially if you have sung before and you were criticized – which is always a shame!)
Now to connect the two thoughts – I’ve been wondering: if people feel more of sense of the divine when singing, would they be less shy to sing? If people feel a sense of connecting with something greater than themselves when they sing, would they worry less about how they sound compared to others and concentrate more on the feeling of singing?
I love teaching FamilySong for so many reasons, and one of these reasons is singing songs with lyrics about the earth, community, self-love, & the Great Spirit. When I can focus on inspirational lyrics and the energy of the song, I feel more connected with all that is. I focus less on how I sound and more on the experience of the sound coming through me, and the experience of many voices singing together, which is always truly wonderful.
Singing is every person’s birthright. You can accept that singing is your child’s birthright, but can you accept that it is also yours? We are born to sing to express ourselves and to live more joyfully. We can create being more centered, connected and alive right now just through singing. So claim it as your own and let yourself sing out – for you and for your children!
