Singing Groups

My relationship with singing groups has long been complex.  On the one hand, I love all sorts of music and find myself really enjoying myself when I go to some a capella concerts.  On the other, I sometimes find too many singing groups a bit smug, self indulgent and just a tad annoying.

Perhaps singing groups put me off because of jealousy -- if Homeland Security had a "no sing" list, I would be on it.  It's not that I don't like singing.  I do.  I am just terrible at it.  When our daughter, Katie, was little, I would rock her to sleep and sing lullabies.  She would take her pacifier out of her mouth and shove it in mine.  At first, I thought she was being playful.  Her insistence proved otherwise; she wanted desperately for me to stop singing.  Message received.  I now only sing in very private places.

My relationship with singing groups is about to change.  Our oldest son, Tyler, announced earlier this week that he was trying out for his school's a cappella group.  It was a bit of surprise.  He's long been a musician, but not really a singer (at least as far as we knew).  Turns out the kid inherited some pipes.  (Thank goodness of recessive genes.)  He was selected to join the WildScats, so now we are proudly in full on a capella mode.  Get out the Manhattan Transfer, Whiffenpoof, Whim'N Rhythmn, and Nylons down loads.  We are going to be snapping, cheering, and humming along.  (I have had to swear that there will be no singing along.)

This whole thing has made me wonder what our class experience with singing groups have meant since we graduated.  There must be stories to share about our time singing, listening, touring, etc.  Would love to hear them.  

To punch this post up a bit, I will wrap up with a video.  The soloist is currently a Whiff who I met at a recent meeting in New Haven.  Makes me wonder what I missed by not learning how to sing.