Sing Your Song

I've noticed that most people have tuned out the song within them.  They tend to borrow the song of another and not live their own.  They deny the song within them.  They tune it out with all sorts of external distractions.

I understand this as I did the same for years.  Why does this happen? 

Well in my case it was because I was addicted to what other people thought about me.  I was so frightened they would not like me because my voice and song was different to theirs.

But bless my soul just kept nudging me, kept prodding me to express my own authentic sound.  My own authentic voice and I have been happier and healthier ever since.  Yes healthier!

When we do not express the creative urges we have, they turn back in on themselves and become addictions, stress, depression.

So I encourage you to still yourself.  Tune into your song and sing your soul awake.  It doesn't matter what it sounds like.  Just sound it anyway and allow the energy to move again.  You might even really enjoy it!

The Art of Sense Ual Presenting

At long last and after many requests I am finally running an NLP workshop. 

The Art of ‘Sense-Ual’ Presenting!

How to Use NLP to Influence and Present Magically

 A 2 hour “taster” workshop introducing you to the highly effective NLP-Neuro Linguistic Programming Tools and Techniques Training Series

Who can learn NLP? 
Anyone who desires to improve the way they communicate and or wants to make their presentation the “one” to remember. Are you in sales, a business owner, manager, team leader, human resource manager, or teacher?   Learning NLP will give you the ability to have a greater impact when speaking, adding value to your life and those involved.  Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton and J.K.Rowling use NLP tools and techniques with great success, and so can you. 

Why use NLP?
Simply because it’s proven to work!   It’s a very pragmatic set of tools that allows you more choices in your behaviour and the way you communicate, leading to greater relationships and results “Now” and in the “Future.”

When:   Wednesday, November 16th, 2011, 5pm.-7p.m.

Where:  Rotary Centre for the Arts Board Room, 421 Cawston Ave. Kelowna BC

Investment:  Early Bird Special $25, before October 19th.  Regular $40 

Pre-booking is required & numbers are limited.  Call me 250 215 7019 for more!

An Approach to Change

I feel very much like I'm in the middle of another transition in my life.  What I describe as a transition is when I've either willingly or unwillingly had to let go of something.  Examples would be moving back to Canada after 23 years in Ireland, setting up a new business again and developing new relationships.  It's that place where the old no longer exists & the new has yet to be fully formed.  It's that void in between.

I've had different experiences with the void all producing interesting results.  I've resisted the changes, blamed people or external events for my predicament, lamented the past & tried to cling on for dear life to what I've known and the result that produced was bitterness, sadness, anger & resentment.

I've searched very quickly for something similar to replace what I've lost, thinking that would give me a sense of comfort when really all it did was create something else to let go of a little later on down the line.

I guess what can make the void so uncomfortable is the uncertainty.  And yet as a singer I've experienced this so many times.  I've rehearsed, prepared & then just before the show is about to start there is that place of transition back stage - that void in between - that uncertainty - what's going to happen next?

What helps me at these times is to adopt a childlike attitude of curiosity and wonder.  To really be excited & playful about the next part of the process.

So I've decided my new approach with any of these transitions is instead of regretting the loss, I'm going to accept the void.  And with a sense of childlike wonder & curiosity I'm going to ask - What next? and wait silently & patiently for the windows of opportunity to present themselves - as they surely will.

Celtic Springtime

Happy Imbolc to my Irish friends!  February 1st marks the beginning of spring in the Celtic calandar & is a time to celebrate Goddess Bridget.  Bridget is the bringer of light & reminds us beneath the frozen ground lies the seeds of new possabilities & new beginnings.  Imbolc is a time a of the Child and teaches us to be curious & playful like a child again. 

I've noticed this is an important aspect to my singing practise.  When I adopt that carefree attitude children have when they learn & experiment, I allow myself to relax, to move freely & let go.  I let go of the judgements of how my voice sounds & simple enjoy making the sounds - whatever come out!  And it's amazing the difference it does make to the sound when I stop trying to control it!  Try it yourself.  Sing any sounds as you move your neck freely and allow your body to simply expand.  How does it feel?

It's also a great approach to life me thinks.  What happens when you let go of the need to control everything and you flow with what is happening right now? 

The beginning of spring is also a good time to select your "seed planting" songs - like 'Some Where Over the Rainbow' or 'When You Wish Upon a Star'.  I find it gets me into the state of mind that helps me expand my outcomes & I feel so much better after I sing them.  One of my favourites is a Johnny Mercer song called Dream.  You can hear it on my website http://www.michellebailly.com/  

So what would happen if you allowed yourself to play, move, sing & dream like a child again?  What would happen if you allowed the magic of Bridget & Imbolc to inspire you today?  I know it's a little pagan, but you might just enjoy it!

Balance

You know the wonderful thing about being out of balance? -  it teaches you how to be in balance. I've discovered it's best to hear the whispers though before they become shouts!

What do you hear?

Sing Because U Can!

I remember sitting in the back seat of the car wondering what on earth had I got myself into?  Here I was with a group of strangers going to my first Irish ‘Singer Session’.  These sessions have been happening for centuries there and for the Canadian ‘newbie’ I was definitely intrigued but also extremely terrified.

Singer sessions exist in most small Irish villages and happen many times a week.  Singing and songs are an integral part of their culture - the songs are for everyone no matter the voice, and bring the community together in sadness and in joy.  It is a way to express their stories & collective history.  It is also done acapella which means unaccompanied by music or my interpretation of it at the time – bare naked singing!

You’d think after all the years of singing training I had up to this point, I would have felt more comfortable, but my heart was racing a hundred miles an hour as we entered the pub.  It got me thinking, what happened to our Canadian culture that we’ve grown so uncomfortable with singing? The bible says to ‘make a joyful noise”.  So why are we musically so quiet?

Perhaps it’s because we have unrealistic standards of what constitutes a “good” voice,  produced by less than 2% of the population who have what our culture defines as the “best” sounding voices.  Has singing become something we avoid because of negative messages we received about our inability to sing?

And yet, have you ever found yourself singing in the shower or car?  You have?  Why?  Because singing makes you feel good!

I believe we are all born able to sing.  It is an ancient wisdom.  Just watch & listen to little children to discover the truth of this.  Like birds, they simply open their mouths and let whatever sound is there come out without censorship, without shame and with total in the moment awareness.

In singing we express a full range of emotions and in fact it is one of the few areas where the exploration of these emotions is actually accepted.  But for many of us, singing has become something professional singers do while the rest of us listen. We expect to be sung to.  It’s almost like we’ve become dependent on other people to supply us with an emotional experience that we’ve shut away.

Perhaps it is our internal ‘critical judge’ that stops us.  Becoming self critical when you sing can knock you out of the state of easiness which will help you to develop and enjoy your singing.

Instead of agreeing with the internal critic or fighting it, try some laughter sounds with it.  Try a few ho hos, ha has, and hee hees.

Another technique I use is ‘Act as if’.....you’re an opera singer when you sing your favourite song.  Or like Mickey Mouse.......or like Marilyn Monroe....play like a child again.

And when it gets right down to it, what those lovely Irish people taught me that night is to sing simply because I can.  To sing for no other reason than the sheer joy & pleasure of it!

I encourage you to do the same next time you get the urge.  If the magic of singing shows us how to explore the full range of our emotions, then one thing we can do to express ourselves completely is to sing simply because we can.

The Stillness of Winter

One of the beautiful things I learned from my time living in Ireland was about the Celtic Calander.  The Celts believed winter was the time for stillness & quiet.  That's what I love about this time of year.

I find many people have trouble being still though.  We've been taught to do, do, do & be busy that's it quite challenging for some to just Be.  I find when I just Be, I am so much more appreciative too. 

I think the song on my website Hallelujahs captures how beautiful appreciation and being still enough to notice the joys of Creation is for the soul.  Here's the link - hope you enjoy. http://www.michellebailly.com/pagex.asp?bioid=32769