Just sing more again

People are singing less and less as time goes on—whether at home, at school, at work, or in their free time. There are many possible explanations for this global (?) megatrend: modern work environments, individualized lifestyles, and a flood of media. But this book doesn’t delve into those details. On the contrary: it offers concrete and practical approaches to singing. Accessible and groovy. Catchy but by no means banal circle songs and polyphonic choral pieces encourage you to «just sing.» But it’s not quite that simple—even singing without sheet music needs a nudge to get started.

This is where the sing-along strategies come in, and they involve plenty of movement: miming melodies, learning together from the person next to you («someone knows exactly the part we’re missing»), moving your lips and singing silently, and then just speaking the lyrics. Games and activities like these are fun and help everyone relax—a far cry from right versus wrong, from «too low!» or «too late!».

It is not about efficient, linear music learning, but rather about circular, varied repetition based on listening. This approach to music education deliberately draws on traditional musical forms, but aims to integrate them into our daily lives today and develop them further.

The repertoire presented, mostly written by the author, is diverse in both language and style. Nature-inspired yodels are featured alongside catchy songs and canons. The songs are available in written form (for instructors) and can be heard in the audio downloads, performed by a small vocal ensemble with percussion and piano. They are well-suited for warm-up exercises in a choir or simply for singing along whenever the mood strikes. All in the spirit of: sing more again!

Thomas-Maria Reck: singalongsongs II, 23 new groove songs & chants, a teaching resource for choral singing without sheet music, including a set of strategy cards and audio downloads, $30.00, stimmlände.com