Originally, Inuit throat singing was a form of entertainment among Inuit women while the men were away on hunting trips. It was an activity that was primarily done by Inuit women although there have been some men doing it as well. In the Inuit language Inuktitut, throat singing is called katajjaq, pirkusirtuk or nipaquhiit depending on the Canadian Arctic region. It was regarded more as a type of vocal or breathing game in the Inuit culture rather than a form of music.
Inuit throat singing is generally done by two individuals but can involve four or more people together as well. In Inuit throat singing, two Inuit women would face each other either standing or crouching down while holding each other’s arms. One would lead with short deep rhythmic sounds while the other would respond. The leader would repeat sounds with short gaps in between. The follower would fill in these gaps with her own rhythmic sounds. Sometimes both Inuit women would be doing a dance like movement like rocking from left to right while throat singing.more
Sounds produced can be voiced or unvoiced and produced by inhalation or exhalation. Both Inuktitut words and meaningless syllables are used in Inuit throat singing songs. However, when words are used in throat singing, no particular meaning is placed on them for a song. When meaningless syllables are used, they are often portrayals of sounds the Inuit hear in their natural environment such as animal sounds or even water running down a creek. Popular Inuit throat singing songs are usually identified by the first word or sound that is produced in each song.

Inuit throat singing is a skill that has to be taught and developed. Inuit throat singers try to show their vocal abilities in a fun competitive manner and the first one to either run out of breath, stop or laugh is declared the loser of the game.

Each game usually lasts from one to three minutes. In a group of Inuit women, the overall winner is the one who beats the largest number of her competitors in this fun filled activity.

Unfortunately, there is no written record of when the Inuit first developed their form of throat singing which differs from the type found in Mongolia and other parts of the world that has some form of throat singing. The Inuit did not keep any written records and history was simply passed down from generation to generation orally.

It was reported that at one point in time, Inuit women would actually have their lips almost touching while using each other’s mouth cavity as a sound resonator. This technique is not used anymore.

Inuit throat singing was actually forbidden by Christian priests for almost 100 years but since this religious ban was lifted, there has been a resurfacing of this traditional activity in the Inuit communities during the last 20 to 30 years. Interestingly enough, there has been a lot of interest among the younger Inuit generations in this revival in addition to the Inuit elders who are trying to bring throat singing back as part of present Inuit culture. Many of the young Inuit women who have taken up throat singing claim that it is a way for them to express their Inuit identities in the modern world where many Inuit traditions have already been lost.

The revival of Inuit throat singing has been so popular that in September of 2001, the first throat singing conference was held in Puvurnituq, Nunavik where different types of Inuit throat singing from different Arctic regions of Canada were demonstrated and shared. There has even been a small number of Inuit throat singing CDs produced

Have you ever noticed the way your favourite band or favourite singer dresses while on stage? They tend to look pretty good, or they at the very least dress in a way that suits the type of music they play. It’s one thing to be able to sing, but part of learning how to become a singer is taking your image into consideration. Image is one of the most overlooked aspects of becoming a musician/singer, and is usually one of the easiest aspects to fix. The importance of your image will vary depending on your goals, so if you only want to become a singer for the fun of it then it isn’t something to worry about. However, if your goals involve record labels, such as being in a signed band, or becoming a pop star, then you should really take your image into consideration.

So what exactly does it mean to have good image? All it really comes down to is putting some effort into your appearance, as well as making sure it fits the music you are singing. It does not mean dressing like someone you’re not, nor does it mean dressing in a way you are uncomfortable with. Nothing is worse than a phony or uncomfortable looking singer. For example, if you were going to an audition, then wearing one of your best outfits would suffice. Consider going to a hairstylist if your haircut doesn’t suit your look. If you are unsure of what good image looks like, have a look at some of your favourite artists and musicians for some inspiration. You can even look at the finalists on the Idol competitions, as they are also always pretty well dressed.

Why even bother with image? Shouldn’t your voice be enough to carry you to singing stardom? Your singing is obviously the most important, but if your look really goes with the music, it makes your music and performance that much more believable. Take Lady Gaga for example. Lady Gaga is definitely on the extreme end of the spectrum here, but imagine if she dressed like plain jane while on stage. Her music wouldn’t be nearly as effective. This doesn’t mean you need to start dressing outlandishly, or start wearing things you normally wouldn’t though. Take Taylor Swift for example. Her look is far more simpler, but it still works and looks great, especially because it matches her music. more

When people go to work, they dress a certain way. Be it a uniform, business suit, whatever. You wouldn’t go to work without it. The idea is similar with becoming a singer, because it shows you care about what you do and you put effort into the little details. Same idea with handing in a project at school. The project that gets handed in with a folder, title page, pretty cover, usually gets a good mark because of the effort put into it, and the attention to detail.

Social singing is the act of singing in an informal setting with others. It can be one person performing karaoke at a local bar or it can be a large group of people singing the national anthem at a ball game. In either case, singing can be a very enjoyable pastime.
Social Singing is a creative outlet that allows us to join together with others and engage in camaraderie with our fellow peers. It can relieve tension from a hard day and remind us that we are part of a harmonious group. more
Harmony
Harmony is the key to social singing. I believe it is this harmony that we find while engaging in social singing that is the strong draw for many people to engage in the act of social singing. Through harmonious singing we can all join together regardless of age, sex, religion, nationality, or preferences. The pure joy of social singing is universal.
In this time where we find ourselves becoming more and more alienated from our fellow man, it is the joy and fulfillment that we find in creating a bond with others through the act of social singing that is so appealing.
Where can you join in social singing?
Finding social singing opportunities are not hard to find. Just look around, the opportunities are everywhere that are both formal and informal in nature. There are community choruses, church choirs, barbershop singing groups and musical theatre groups. For informal social singing, there are karaoke nights, ball games, private parties, and of course, birthday parties.
Not sure if you’re ready to sing in public?
Although we all have the necessary equipment for social singing, some people are more comfortable singing that others. Sometimes it has to do with your background. Were you exposed to music as a child and did you engage in social singing in your younger years? If you do not feel comfortable, there are tools to help you gain confidence in social singing. There are books, software, and private lessons available to assist you in gaining confidence in social singing.
Whatever you choose, I strongly recommend that you engage in social singing. It is great fun and a good way to socialize with others. They do call it ’social’ singing for a reason.

Are you one out of a million? Were you given such an exceptional singing voice that you’re guaranteed a place in the singing hall of fame? If you are one in a million you probably don’t need to read this article. If your one of the countless millions that are not in that category…and you love to sing…PLEASE, PLEASE read on. It will help you to change your viewpoint about the importance of your creative contribution to the world. It will help you to change your mind about bringing your desire to sing into a reality.
Most of us are passive when it comes to singing. We sit back and listen to CDs And MP3s of other singers. Listening to a great singer’s music is akin to experiencing heaven on earth. We love to listen… but… unfortunately that is all we do. We listen. Few of us actually “make” music because we don’t believe we’re worthy to do so.
We listen to music every day that is the result of the recording industries very high standards. We subconsciously “agree” to standards that only a few out of a million people can actually live up to. more
For those of us, whose talents pale in comparison to the pro’s there are no outlets for our desire to sing. We live in a “concert” society where one persons sings and thousands sit back and listen.
Some of us muster every ounce of courage in order to give ourselves permission to sing. When the day finally comes that we open our mouths in song, we discover that we are not capable of sounding like the singers we so much admire. It is a bit of a blow to the ego, our motivation slackens and before you know it we stop singing.
It seems like people have a subconscious rule in their heads when it comes to singing, unless they sound great they have no right to sing. That is why most people do not sing. The act itself has become so important to us as a society that it’s almost sacrilegious to sing just for the fun of it not caring how it sounds. We’ve been conditioned into silence.
Because of a radically different viewpoint at Healing Singing we are able to offer an extraordinarily safe environment for people to face the demons that would stop them from singing. It gives them the opportunity to stop judging and to start celebrating themselves as they are.
At Healing Singing we sing because we like to sing and that is enough reason to do it. We do it because we have the desire to do it.
We sing in our own way….with or without technical skills, standing right where we are now, with our own voice, with our own nuances, with our own strengths and weaknesses, for better or for worse… we sing! Sound radical? Sound scary? Try it.
The result of this sky like, open minded viewpoint is nothing short of miraculous. It’s a “real world” and honest approach…to see the truth exactly as it is without the need to fix it, judge it or change it.
Over the years it has been my experience that some of the most profoundly spiritual moments at Healing Singing were gifts from those who had the greatest vocal challenges. Surprising? Not really. We’re all made of the same “stardust” and that stardust is the product of soul… not the vocal chords.
Do you want to witness a miracle? Witness yourself giving what only you can give through song.
The requirement is not necessarily having a great instrument but rather having an “inner connection” to what is being communicated. That connection is something everyone can find if they want to find it. That connection is the focus of Healing Singing and when you find it you will never feel unworthy to sing again.
The purpose of Healing Singing is to foster and nurture creativity by re-connecting it to our innate spirituality. It is a venue in which individuals can see the profound effect their creativity can have on the lives of others. It offers the opportunity to experience our own creative process rather than experiencing creativity through the lives of others.
It is all about being alive. Being truly alive. Doing what it is that your heart is prompting you to do. And I assure you that if you give someone a gift that comes directly from your heart they will accept it with gratitude. So forget the rules, and the standards. Break out of the prison of silence. And then exclaim…I am alive. I am really alive. Because I sing!

Let’s face it, whether you’ve wanted to learn how to become a singer or not, you’ve probably dreamt of being the lead singer of a band. Touring, connecting with fans, playing music you love – sounds like fun doesn’t it? It absolutely is, however people always overlook the amount of work and effort that is involved in order to be a successful singer. As a band you need to have a cohesive look and have good stage presence, but as the singer you are usually looked at as the face of the band, and therefore usually have to put more effort into performances. One advantage to singing in a band over other types of singers though is that your voice doesn’t necessarily have to be perfect. Let’s go into a bit more detail on these topics.

If you want to become a singer in a band, a couple things to consider would be your image and stage presence. As the singer in the band, usually people will think of you as the face of the band, so just in terms of going that extra mile your image should be on par or bit better than the band. This does not mean that image is more important than the skill of the band, it just means making sure there is a cohesive look going on. In terms of stage presence, the singer must put in a bit more effort than the rest of the band. Think about it this way; it’s easier for the rest of the band to “hide” behind their instrument temporarily and get away with it, but as the singer all you’ve got is your mic in front of you so you have to compensate by moving around, feeling the music, connecting with the crowd, etc. Standing still won’t cut it, however with practice this comes easier. Just have fun with it. more

One of the advantages to singing in a band is that your voice doesn’t have to be perfect. For example, the Idol competition is for people with amazing voices. You may have noticed though that a lot of lead singers in bands aren’t actually the greatest singers. The reason why they can get away with it is because of the type of music the band is playing. If you’re in a rock band, you can usually get away with having a raspier voice (kurt cobain anyone?). Nowadays there are a lot of bands using auto tune, which corrects your pitch and gives it a futuristic sound. This is not to be a replacement for not being able to sing though as auto tune is generally frowned upon unless it is being used for the effect. There are also a lot of singers who scream for their band as well, though this really requires impeccable care for your voice. For the most part, you’ll have to work on being a good singer, but as said earlier it all depends on the type of music, and the effect you are going for.

Those are just some simple things to consider if you’re deciding to go down the path of becoming a singer in a band. It can be fun and rewarding, but takes practice and effort as well. If you’re passionate and want it bad enough, it can be achieved.