“Why Don’t
By Ron Stultz
I have noticed at church that
probably more than half of the attendees do not sing. Why is that?
Singing. When I think about
singing, I realize what a strange human activity it really is.
I hate musical movies. Just
seems totally wrong for people to be “singing in the rain”. When was the last
time you saw people walking down the street, singing or if you did, what did
you think about them? A little touched, perhaps?
Now I have no problem singing
in public, which I trace right back to elementary school when in every grade,
starting in the 4th or so, we had group singing. And then there was
the singing at Christmas and the honor it was to be selected to sing in the
Christmas spectacular held for the public.
Perhaps singing in public is
like getting up and speaking in front of others, something most people are not
comfortable doing but doesn’t the large group gathered at a church provide some
level of anonymity? I mean I sing in church but since I do not have a good
singing voice, I sing softly, but I sing. So what prohibits others from singing
in church? Is it that they do not think it is mandatory and are not going to do
anything, which is not? Or have they never sung in their life, even in the
shower? Or have they been told or otherwise believe they can not sing a note?
My son sings in a rock and
roll band and tells me that it has taken him some time to find “his voice” and
feel comfortable on a stage in front of an audience and intellectually, I can
understand this, even though I have never experienced it myself. Yes, being a
solo singer would be tough to handle and I think it would be hard to find “your
voice”, but singing in church, in the group? I wonder? Do people feel silly
singing in church or singing at? I know that in some religions or faiths,
singing and dancing is frowned upon as being not pious enough in front of God
or something but where I go to church, the songs are religious and not rap
songs or anything and so how could they be an offense to God and be felt so by
attendees?
I wonder if those that do not
sing in church actually sing else where? Perhaps in the karaoke bar after
enough alcohol or with friends, socializing and listening to old tunes and just
having to sing out the some near and dear phrase or sentence of a song.
Now since I grew up with
music, mostly via school and my father, I have always had music around and have
many favorite tunes and know the words or sentences or phrases of many songs
and can often sing a line or 2 of them but it has taken a long time to realize,
understand that not everyone enjoys music in their life. Yes, I have come to
realize, there are those that music has just never caught on with for whatever
reason and so perhaps, music and singing just are not an activity a church goer
does, period.
Oh, like many things I write
about, whether or not the congregation sings or not is not going to change the
world one way or the other but it is curious, like the reasons people do or
don’t do a thing. I am just curious. I wonder if I were to actually ask a group
of non-singers why they did not sing, if they would know the answer? Habit?
Parents never did?
Just makes me wonder. It a
church goer will not sing in church, in the group, even quietly, want is he or
she not going to do, outside of church? I mean, how strong is there belief
system if they can not sing in their church of choice? Perhaps a stretch on the
meaning of significance of not singing in church, but I do have to wonder.
Do you think it is that these
non-singers can not read? Never occurred to me? Could be, I guess. Oh, they can
not read music? Now that might be the case or the case for the first time
through a song but certainly not the second or third and the music just repeats
with only word changes. Can not read music? I’ll bet that is it. Nothing more
or less than that. No training in reading those notes on the staff and that
when they go up, your voice goes up in pitch and when they go down, your voice
goes down and that the black notes having meaning as to how long a note or word
or part of a word is actually held. Yep, reading music or not being able to,
that is the answer. I just assumed that everyone has some basic music reading
skills but I bet I am wrong.
Perhaps some simple course
offered at the church in reading music? Maybe by the choral director? Seems to
me, the choral director would be a little frustrated when, sometimes, a song is
started and other than the few people in the choir, the church is empty of
voices. Perhaps just some very simply lessons would solve the problem, if that
is the problem but then again, I wonder if it is not deeper like I originally
thought: public embarrassment and all that.
Enough. Just another one of my silly questions and mental roaming around.