Sing Out

Lyrics and guitar chords for traditional and modern folk songs.

The Old Testament prophets were not just predictors of things that would happen long after their time. Nor were they purveyors of religious platitudes. They were people with an urgent message for their own generation and a passion to declare it whatever the risk. They were singers, poets, demonstrators and protesters, radical critics of their own society and dreamers of a world that could be different.

An oral history of North American folk music revivals that draws on more than 150 interviews to explore the musical, political, and social aspects of the folk revival movement.

Can you change the world through song? This appealing idea has long been the professed aim of singers who are part of choruses affiliated with the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA). Theses choruses first emerged in the 1970s, and grew out of a very American tradition of (often gender-segregated) choral singing that explicitly presents itself as a community-based activity. By taking a close look at these choruses and their mission, Heather MacLachlan unpacks the fascinating historical and cultural dynamics behind groups that seek to change society for the better by encouraging acceptance of LGBT-identified people and promoting diversity more generally. She characterizes their mission as “integrationist rather than liberationist” and zeroes in on the inherent tension between GALA’s progressive social goals and the fact that the music most often performed by GALA groups is deeply rooted in a fairly narrowly conceived tradition of art music that identifies as white, Euro-centric, and middle class--and that much of the membership identifies as white and middle class as well. Pundits often wax eloquent about the power of music, asserting that it can, in some positive way, change the world. Such statements often rest on an unexamined claim that music can and does foster social justice. Singing Out: GALA Choruses and Social Change tackles the premise underlying such claims, analyzing groups of amateur singers who are explicitly committed to an agenda of social justice.

He’s closed the door on music and Christmas. Can her voice be the key? At the height of his fame, pop star Shepard Lake walked away. No one knows why, though rumors are rife. Creatively blocked, he seeks inspiration and a fresh start for his life and career by returning to his Tennessee roots. He finds far more than he bargained for when he is drafted to help with a small town Christmas festival. Tyler Knight lives and breathes music, but a career as a songwriter remains a distant dream. When her sister asks her to return to their hometown, Sweet Tea, Tennessee, and help her with the town’s Christmas Carol Sing Off, Tyler is thrilled to have a change of scenery and a chance to start over after a series of disappointments. Then she is paired with the infamous Shepard Lake who’s too everything – handsome, confident, talented and way out of her league. But is he? Will this Christmas be the one where Tyler gathers her courage to pursue her dreams of music and love?

Everything a rock singer needs! Voice-strengthening exercises, songs that will extend your range, a list of equipment you need to sing with a band, and the low-down on what to expect when singing live or in a studio. 64 pages.