Last Friday was my second-ever Christmas concert with my local singing group (we call ourselves The Local Vocals).

Last year I posted about it on LinkedIn, describing the experience as taking me way outside my comfort zone. But I also said that, despite my nerves, I got a real buzz from performing to the friendly faces in the audience.

I never planned to get involved in a choir – having never shown any interest in anything similar before. I never took part in school productions, and my one memory of singing on stage as a child still makes me cringe.

But in 2022 it just felt right to start this new hobby. Something that was completely detached from my usual life and interests, something that gave me an outlet from day-to-day work and life admin overwhelm. When we sing together, we just sing and we don’t think about anything else. It’s quite a mindful hobby and there’s a lot of value in that.

I’m fortunate to have some lovely friends who sing with me, and the whole choir feels like a warm community of different ages and personalities.

Do the thing

Performing is still outside my comfort zone. I would class myself as an introvert with a strong dislike for the limelight, so standing up in front of an audience still makes me tremble a bit.

But in 2023 I’ve been pushing the boundaries of what I formerly considered my comfort zone in so many ways. By making performing at a concert a recurring thing – something that I just ‘do’, it felt completely natural.

It’s a tradition and I look forward to doing it again next year.

Our next outing will be singing Christmas carols around our village to raise money for charity, before moving on to the local pub to sing some more. Watch out, (local) world!

Do you have any traditions that you look forward to?

Do you love singing like me?

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