WEBVTT - Comfort and joy

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to create more occasions for singing. One

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<v Speaker 1>of the reasons the holiday season brings so many people

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<v Speaker 1>tidings of comfort and joy is because we are singing

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<v Speaker 1>about tidings of comfort and joy. But there is no

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<v Speaker 1>reason not to enjoy such festivity and more of our

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<v Speaker 1>occasions all year round. I once wrote a story where

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<v Speaker 1>the main characters were lost for an extended period of time.

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<v Speaker 1>One of the ways they kept themselves sane was singing together.

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<v Speaker 1>Since they obviously hadn't planned to learn a ton of

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<v Speaker 1>new songs before the disaster that drove them off into

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<v Speaker 1>the world earness, they had to rely on the songs

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<v Speaker 1>they knew, which were Christmas carols, even if it wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>Christmas time. The reason I wrote that detail is that

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<v Speaker 1>I suspect that would be the case for many of us.

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<v Speaker 1>How many songs do you know by heart? Chances are

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<v Speaker 1>it is Happy Birthday, maybe the Star Spangled banner for

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<v Speaker 1>my American listeners, and Christmas carols obviously, people who sing

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<v Speaker 1>in choirs or singing bands, or perhaps too attend worship

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<v Speaker 1>services quite regularly. Well, no more, but for many people

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<v Speaker 1>that is the sum of the repertoire. We sing in

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<v Speaker 1>groups at birthdays, before live sporting events, and at the holidays,

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<v Speaker 1>and that is basically it. And that is kind of

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<v Speaker 1>too bad, because singing in groups is a really pleasurable experience.

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<v Speaker 1>Most likely our ancient ancestors kept themselves entertained at night

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<v Speaker 1>by singing around their campfires. Few people can easily remember

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<v Speaker 1>poems or even basic information, but set that material to

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<v Speaker 1>music and you can remember just about anything. Perhaps this

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<v Speaker 1>is how we committed important knowledge to heart in the past.

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<v Speaker 1>So no wonder singing feels quite enjoyable now too, and

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<v Speaker 1>not just at karaoke bars, though those are fun. So

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<v Speaker 1>if you'd like to keep some of that Christmas feeling

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<v Speaker 1>year around, figure out if there might be ways to

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<v Speaker 1>introduce new occasions for groups singing into your life. Some

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<v Speaker 1>families say a blessing before a meal. See if there

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<v Speaker 1>is a way you could sing a blessing instead, or

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<v Speaker 1>as well, if you or your kids are part of

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<v Speaker 1>a sports team, maybe you need a team song that

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<v Speaker 1>you can sing together before practices and games. You're running

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<v Speaker 1>or biking group could sing together before taking off. You

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<v Speaker 1>could learn new songs for other holidays. How about a

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<v Speaker 1>patriotic sing along for the Fourth of July or the

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<v Speaker 1>equivalent day in your country. Make a point of spending

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<v Speaker 1>at least twenty minutes on long family car trips singing

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<v Speaker 1>with a sing along album. If you know the singing

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<v Speaker 1>is going to be required, you will start learning new songs,

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<v Speaker 1>which is really not that hard. Songs get stuck in

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<v Speaker 1>our heads for a reason. Now, to answer a common objection,

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<v Speaker 1>you do not have to be good at singing to

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<v Speaker 1>enjoy singing. Singing is probably as natural to humans as talking.

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<v Speaker 1>The reason people think they aren't good at singing, and

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<v Speaker 1>I'm putting good in quote marks here, is because they

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<v Speaker 1>are only singing Happy Birthday at the occasional office party.

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<v Speaker 1>When you start singing more regularly, it's just like anything else.

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<v Speaker 1>You get better with practice. So why not start practicing.

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<v Speaker 1>Figure out when beyond the holiday season you could sing more.

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<v Speaker 1>You will start feeling tidings of comfort and joy all

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<v Speaker 1>year round in the meantime. This is Laura, Thanks for listening,

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<v Speaker 1>and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.

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<v Speaker 1>That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>podcast at iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled

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<v Speaker 1>out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look

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<v Speaker 1>forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production

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<v Speaker 1>of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio,

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<v Speaker 1>visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

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<v Speaker 1>you listen to your favorite shows.