Some of us who sing from hymnals or sheet music, are actually pretty good singers - and we can sing quite well using a lyrics aid and feel more confident doing so. Or maybe we want to try something new, outside or the twenty or thirty songs in our usual repertoire. Or maybe we've witnessed the agonizing moments when singers forget their lyrics and the audience waits uneasily for them to remember.

And yes, many of those who use books are pretty awful singers - but I think that's more because of their ability, not their state of preparation. I've been at camps and singarounds where people pull out the Blue Book and struggle through a song - but that's usually because singing is a struggle for them, and they're trying their best to fit in. Maybe they'll never get any better - but at least they're trying.

You who condemn other singers may have all sorts of rationalizations in your heart to convince yourself that it's really the other person's fault that he/she doesn't fit your image of a suitable singer. But you're lying to yourselves. You're simply being unkind and exclusionary, closing the door to would-be singers because you think them unworthy.

No wonder people don't sing any more. If they try, they're going to have to endure some really awful scrutiny until they finally pass muster and earn the right to be snooty and judgmental themselves.

Most people think I'm a very good singer, and I certainly think I've earned a reputation as a song researcher. But there are music gatherings I avoid because they're just too damn judgmental. I sing to have a good time, not to face judgment from snooty singers.

-Joe-