Linn (Bat Goddess) -- I couldn't agree more, that people need to sing, preferably publicly and especially in groups, for basic spiritual sustenance. I sure do, anyway.

It is unfortunately true that most of the music I enjoy the most (and can most readily "believe in," of at least "buy into") occurs in a performer/audience setting, but the older I get, the less reluctant I am to just sound off and sing along. By now, I am almost totally immune to embarrassment. I think I do exercise a *bit* of restraint, and keep clammed up in situations where participation would be undeniably inappropriate.

I am blessed to be living in New Orleans, which I recently heard described (by a visiting musician) as "the world capital of audience participation"; it's very rare herabouts to be subjected to criticism/ostracism for the social offense of singing out loud. You're actually more likely to spur further participation by others.

We do *not* to my knowledge have the kind of semi-structured singarounds and sessions, etc., that I read about here at Mudcat -- I get pretty jealous, sometimes, reading abut y'all's clubs, etc. However, our wealth of opportunities for impromptu ad-hoc choral work probably makes up for that lack...