Sooz,

Songleading is when people present want to sing, but are nervous about doing it or have no idea WHAT to sing. Songleader starts it off and sings strongly enough that they can follow. From there, whatever needs to happen usually does. It can happen at a sing, around a campfire, at worship, at a session, at a festival, as part of a concert, as part of any other event where a little group song would enhance what is happening. The spongleader is like a facilitator at a workshop, and hopefully has some idea where the group might like to go and an ability to help them get there.

An example might be, at a wake where there is a lot of feeling present and it needs an outlet, and someone starts a song everyone can take up. Another example might be a singaround where there's a songbook and one or more people lead out strongly enough to set the tune and tempo.


My own songleading takes place nowadays mostly in worship settings, and has also happened at town picnics, at the end of gatherings, or at breaktime at non-music workshops to perk 'em up a little bit.

I've been doing this for over 10 years-- the last 11 of them, weekly at worship.

Mike, I'll be in touch. Glad yer out!

~Susan