“Sing like no one is listening” is inspiring advice, but for those who can’t carry a tune, it’s often put into practice in spaces where, quite literally, no one is listening. And that’s generally fine: Singing is good for you whether or not another human hears. It’s even better, though, when others are involved.
In addition to the science-backed physical and mental benefits that come with singing in general, communal singing specifically can increase feelings of connectedness and foster social bonds. So what are the tone-deaf — those who either can’t join a community choir or would feel guilty for throwing off the group if they did — to do?
For decades, Nadine Cooper was among those frustrated folks. At age 11 or 12, she was asked by her music teacher to stop singing in class, as her contribution was “spoiling it for everyone else.” As an adult, the U.K. resident yearned to reap the socioemotional rewards of singing with others, but when invited to join an open-to-all group in Nottingham, England, she worried she’d again ruin the experience for her peers.
Instead, Cooper came up with an idea for a new type of vocal ensemble, one that was not merely open to all, but that had an emphasis — right in the name — on “no singing ability required.” She called it the Tuneless Choir, and on Jan. 14, 2016, with the help of Bernie Bracha, the choir leader who’d asked Cooper to join her traditional group, they held their first gathering.
Today, there are over 30 Tuneless Choirs across England, and two new branches just launched on Canada’s Vancouver Island, led by U.K. ex-pat Sharon Marnell. Next month, a weekend retreat back across the pond is planned to celebrate the concept’s 10-year anniversary. Revelries will include karaoke, themed workshops, group singing, and even a flash mob.
“Many of the members avoided singing for decades because someone told them they were tone-deaf,” Marnell told the CBC. “But joining in with Tuneless, that didn’t matter. They sang their hearts out, they laughed endlessly, they formed real friendships. It was life-changing.”
Tuneless Choir members don’t have to actually be tone-deaf — in fact, only a small percentage of the population can claim that designation — and some can even hit the right notes at the right time. That may explain why listening to the group isn’t the jarring experience you might expect. All it takes is for a couple people to get the melody right for the overall sound to resemble your average audience singalong at a concert rather than nails on a chalkboard, Marnell explained. Still, sounding “good” isn’t the goal, or necessarily the result, and there is no pressure to improve.
“Someone once said that they hadn’t heard that song sung in 19 different harmonies before, which was pretty incredible because there were only 12 of us in the room at the time,” Cooper joked to NPR in 2020 of a post-performance review.
The choirs are about joy, and that joy is spread to those who come to hear them sing (yes, people do sometimes come to hear them sing). Though public performances aren’t the standard, the groups occasionally take the stage at festivals and other events, where they’ll often involve the crowd.
“Because we get the audience to join in, we’re asked to come back again and again — because who doesn’t love a big, old singalong?” Marnell shared with the Times Colonist earlier this month.
Members aren’t given music to learn, just lyrics, and song choices are typically popular numbers, like top 40 hits or showtunes. “We sing songs people already know, songs they would have heard on the radio and sing along to in their car, or in the shower,” she said. “Everything from Abba to Led Zeppelin, and musical theater to rock-and-roll and jazz.”
On the official website, those interested in starting their own Tuneless Choir can fill out a form to get the mini-franchising process started, and a choir locator shows existing groups around England. There’s also an online meetup every other Tuesday, called Virtually Tuneless, that people can join from around the world.
“If you love music, if you sing in the shower, if you’ve been told you sound terrible, you’re exactly who we want,” Marnell enthused to the CBC. “You don’t need any musical ability at all.”
The Tuneless Choir tagline? Singing like no one is listening. And when that happens, one member told NPR, “magic occurs.”
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