Coastal Voices is a ‘Natural Voice’ choir run by Sara Brown, a member of the

What is Natural Voice?

Each person’s voice is as unique as their fingerprint: the voice we are born with is capable of freely expressing a full range of emotions, thoughts and experience – this is what we mean by the “natural voice”.

Many people see themselves as ‘non singers’ because of previous experiences of criticism and judgment. Many are excluded from singing activities because they do not have music-reading skills or trained voices. The Natural Voice approach  aims to counteract these experiences and give people confidence in their voices by providing them with a supportive learning environment and a suitable repertoire.

• Our workshops, choirs, courses and projects are accessible and inclusive.
• We aim to accommodate mixed levels of experience.
• We avoid technical language and musical jargon, using demystifying and accessible language.
• We aim to teach songs in a traditional way mostly by ear, recognizing that this is the most accessible way for the majority of people to learn..
• We endorse the use of physical and vocal warm-ups to facilitate vocal health, confidence and fun.
• We see the voice and singing with others as a fundamental community building activity.
• We respect and acknowledge all sources and songwriters, and take care to set songs in their historical and cultural context.

We are concerned with the enjoyment of singing and accessibility and so in our work the main focus is on the process of coming together to sing whilst at the same time developing people’s vocal skills and, within the context of performance, aiming for the highest standards.

Natural Voice Philosophy

Members of the Natural Voice Practitioners’ Network share a common philosophy in relation to singing and group work. We believe that vocalising, creativity and song should be accessible to all regardless of previous musical ability or experience. Therefore creating a sense of an accepting community is an essential element of the Natural Voice approach in working with groups.

We believe that singing is everybody’s birthright. For thousands of years all over the world people have sung — to express joy, celebration and grief, to aid healing, to accompany work, devotion and the rituals of life — without worrying about having a “good” voice or “getting it right”. Singing has been a part of life, a way of binding communities.

Natural Voice work is about providing a range of opportunities for people to explore their voices and enjoy song and includes running voice and song workshops, offering short courses and creative projects and running community choirs.

For further information about the network, details of events and workshops around the country and much more, visit the online home of the Natural Voice Practitioners Network: http://www.naturalvoice.net