Continuing with our spotlight on our Head Facilitators, this week please meet Carrie Rawlings! Carrie is one of our top professional vocal coaches that you will find often running our One Voice corporate team building singing activities. Well that is between her very busy schedules as a Rock Choir musical director and appearances in theatre shows and on television.
Rock Choir is the nationwide phenomenon where each week over 16,000 eager participants from over 240 towns and cities spend an evening together. They learn to sing as one amazing choir, often culminating in huge venue concerts and even TV shows!
Carrie’s weekly experience in engaging and leading large groups is exactly why she was Head Facilitator recently on our 2000-delegate One Voice corporate event in the Caribbean. She has been teaching groups to sing together for over ten years.
I asked Carrie to explains what is behind the never-ending popularity of group singing events.
Q. What do you believe is so special about singing, and specifically, people singing in groups?
“Singing can be such a release for people. There are the chemical reactions within the brain but also the sense of togetherness as people make sound ‘as one’, feeling safe as a group. Uniquely, it bonds people together, makes them smile and becomes quite a liberating thing en masse. I love it!”
Q. As a facilitator, how do you impart confidence in people who have never sung before and perhaps are initially quite nervous?
“Mainly by not allowing them any time to think about what they’re doing. We can all make sound and it’s my job to hone that sound and turn it into song. Confidence then comes from what they begin to hear and feel, along with lots of encouragement from me. I never make anyone feel like it’s a test. It’s not. It’s an experience!”
Q. Given that you bring so much positive energy and instant happiness, what inspires you every session?
“Music inspires me, as does learning and teaching. Each time I meet a new group of people, it’s like I’m doing it for the first time. That automatically gets me excited as there are no rules. We’re all on the same playing field and I always have fun. I think that just resonates with people and they respond to me.”
Q. On the last session I witnessed, in just one hour you had taught the audience words and melody, with two harmonies, separate backing vocals and even some light choreography. How is that possible?
“Honestly, I don’t know. I always start a session with loads of ideas about harmonies, choreography and an end result in my mind. Almost always, the final result is better as people give themselves over to me and we work as a team. The phrase ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ is so true!”
Thanks Carrie.
As with all our Head Facilitators, specialist expertise is only half the story. Slick event management and the innate intuition to positively lead any group make the whole package.
We totally understand that, to some, singing as a team building activity may seem a step too far out of the comfort zone. As someone who has witnessed the end results countless times, my response is to please give it a go and put any concerns to the back of your mind. Because singing is so personal, and shrouded in self-consciousness and doubt, the collective outcome (which is always totally successful) is even more powerful and memorable.
We strongly believe that it is only by having experts like Carrie that success with your team building event is guaranteed.
For more information about our events and activities, please Contact Us.
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