Just saw the term “shout singing” in a novel I am
reading and wondered why I had never thought to write about that. I mean – it is a thing that people do –
usually when alone – especially when they are not recognized for their singing
ability… like me. It’s versatile… shout
singing can be done anywhere, preferably when by oneself in a car or shower, but it can be and has been,
in my experience, a fun collective effort as well -- especially in an impromptu
situation.
I am a classic shout singer. I started very young with songs like “You Are
My Sunshine” and “Jesus Loves me”. From
there I moved on into the 50’s when “Hound Dog” and “Tom Dooley” were easy to
pick up from the radio. The 60’s offered
“The Twist” and “It’s Now or Never” and in the 70’s, I shout sang an impressive
“I’ll Be There” or “American Pie”. Did you
know that … a levy is a prom in New England?
Gives “…drove my Chevy to the levy and the levy was dry….” a whole other
meaning. And then – my 70’s fave – “Bridge
Over Troubled Waters”. Now there is a
song made for shout singing from the heart.
I liked “Every Breath You Take” and “Billie Jean”
in the 80’s, but then I experienced a bit of a drought in the 90’s and the
early 2000’s -- had other things on my
mind and reverted to songs like “You Don’t Own Me”. 2018 brought one of my all time faves in “Uptown Funk” and then with the confinement
of the damncovid, I was moved to belt out “Rise Up”, a poignant song that was experiencing a bit of a come back at the time. Still is.
Perhaps the thing I find most interesting about shout singing
is that it is multi-functional. It works
to let happiness burst forth and to release sadness, or sometimes even anger. Like I said multi-functional. Most useful.
Now in thinking about all those old songs, I realize I may be singing all day – at least in my head. You? Not sure I remember shout singing in a while. It’s time. Actually, the whole world could use a pressure release valve. What better than a good heart-felt song?
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