"I Woke Up Feeling Exhilarated"

Why one visitor says a day of singing on Coochie lifted his spirits

There are moments when you realise you've stumbled across something special.

 

For me, that moment came when I heard that Cath Mundy had been brought to tears by an email from one of the participants after our last Coochie Sings Choral Workshop.

 

Naturally, I wanted to know what had made such an impact.

That led me to Mike Henry.

 

Mike and his wife, Vicki, travelled from Bardon to join the workshop after years of following Cath Mundy OAM and Jay Turner through their work with Just Peace Queensland.

 

"We try to get to see them whenever we can," Mike told me. "They're so inspiring."

 

Mike isn't new to singing. He already sings bass in a Brisbane choir and has spent years playing classical guitar. He's no stranger to music.

 

What surprised him wasn't the singing itself.

 

It was how he felt afterwards.

 

"I got up the next morning feeling exhilarated," he said.

 

"There was something about the whole day... the music, the workshop, the trip over to Coochi. It just lifted my spirits."

That word, exhilarated, stayed with me.

 

In a world that often feels busy, noisy and, if we're honest, a little overwhelming, it struck me that maybe what Mike experienced is something many of us are quietly searching for.

 

Not perfection.

 

Not performance.

 

Just a chance to be completely present.

 

As someone who walked into the May workshop convinced I couldn't sing, I could relate.

 

I honestly expected someone to quietly point me towards the back row and suggest I mime.

 

Instead, I discovered that for a few hours nothing else mattered.

 

You stop thinking about emails.

You stop thinking about the washing.

You stop thinking about what's going into next week's newsletter.

 

You even stop thinking about what everyone else thinks of your voice.

 

You're simply listening, breathing and singing with a room full of people who, only a few hours earlier, were mostly complete strangers.

 

Mike described it perfectly.

 

"You need these times where you can get away from everything that's happening and have something that uplifts your spirit and makes you feel you're alive."

 

For someone who has sung in choirs before, he was also full of praise for Cath's gift as a choir leader.

 

"Cath has a very outgoing personality," he said. "She inspires you to try harder."

 

Rather than lowering expectations for beginners, Mike felt she gently lifted everyone's confidence until the whole room found its voice together.

 

"It's probably the best experience I've ever had with someone directing a choir."

 

That's a big statement from someone with years of musical experience.

 

Before we finished chatting, I asked Mike whether he'd come back.

His answer was immediate.

 

"It was such a great experience," he said. "I'd like to do it again."

So, if you've been sitting on the fence wondering whether the August workshop might be for you, perhaps Mike has already answered the question.

 

You don't have to be a great singer.

 

You just have to be willing to spend a day doing something that might leave you waking up the next morning feeling... exhilarated.

 

The next Coochie Sings Choral Workshop will be held on Saturday 9 August. Whether you've sung in choirs for years or only in the shower, you'll be warmly welcomed.

Want to join us?