Who We Are
Harmonies to Learn Before Your Session
Harmonies to Learn Before Your Session
The world’s biggest backing group! We are an inclusive community of people from around the world, of all ages, coming together to create & feel harmony through singing… for those who can sing and especially for those who think they can’t! We sing a lot of reggae – perfect as a learning genre with its extra space and great rhythm- and we also sing other styles – all with one thing in common, they all have uplifting, easy-to-learn backing harmonies!
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact us to get your first session free as a taster.
To buy tickets, click HERE to go to our booking app.
Next click the ‘BOOK’ button on the session you would like to join.
Fill in your details, then you will be taken through Paypal, to pay £5. You will receive a confirmation email containing the Zoom link that gives you access to our fab fun session and a reminder email 1 day before. If you do not receive an email, or have any problems with booking, contact us on the menu link at the top of this page.
Once you have booked and paid, do the following: If this is the FIRST time you’ve bought a ticket: – Click the ‘Log In’ link in the header bar. You will see the ‘Sign Up’ form to create a private account to access the ‘Harmonies & Lyrics’. – Fill in your email (the same as you used to purchase your ticket) and create a password. Keep these details safe, you will need them for any future sessions you join. – Once logged in, click your name in the header bar and go to ‘Harmonies & Lyrics’ on the dropdown menu. If you are a RETURNING customer: – Click the ‘Log In’ link in the header bar. You will see the ‘Sign Up’ form. Then… – Click ‘Log In’ and fill in your email (make sure it is the same as used to purchase your ticket) and password used previously. If you can’t remember your password, use the ‘Forgot password’ link. – Once logged in, click your name in the header bar and go to ‘Harmonies & Lyrics’ on the dropdown menu.
The ‘Harmonies & Lyrics’ page contains all the harmonies and lyrics (as downloads) for you to learn before the session.
PLEASE PLAN some practice time before the rehearsal! You will get a lot more out of it and this hugely enhances your pitch and timing learning! Have the lyrics ready for each session by either writing them out, or printing on the back of an old bill to save paper. Most of them can be learned easily too!
Turn up on the night and sing with us!
Your first session is free. If you would like to join us and experience a Rooterz session, please email ali@alicamerondaw.com
Currently, sessions are £5 paid through Paypal.
If this is the FIRST time you’ve bought a ticket:
Click the ‘Log In’ link in the header bar. You will see the ‘Sign Up’ form to create a private account to access the ‘Harmonies & Lyrics’.
Fill in your email (the same as you used to purchase your ticket) and create a password. Keep these details safe, you will need them for any future sessions you join.
Once logged in, click your name in the header bar and go to ‘Harmonies & Lyrics’ on the dropdown menu.
If you are a RETURNING customer:
Click the ‘Log In’ link in the header bar. You will see the ‘Sign Up’ form. Click ‘Log In’ and fill in your email (make sure it is the same as used to purchase your ticket) and password used previously. If you can’t remember your password, use the ‘Forgot password’ link.
Once logged in, click your name in the header bar and go to ‘Harmonies & Lyrics’ on the dropdown menu.
People only say this because either someone else has made you believe it, usually when you were very young, or you’ve had a negative reaction to your singing in the past that made you (understandably!) just STOP! Singing is as important as talking, and comes from a very private part of us, so it’s no wonder people recoil and shut down when they’re told they can’t sing. Don’t let others’ insensitive comments stop you any longer… you deserve to feel the joy of true self-expression!
Through my teaching over 30 years, I truly understand the accompanying fear that arises when people start to do something they’ve been denied for a a long time. Please trust in my ability to help you believe you can! I have been teaching so-called 'non-singers’ to sing, eventually with confidence, great tuning, and joy… who become a confident part of the Giant Sequoia gigs. Why not try joining us for one session to see how you feel?… although it’s more effective if you can join us for at least 2 or 3 sessions-that way YOU will get chance to experience your own improvement-and you'll wonderfully pleased! Read more on my blog post HERE.
Give Yourself the BEST chance to sing!
When you’re starting to sing again, it can feel very exposing. We DO understand how vital it is that all singers, especially those starting again, have positive SUPPORT from those around them… so we’ve designed ‘The Rooterz PACT’…especially for during Covid when we can’t get out as much. You could sing in your car if you have one, but then you’ll miss out on some great posture and breathing techniques that will definitely help strengthen your voice.
If you feel scared – that's natural. You WILL improve, and that initial fear is just because it's out of your comfort zone, NOT because you can't do it... as with ALL things in life! Treat the fear as your special energy that will translate into focus and learning once you get going. I promise!
Give Yourself the BEST chance with… The Rooterz PACT! Download and print outThe PACTHERE, get it signed by all concerned in your home-including you… it’s a pact after all! Then stick it on the fridge/hang it in the hall... just ensure it goes somewhere visible for all concerned until they GET how important this is!
Although this ‘pact’ has a light-hearted tone, it has a deeply serious, important meaning! When we believe we can’t sing, the VERY LAST THING WE NEED is to hear people around us either making negative comments or covering their ears and/or running screaming from the room!
It’s just going to undermine our confidence at SUCH a crucial time… when we are taking courage to try something that has seemed out of reach for a long time, so it can be particularly damaging at such a vulnerable and sensitive time.
At the start of learning to sing EVERYONE feels vulnerable and exposed, so it’s vital to have good support from those around you! IF you can’t get this, then PLEASE find somewhere private to sing – even if you have to go into the garden, the car, the park, the loft even?!! It’s worth it for you to be able to really let go and express yourself. That way you WILL start to feel the joy unfolding, week by week, as you grow in confidence and ability.
The JOY of using ZOOM (REALLY?!!)
Yes – for all its frustrations (not being able to hear everyone at once is the big one!)… but like millions of online singers, you WILL get used to it – persevere!) Zoom is PERFECT for people starting to sing again. Just because NO-ONE CAN HEAR YOU but YOU! Everyone’s mic has to be switched off on Zoom, in order for you to hear the teacher or speaker fully, but you can still learn just as well, only being able to hear yourself sing, as you CAN also hear the Rooterz backing track and my voice teaching over the top of that, to guide you along every session.
So please make the most of this amazing Zoom life we currently have to live… you’ll soon get used to singing at home… and you’re NEVER on your own when in a Rooterz session.
Keep your (and my!) vision for the future when we WILL ALL BE SINGING TOGETHER ONE DAY… LIVE and with great JOY!
You are very welcome to join each session and keep your privacy by turning off your camera... quite a few Rooterz do that until they have built up their confidence, OR some keep their cameras off just because they might be in bed/hospital/indisposed!! but still want to be part of it all.
On Zoom I use a setting that doesn’t show you’ve even turned up, so the rest of us can’t see a blank space with your name on it as in some Zoom meetings. Just keep your camera off and join us please!
You’ll still be able to see and hear my teaching, hear the backing tracks and see the other Rooterz, so you’ll learn as much as everyone else and have as much fun!
The vital thread running through ALL our Rooterz sessions is that we all have FUN! That doesn't mean that you can't LEARN a lot in each session though! If we're happy and relaxed our brains take in information much easier and you'll be also giving your immune system a huge boost just because you'll FEEEEEEL good! (Check out the scientific info in my blogs too!)
We very much hope so! This project isn't about the band, or Ali (although she is supporting the singing), it's all about YOU in the Rooterz!
Depending on the size of the stage, we always invite as many Rooterz up as we can squeeze on. Sometimes Rooterz are quite happy to sing their hearts out from within the audience – that still sounds really good, especially when those harmonies kick in… real spine-tingling stuff!
Absolutely not! We have many active Rooterz quite happy to sing at home, in the car, the garden, on a walk, the beach...it's a long list! At gigs we invite as many as we can squeeeze onto the stage as possible and a lot of people choose to sing in the crowd, where they can remain anonymous but also feel part of the Rooterz as they know EXACTLY what to sing!...which gives them the joy we're all aiming for!