A lot of great advice here. One thing not mentioned (unless I'm blind, of course) is too not be overly critical of yourself. Yes, you want to listen to yourself for technique so you can clear up the clinkers but don't over do it. We can be our worst critics. I hate to hear my recorded voice. I think it stinks. Yet people constantly will compliment me on my singing. I've learned to take their word for it and just enjoy myself. I still have a herd of butterflies thundering through my stomach before I sing but once I get those first few notes out, they settle down to calmly graze and let me cut loose.

Something else that may inhibit people is getting too used to singing amplified. Almost all my singing is at small Renaissance Festivals where the stages are unamplified. Often, one doean't even perform on a stage. One has to belt it out to be heard. On the rare occasions in the past when an amplified band has asked me to join them in a song, since there was no time for the "engineer" to adjust levels for me, I've found I've had to hold back to keep from coming on too strong. Doing so takes some of the life out of my singing.

Jeannie