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...when was the last time you went to see a band or musician you'd never heard of?

I think sometimes we get a bit too caught up in only going to see artists we already know.

Some of the best gigs I've been to have been when I've had absolutely no idea who was playing. You turn up, hear some brilliant music, have a chat with the musicians afterwards and maybe even go home with a CD or two!

It's one of the reasons Paul and I wanted to start our Acoustic Showcase & Open Mic nights.

We want to give original artists somewhere to play their music, but we also want to encourage people to come along and actually listen. Discover someone new, support a local musician and enjoy a bit of live music.

I've been busy sorting through songs and getting everything ready for Tuesday. There are some absolute classics on the list, so I'm expecting plenty of enthusiastic singing!

If you've not been to one of our Sing for Your Supper evenings before, it's all very relaxed. We sing together as a group, have some supper and enjoy a bit of live music. Ray will be joining us as our guest singer this month too.

You don't need to be an experienced singer, you won't be asked to sing on your own, and you certainly don't need to worry about getting everything right. I'll guide everyone through the songs and harmonies.

We're at The Chequers in Barley on Tuesday 3rd November, with doors opening at 6.30pm.

If you fancy joining us, you can find the booking details on the Layston Music events page.

One thing I say quite a lot in lessons is that we don't all learn music in the same way.

Some people like having the music written down in front of them. Others need to hear it first, sing it, tap it out or just have a go and see what happens.

Sometimes we end up drawing things, making up silly ways to remember stuff, or pulling a piece of music apart to work out what's actually going on.

I've never really seen the point in insisting everyone learns the same way. It's about finding what works for the person sitting in front of me.

And sometimes we just need to slow things down a bit.

If someone is struggling with something, there's no point in pushing on just for the sake of it. Sometimes we need to break it down into smaller bits, try a different approach or just…

You don’t have to understand every bit of science behind the voice to enjoy singing, but it’s lovely when something suddenly does makes sense.

Why does that note feel easier one day than another? What are you actually doing when you change registers? Why does a warm-up help?

That’s the sort of thing I like exploring in The Vocal Lounge. It’s a space to ask questions, try things out and be a bit curious about your own voice, rather than worrying about whether you sound impressive.

If there’s a singing question you’d like me to cover in a future session, send it my way.

I thought I'd explain a bit more about Sing for Your Supper, especially for anyone who hasn't been before.

First of all, you don't need to be a singer!

I know that probably sounds a bit odd for an event with singing in the name, but that's sort of the point.

It's about enjoying music together, not being judged on how well you sing.

We start with some gentle vocal exercises and learn a song together. Then we have supper, enjoy some live music from our guest vocalist and finish with a big group singalong.

You won't be handed a microphone and told to perform a Celine Dion solo. I promise!

Don’t wait until you’ve got someone to go with.

I know it can feel a bit awkward turning up to something on your own, especially when you don’t know anybody.

But one of the things I want Sing for Your Supper to be is somewhere people can come along, have a sing, share some food and meet others who enjoy the same things.

You don’t have to sing on your own. You don’t have to be an experienced singer. And you certainly don’t have to turn up with a ready-made group of friends.

I’ll make sure you’ve got people to sit with.

Our next night is Ultimate Power Ballads on Tuesday 3rd November at The Chequers, Barley.