I’ve been enjoying digging into my all-time favorite TV show, The Muppet Show, since it was recently made available on Disney Plus. One of my favorite parts of the show is this:
Everyone sings.
Every cast member sings; they aren’t all singers. But they all sing – in harmony, in a wide repertoire of songs including Broadway, British Music Hall, folk, rock, and classical. They don’t always sound beautiful, but they always sing.
Almost every guest sings, including those not known as singers – Christopher Reeve, Linda Carter, Alan Arkin, even Mark Hamill! They all sing as part of their guest appearance.
What I love about it is this: singing is part of being human. The Muppet Show recognizes that singing and music are vital parts of life, and places them front and center in performance.
It’s not important that it isn’t always perfectly in tune, or the most musical phrasing, or the most beautiful tone; what’s important is that music and singing are what make us human. (Or, what makes us muppets.)
In fact, I think it’s better for not being perfect. It’s approachable. It models the idea that we can all make singing part of our lives.