Singing is not brain surgery…
Posted 2 years, 10 months ago at 3:34 pm. 0 comments
Why do we fear singing incorrect notes/rhythms? Ask a non-professional singer to sight-read & most of them will sing under their breath & very few, if any, pitches will be identifiable. Ask an emerging singer, and you’ll often get the same result. When we are insecure about WHAT to sing, it’s as if we suddenly forget HOW to sing.
Our voice is such a personal instrument that we often play it safe when we’re unsure of what to sing. It’s as if we’re telling ourselves to sing & not sing at the same time. How has that set us up for success? At best, we will achieve a mediocre sound. Often, we will be singing so quietly that even WE can’t tell what we’re doing. If we can’t tell how can we analyze the results & know what needs to be fixed? If we’re singing so quietly our TEACHER can’t hear, then we’re wasting our time & money.
Thus, the analogy – singing is not brain surgery. If you mess up when performing music, what is the ultimate end result? Nothing. In brain surgery, if you have a bad day your patient could end up a vegetable or even dead. If you have a bad day in music, you’ve possibly embarassed yourself, but even then, if singing an amazing piece, you can STILL CHANGE SOMEONE’S LIFE!!
Music can save lives (see http://collaborativepiano.blogspot.com/2009/03/living-music-saving-lives.html). Think about your life, especially wonderful memories, and see if there isn’t some kind of music attached to that memory. Music (you could even say Art) can change lives – I’ve been moved to tears by a particular artist/work/song. I, myself, am unable to watch scary movies (& even some suspense films) because the musical tension builds up in my body & I literally have to leave the room.
The point is this: if you have a bad day singing, it is still possible to move someone. If you have a fabulous day singing, you can effect even more change. Ultimately, there is NO RISK in performing poorly. Of course, we want to perform to our highest possible level, but if we don’t (through whatever reason), we should still give every performance (& practice session!) 110% of our effort & ability. Playing it safe harms no one but ourselves. Sometimes, it can even cause physical vocal problems that will get in the way of our ability to succeed.
Set yourself up for success & perform as if confident of that success. You will find that you have a much higher success rate if every time you open your mouth, you GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO SING. Go forth & enjoy!!
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