The Soul of the Voice

Greetings all! Sorry for being MIA these few weeks - but I’m back!

I’ve been thinking about this for awhile, and did a IG Live asking these questions last week:

How do we get to the soul of the voice?

I am not saying I have the answers, and perhaps having the answers isn’t the point: but I do have the questions and the exploration!

We are told what we should sing, what we shouldn’t sing; we are told what is best for an audition, and what isn’t. We are told what roles, types, fachs we should be considering. We are told what to do and what not to do.

But what if we sang for the sheer JOY of singing something that we LOVE to sing?!

So, as you sit here, think of ONE song you love to sing or would love to sing, just for the sake of singing it: alone in your shower, at the piano, while you stand in your bedroom or living room, while you are in the car.

NO VALUE JUDGEMENT.

What is that song?

That’s your homework this week. Find that song and SING it.

Notice the resistance to make an excuse, or to create a disclosure…or are you one of the lucky ones who doesn’t feel you need to explain why you want to sing something that you might not normally be singing?

This song (and subsequently, many more songs) don’t need to be for any other reason than you love to sing it.

What gives you joy?

It doesn’t have to do with the style or genre you are pursuing.

You don’t need to sing it “well”.

It doesn’t have to be your fach, your type, your gender.

It doesn’t have to be difficult. Or easy. Or ANYTHING. It simply needs to excite you, inspire you, move you, and get you singing and excited TO sing.

As you find that song, or those songs, then you can begin to ask the questions: What excites me about this? Why do I love to sing this?

The answers may be general or specific, but they will reveal something huge: the soul fo your voice.

Claiming that soul fully isn’t always easy. In fact, I dare say it takes a lifetime.

Yes, have your binder of current repertoire you are working on. Have your binder of audition cuts, audition arias, callback materials.

AND, have a binder of the songs you love to sing, for the simple reason: because I love to sing them.

Explore! Experiment! Laugh! Cry! Roll your eyes! And sing it anyway.

Your soul will thank you. Your voice will thank you.

with fondness & fierceness,