Examining & Redefining Your Singing Goals by Pro Voice Coach Susan Anders

Out with friends at a club one night a singer has an epiphany: what she wants more than anything is to be the next Janis Joplin. Unfortunately, she just spent five years learning arias with a classical voice teacher, developing her richest, highest tones. Her sweet, clear soprano voice won't cut it as a blues singer, and she knows nothing about belting, improvising riffs or working on stage with a rock band. Some of what she's learned in her classical studies might cross over, but she wishes she'd thought about where she was headed as a singer before devoting all those years exclusively to opera.

It's important to know what your singing goals are. I don't mean technical goals like increasing your range or improving your tone, though they are also important. What I mean is, when you daydream about singing, what and where are you singing? There are many directions a singer can go, and the sooner you know what your goals are, the better you can direct your energies towards achieving them.
Try that daydream right now. Relax, close your eyes, and imagine that you are singing a song you love, having a wonderful time. Try to suspend all judgments like "I'm too old" or "I'll never be good enough to do that". If you can't conjure up a scene that feels right, then imagine yourself in several different situations, taking note of which one seems like the most fun. Imagine yourself, for example, belting out the lead in a Broadway musical, wailing with a rousing gospel choir, laying down tracks in a recording studio, fronting a rock band in an amphitheater, or accompanying yourself on guitar at a coffeehouse.
After you've dreamed up a singing situation that feels right, ask yourself the following questions:

* What style of music were you singing? Is that the style you love the most?
* Were you singing alone or with others?
* How were you dressed? Blue jeans? Evening attire? Leather?
* Where were you? An amphitheater? A church? How about the audience, were they sitting attentively? Dancing, screaming and storming the stage?
* What kind of accompaniment did you have?

All these questions are to help you define the style of music and the context in which you want to sing that style.

Once you've pinned down a singing goal that feels right, it's time to ask yourself some harder questions:

* Is your voice right for this style? If not, could you make it right with vocal studies? A reputable voice teacher can give you a decent opinion as to what you might realistically attain with training. If you can afford it, get opinions from several professionals. A friend of mine who is currently headlining throughout Australia was told by a teacher that she had no singing talent at all, and a student that I didn't expect much from got herself a record deal within a year of her first lesson! If you do consult a teacher, ask them beforehand if they can teach you what you need to know. Don't study with an opera teacher to learn jazz phrasing; don't go to a blues teacher to prepare for musical theater auditions.
If your voice truly isn't right for the style of music you love, you have several options. You can say to hell with the odds and go for your goal anyway. The world is filled with successful singers who have atypical voices--Neil Young and Macy Gray come to mind. Or, you can modify your goal slightly. For instance, if your voice isn't strong enough to lead a rock band, it might still be good enough to be a back-up singer. You could also make a slight style shift: maybe you don't have the volume and power to sing lead in a Broadway show, but your acting skills and smaller "character" voice could work great in cabaret. Blossom Dearie is a good example....

To finish reading this article, please download the full Winter/Spring 2008 ezine.

How to Sing Well... Even When Your Yen & Yang are Fighting

There are days when there is no stopping me. You know, when my yen and yang feel perfectly balanced, my energy is limitless and I’m superhero productive throughout the day. On those days answering an email, texting a message, talking on the phone, cooking supper and cleaning the house… all at the same time…is a piece of cake.. And to make things even better, that multi-tasking ability miraculously transfers to my singing. My body and brain come harmoniously together and subconsciously do what they learned in practice, leaving me free to truly express myself through the artform. Yes! A fleeting moment of musical utopia!

But then … there are days when I truly cannot walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. Hello? Is this some sort of cosmic cruel joke? Do the stars need to be realigned? I know you feel my pain because students all over the world email me this question every day. Probably because it is sadly true that on those days singing is a bit more challenging. Why? Because singing requires quite a multi-tasking balancing ability and when something is just a little out of balance or off the job (like a car with a flat tire) the game changes.

When this happens during individual practice time, many singers just turn off the light and hope for better luck next time. Been there, done that. What I didn’t realize as a young singer is that those “off” days provide the most valuable practice time. Don’t throw those away anymore. Learn to use them to your advantage. I mean, let’s face it. You probably don’t need practice on how to sing at your best when everything is falling together naturally….it’s already falling together naturally. But what about those days when everything is falling apart?

First, let’s make this a little less personal. Let’s pretend that our body/instrument is a car. We are going to listen to our singing voice like a mechanic listens to a running engine. Our goal is to have a perfectly tuned up machine, one that will give us our best ride and the best gas mileage….. or the best sound, created with the least amount of effort....

To finish reading this article, please download the full Winter/Spring 2008 ezine.

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