What good and healthy singing feels like...

Hi all...
For some reason I just came up with the idea of writing this article. It is not a technical overview of the process of singing, but more a log of personal opinions and experiences I've had with singing. I believe that it is a relief once in a while for a singer in training to veer off the overly technical mind. I am not suggesting that you should abandon your job as a singer to learn the most about how the voice works and train it to be an instrument that is reflective enough to respond to thought without anything getting in the way of the process. That said, here is what I believe:

Good and healthy singing feels physically, mentally and emotionally stimulating. Good singing feels just like that, good. There is absolutely no pain involved. This type of singing comes from the magic of allowing the voice to sing itself and not making it do what we want, but letting it do what it wants to do! In other words, the best singing comes from NOT trying too hard. If you are trying to hard you might want to reconsider your technique or approach to singing because you are not doing the most important thing in art: TRUSTING YOURSELF.

Trust is a very big thing in good singing... and I don't mean the trust that says "This high note will come out" but the trust that doesn't say anything, the trust that goes directly to where it wants to go... the relaxed, free and natural way. Learning to sing well is in my opinion synonymous to learning how to trust your voice. Again, if you trust your voice you will not force it, you will allow it to flow out of you.

It takes time getting there, and patience is an invaluable quality for the singer, impatience leads to getting ahead of oneself... meaning that you will reveal your limitations by forcing yourself beyond them. Do only what you can, because what you can't do, you can't do no matter what. Your voice can do more things than you know, the trick is to discover those things by exploring your true voice. Your true voice is the one that sounds like you and not like somebody else! Imitation is a very limiting practice for a singer. It takes time to find your true voice, but don't forget that this is the main task of the good singer -- no faking allowed. Nobody likes fake people. Faking your voice is offending. Be yourself... it's the only way to be unique.

When you vocalize I suggest you start out with what feels easy and free... then as you challenge yourself a bit more make sure it feels just like those free and easy sounds.

As you are singing DO NOT LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE... the way it feels inside is far more important that the way it sounds to you! Once you hear a sound it has already been produced and if you listen to yourself you will attempt to manipulate it and get in the habit of trying. Focus on the feeling, both physical and emotional that you are experiencing, that way you will get out of your own way and allow your artistic message to flow naturally: without interfering. If you think you sound horrible let it be! Being yourself is more important than sounding like you would like to sound. What the audience wants from a singer is not to hear how good he sounds, but how he feels about what he is singing. Not how he feels about his sound, but how he feels about the message he is delivering. Stop trying to impress people, bragging is unimpressive to say the least. Doing with no pretense is brave and very admired by the audience. If you allow the audience to see that you were born to sing the song you're singing, that everything that is coming out of your mouth is exactly what you intended to achieve they will listen to your message and will connect with it.

I'm done with this... I've just discovered many thing that I thought I should share with you fellow singers!

Keep singing!