FIND YOUR VOICE

A topic I have found myself referring to with singers a lot lately, has been the early part of "my" singing and teaching journey. So I thought I would share some of "my" experiences with you in this blog, and hope that it may encourage you.

I have always been a shy and quiet person, and always loved singing. My Dad is a singer, and my sisters grew up wanting to sing and perform like him. As a teenager, something that was a very big struggle however, was not being allowed to have an opinion about most things, nor being allowed to express it.

This made the start of my singing lessons, a very interesting 30 min sessions, for my vocal coach, Danny Stone.

I never started lessons, wanting to be a performer or in the limelight. To be the centre of attention was just not who I was. I always thought to be a "good" performer", I had to be someone like Danny. eg Bubbly, chatting, joking, full of laughs and lots of movement. If that is what it took to be good on stage, you could count me out.

As I did my practise at home, Dad would come in the room and to tell me his opinion on what I was doing wrong. This then made singing in front of Danny, (my coach at that time), even harder, as I was constantly waiting for him to criticize me, tell me what I was doing wrong or judge me.

You can imagine the obstacles that this presented.

Danny tells me now about how "quiet" I used to be. He had to have the music very soft, because he could "barely hear me". Thanks to Danny's constant patience and encouragement, my general vocal skills developed, eg my breathing control, tonal control, range etc. He likened my voice to "Karen Carpenter" and would tell me that I

didn't have to be a "loud singer" to be a "good singer".

With time, I eventually gained the confidence to participate in my first few performances. I remember standing with both feet planted in the one spot on the stage, the mic was in one hand and my head titled to the side. I dare say, I wasn't very entertaining to watch. Never wanting to perform anyway, this proved to me that I'm clearly not good at it.

Hmmm.... doesn't see me with a bright singing future?!

In the early days of my "teacher training", we had a performance coach working with Danny Stone Voice Production. She said something to me, that made the way I thought of performing, change dramatically.

"All you have to do is be yourself", she said.

It was about this time that Danny and I were talking about "song interpretations" and how to teach it. He would ask me to write a few lines next to the song words, about what "I" thought my songs were about. Being guided by what the "song words" were saying, and how they made me feel, became a way for me to start expressing "my point of view".

I was finally in a place, where I was "accepted" for just being myself. I was encouraged to be me, and I was "allowed" to express my thoughts and feelings, without being judged or criticised for it.

What a difference to what I had been shown all my life?!

With these 2 tools, they became massive turning points in my performance and my singing. They helped me to "discover" my voice.

From such humble beginnings, of being told what I am doing wrong, to now being able to:

- Sing stronger than many "strong" singers.

- Sing songs I never thought I could or would.

- Sing duets and trios with amazing singers, with complicated harmonies

- Sing in a 15 piece harmony ensemble

- Participate in workshops with world renowned vocal coaches and singers

- Perform at in-house concerts, corporate and private functions, community events

- Be a senior voice coach at Danny Stone Voice Production

- Record and produce EP's and albums

This has come together with a lot of hard work, practise, determination, patience and perseverance. It has always been my love of "singing" that has motivated to get me here. If I relied on how I felt or how I sounded, I wouldn't be here now.

If you love singing, but have

- been told you can't sing,

- worry what people may think etc,

I can tell you from experience, that these obstacles are possible to overcome, if "you" want too. With your coach in your corner, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.