“Sing badly with confidence.”
That was the advice I got today at my 5th singing lesson. I had to do a double take on that one with my instructor.
This lesson was an interesting one today and was one lesson that convinced me to continue renewing my vocal lessons.
We worked on scales and yelling today which was therapeutic and odd at the same time. Everyone should set some time aside to yell each day.
It feels really good.
“If you’re going to sound bad, sing it with confidence. You’ll feel better that way.”
He also gave me a new perspective on how to deal with my fear of karaoke.
Singing is intimate, it’s personal. Because you’re using your body and voice as an instrument. With any other instrument you can hide behind the keys or strings. But with voice you are the instrument that you control.
No shit. Tell me something I don’t know about my fear or karaoke.
My instructor continues with his philosophical lesson.
When you use your body as an instrument, you feel naked and vulnerable on stage.
Right. I get that. He continues on.
But you have the power to control your vulnerability. YOU don’t have to stand naked on the stage and offer up your vulnerability to the audience. Look at your singing as a way to present yourself, your voice to the audience and a way to present YOUR version of the song. You’re not going to sing your song like the original performer, you’re going to present the song in your interpretation. You will sing your own interpretation of the song.
Ok. Tell me more.
When you sing your version of the song, you OWN that version of the song. NO ONE else will sing that song the way that YOU do. And magically, no one can take that version of the song away from you. You own that version and you get to present it on stage and leave it there.
Wow.
I hadn’t thought about it that way.
But easier said than done right?
So that’s where we left the lesson. A half an hour of broken scales, some yelling and a new perspective on how to sing and overcome this damn fear.
Joy, Love & Wanders 