Who do you sing for?

Most people get vocal coaching because they want to progress in some area of their singing. They have varying goals, but mostly it's about becoming a better singer. But what does that mean? How do you measure progress in developing your voice?

Perhaps it’s in easily identifiable quantitive measurements such as range or stamina? After all we can easily tell if we can sing higher or longer. Perhaps it’s the internal measurements of increased confidence and less performance anxiety? Perhaps it’s about the pure enjoyment we get from our voice; those moments when everything just falls into place and a seemingly effortless sound emerges?

But what if we measured our progress by the impact our voice has on other people; the way it makes them feel, the change it makes to their lives?

Could it be that it’s not one or the other? Could it be that progress is measure in all these ways?

With both my private clients and Academy members they don’t always recognise the huge changes they have made. After all we live with ourselves day-in-day out and aren’t always aware of the daily incremental changes that are occurring.

But others do notice!

Last night I had the joy of listening to multiple Academy members sing in our monthly Masterclass. Without exception they had all made significant progress. There’s been a leap forward for them this month. And they’ve all been noticing it in each other and themselves. This is one of the things I love most about the Academy; the way the members support and celebrate each other!

I have also received emails from parents expressing their delight in the noticeable and measurable progress their children have made. Other clients have also shared the feedback they have been getting from their audiences.

But in the midst of it all its the impact changed voices are having on the lives of listeners that is almost more exciting.

The ability to effectively communicate intention, to move the heart of another person. To paint vivid pictures and transport listeners to places words alone cannot.

Learning to coach

When I first started coaching I used to focus on technique alone. This got results. People improved. But performance anxiety was holding many back. So I developed my coaching skills in this area.

Then I noticed that while singers were becoming technically brilliant and overcoming their fears some performances were flat, they lacked life and a sense of purpose or authenticity. And so I began working with clients on digging deeper into their story, their “why”, their intention and the intention of the songwriter. Suddenly performances started to come alive. This is where technique serves performance craft!

But as we explored authenticity, communication and intention we were led inexorably to the conclusion that unless singing is about positively impacting the life of someone else the singer can remain locked in a narrow place with little effectiveness. It becomes a narcissistic exercise whereby a singer uses the audiences time to feel better about themselves rather than 'spending' their own time and energy to improve the life of the audience member.

What a turn around!

You see, while we all have life goals for ourselves, few singers think of the goal of having singing lessons as increasing their ability to maximise their positive impact on the lives of others. And yet, if singing is about anything surely it’s about that? After all, unless we’re only ever going to sing to ourselves in the bathroom or to the cat, other people at some point are going to hear us. Wouldn’t it be incredible to think that each time we sing we have the opportunity to improve the life of another human being rather than do it for their applause?

Here’s the secret: if we do it to improve the lives of others the applause will follow but the greater prize will be the knowledge that someone’s life is better. But if we do it for the applause it will always feel hollow, like due wages for a job, rather than the overflow of a thankful heart.

So, why do you do what you do?