Think, Sing!

Did you know that you have brain power as a singer?

This is one of those topics that may initially be somewhat confronting for us. As singers we can be so caught up in the external world - our bodies, appearance, people’s reactions to our voices, comparing ourselves to other singers, analysing our sound,  personal judgement and so on.

The great Bel Canto singers and teachers such as Australian Soprano Nellie Melba and the Italian singing teacher Giovanni Battista Lamperti, knew that the mind is an important part of vocal excellence.

We tend to rely heavily on our physical training, exercises, warms ups, and so on, but we should remember that as human beings we are not only made of flesh and bone! We are not robots or machines. In my opinion and experience we should also integrate the mental and spiritual parts of ourselves to prepare our bodies and internal musculature for singing.

The brain is extraordinarily influential in singing. We can allow our sound to be produced through our thoughts, while also preparing ourselves physically, rather than making it happen out of force. This became so much more obvious to me when I studied Bel Canto with my teacher. The only caveat, however, is to not overly micromanage or overthink the process.

So can we successfully do this without becoming anxious or complicating our singing? We certainly do not want to kill off our joy for singing!

This is not about having a random, wishful, positive thought thrown out to the wind. We intentionally focus on what we hear and then aim to reproduce that sound accurately, on pitch. Our brain and body will take care of it. Our thoughts can aid us as we gently and consistently repeat this whether we are a beginner or an experienced singer. Part of forming new habits involves rewiring our neural pathways. On top of this we also have our emotions to consider (including past experiences and traumas).

You see, it involves genuinely trusting yourself and your brain to help you do what you already know how to do - sing! Just look at babies and children who sing so effortlessly, with endearing abandon! They can hear many songs and go for it no matter what they sound like! They try and try again. We need to remember that we were also once like this. Allow your mind to take you back to that time.

It might sound a bit “out there” but it actually works! The key is to keep an open mind and believe  that we are all created to naturally amplify our sound - like a guitar or other naturally resonating acoustic instrument. We just need to use consistent, gentle repetition until it becomes an automatic part of us and our muscle memory.

The power of suggestion - hearing and then implementing what your teacher requests of you during a lesson and/or talking to yourself as you rehearse independently - is also something I personally experienced. In amazement, whenever I was asked to try an exercise, game, or other activity, my body and voice automatically responded positively. I was so motivated to learn more about Bel Canto and keep improving that it worked like magic right away! I also trusted my teacher and the excellent reputation that the Bel Canto method had throughout history.

But what, you may ask, if it still goes ‘wrong’? What if the sound you hear (i.e. the note in your head or played on a piano / other instrument) does not match what comes out of your mouth? By all means keep trying! Go back, listen to the note and prepare yourself mentally and physically (i.e. rely on your technique, posture, internal alignment, open space, support, breath, etc.). Do not give up! Repeat the exercise gently. Let go of any skepticism or tension - don’t fight it. Take care of yourself and do not beat yourself up if it does not happen right away. If you have a singing teacher, ask them for guidance - that is what you are paying them to do.

Try this with your singing teacher, if you have one, or when practising a song or a few notes like I did in my Think, Sing! video. This exercise is also great for ear training!

Until next time, tap into that brilliant brain of yours, notice your thoughts, and always remember to…

Be Free To Sing,

Yvonne

P.S. If you would like to work on your voice with me register for a lesson and/or contact me for a Free Discovery Consultation today. I would be more than happy to help you!