The Number 1 Roadblock To Freeing Your Voice

​​Most people feel like there’s something that needs to be fixed or improved when it comes to their voices and singing. I speak to dancers, musical theater singers from high school, choir singers, songwriters, Yoga teachers and healers who all want to better understand their voices. They all feel there’s something that they aren’t fully getting when it comes to singing and fully expressing themselves.

I always encourage people of all walks of life to start with Somatic Voicework, the LoVetri Method because it is healthy vocal technique for any style of music. Plus I believe everyone ought to try taking some voice lessons to see how it impacts your art, work, and personal life.

However, aside from vocal technique to learn how your voice works and what exercises you need to consistently do to strengthen your voice, one of the biggest roadblocks I see people have with singing is giving themselves permission to sing. Even when I have students in a private lesson it can take time to get accustomed to freeing your voice. Oftentimes you’re being asked to make more sound and unusual sounds than you would in your everyday life. Most people don’t use the full range of their voices and movement day to day. So rather than expecting to sound louder, stronger, squeakier, shakier than in their everyday life, people expect their voices to behave as they normally express themselves. This is a funny conundrum since you are engaging in a new activity and expecting an old result. Instead when entering a voices lesson, I suggest one go in expecting to discover something new about yourself. To hear more than you have in the past and or to feel differently as a result.

We admire great singers but many people also often fear the sound of their voices. I invite you to go meet your voice. Play with your voice so you can rewrite your story with your voice. Part of the breakthrough to your voice comes from allowing yourself to do a vulnerable thing and let it take you to greater places in your life and your art.

Next week I’ll be offering my monthly online vocal warm up, Vocal Gym, if you want to dip your toes in the water of sound making and movement. Hope to see you there!