I Wish I Could Sing!
I think everybody should make music, period.
- Kassa Overall, musician/drummer
Are you one of those people who thinks “I suck at singing”? Do you get nervous when a group of people start spontaneously singing or when a crowd you’re in begins the Happy Birthday song? Maybe you even try to redirect plans when friends suggest going to karaoke because you’re convinced you’re done deaf? Being a professional vocalist I’ve heard many voice confessions such as these.
Often when I meet people for the first time and tell them what I do, the response is “Ah! I wish I could sing!” And of course I reply “You can!” which I’m sure the person thinks I’m saying to humor them, but I’m not. I know it from lived experience. Anyone who can make an audible/vocalized sound, can sing. One of the biggest challenges is that people learn at different rates and often voice teachers teach to specific levels.
A lot of the students who come to me are beginners and or people who once sang and now want to bring singing and music back into their lives. Why? They want to feed their joy, express themselves creatively, they’re in a choir and want to improve for themselves and the group, someone told them they have a good voice, they want to experience the impact that awakening their voice will have on their larger life, they have been longing to sing and have no other rational reason besides that. As far as I’m concerned these are all great reasons! You don’t have to want to be a professional singer to study singing. You can start learning how to sing to open your heart, connect with others through music, to exercise your brain and your breath, and just to learn something new.
So trust your instincts because music won’t steer you strong. The next time your inner child tugs on your shirt asking to sing, say yes. I have the perfect invitation for you to join as well. Next month on Wednesday, February 4th, at 6:30pm EST I will be offering my regular monthly vocal warmup, Vocal Gym, for sounders and singers at a new time. I hope to see you there!