How The Art of Practice Can Transform Your Singing Progress

Today, I’m excited to share a great resource I found: The Art of Practice. This short e-book completely changed how I look at practicing, and I believe it can do the same for you. As someone obsessed with effective practice, I want to help you get the most from every minute you spend training your voice. After all, time is precious — let’s use it wisely!

Why You Might Be Practicing the Wrong Way

The author of The Art of Practice was a Cirque du Soleil performer who didn’t actually start out as a “natural.” He struggled, failed, and had to push through plenty of embarrassing moments before reaching world-class skill.

Curious about what made talented performers so different, he started studying them — and found that their approach to practice was worlds apart from most people’s.

One of the biggest ideas in the book is that most of us repeat 99% of the same things every day. Our thoughts work that way, and so does our practice. That’s why many singers see big progress at the beginning of their training, but later hit a plateau.

If you only repeat what you already know, your growth will slow down. You might only improve 1% each time — if that.

The Secret of Natural Performers

Another incredible insight from the book is about motivation. Most singers, like most people, practice from a place of fear — subconsciously focused on not losing what they already know. This might look like repeating the same warm-ups or vocal exercises every day just to maintain your voice.

But high-level, natural performers practice from a place of gain. They stay motivated by curiosity and a desire to explore new skills, even if they have to sound bad for a while.

That takes courage — but it’s the path to real growth.

Restructuring Your Singing Practice

One more powerful takeaway was about when you tackle the hardest parts of your practice. Many singers save the tricky stuff for the end of their sessions, but that’s exactly when their energy and focus are lowest.

Instead, start your practice with your high-value energy. After a smart, efficient warm-up, dive straight into your most challenging skills. That’s the best time for your brain and body to learn.

In my holistic singing lessons, I often encourage students to split their practice across the day. You can do a full warm-up once, and then revisit skills in shorter sessions later without repeating the entire warm-up each time. That way, your voice stays primed, and you stay engaged.

Bringing It All Together

The Art of Practice is a must-read for anyone serious about growing their skills, whether you’re learning to juggle or mastering your singing voice. It’s made me rethink my own functional voice training strategies and inspired me to bring even more effective practice tools to my students.

If you’re passionate about singing and want to learn with a healthy, joyful, and evidence-based approach, I’d love to help. I offer singing lessons in Auckland as well as singing lessons online so you can train your voice wherever you are in the world.