The beauty of imperfection in singing
This week I want to talk about imperfection in singing. How do we deal with it and why is it important? Well, every voice is imperfect and perfect at the same time – always.
Some weeks ago I recorded a song for my current music project.
It was far from a perfect day to record my voice! But in a way, it was also a perfect day for it too!
The reality was that that day my body was not feeling free at all. I was quite tense for some personal situations that I had been through the previous days. I was so tense that I started to have a headache.
I wish I could cancel the recording day! But instead, I decided that all I could do was doing my best at that particular moment. And so I did.
Doing the best you can
I took some time to stretch my body and warm up my voice gently before the session. I had a healthy and light breakfast. I made sure that I didn’t speak too much with my friend who went with me to the recording session (well at least I tried).
And… I brought with me plenty of water and my gym ball!
Whenever my body is feeling not so good, sitting on the gym ball helps me to center my posture and find my breathing again.
Imperfection in singing: accepting where you are now
Even though I did all I could, I wasn’t feeling great and my voice wasn’t either. But I was OK with that. Because part of the beauty of being a singer is that our instrument is alive and is dynamic. It changes every day! And every moment. We don’t have a static instrument.
I recorded the song just how I was feeling that particular day and moment, and it felt great.
Giving myself permission to record my voice on a particular day, in a particular moment. Welcoming the uniqueness of that moment and embracing the state of my instrument.
Having a perfect instrument
As singers, our instrument is our whole body. Not only the vocal cords! Having a perfect instrument is a bit like having a perfect body. It does NOT exist. At least not as we think of it. Having a body at all is perfect enough.
You having a body and a voice makes it a perfect instrument already. Chasing “perfection” in the sound is a fantasy. There are no facts about what makes a voice perfect. Only personal opinions, sometimes more widely accepted than other opinions.
Imperfection in singing: learning to play your instrument
Obviously, in your singing training, you learn to “play” your instrument and develop it, and you gain quite a bit of control over it. There are things you can control (your thoughts, your posture, your breathing, your technique) if you train yourself to do it (this is where singing lessons play an important role).
But there are things you can’t control as well, and the sooner you accept that the better you will be able to deal with them.
When circumstances (emotions, weather, sickness, etc) fail to help your instrument be in optimal condition, you have tools to do the best you can at that moment (your vocal technique!) to find the beauty of imperfection in singing.
When imperfection becomes perfect
Allowing yourself to welcome and embrace your instrument in its current state, paradoxically improves your singing. People connect with you better when you are true to what you are feeling. Plus, it connects you with the present moment instead of making you wander around with your thoughts mindlessly – which disconnects you from your body and from your voice.
When good technique and honest performance come together, the result is always magic. It always feels magic TO YOU. The rest of the people? They will always all have different opinions regardless of how any singer sounds. And that is OK 🙂 opinions are not facts. The right people will connect with you.
Imperfection in singing: how to sing the best you can TODAY
- Tune your body to sing so you get in contact with the present state of your instrument
- Warm-up your voice accordingly
- Practice / perform / record embracing your present moment and giving the best you can at that particular moment.
Summarizing
Imperfection in singing is perfect. Part of the beauty of our instrument is that it is human and we don’t have full control of it from our intellectual mind. But we do have tools to guide our voice better for a freer expression. Practice your instrument regularly and consistently to build a strong technique. Accept your present moment and flow with it, doing the best you can with the tools you have. This is a recipe that will allow you to sound your best and most important, to have fun with your music!
Learn to sing the holistic way in North Shore, Auckland (NZ), or online through zoom 🙂
We have singing lessons available in Auckland for adults, teens and kids. Group singing lessons in Auckland for adults 🙂
Areas: Glenfield – Unsworth Heights
I help people to develop their voice and singing from a holistic approach. I teach vocal lessons in person in Auckland, NZ, and online. Also stay tuned for my new online singing programs!❤️
My greatest passion has always been the voice, music and energy arts.
My personal and artistic journey has led me to understand that the voice and the body are fully connected, and that includes not only the physical body but also the mental, emotional and spiritual body.
Through holistic vocal training you not only learn to become a great singer while taking care of your voice, but you also improve your mental and physical wellbeing❤️
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