Sing like you’ve never been shushed

A TV commercial for Universal Orlando Resort’s roller coasters and theme park rides had a tag line, “SCREAM like you’ve never been shushed!” This is good advice for singers, too. If you’ve even been told you are “too loud” or you “don’t blend”, or worst of all, “just mouth the words”,  this is for you. I’m particularly talking to my adult voice students.

Singing is a natural, energetic release of sound and emotion. When someone from your present or past (director, parent, teacher) tells you to pipe down, it is easy to shush the joy, emotion and vitality along with the sound. Adults can carry the trauma and humiliation of stifling their song for decades. What to do?

• Sing louder at a softer volume. Huh? In other words, keep your energy and healthy vocal technique. Connect to the words, meaning, and phrasing. Sing your true authentic sound, but turn your ff into f, and your f into mf. For heaven’s sake, don’t turn your f into p.

• Sing in a different section. We know you have glorious high notes, but if your voice is more mature than the light, breathy first soprano section, ask to sing Soprano II. (I did.) You’ll be a better musician for reading the harmony parts and its very liberating to be able to sing out!

• Stand in a different place. Maybe not right in front of the choir director. ‘Just sayin’.

• Sing in a different group. if all else fails, if its really not the right match for your voice and ability, find a different singing community.

Just keep creating your art. Write like you’ve never been told your grammar is poor and you can’t spell. Dance like you’ve never been told to sit still. Paint like you’ve never been told you are outside the lines and those colors don’t go together. Sing like you’ve never been shushed.