You’re the singer in the shower – a diva singing your heart out with
passion. But nobody will ever hear you.
You’re the rock star in the car on the motorway, your favourite track
blaring while you hit 70 mph to a capacity audience of zero.
Why?
Because you’d love to sing but you’re too scared to allow anyone to hear
you. You’re convinced you can’t sing.
Recognise yourself?
Well, here’s an interesting thing. You’re not alone. I’ve heard so
many stories of people who were told at a very young age that they
were rubbish at singing by:
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A well-meaning teacher asking you to sing quietly at the back
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A family member teasing you for having a voice like a foghorn
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Friends laughing when you hit a bum note
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Being told, ”never mind dear you can play the tambourine”
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Or worse still, “the triangle”
Does that sound familiar? The tragedy is that people develop their musical
ear, their ability to tune in with others around the age of 7, 8 or 9
years old. It’s endearing to hear 5 year olds sing slightly out of
tune but children singing out of tune at 7 or 8 is not so cute.
Adults stop children singing so they won’t be laughed at. What is
really tragic is that they stop singing at the very time the brain is
making connections to develop social skills. It’s when children
have special friends they feel connected to. It is also the age when
children learn to play instruments, become fluent readers and can
have meaningful conversations. It is all linked together. Children in
tribal communities don’t experience this barrier. They are
encouraged to join in with the adults and most emerge with strong
confident voices.
The good news is that neural connections are continually being made
throughout your life, so it is still possible to tune in and develop
a strong and beautiful singing voice well into adulthood. It takes a
little longer but it can happen. And it happens to virtually all my
vocal students.
Learning to sing tunefully is like learning a language. People who speak more
than one language fluently will tell you that they speak effortlessly, thinking in that language. It becomes second nature.
How is it possible to do this? Well how does a child learn to speak
in the first place?
The answer is through listening, copying, mimicking. And that’s the
secret to the success of my students. They learn to focus on a voice
that sounds about the same as theirs and then they start singing the
same notes.
I won an Arts Council Commission to test my theory in 2017 and it was a
success. Not only did my students tune in and were able to sing
karaoke with their friends confidently, many had the confidence to
develop their voice further, sing in four-part harmony, attempt
different singing styles and yes, even sing solo to an audience!
My students formed a group called Viva la Voce and we are still singing
together today. Many have moved on to sing in other choirs or joined
musical theatre companies. New members join Viva and are very nervous
when they start. But everyone in the group has been through the
process and understands how it feels so new members are welcomed and
feel they are in good company. They soon start hearing results,
singing their favourite songs and feeling great.
Viva vocal classes meet on Fridays at the Queen Mary Centre.
Email Linda@leada.biz for more information and to book your free taster session. Or call Linda on 07523 712633
