If you like to sing and want to, sing.
Why do you need to learn singing? Sing for yourself – why do you want to be on a stage? There you will be criticized, compared to others, gossiped about, laughed about, your mistakes won’t be forgiven, you will be asked to be perfect, to look perfect; there will be people who will try to make you live out their dreams, but won’t care for your own.
Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe it’s not singing that you actually like, but the things it can bring you? Fame, admiration, attention, interviews, opportunities, money?
If you really like to sing, just do it.
Why do you send me your newest songs? Why do you ask for my opinion when you are not ready to hear it? Do you want me to lie and say I like it? Or pretend I don’t understand anything and encourage you to keep going? If you’re making music just for the sake of doing it, why do you become jealous when someone else does it better than you or if the public likes someone else and not you?
Why do you want to be on the stage so badly? To fulfill yourself?
In that case, why do I, as a listener, have to be the one that fulfills you? For what?
Why does society need singers in the first place?
I know why we need bus drivers – they can take us to work.
Doctors are needed to help people heal.
Construction workers are needed to build houses.
Farmers are needed so that others don’t have to struggle in hard labor just to feed themselves.
Why do we need singers? Do we need someone who just demands things from us – listen to me, share this, share that, vote for me..?
The singer’s mission is to inspire.
A singer has to sing in such a way that the listener experiences something beautiful and thinks to themselves – yes, this is true, I felt that, I get what they’re singing about, I just couldn’t have said it so beautifully, I couldn’t have put such a beautiful melody to it.
Do you understand what I’m talking about? Have you ever thought about how “true” singing got lost? Unfortunately, some singers have never had anything to lose in the first place.
Have you not noticed that in some TV shows the singer has been learning hard vocal runs, lyrics, has a perfect tone, etc, but once they step on the stage and sing – nothing. Nobody’s moved or touched by their performance, although it’s technically perfect.
Someone else might sing with a raspy voice, five note range, worst diction ever – but the public can’t get over their performance for days – in a good way.
What is singing anyways? Language? An urge to say something? Inspiring others? Sharing?
Is it important to do it the “right way”? Of course, if you sing and have an audience, but aren’t physically ready for what it takes to, for example, sing every day – you need to strengthen your voice. If you have a beautiful soul, but your voice doesn’t project enough – you need to learn how to do that. But, whatever you learn, you need to do it in such a way that the process of learning won’t take away the reason why you’re doing it in the first place. Learning shouldn’t take away your courage.
If singing brings you joy – sing and don’t listen to anyone.
But, if you want others to experience joy when you’re singing… well, that won’t be as easy.
What is “real” and “proper” singing?
In my opinion, proper singing means being able to control your voice in such a way that your technique is closely connected to your emotions.
Proper doesn’t mean that you never make any mistakes; it means that you don’t disturb your audience with lack of breath, inarticulate sounds or unnecessary virtuosity. Proper singing is when you start singing and your listener is brought into another world, and stays there until the end of the song, and you, the singer, are a guide in this process.
If that’s proper singing, what is a “proper” singer?
A “proper” singer has an urge to sing and feels that they’d die if they stopped singing. They’ve tried to live without singing, but haven’t really been able to be silent for a long period of time.
Many have brought them down, some have almost crushed them. They’ve been compared, belittled, laughed at. Many of those who have experienced all of this give up and stop pursuing their goals, but there are some who persist and keep going.
Why do so many give up? There are many reasons, some of them very practical. Some singers never get their songs on radio, because they don’t think they should adapt to the market or – in another case – try to adapt to the wrong one, like singing songs in a language their audience doesn’t speak. Others are good at marketing, but forget about being a good singer. Many are tired of instability and never knowing where the next paycheck is going to come from. Others just lose the joy and motivation. Some may sing well and with emotion, but never find the right person to help them move up the career ladder and don’t know how to do it themselves. Those who sing well, but don’t know how to talk during interviews also have a hard time.
And then there are those who probably have found themselves, found their sound, understand singing through and through, but nobody likes them or their music, and they never make a living out of it. There are also those who have had some success in the past, but have stopped improving and adapting to the changing industry.
Those who live through all the hard times and stay true to themselves and others, they understand that if they’re being really honest, they sound better in their head than in real life. If the singer doesn’t give up at that point, they’ve usually already decided or decide at that moment that they will become a true, “real” singer. They know they might literally die from hunger, but choose to sing anyway, because they understand that they will die anyway – either from poverty or from not being able to sing.
That’s the kind of singer who makes every decision based on whether it is or isn’t going to help their singing career and their self growth. They don’t spend their money on entertainment and things that aren’t necessary for survival. They invest that money in improving themselves. They never stop improving and never think that they are good enough. They understand that it’s possible to learn from every person and every situation. They don’t mind being criticized. They try to get closer to their goals every day, step by step. They don’t learn singing techniques to leave an impression on others, they learn it so the technique won’t limit them from singing freely.
A singer who takes themselves and their goal seriously, realizes that not everyone is going to appreciate their skills, because most people just want to listen to nice melodies. They understand that it’s impossible to be liked by everybody, because they themselves don’t always like all the other singers. They don’t get sad or mad about the fact that there are and will be people who will never like their music.
They understand that their duty is to improve themselves, to look for new “colors”, to get to know themselves, their own emotions and reactions, to become a better human being and inspire others to do so as well. They inspire others and never make them feel less worthy, less successful, less important. They don’t gossip about people who are more successful, they learn from them. They never assume that they already know everything. They sing because they like to sing, and learn because they want to sing even better.
A true singer understands that there’s no reason to be on stage if you don’t fully open and give yourself to your audience, at the same time realizing that it makes them very vulnerable. They’re ready to be treated unfairly and keep singing regardless of that. They let themselves make mistakes. Their self worth and self esteem are not dependent on other people’s opinions.
Singing is a journey. And on this journey we must grow, despite it being hard sometimes. We must leave our comfort zone to start growing, but in the end it will give us enormous joy and satisfaction.
Don’t wait until you’re perfect to step on stage.
Do it when you have something to give.
