I was giving my voice student one of my signature pep talks about her untapped potential and ability. I told her that with consistent and thoughtful practice between our lessons (a novel concept) she could not only realize her potential but also conquer those high notes she was currently feeling frustrated with. She interrupted me in mid sentence and said with a discouraged tone, “Man, sports are so much easier than singing. You don’t have to use your brain, or think so much.”
My student had run track in high school, and on the field her goals were very clear. She did so many repetitions, ran so far, improved her time so much, and she accomplished her goal. Sports were entirely physical for her, while singing seemed all in her head. Reaching that high G seemed infinitely more difficult than crossing the finish line.
As the 2008 Olympic Games begin in Beijing this month, I have no doubt that the Olympic athletes would disagree with my student’s assessment about the lack of “brain” required in sports. Excelling in sports requires style, form, and skill on minute levels, not to mention intense concentration and sheer force of will. As U.S. Army General and 1912 Olympian George S. Patton said, “If you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired.”
At the NATS Convention in Nashville last month Dr. Robert Sataloff referred to singers as “singing athletes,” and added that he sees a lot of singers who stay up late, eat poorly, and forego exercise. He conceded that the rigors of a professional singer’s life can make it difficult to keep health a top priority, but the rigors also make a singer’s physical well-being that much more important. Just as my student overlooked the importance of the mind in sports, do we as singers overlook the importance of the body?
Eric Cutler, featured in this month’s cover story, discusses how he combines both the mind and body in his work. He has a game-day plan that he sticks to on performance days that includes yoga, a specific diet, and arriving at the theater at least two hours early to mentally prepare to take on the role.
James Marvel, Classical Singer’s 2008 Stage Director of the Year, advocates a pre-audition training schedule for the singing athlete. He says singers should sing all of their audition arias every day for at least three weeks prior to an audition. This will ensure you arrive prepared and excited for the “opportunity to blow someone’s mind with your talent.”
The finish line might be a little less ambiguous in sports than in the singing business, but how you get there requires a similar combination of mind and body working together. As we enjoy the athletic prowess of so many this month in Beijing, may it inspire us to more fully use both our mind and body in our own singing endeavors.
