Whether we are singers, teachers, astronauts or scientists, sometimes it’s hard to keep our spirits up. Singers, in particular, rarely feel like bursting spontaneously into song at the prospect of facing an event we regard with anticipation and dread: auditions.
Everyone encounters disappointments, rejections and obstacles; it is a part of life. Yet as singers, sometimes it seems we get handed an extra dose of these difficulties as we go through the audition process.
Sure, a fortunate few seem to sail through auditions and competitions with ease and great accolades. For the rest of us, the journey is not quite so easy. Especially now as we enter the Young Artist audition season, we may find ourselves dealing with issues from past experiences: disappointments from past rejections and fear of future failures. We may experience a lot of agitation from the desire to sing well and from the fervent hope to be accepted into a program. It can be a very emotional time, an exciting time—but it can also prove to be very challenging.
So how can we find a way to keep our excitement and vision alive without getting thrown completely off kilter? Keep focusing on your vision.
If you have been exposed to any sports psychology, taken any life management courses or read stories of high-level achievers, you may be aware that the most important tool for any endeavor is to have a goal. Goals provide long-term direction with short-term motivation. They help you organize your resources, and they provide clarity about the things that are helping you achieve your goals, in addition to those that are distracting you from attaining your purpose.
When we have a clearly defined, passionate vision, we can develop an action plan of things we need to do to develop our bodies, minds and voices to an outstanding level. As artists, we must develop in many categories, among them vocal technique, physique, languages, networking, acting skills and performance experience. Many times it feels overwhelming—especially if you have a day job, a family, and heaven forbid…a social life! Yet when we keep our sights on our vision, we find the motivation and energy to do what needs to get done to achieve our goal.
If you have mastered the art of the goal, and are able to keep your spirit and passion alive, you are to be commended. Most of us, however, experience some sort of burnout, frustration, disappointment and even heartbreak along the way. It is hard enough to bounce back and stay strong after one disappointment, but when they begin to pile up, it can be pretty difficult to hang tough.
This can be true even within an audition. One day, your voice isn’t where you’d like it to be. You make a mistake, then another, and all of a sudden, you’re beating yourself up mentally. Soon you have already checked out of the audition, and you still have half the aria to sing.
Finding that inner vision, and connecting to it, is important. If you saw any of the U.S. Open tennis tournament this summer, you may have seen numerous examples of players playing the mental game more than the physical. Andy Roddick, winner of the U.S. Open, was just one point away from defeat in the semifinals when he found the mental focus to come back, beat his opponent and go on to win the championship.
“The turning point was clearly that tiebreak,” Roddick said later. “At that point I was nearly down and out….” A new ability to stay in control saw him through, Roddick explained.
“Digging deep has never been my problem before,” he said. “This time last year I might have freaked out about being down. Now it is about having a little calmness.” (http://onesport.nzoom.com/sport_detail/0,1278,218991-2-49,00.html)
This calmness comes from clarity and knowledge, from having a clearly defined objective and knowing you have the tools to get you there. The more clear and vivid your vision is, the more confident you will be.
Sports psychologists use this technique of imagery extensively. As James Manktelow writes in his Introduction to Sports Psychology, imagery should be as vivid as possible.
“A strong and potent image will be more effective and ‘real’ than a weak one when it is presented to the appropriate nerve pathways in your brain.” He also gives three helpful guidelines in creating an image:
Use all your senses in your image. Touch, sound, smell, taste and body position (kinaesthesia) should be combined with visual imagination to create highly ‘real’ images.
Observe the detail of sensations, such as the feeling of the grip of a bat, the texture of clothes, the smell of sweat, the feeling and flow of a karate punch, the sound of a large crowd, or the size and shape of the auditorium in which you will compete. You can observe the reality in detail, and then incorporate the details into your imagery later to make it more vivid.
Imagine yourself within your body feeling and sensing all [that is] going on around you rather than looking at yourself from a remote position. If you imagine yourself within yourself, then the image is more connected, realistic and involved than a remote view.
Another aspect of creating your vision and keeping it alive is this: Make sure to focus on those things that are within your control. If you go into an audition with the intention to “get into this program,” you go in from a weakened position because you have no control over the audition selection process. Focus on goals you can influence such as keeping your jaw relaxed, or breathing low in the belly, or being really engaged in the drama. Those are very clear and obtainable goals; they will empower you as you go into your audition. Another technique is to use your imagination to expand what you can achieve. Most of us limit our abilities through mental censoring. When we expand our horizons mentally, the path is already paved for us to follow suit physically.
As you go into your coaching, audition, practice session or meeting, be sure to focus on what you want to achieve from the experience and feel what it will be like to achieve those outcomes. Be careful not to focus on what could go wrong or what might happen. What you focus on will manifest itself. If you keep giving attention to your fear, you can be assured that the fear will show.
Of course, we are all going to stumble and fall in any endeavor we pursue; that is just the process of learning and developing. The key is not to get caught up in looking at the “rock” we just tripped over. It is normal to become focused on that rock of disappointment or failure that tripped us up. Instead we must keep our eyes lifted and focused on our vision. By doing so, we will find that place of calmness and power we need so we can place ourselves out there in challenging situations and know that no matter what happens, we can remain passionate and alive in pursuing our vision.
