Embracing yourself as a singer is a never-ending journey. The voyage does not end when a singer lands a coveted role or achieves marked fame and career status. Rather, the path to artistic authenticity and wholeness continues to be a challenge, whether a singer is a passionate amateur or is performing at the top of the industry.
As with any journey, you can plan extensively to prepare for the trip, but it is only the actual footsteps that will propel you onward, moving you closer to where you want to be.In her book The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron lays out the deceptively simple concept: in order to reach an artistic goal, we have to show up, and we have to try. Emphasizing that individuals can call the spirit that supports their art anything they wish (e.g., Higher Power, the universe, God, universal Love), she suggests that we place a sign in our creative workplace that reads: “Great Creator, I will take care of the quantity. You take care of the quality.” Focusing on the quantity of work is only part of the art of showing up, but an essential part nonetheless. It requires a heartfelt commitment to surrender expectations and self-doubt in order to create a safe place in which your voice can experiment, stretch and grow. Cameron says, “Remember that it is my job to do the work, not judge the work.”
When you sit in judgment as you practice or perform, you can sabotage your good intentions with self-attacks. Self-attacks usually include a positive statement, followed by a qualifier, such as “but…” Here are some common ones:
“Okay, so I practiced every day this week, but …”
“I stretch my voice in my lesson, but …”
“I did well at the audition, but …”By focusing on the quantity, as Cameron suggests, you give yourself permission to sing without judgment, and to trust that there is a force greater than yourself that supports every note you sing.
This leads to the second element of showing up, which is to surrender yourself to this force, and commit to embodying the depth of your personal artistic commitment before you sing. You only move forward when you show up. When asked her definition of “showing up,” one professional singer said: “It means being more than physically present, but being emotionally and spiritually ready to give your all to your lessons, or your practice, or whatever you do. It’s easy to be there but tune out and just go through the motions.”
Technique can carry you to a certain extent, but it is the commitment of heart, body, and soul that eventually yield the most beautiful fruit, as well as the most gratifying singing experience. To put these concepts to use, make declarations this month for the quantity of your singing work. How often will you practice or study? For how long? At what time of day? Cameron suggests that you create a written log to track the amount of time you actually spend doing your art.
Before each session, address the second part of showing up by visualizing or writing about the inner commitment that will drive you through your session and allow you to be your very best without judgment or self-attacks. Before your lessons, practices, or performances, take a moment to breathe deeply and tap into the artistic force within you that carries the song you want to bring into the world. Focus your attention in your body to feel exactly where that force resides—perhaps in your heart, the bottom of your rib cage, or the top of your head. Connect with this sensation each time before you sing.When the journey is approached from this holistic viewpoint, you will reach each milestone with your song in one pocket and your soul in the other, and the authentic gratification of singing is born.
