COVID

Life is heavy right now, isn’t it?  This COVID-19 fiasco is a lot to process.  I have missed meeting with clients in person and I so badly want everything – in and out of the studio – to be ok.  As I’ve met with clients virtually this week, a few details pertaining to sing have become clear. How do we truly stay focused and present in our singing, when everything outside of the singing feels off kilter? A couple of logistical points and then an appeal to your heart…First, you need to keep practicing.  This COVID-19 self-quarantining will not last forever.  And once it’s done, there will be gigs, auditions, and sharing of music, and you need to be ready.  I know you want to be ready. So you must stay disciplined. Hunker down, keep practicing, and you won’t regret the results.  A couple thoughts on practicing and using your voice in current circumstances:

1. If you’re using headphones for lessons because other people are at home, keep one ear naked.  Doing so prevents your auditory feedback loop from being entirely interrupted. It may look cool and sometimes it is necessary to have both ears on, but not during practice and not during your voice lesson.
2. If you’re concerned about disrupting your family/friends/roommates, try working on a lip trill or a hum.  Doing so will decrease decibel level.
3. If you know they are going to hear you anyway, ask them to be a captive audience.  Even the best performers need more experience honing the skills necessary to be a great performer, so why not take advantage of this opportunity?!  Ask them to sit on the couch for ten minutes while you sing. AND, record yourself while performing so you can listen back and hear what you’re already doing well in PERFORMANCE!
4. Be careful when verbally communicating while wearing a mask; watch the video for more insight there.

Now that we’ve refined your productivity in singing during this very untimely and stressful season, know that music and singing is more necessary now than when life is peaceful.  As I write this, my mind is flooded with so many examples of music written during stressful times. I learned recently of just how MUCH music was written by WWI soldiers after they got home. It’s a lot….like a lot to process and the volume of the output of that generation of musicians is a lot.  Stay the course, stick with it, and singing will make this better.