What´s singing for you?
This is quite an easy question to answer sometimes… I’ve found wonderful words from my
students each time I’ve asked this question: “Singing is part of my life… it makes me feel better”
“Singing is the way to say the things you want and you are afraid of saying when speaking”
“Singing makes me feel happy, relaxes me, it’s a connection with the real me”. And these answers
were given by many of my students who are not professional singers. Last week I also heard a very
simple answer when I was working at a Summer Camp in Southwest Ranches… to my question
“What songs are for?” one of the girls (9 or 10 years old) answered “To make us feel happier!”
Simple and but powerful.
When I meet these children, I can guess what their parents are like… they encourage their kids to
try different things, NO MATTER how good they are at them, NO MATTER if they will become the
next sports or music star… They just give their children all that is needed to give it a try and enjoy
those activities… We, as parents, understand that we have to provide for all our efforts (our
energy, our money and time) so our kids can enjoy their activities, can connect with themselves
and start or continue that trip to self-knowledge, no matter what the outcome may be, no matter
how “successful” they are in the future. We are all clear about this.
But… what is going on with us? I’ll refer to mothers right now. These days, when I’m asked about
our services at Vocal Roads, I try to explain as clearly as I can what our aim is… We provide for
voice lessons trying to redirect our students to a deeper learning, the one that has to do with
meeting your feelings, your emotions, your SOUL through voice technique, the same technique
that will lead you to have a healthy voice so you can keep on singing till you are very old… If we
achieve this together… VOILA! You will be able to express who you are through the repertoire you
choose and find as less obstacles as possible while singing thanks to voice technique.
Returning to my point, when I explain this, many mothers tell me that this was the place they were
looking for their children… they just want this! Find an activity that is loved by them but that can
also make them build their self-confidence, self-esteem and they don’t care if they become rock or
pop stars in the future… they just want their kids to feel better, to express themselves. We fully
agree, celebrate and schedule the free class! Great! We are in the same boat! But… when I ask
them “what about you? We have singing lessons for moms in the mornings, while your children
are at school so you can devote a little time to yourself without feeling guilty about leaving your
family” and the first words I hear are… “Oh, no! I’m a terrible singer!” “I actually bark, not sing!”
And then I explain that voice technique is a way of improving, as any other technique, and that
they could give it a try… and so I hear answers such as “It’s impossible to get my voice better” “Oh,
no! I need more than a miracle to sing well” and things like this…
I was wondering why it is so difficult for us to feel we are in the same position as our kids are…
Why can’t we just give any activity a try only to feel better, NO MATTER HOW GOOD WE ARE. Why
don’t we dare do something for ourselves that can make us feel happier? (as that wise girl told me
last week).
Many years ago in Argentina, a 57 year-old man started attending my lessons. In the first one, he
told me that he was a terrible singer (and actually he was not that terrible but did have some
problems keeping the right keys in songs) but he wanted to start training his voice a little bit more
because he wished to sing lullabies to his grandchildren in a more pleasant way (actually he told
me that he wanted to calm them singing, not make them cry!). It was a very beautiful experience
for me and he taught me a lot about the real aim in singing. So…What’s singing for you? Don’t you
think you can have a space of your own or maybe share it with one or more friends? Don’t you
think that you can start singing lessons just to feel better, just to give it a try NO MATTER HOW
GOOD YOU ARE? Don’t you think it would be a very powerful example for your kids… You will be
telling them something and doing the same thing in the practice for you. And this applies to ANY
activity… maybe it is not singing but any other thing what will make you feel better, happier, more
relaxed and eager to connect your mind and your feelings.
So, again… what’s singing for you? A goal or a path? A destination or a road? An end or a bridge?
At Vocal Roads we believe singing is a path, a road, a bridge to your soul… If your answer is the
same one, then… we are in the same boat.