Stay Positive – Sure, What Else?

Reflecting on how important it is to have a positive goal in life and in singing

Reflecting on yesterday's workshop with all these lovely people made me aware, time and again, of how important it is for a singer to phrase a positive goal when starting a session with a teacher, like we did in the individual coaching sessions of the masterclass part of the workshop. It'll not only influence the way the session goes, but have a general impact on the development of the singer and their voice. I'm sure we all agree that positive thinking and optimism is a good thing, right? So why then should we dwell on problems and issues when it comes to working with a teacher? In my teaching experience I keep hearing things like: "I wanna get rid of ..." "It always sounds bad when I ..." "I just can't (fill in the blank) ..." Even if some of this is true – what does it do to you when you say it out loud? Instead, phrase where you want to go: "I would love to learn how to ..." "I want to be able to sing louder/have more dynamic options/expand my range etc." Think about what you want and be specific! "I want to sing freer ..." Yes, but what does this mean? Does it mean you want to sing more effortlessly? Or do you want to sing louder? Thinking about what you want – for a beginner this can be as simple as: "I want to sing through a whole song without getting dizzy/hoarse/..." Or even: "I want to be able to join a choir." We'll figure out the details together later! For advanced singers and pros a specific positive wish could be: "I want to thin out this high note in a more stable way." Or: "I need more volume in this part of the song." "I want to have enough air for those long notes when I'm on stage."

Try it – it'll change your mindset :-) And if it's really hard for you to find out what you're positive wish is, well, then it's my job as a coach to ask you the right questions. We'll figure it out together, and then we work together to make your wish come true. Much love, Krissy