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This comment was left anonymously on my post about the role of the teacher. It is such a true statement. I think anyone who has struggled with understanding their voice can relate to this comment.
I think this issue might be the biggest stumbling block we face in our journey of understanding our voice. It is so easy for us to complicate things. I think it is perhaps the most difficult thing in life to think about things in a simple manner and resist the temptation to make it more complicated. It can make us bananas.
This is especially true when we start talking about singing. It gets to a point where we are convinced the act of singing is a completely foreign, unnatural act. Even though it often feels that way, it is helpful to remember that singing actually is a natural act. We may need to fine tune it for our purpose. But the underlying principle of singing is natural. It is hardwired in our instinct.
It can be helpful if we can imagine what it would be like to live as a human animal, like a caveman. In this life we would be much more in tune with our instinctive behavior. This is where we can explore our instinctive desire to sing. I like to think of singing as a physical response to an emotional feeling. It is in the same family of physical expressions as laughing and crying, cheering and celebrating. Things of this nature.
Now, artistic singing as we know it may not be what would come naturally from the circumstances I'm describing. But the basic physical response necessary, the basic gesture, would. This is what we need to base our singing on.
If we can discover this relationship in ourselves it makes the act of singing much more automatic. And that is the basis of simplicity. We complicate everything by thinking we need to consciously control it all. We don't. Much of what happens can be allowed to happen reflexively. The challenge is that, contrary to what we may believe, it does not happen by itself. We still need to stimulate it so the automatic response happens. This takes time to develop and is the real skill of singing.
1 comment:
Hello Michael,
I was the one who left the comment and I wasn't referring only to singing, although I do understand why you would link it to singing. I was talking about the subjectivity in the apparent argument that was going on between you and a poster.
I, myself have discovered how simple singing ultimately is, and I very much enjoy the way you put it. I see it exactly like you do. What kind of sucks is that I see this as simply and as clearly as you do but many others are still looking for things to believe in.
I don't think it's a matter of belief, it's more a matter of truth. But it's tricky because you and I could easily be deluding ourselves! We don't know what we say we know for certain, but it sure as heck feels and seems certain.
I, for sure feel like I KNOW what you are saying, which is my experience as well. The challenge seems to be transmitting these truths or facts to students in a way that they will receive it. But there doesn't seem to be much you and I can do about that! Some students just hold on to stubborn, inaccurate beliefs that keep them chasing their tails... I'm sure you, like me, went through this phase as well. It's just sad to see how much seemingly unnecessary struggle goes on in the process of an innocent student. All because they are holding on dearly to a false belief system.
Singing is super simple -- that's the ground. But like you said, it seems like the most challenging thing for us humans is to keep it really simple and stay with that simplicity and build upon this simplicity.
It would save so much energy. But it is the way it is, isn't it?
Congratulations on such a powerful blog.
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