I’m on a big mission to help more people sing. Because singing is fun, it brings more joy into your life and because it’s deeply empowering.
But equally important, because it can raise your awareness and ultimately bring more joy and beauty to our planet as a whole.
We need to be connected. To our higher selves, to our emotions, our bodies. To nature.
That connection is what makes a positive change in our world.
Singing is beautiful. And it’s something we can all do at all times. We all have vocal qualities, so it’s just a matter of recognising those qualities and to start using them.
We can sing in our own ways, as introverts or extroverts or something in between. As young or old. If you take good care of your voice, you’ll carry a nourishing instrument for life.
And we can sing the same songs with new meanings as we grow and transform.
Singing a favourite song is like connecting to an old friend.
Singing is with you in your ups and downs. You can express deep sadness and profound joy with your voice.
So how can you experience the beauty of singing?
Simply put, here’s what you need:
1) A good singing method
2) Courage
What “a good singing method” is depends on your personality type. Make sure it’s healthy for your voice, that’s the main thing. Your voice is strong and delicate at the same time, and you’ll want to take good care of your vocal chords.
You don’t need a singing method to sing – you can sing now! – but you may come across challenges such as your voice breaking, not knowing if you’re out of tune or you simply don’t know where to start. In those cases, it’s a good idea to get some professional help.
The courage part of singing is probably what feels the most challenging to a lot of us. Because we feel vulnerable when we sing. But you know what? From that place of feeling courageous and vulnerable, beauty happens. Deep joy happens.
The core of your voice has a beautiful spark that will be present in everything you sing.
Be courageous. It’s time for you to sing.
Here are a few tips to help you sing (more)
- Make your wishes
Think of a few songs that you’d like to sing. Make sure you keep an open mind and don’t write them off if you think they are too difficult (that’s your teacher’s job to judge). Write your wishes down as your motivation or goal. - Set yourself up for success
If you’re pretty new to singing, start singing a song that you think of as quite easy. It could be a simple children’s song or a favourite song. Something that’s within your reach, but you’ll still stretch your comfort zone a bit.
Moving forward, you can keep stretching your comfort zone by choosing songs that are just a bit more challenging.
Remember that comfort zones are unique. For some, getting out of their comfort zones will mean singing to an audience, for others it will mean to sing alone at home without the curtains closed. Begin where you are and expand from there. - Listen to vocally balanced singers
You learn a lot from listening to good singers, because your vocal chords respond to what you hear. And your ears benefit too.
I could write a whole book on the subject of vocally balanced singers, but a few things to listen out for are:
– Singers that sound distinct (in a pleasant way), meaning that you can recognise their voices when you hear them.
– Clear words that you can understand, yet the singer looks like he/she is speaking.
– A clear connection between the singer’s speaking voice and singing voice (they are two sides of the same coin). - Use your voice in everyday life
Washing dishes can be a lot more fun with a song, and you can start or finish the day with a song. It’s a great way to reconnect to yourself and to begin or close your day in a positive way.
Happy Singing!
© Nína O’Farrell 2021
Photo by Alina Lomilova
Feel free to leave questions / comments.
Singing Naturally 