There are some tips I find myself telling student after student to help them really elevate their performance of a song and these tips apply across the board, no matter if you are recording, auditioning, or doing a gig, they are equally important. The same applies to an acting piece, for example a monologue. But for the sake of this article, I’ll refer to music.

1. KNOW THE SONG - That means know your lyrics, know the notes you are singing (the melody) know where you can take a breath before a big passage, basically know it like the back of your hand. That way all of your energy can go to connecting to the song and to your audience, you don’t want to waste effort remembering lyrics or hoping you make that high note in the chorus and so on.
 

​2. THINK ABOUT DYNAMICS - What do I mean by dynamics? I mean parts of the song that might get louder or softer, more dramatic or more reserved. It is colouring the song, you don’t want the song to sound all one level, all same-same, the next step will help you achieve this.

3. WHAT ARE YOU SINGING ABOUT? -What do the lyrics actually mean to you? If you wrote them then this is the easy part, if you are singing a song written by someone else, then how could the lyrics relate to something going on in your life that can help you connect with them more? For example, you are singing a song about heartbreak, pretty easy to connect to this right? Think about that person who broke your heart while you sing and watch the emotion of the song come to life.
 
 
4. HAVE AN OBJECTIVE - What do you want from the song? Who are you singing it too? What do you want from them? Have this in mind as it gives you focus.
 
I worked with two students doing a duet recently, and once they knew what they were fighting for in the song, it came to life. They weren’t just singing the notes, they wanted something from the other person. For example, one student wanted the other to say yes to the major life change they were proposing they share, the other student wanted them to give up, back off, well initially anyway, as the first student got their objective and by the end of the song, the other agreed to give it a try.

5. REHEARSE - Put all the pieces together and rehearse it, know it, love it, nurture it, iron out any remaining technical difficulties,
 
 
6. CONNECT - Now you know the words, know you know the melody, know you know what the lyrics mean to you and how they connect to your lived experience, plug into it. Allow yourself to be emotionally vulnerable and open, forget about being vocally technically correct, you have rehearsed all of that in remember?
 
 
 
7. HAVE FUN -  This is the most important one. Now you have put all the pieces together, settle in and enjoy it. Trust the process, trust you have done the work and you can now shine.
 
I know some of these concepts might sound intense or a lot for just singing a song, but they are tools you can use to stand out from the crowd and grab an audience by the heart when you perform and remember I am always here to help you out. 
 

​Recently I was working with a young student whose faith in themselves was minimal at best. I know that for new singers, singing in front of others, especially voice teachers can be very daunting. I work hard to make sure my students feel safe, supported and valued. I do not EVER tell someone they can’t sing, because I don’t believe that. All I focus on is the potential, and everyone has potential.

This lovely student was singing through a song I had never heard them sing and stopped themselves at a certain point in the song. They said, ‘I can’t sing this bit,’ and tears welled in their eyes. I’m sure you understand how vulnerable it can be, firstly to sing but also to connect to a song emotionally, thus making yourself even more vulnerable.

I had never heard them sing this song, I didn’t know if they could or couldn’t sing the part, all I could see was their self-doubt and fear and honestly maybe even a little shame. I encouraged them to continue. They picked the song back up, and it was beautiful.
 
Now why did this moment happen? Maybe they just felt shaky in this section of the song? Maybe their throat felt tight? Maybe their larynx was too high? Maybe they were singing over a break in their voice? Maybe they just didn’t like the sound of their voice in this section? Maybe all of the above? OR just maybe someone who had heard them sing this song before had told them that it didn’t sound good. Guess which one it was?

So now as I work with this beautiful person and their voice, I need to undo the damage of someone else’s opinion (a completely invalid one at that) I need rebuild their confidence and help them reach their highest potential. I want them to know how amazing they are, I want all my students to see how brilliant they are all in their own unique ways.
 
When I was a very young singer, before voice lessons, I asked someone,
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'Do I sound good or am I just loud?’ They said I was, ‘Just loud’ I laugh now because I am loud, ask any audio engineer I have worked with! But imagine if I had listened to that person and stopped? I wouldn’t have lived my life exploring my passion. I wouldn’t be helping others do the same. I wouldn’t have lived my life filled with the joy of performing, recording, writing and singing.

​The point is, don’t do this. You know the old saying:
 
‘If you don’t have something nice to say, say nothing,’
 
No one has the right to squash someone else’s joy, to mess with their confidence, their dreams. Just get busy living your own life. An aspiring singer might only want to get better at singing in the shower or they may want to sing to their spouse for their birthday or maybe kill it at karaoke and that is bloody brilliant!
 
If you want someone in your corner supporting you and cheering you on, then reach out.
 
I’m here to help.

One of my first headshots. :)

​In the midst of the slow down of school holidays, the pause in work commitments, I have taken the chance to watch the latest season of The Bear (Season 3) It is one of the best shows to hit television of late, and if you think it is just a drama about running a restaurant, you are mistaken. It is funny, moving, and exhaustingly brilliant.

​Everyone in this show is exceptional. Every single actor brings so much charm and depth to their roles that I find it captivating. But for me, the absolute stand out is Jamie Lee Curtis, even though she is a minor character in terms of screen time. Jamie, perhaps most well known to some as the scream queen in the Halloween franchise, plays the matriarch of the Berzatto family.

​Now superficially, her face carries the lines and stories of her years and trauma, and it is brilliant. Donna Berzatto has lived, a hard life and carries a lot of emotional weight and with her, which she often unwillingly dumps in the rest of the Berzatto clan.
 
And that brings me to the reason for my post.
 
She is so immersed in the role, in being Donna, that you forget she is Jamie. She is an actor who commits with every inch of her soul. Without words you will see every thought, (this is the point) every emotional moment of turmoil, etched painfully into her face as she struggles to contain herself. She has left me stunned, tearful, and heartbroken. Season 2- Episode 6 Fishes, was one of the best dramatic episodes of a show I have ever seen and that is largely due to Jamie Lee Curtis, but the ensemble work was also exceptional.
 
And now in season 3, Episode 8 Ice Chips, again she brought me emotionally undone, even though it didn’t carry the same prolonged intensity of Season 2’s episode.

It is this commitment, this emotional vulnerability and connection that we as performers, singers, actors, must allow ourselves to sink into. It is what our audiences deserve.
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When it comes to singing, having a beautiful voice and technique is one thing, a good thing for sure, but if you stand up and sing with no connection, no emotion, no vulnerability.  Your audience will get bored. They may feel something is missing, although they may compliment you on your lovely voice, it goes no deeper than this. It is a missed opportunity and your audience and you deserve more.
 
This is one of the reasons I focus on more than just vocal production in lessons, I work with students to help them reach deeper levels of connection so they become well rounded and outstanding performers.
 
Taking some acting classes is something I would recommend for singers/performers. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable, choosing repertoire that you can connect too, or finding the common threads between the words and your motivation. It is all essential.
 
Be brave lovely ones.