​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,
​
'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. :)

Just a quick little post here as I feel like this is an important thing to address as a female singer in the rock metal music scene, which is traditionally a heavily male dominated genre.
 
It probably isn’t surprising that when Linkin Park announced their new singer as Emily Armstrong (co-founder of Dead Sara) there were going to be some noses out of joint. Initially it was an attempted character assassination, which I won’t go into, as it has been covered thoroughly and Armstrong herself has made a public statement about it. Another reason I won’t go into it is because it is nonsense. I mean David Draiman literally signed bombs that the IDF used to kill Palestinians and he is still singing.
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​Then the attacks focussed on her vocals, she doesn’t sound like a dude! He doesn’t sound like Chester Bennington, well no sh*t. She isn’t him.
 
What I do think is that the swift attempt to cancel Armstrong before she had even kicked off is because of the obvious fierce loyalty to Bennington (he was brilliant and very missed) but also because people are pissed that Mike Shinoda replaced him with a female singer.

​Honestly, I think having Armstrong sing original Linkin Park songs is setting her up, because Bennington was a brilliant singer and no matter how good she is, she cannot and never will sound like him. But on her own she is an awesome scream singer. Their launch single, The Emptiness Machine, in which Shinoda and Armstrong share lead vocals is a catchy, bore into your brain hit and I love it.
 
I have seen some footage of their current tour and she holds her own and is a great front person. I think in order for people to enjoy the new Linkin Park, they need to let go of the old Linkin Park, hold it dear in their hearts, but embrace their new direction and their new singer, yes, it’s tough to not compare when they keep playing old songs, but not impossible.

​I know there are many levels of controversy around the rebrand of Linkin Park, but if the music is good, then really, what is the problem? Would Bennington want Shinoda to never play their songs again? I don’t know, Shinoda would know and made his choice, and that choice can weigh on his conscience. But it took seven years after Bennington passed for Linkin Park to release a new single, so the choice has not come lightly.

For those still with their noses out of joint because Armstrong is in the band, honestly it’s time to chill, it is band, nothing more, nothing less. There are much bigger issues in the world right now. Worry about them instead.
 
Female singers in rock and metal are growing in numbers and are here to stay and I am absolutely here for it. And to the man who had the audacity to tell my twelve year old, music obsessed daughter not to listen to Linkin Park because Armstrong is a ‘bad person'
​Kindly shut up.
 
Peace.