Unlike playing a musical instrument such as piano or guitar, you already do sing. Maybe not very well, but you can sing. Singing is basically talking which is held out and on a variety of defined notes.
Think you’re tone-deaf? The fact is that only the tiniest percentage of people are truly tone-deaf. I believe that 99.99% of people can learn to sing in tune, improve vocal beauty and eventually sing quite well.

 
Save this article for your friends; you know, the ones who are too terrified to join you for an evening out at the karaoke club. The ones who, however successful they may be in their professional lives, become quivering masses of low self-esteem when the topic of “SINGING” comes up. The ones who would love to sing for others, if they only had the guts…

 
Amanda came to me, palms sweating, eyes cast downward. She seemed very concerned that she was wasting my time and that there was “probably no hope for her”. Was this a suicide prevention appointment? A meeting with her probation officer? No, this was Amanda’s very first singing lesson and she was terrified.

 
Like many people, Amanda believed the adage: “Either you have talent or you don’t”, and that if you’re one of the unlucky no-talents of the world, then trying to learn to sing is a waste of time and money. Yet Amanda had this nagging feeling that her life would somehow be empty and incomplete were she never able to express herself through song.

 
Like Amanda, many students have shared with me their humiliating childhood memories: being told to “shut up” or told that they have no talent and should do everyone a favor by just pretending to sing the choir.

 
For a lot of us, believing that we must suppress our urge to make sound can create a kind of wound to the soul.

If that sounds like you, remember singing is one’s birthright, as is laughing, crying, sneezing, and any number of natural human activities. Human beings are equipped with an amazing vocal apparatus, capable of imitating animals, birds, machines, even other people. The brain and the voice together can express emotions to move a listener to tears or can inspire entire nations.

 

Consider for a moment that no one on this planet has had or will ever have your unique voice. The precise dimensions of your vocal instrument are unduplicated by any other human, past, present, or future. Even identical twins have distinctive voices. No one else has ever lived your life…your thoughts, your experiences or your exact feelings. The human need to release, to share, and to express is primal.

 
I take the stand that singing, like skiing, art and cake decorating can be learned. With passion, effort and a clear systematic approach, a non-singer can become a good singer. And though it may seem as if great vocal talents are born, not made, I know that people can transform their singing voices to an amazing degree. One has to know exactly what to do then repeating these vocal tasks over and over again until they become natural. You should hear Amanda now!

 
Anyone can explore and improve their speaking and singing voices – from teenagers and housewives to attorneys and doctors. One of my most enthusiastic students is a mathematician and physicist! And though it’s important to be able to sing in tune, I’ll never forget one young student, Jim, “irredeemably” tone-deaf but determined. After several ear-training lessons and a month of working by himself at home, he returned to serenade me with the aptly named song “My Way”, confidently and IN-TUNE. He did not allow his “limitation” to stop him from progressing.

 
There are enormous possibilities for personal growth in the process of learning how to control your vocal instrument. And when that fateful moment comes when you step up on the stage to take the mic, it’s like a major milestone, similar to graduating from high school or getting married. There’s no going back once you’ve taken the plunge!

 
Although singing can be enjoyed immensely when you’re alone, this ancient act is most powerful when shared. We so often forget the connecting, bonding, almost tribal activity that performing can be. Remember that singing is an expression and celebration of all that makes you a unique being. Combined with the joy of sharing deep emotions and
common human experiences, you have a recipe for happiness that’s available to you anytime. And how convenient! You carry your musical instrument with you wherever you go – ready to be played when the muse strikes. Sing for joy, healing, and to bring beauty to your world.

 


 

Lisa Popeil is one of America’s foremost singing experts. She is a teacher, lecturer and voice-researcher who has expertise in teaching a wide variety of vocal styles. She has an MFA in Voice and is the creator of the Voiceworks® Method, a comprehensive voice training approach. Used by singers world-wide is Lisa's popular “The Total Singer” video and DVD, a concise and systematic program.

 
In addition, Ms. Popeil has been a professional voice-over artist, expert pianist and composer/arranger for many years.

 
Lisa has an informative website www.popeil.com.

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