The impetus for me to begin blogging about Singing and Self was the desire to explore the interconnection between voice and identity. This exploration particularly pertained to the singing voice; both my own reflections on personal experience, and the illuminations that happen between me and the students I teach in my voice studio. This week, I’ve experienced several student epiphanies in this regard, and it seems it’s time to double down on this topic.
When we sing, at some point or another, we encounter our deepest self. This encounter is by no means comfortable. It often elicits feelings of nausea, physical discomfort or emotional activation. To witness it at work is to experience something quite intimate and profound. The singer before me feels extremely vulnerable in such moments, and I know not to take such self-exposure lightly. Indeed, someone who is going through this self-discovery is experiencing nothing short of an internal explosion, and they need to feel that whoever is present with them is kind, empathetic and supportive, without seeking to probe beyond acceptable boundaries. They need to feel and BE safe.
This work is about unpacking and releasing the desires of the ego to “get it right”, tick the box, achieve the goal, win the prize. It’s the recognition that the work is never done, but is a continuous and ongoing process. It’s the realization that we are, of course, (in the words of my meditation teacher) “perfect as we are, but we could use a little work”. It’s about all at once looking in the mirror of our soul and saying: I see you. I accept you. I am willing to own what you are, acknowledge your flaws, and sing with all of it. I am willing to open the channel that is my breath, my heart and my throat, and resonate from the depths of my being. I recognize that there is work to do, and I am open to doing that work, to be in a constant state of self-improvement, and that this is simply the work of being human.
We come face to face with ourselves and we say: Hello. Let’s begin.