Idea. Breath. Sound. Hesitation is deadly. We sing at our best when the channel is free. Allowing ourselves to trust that what we’ve been working on will serve us in the moment is one of the greatest challenges we face. It’s easy to get in our own way, worrying about how we sound instead of paying attention to why we are communicating. It can feel terrifying to go with our instinct and propel ourselves forward with the intention to make ourselves heard and understood. We stand at the precipice and we falter, sometimes only for a millisecond. But it’s enough to derail our most embodied vocal utterance.
As we enter the final stages of preparation for our upcoming opera production, I keep reminding the singers to speak truthfully from their hearts, connected to their inner anchor. To breathe with the idea they want to transmit and form it in their mouths already. To commit immediately to communicating it without hesitation. We have to believe that all the hard work we’ve been doing in the practice room, in lessons, coachings and rehearsals will hold true for us in the heat of the moment. We need to send ourselves headlong down the long flight of stairs without fearing we may miss a step.
The truest, freest sound is the one that is connected to a commitment to communicating an honest thought, a deep feeling. If we can trust the impulse–whether that impulse starts from a gesture or from breath–we can sing from our innermost self. It feels scary, but right. Fear not: if you open your heart and your throat and speak clearly and immediately, your voice will ring true and full.