A friend of mine, Steve, has often insisted that I made a video course. This idea always scares me. I know I could share great content, really helpful insights and make a positive contribution to beginners and professional alike... but the camera makes me feel unconfortable, and as I have never done anything like it I've kept finding reasons why not doing it.
Well, I think the problem is over. I have met this guy, Ian, who has done exactly what I would have done if had the drive and the commitment he has. He teaches the same technique that I teach, in much the same way. He must have read the same material that I have read, surely. And his English is better than mine for one sure point!! ;)
Seriously, it's really worth the time to watch his free videos and singing tips.
Yuri Sabatini Singing Teacher
Voice coach in London
Showing posts with label advice for singers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advice for singers. Show all posts
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Sunday, 25 March 2012
How can one avoid nerves before an audition?
How can one avoid nerves before an audition?
That's a question I have been asked many times from my students in my studio... and an issue I myself still have to deal with when going for auditions in London from time to time.
Auditioning for an exam or for a job can bring about most unsettling emotions, so intense as to prevent you from giving your best, spoil your performance or, in the worst scenario - not so uncommon, for some - to completely ruin the outcome.
If when it's time to audition you are having trouble with this queasy feeling, I am sure you will find some help in what follows.
I want you to think about this: if you experience auditioning as one of the most uncomfortable experience you could ever go for, it is to your thinking - your perception - that you need to pay attention to.
The idea of being judged is a most restraining one to focus on before singing, I am sure will agree on this. But let's go a bit deeper in this consideration.
If you think about all the possible criticism and likely unfavorable comments the panel could make, or you start comparing your voice with that of the singer who sung just before you, you immediately put yourself in a rather poor emotional state, one in which you are limited and can only see what can go wrong. In this state, it will be impossible to sing at your best. Actually, it will be impossible to think, act... ultimately live at your best!
Ok, let's not dwell anymore on this emotions.
Keep following me.
In one of my latest posts on my facebook page - Yuri Sabatini Singing Teacher - I suggested that you grasp, and make the most of, any single opportunity to sing in front of an audience, no matter how informal and small the occasion. In fact, the less pretentious the circumstance is, the better!
Why should you be performing as often as you can? Because this is how you know what you can do and what you need to work on.
But there is also a crucial point related to the issue we are tackling here.
In more humble settings you will likely be in your most natural and resourceful state, which means you will live the experience as an easy thing. It will be a worry-free moment in which you will be able do what you like most - singing, hopefully!! - without having to question if you are enough for it and in which you will surely be... amazing!
Event like this will build a positive link in your memory and a powerful belief on which you can ground your self-esteem as a singer. "Singing is fun and I enjoy it", "I like singing and I know I am good at it", "Wow! They were so happy about my singing!": these and many more are likely to be the words which will run through your mind when you think about singing.
As we see, there is a huge difference between the two attitudes one can have when about to sing in front of someone else.
I find that also before a performance one experiences a similar kind of nervousness, but in many cases it is of a more positive type: it is an excitement that soars from within the desire to sing out, to share what you've got with the audience; it originates from the awareness of how well you have done your homework, prepared yourself, rehearsed again and again your part. When you start singing, the tension disappears. All the doubts go out of the window. The inner critic goes to sleep and with him all the fears about something going wrong -like you forgetting the lyrics! -: what remains is you flowing with things, with the scene, with the music.
Do you already see where I am getting at?
I think it's paramount for you to realise that this attitude is the factor that determines the result you have, not the setting in itself. You are always the same, the voice is the same, the technique is the same. It's what you concentrate on that makes the difference!
If you think of performing as a means to do what you like most, forget all about the negative thoughts and stop trying to control the outcome (that's their decision, an external factor, nothing you can or should have control over!), you will put yourself in your best position.
I am sure you have seen and noticed, at auditions, this kind of character: the one who seem to enjoy the whole atmosphere as a fish in his own water, smiling left and right and projecting confidence from every pore of the skin.
What do you think is he/she focusing on? What could the thoughts running through his/her mind be?
There you are! This singer is not bothering with doubts about anything or worries about the results (which are out of his/her powers) and in this way can do what he/she does best.. in the best possible way!! This singer knows what he/she is worth, has prepared for this audition and instead of focusing on people judging him/her, he/she will concentrate on.. singing! Exactly as one would do when performing in any other setting!
So, next time you go for an audition... do yourself this favour: rehearse not only the songs you are going to sing, but take 10 minutes to see yourself being walking in there in your most empowered state, hear and see yourself singing with love, energy, confidence, charm.. to cut it short: hear and see your self singing at your best.
It's really like rehearsing anything else. When you will be there in person, you will step in what you have pre-emptively imagined, envisioned, tried.. to repeat it as you rehearsed it!
I hope this insight of mine will help you.
All the best for your next audition... and for your next performance!
Yuri Sabatini,
Singing Teacher in London
That's a question I have been asked many times from my students in my studio... and an issue I myself still have to deal with when going for auditions in London from time to time.
Auditioning for an exam or for a job can bring about most unsettling emotions, so intense as to prevent you from giving your best, spoil your performance or, in the worst scenario - not so uncommon, for some - to completely ruin the outcome.
If when it's time to audition you are having trouble with this queasy feeling, I am sure you will find some help in what follows.
I want you to think about this: if you experience auditioning as one of the most uncomfortable experience you could ever go for, it is to your thinking - your perception - that you need to pay attention to.
The idea of being judged is a most restraining one to focus on before singing, I am sure will agree on this. But let's go a bit deeper in this consideration.
If you think about all the possible criticism and likely unfavorable comments the panel could make, or you start comparing your voice with that of the singer who sung just before you, you immediately put yourself in a rather poor emotional state, one in which you are limited and can only see what can go wrong. In this state, it will be impossible to sing at your best. Actually, it will be impossible to think, act... ultimately live at your best!
Ok, let's not dwell anymore on this emotions.
Keep following me.
In one of my latest posts on my facebook page - Yuri Sabatini Singing Teacher - I suggested that you grasp, and make the most of, any single opportunity to sing in front of an audience, no matter how informal and small the occasion. In fact, the less pretentious the circumstance is, the better!
Why should you be performing as often as you can? Because this is how you know what you can do and what you need to work on.
But there is also a crucial point related to the issue we are tackling here.
In more humble settings you will likely be in your most natural and resourceful state, which means you will live the experience as an easy thing. It will be a worry-free moment in which you will be able do what you like most - singing, hopefully!! - without having to question if you are enough for it and in which you will surely be... amazing!
Event like this will build a positive link in your memory and a powerful belief on which you can ground your self-esteem as a singer. "Singing is fun and I enjoy it", "I like singing and I know I am good at it", "Wow! They were so happy about my singing!": these and many more are likely to be the words which will run through your mind when you think about singing.
As we see, there is a huge difference between the two attitudes one can have when about to sing in front of someone else.
I find that also before a performance one experiences a similar kind of nervousness, but in many cases it is of a more positive type: it is an excitement that soars from within the desire to sing out, to share what you've got with the audience; it originates from the awareness of how well you have done your homework, prepared yourself, rehearsed again and again your part. When you start singing, the tension disappears. All the doubts go out of the window. The inner critic goes to sleep and with him all the fears about something going wrong -like you forgetting the lyrics! -: what remains is you flowing with things, with the scene, with the music.
Do you already see where I am getting at?
I think it's paramount for you to realise that this attitude is the factor that determines the result you have, not the setting in itself. You are always the same, the voice is the same, the technique is the same. It's what you concentrate on that makes the difference!
If you think of performing as a means to do what you like most, forget all about the negative thoughts and stop trying to control the outcome (that's their decision, an external factor, nothing you can or should have control over!), you will put yourself in your best position.
I am sure you have seen and noticed, at auditions, this kind of character: the one who seem to enjoy the whole atmosphere as a fish in his own water, smiling left and right and projecting confidence from every pore of the skin.
What do you think is he/she focusing on? What could the thoughts running through his/her mind be?
There you are! This singer is not bothering with doubts about anything or worries about the results (which are out of his/her powers) and in this way can do what he/she does best.. in the best possible way!! This singer knows what he/she is worth, has prepared for this audition and instead of focusing on people judging him/her, he/she will concentrate on.. singing! Exactly as one would do when performing in any other setting!
So, next time you go for an audition... do yourself this favour: rehearse not only the songs you are going to sing, but take 10 minutes to see yourself being walking in there in your most empowered state, hear and see yourself singing with love, energy, confidence, charm.. to cut it short: hear and see your self singing at your best.
It's really like rehearsing anything else. When you will be there in person, you will step in what you have pre-emptively imagined, envisioned, tried.. to repeat it as you rehearsed it!
I hope this insight of mine will help you.
All the best for your next audition... and for your next performance!
Yuri Sabatini,
Singing Teacher in London
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Art or Technique: what comes first?
When I hear about the invitation from someone to sing naturally, in an inspired way, as a solution to a technical issue, I hardly agree.
Many do already sing well-connected to their artistic side, with emotion and a natural talent in "feeling".... their problems often are not related to Art, but must be ascribed to Technique.
These singers come to us with a problem and they want a solution. It's often an incorrect use of their body to prevent the blossoming of the singer's voice, and the invitation to "be natural", to "feel", to try and express more in most cases yields no significant result.
Of course, in order to have a "complete" singer, you also need this connection... but a good teacher must be able to identify and remove any existing mechanical impediment, then he and the student will instill a more efficient coordination which responds to the laws of physiology, acoustics and phonetics under which we all operate. Then everything falls into place.
On the other hand the attempt to awaken sensitiveness in the subject that for too long has left this skill dormant calls for a much longer and often unsuccessful process.
If it is emotion that lacks, and if the singing feels devoid of that magic, of the inner dimension and, ultimately, of interpretation... well, it will be quite difficult to bring back artistic sensibility (the ability to experience, to recognize, appreciate, and to reproduce emotions) without educating in a very broad sense the culture and life experience of the student.
It must be remembered that often these skills are already present in the "natural singer"(and that is why he or she wishes to have a freedom in the use of their voice: they want their instrument to be able to go hand in hand with what suggested by this inner world within!).
In my experience, the hindrance is often of technical nature(read: mechanical) and I'm sorry to say that the teacher who cannot link the effect to the cause and doesn't know how to precisely cure it, for as mystical, inspired and inspiring as this teacher can be, simply is not qualified to teach singing.
If I had to sum it up, almost often it is because Technique is wrong that Artistry has no way to come to life. On the contrary, all the feeling and sensitivity of the world are useless if a problem caused by improper coordination be not addressed and the correct physiological process be adequately restored.
Many do already sing well-connected to their artistic side, with emotion and a natural talent in "feeling".... their problems often are not related to Art, but must be ascribed to Technique.
These singers come to us with a problem and they want a solution. It's often an incorrect use of their body to prevent the blossoming of the singer's voice, and the invitation to "be natural", to "feel", to try and express more in most cases yields no significant result.
Of course, in order to have a "complete" singer, you also need this connection... but a good teacher must be able to identify and remove any existing mechanical impediment, then he and the student will instill a more efficient coordination which responds to the laws of physiology, acoustics and phonetics under which we all operate. Then everything falls into place.
On the other hand the attempt to awaken sensitiveness in the subject that for too long has left this skill dormant calls for a much longer and often unsuccessful process.
If it is emotion that lacks, and if the singing feels devoid of that magic, of the inner dimension and, ultimately, of interpretation... well, it will be quite difficult to bring back artistic sensibility (the ability to experience, to recognize, appreciate, and to reproduce emotions) without educating in a very broad sense the culture and life experience of the student.
It must be remembered that often these skills are already present in the "natural singer"(and that is why he or she wishes to have a freedom in the use of their voice: they want their instrument to be able to go hand in hand with what suggested by this inner world within!).
In my experience, the hindrance is often of technical nature(read: mechanical) and I'm sorry to say that the teacher who cannot link the effect to the cause and doesn't know how to precisely cure it, for as mystical, inspired and inspiring as this teacher can be, simply is not qualified to teach singing.
If I had to sum it up, almost often it is because Technique is wrong that Artistry has no way to come to life. On the contrary, all the feeling and sensitivity of the world are useless if a problem caused by improper coordination be not addressed and the correct physiological process be adequately restored.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Trusting and nourishing the singer's inner wisdom... and having the courage to affirm it
What the mind conceives, the body delivers. We could put it this other way: what the musical ear conceives, the voice delivers.
Powerful and true reality. A simple, undeniable fact.
We would do better to analyse the implications of it, from a singer's point of view.
In my career as singing teacher, I came to realize how most of the times the faults that keep persisting in a singer's voice are there for a reason, and one in particular, often not mentioned: the singer is not aware of them! It may sound too simplistic, but.. think about it: if he has not the awareness of something not being right or only vaguely so, he will not be able to do anything about it. If the idea, the concept of the sound is not cured (healed, cleared up, sorted), the common scenario is that one goes by sewing patches on the fabric of his technique... which makes the resulting voice look like a mix and match of colors which nothing did to sort the problem but actually add to it. In this setting, often comes in the teacher that tries to fix the problem with very little understanding of it and by means of one or two tips based on wrong preconceptions about how to confront the issue of... whatever the problem may be. This is another big problem altogether, which I touched in previous posts and on which I will not linger in this occasion, but let's concentrate on a more relevant argument.
The Awareness of The Singer.
This awareness should be nurtured by the responsible student (I here mean that you are a student throughout your career, in singing) and by a competent, trusted teacher. In many cases, it is not so...: The average student relies totally on his teacher, trusting that the teacher alone, knows what the voice should sound like, and giving away all the power of one's inner instinct and intuition - ultimately what really tells us what's right or wrong.
This give-away of one's inner guidance is at the source of the persistence of most - if not all- the troubles a singer encounters. Shame, really, 'cause it shouldn't be the case...
Every so often one can witness this mechanism at play: the teacher who is surrounded by a mystical aura sees there are faults and hears the troubles in the voice.. but he/she doesn't know exactly where these faults originate, why those troubles are there: instead of precise knowledge, this teacher is armed only of a somewhat good career as his background, and imprecise information. Out of good intentions, this teacher thinks of passing on the advice which worked for his/her case (even if the problem was a completely different one!) and the instructions don't bring any positive, consistent improvement...
Well, let's stop a second and focus the perspective on the student instead of this improvised teacher, because it is here that lies the real problem, the one factor that allows this sad reality to come to life. This singer/student in analysis - the common case - is in the first place projecting expectations on the teacher. Consequently, the student is giving all the responsibility to this teacher. In this setting, the singer will not likely voice his concern even if he can feel that a)something is wrong, that b)it's clear that the teacher is not really spotting the problem and that c)the advice doesn't really work - or if it does, it does so at the expenses of one's inner intuition because it asks too much effort and causes a feeling of discomfort and not of calm and mastery.
Two are the possible likelihoods of how this situation will evolve.
If the contact with one's inner wisdom is totally removed, this student is likely to continue seeing this teacher (or others) and eventually will believe that the sound made it's just his sound. There is no much chance that any future comment on his incorrect way of singing will "wake him up", and actually the chances are even less likely for nobody will have the courage or bother to approach someone whose awareness is so far from what he is actually doing, unless specifically asked to express a professional opinion - which may be well be rejected, for the same above reasons!
If this person listen to his inner feelings, he will quit taking lesson, disappearing from this studio giving no feedback, and either embark on the difficult journey of finding a knowledgeable teacher who is able to help him or cease studying voice for good (too bad, and too frequent).
A third option would be very unlikely, but would be the only one which could really prevent other damage: the student voices his concerns directly, therefore bringing the teacher to question himself about his being qualified to teach. (if humble and honest enough, he will start to look for more knowledge on which grounding his profession).
Now let's look at things by taking a step back and see the bigger picture.
As one can see, the power shouldn't be given out completely to someone else, not even if the teacher is a very good and knowledgeable one. Ultimately, it is always up to you. It is up to your commitment, to your connection with your self. Yes, it is up to your talent too, but mostly, the bottom line is: it is up to your commitment.
A singer should always be responsible for his own growth and development. Part of this responsibility is to observe, to listen, to be an active researcher of his own and other's voice. Critical to one's success is the curiousity, the ability to compare different coordinations resulting in as many diverse sounds, and the power of justly appreciate the connection between cause and effect. (This is what the good pedagogue has done himself: without this process, the singer who becomes teacher is bound to generate random results.. and too many casualties)
P.S. : With this attitude, the singer is capable of developing his own discernment and his own "palette", his "vocabulary". With this approach he is to award himself of the very tools of the singing trade.... tools that can help him above anyone else decide what does constitute a good sound and what doesn't, tools that will allow him to conceive the tonal concept that will shape his voice production. And here we are, back to the starting point: what the musical ear conceives, the body delivers...
Cultivate your knowledge then. Don't be lazy: listen, observe. Commit to learning and growth.
Your tonal concept will improve, and your voice will follow!
Powerful and true reality. A simple, undeniable fact.
We would do better to analyse the implications of it, from a singer's point of view.
In my career as singing teacher, I came to realize how most of the times the faults that keep persisting in a singer's voice are there for a reason, and one in particular, often not mentioned: the singer is not aware of them! It may sound too simplistic, but.. think about it: if he has not the awareness of something not being right or only vaguely so, he will not be able to do anything about it. If the idea, the concept of the sound is not cured (healed, cleared up, sorted), the common scenario is that one goes by sewing patches on the fabric of his technique... which makes the resulting voice look like a mix and match of colors which nothing did to sort the problem but actually add to it. In this setting, often comes in the teacher that tries to fix the problem with very little understanding of it and by means of one or two tips based on wrong preconceptions about how to confront the issue of... whatever the problem may be. This is another big problem altogether, which I touched in previous posts and on which I will not linger in this occasion, but let's concentrate on a more relevant argument.
The Awareness of The Singer.
This awareness should be nurtured by the responsible student (I here mean that you are a student throughout your career, in singing) and by a competent, trusted teacher. In many cases, it is not so...: The average student relies totally on his teacher, trusting that the teacher alone, knows what the voice should sound like, and giving away all the power of one's inner instinct and intuition - ultimately what really tells us what's right or wrong.
This give-away of one's inner guidance is at the source of the persistence of most - if not all- the troubles a singer encounters. Shame, really, 'cause it shouldn't be the case...
Every so often one can witness this mechanism at play: the teacher who is surrounded by a mystical aura sees there are faults and hears the troubles in the voice.. but he/she doesn't know exactly where these faults originate, why those troubles are there: instead of precise knowledge, this teacher is armed only of a somewhat good career as his background, and imprecise information. Out of good intentions, this teacher thinks of passing on the advice which worked for his/her case (even if the problem was a completely different one!) and the instructions don't bring any positive, consistent improvement...
Well, let's stop a second and focus the perspective on the student instead of this improvised teacher, because it is here that lies the real problem, the one factor that allows this sad reality to come to life. This singer/student in analysis - the common case - is in the first place projecting expectations on the teacher. Consequently, the student is giving all the responsibility to this teacher. In this setting, the singer will not likely voice his concern even if he can feel that a)something is wrong, that b)it's clear that the teacher is not really spotting the problem and that c)the advice doesn't really work - or if it does, it does so at the expenses of one's inner intuition because it asks too much effort and causes a feeling of discomfort and not of calm and mastery.
Two are the possible likelihoods of how this situation will evolve.
If the contact with one's inner wisdom is totally removed, this student is likely to continue seeing this teacher (or others) and eventually will believe that the sound made it's just his sound. There is no much chance that any future comment on his incorrect way of singing will "wake him up", and actually the chances are even less likely for nobody will have the courage or bother to approach someone whose awareness is so far from what he is actually doing, unless specifically asked to express a professional opinion - which may be well be rejected, for the same above reasons!
If this person listen to his inner feelings, he will quit taking lesson, disappearing from this studio giving no feedback, and either embark on the difficult journey of finding a knowledgeable teacher who is able to help him or cease studying voice for good (too bad, and too frequent).
A third option would be very unlikely, but would be the only one which could really prevent other damage: the student voices his concerns directly, therefore bringing the teacher to question himself about his being qualified to teach. (if humble and honest enough, he will start to look for more knowledge on which grounding his profession).
Now let's look at things by taking a step back and see the bigger picture.
As one can see, the power shouldn't be given out completely to someone else, not even if the teacher is a very good and knowledgeable one. Ultimately, it is always up to you. It is up to your commitment, to your connection with your self. Yes, it is up to your talent too, but mostly, the bottom line is: it is up to your commitment.
A singer should always be responsible for his own growth and development. Part of this responsibility is to observe, to listen, to be an active researcher of his own and other's voice. Critical to one's success is the curiousity, the ability to compare different coordinations resulting in as many diverse sounds, and the power of justly appreciate the connection between cause and effect. (This is what the good pedagogue has done himself: without this process, the singer who becomes teacher is bound to generate random results.. and too many casualties)
P.S. : With this attitude, the singer is capable of developing his own discernment and his own "palette", his "vocabulary". With this approach he is to award himself of the very tools of the singing trade.... tools that can help him above anyone else decide what does constitute a good sound and what doesn't, tools that will allow him to conceive the tonal concept that will shape his voice production. And here we are, back to the starting point: what the musical ear conceives, the body delivers...
Cultivate your knowledge then. Don't be lazy: listen, observe. Commit to learning and growth.
Your tonal concept will improve, and your voice will follow!
Friday, 7 January 2011
The famous singer who becomes (in)famous teacher
The most successful career - however valuable the experience can be in some respects -doesn't qualify a singer to set up as a teacher.
Ambitious pupils always feel attracted by big names. Yet it is only a few advanced pupils who mature to perfection in so-called masterclasses.
I've seen clips of such "high-level training" given by artists of the calibre of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Pavarotti, Kraus and many more... the advice given in such events is either correct in its purely musical character or, at the opposite, completely nonsensical when in regard to the technical side of singing. In these recordings, one can read in the mind of the poor student the frustration he feels when trying to apply the advice given without really knowing what it is that they want him to do!
What ought to matter most is the basic instruction of a pupil at the introductory and intermediate stages: this requires individual tuition by a teacher who - apart from being a singer - possesses interdisciplinary knowledge of anatomy, physiology, musical acoustics and psychology, plus of course an extremely fine ear and common sense. With the latter it is possible to detect the faults in the student and, with the former, one can connect cause to effect and come out with the solution required.
I must admit, I have witnessed many, too many singing teacher who lack the required competency. Yet they have many pupils attending their studios... In 90 per cent of the cases, these singing teachers teach at the best music institutions!!
It is no exaggeration to say that teaching singing is the least-regulated of all the professions and the saddest thing is that it seems that those responsible for the Music Staff are happy that things stay the way they are and that no formal training be given to them. What do they fear, I ask?
But don't get me wrong, there are also good teachers out there: it's just that they are not known enough.
So, when you chose your teacher to sort out your voice, my advice is: don't be fooled by their charm and popularity. Go for those things only if what you are looking for is fame and networking... you too will be able to say "I studied with such-and-such, who blablabla...", but that's another matter altogether!!
Ambitious pupils always feel attracted by big names. Yet it is only a few advanced pupils who mature to perfection in so-called masterclasses.
I've seen clips of such "high-level training" given by artists of the calibre of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Pavarotti, Kraus and many more... the advice given in such events is either correct in its purely musical character or, at the opposite, completely nonsensical when in regard to the technical side of singing. In these recordings, one can read in the mind of the poor student the frustration he feels when trying to apply the advice given without really knowing what it is that they want him to do!
What ought to matter most is the basic instruction of a pupil at the introductory and intermediate stages: this requires individual tuition by a teacher who - apart from being a singer - possesses interdisciplinary knowledge of anatomy, physiology, musical acoustics and psychology, plus of course an extremely fine ear and common sense. With the latter it is possible to detect the faults in the student and, with the former, one can connect cause to effect and come out with the solution required.
I must admit, I have witnessed many, too many singing teacher who lack the required competency. Yet they have many pupils attending their studios... In 90 per cent of the cases, these singing teachers teach at the best music institutions!!
It is no exaggeration to say that teaching singing is the least-regulated of all the professions and the saddest thing is that it seems that those responsible for the Music Staff are happy that things stay the way they are and that no formal training be given to them. What do they fear, I ask?
But don't get me wrong, there are also good teachers out there: it's just that they are not known enough.
So, when you chose your teacher to sort out your voice, my advice is: don't be fooled by their charm and popularity. Go for those things only if what you are looking for is fame and networking... you too will be able to say "I studied with such-and-such, who blablabla...", but that's another matter altogether!!
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