What I Do.

I teach people to sing. This may seem insignificant on first hearing. It is, however, one of the most life-changing experiences most people could have. Almost everyone whom I meet for the first time - when they know what I do, responds with, “Oh, I can’t sing. My voice is terrible.” The fact is, everyone can sing and everyone should sing. In my thirty years of teaching, I have observed people becoming more successful through vocal training, overcoming depression, and moving their lives forward, not to mention the long list of performers who were able to start successful careers.

Why is learning to sing so important? First of all, it is healthy - for the body and the psyche. There have been clinical studies about the effects of singing on the body. Aside from the improvement in breathing - which almost everyone needs - there are observable changes, especially in the haemogram. The blood exhibits an increase in serotonin, a drop in cortisol, and, in many cases, a higher level of proteins connected to the immune system. In short, singing makes you feel good. Singing together with others is even more beneficial. One enjoys a deep sense of accomplishment and a strengthening of social bonds. You do not have to become a pop star or opera singer to enjoy the full benefit of singing. I have had clients who turned their lives around after learning just a few songs. Most of all, singing gives us an enhanced sense of beauty and truth. This is an advantage in any situation, very much so in today’s world where beauty and truth have been conflated with money and power.

I do not think of myself as a teacher but more as a guide and companion for people who are longing and searching for a sense of self with authentic expression. I accompany them on their journey through the inner landscape. I have no plan or system for my work. Each journey is different and individuality must be respected. I do have some goals that I never let out of sight. The primary goal is discovering the natural voice, then establishing a connection with the core emotions. Finally, acquainting the person with the basic rules of good singing and music-making. I find that there is always a moment somewhere along the way when the person begins to comprehend what it’s all about. We start off with a heap of puzzle parts but no picture. As the parts begin to fit together the picture emerges and at that point, the person begins to make their own progress under their own power. My input from then on is mainly advisory.

In three decades of teaching, I have developed a pedagogical style that defies description. I wish to find a way to make what I do comprehensible to others, especially voice teachers. I do not disparage anyone else’s approach. I have learned from many different sources. I think you can’t have too many tools in your toolbox. I begin a new client by telling them that their body already knows how to sing. Singing or communication through tones was certainly the first step made by early hominids to convey information with the voice. We did not make the first sounds as words, they were tones. Everyone has a repertoire of things they do with their voice that are the building blocks of a well-functioning natural voice. These sounds are thought of as noise but are often actually technically better than what people think singing might be. Everyone who wants to sing has heard someone else do it and the natural impulse is to attempt to imitate those sounds. This is where the loss of the natural voice begins - the loss if furthered by learning to speak. Many societies require that an adult should speak with a lower voice. Without going into vocal anatomy - let’s say that this is the equivalent of one-sided physical training - only the legs but not the arms. The resulting feeling of inability to use the whole vocal range terminates with, “Oh, I can’t sing.” You can’t sing like someone else, only like yourself. The music “Industry” has seduced many singers and teachers to believe that if you make a certain kind of sound (the flavor of the month, determined by market analysts!) you will be successful. The reality is that there will never be another Tina Turner and there does not have to be. She did it better than anyone could ever imitate.

I have two purposes that I pursue. One is to help everyone find their authentic individual expression - freed from the constraints of socialization and comparison. The other is to do whatever I can to oppose the industrialization of singing. Music has been made into a consumer product and the people with talent have become raw material for producers. The expression “human resources” says it all about the attitude of an industry toward individuals. The next thing I say to a new client is, “Singing is not a problem that you have to solve, it’s an experience that you allow yourself to enjoy.”

I want to write a book - or create a podcast - to make my findings more public. I need a space of 2-3 months of concentrated work on organizing all of my thoughts and notes into a comprehensible form. I’m not ready to retire just yet. I enjoy working with people too much. I do need to get this project finished as long as my mind is clear.