As you might be aware, I gave a recital a few weeks ago. This was my first time on stage in almost 10 years and, as you can imagine, it was ALL the feels, but I’m finally able to focus on some of the takeaways from this experience.
For so many years I really disliked listening to my singing. It felt like every time I went to listen all I heard was what I did wrong. A note that wasn’t 100%, a phrase that didn’t land, a rushed breath, a missed opportunity. To be fair, I don’t think I was ever taught HOW to listen to myself. I was told I should, I diligently recorded my lessons, I listened back to try to capture the takeaways… but I never truly learned how listening to recordings was going to make me a better singer.
All I could focus on was the things that didn't happen. I couldn’t see the work that was taking place or where I was going with it. If anything, this critical way of listening made it harder for me to be present with my singing during performances. Instead of focusing on what I wanted, I would get hung up on what I didn't want.... 🫠
Now, you might already know this, but we can’t hear ourselves properly. Just like we can’t see ourselves properly… we’re simply not designed for this kind of self-reflection. So listening to yourself is an entirely new human experience and one we really haven’t developed adequate systems and tools for.
There are a few important things I learned over the last couple of months:
You are in ultimate control of the results of your performance. You get to call the shots, you get to decide what you want it to sound like, you get to create the experience. As important as it is to have other ears you can trust, you know in your deepest of places what you want as an artist and if you don't get what you want it doesn't really matter what anyone else tells you. If you're not getting the results you want, you're not going to be happy. How can you ensure you're going to be happy? By knowing what is happening! And how do you do that? By listening to what's happening.
Your phone/computer mic and speaker aren’t always your friend. Investing in a better quality mic and even AirPods will give you a more accurate aural experience of your voice. I found myself being more critical of my singing following zoom sessions, but once I realized it was the mic and speaker combo I could let go of that criticism and focus on other things. Just like different mirrors can give us more or less flattering views of our bodies, it’s important to consider how microphones and speakers (and recording compression) might affect what you’re hearing in your voice recordings.
When you’re singing well you’re not getting much sensory feedback because it likely feels pretty easy and effortless - it’s your recordings that tell you if you’re getting what you truly want in your singing. I was astounded by how boring or unexciting something would feel in a coaching or rehearsal only to listen to the recording and go “holy shit that’s good!”. If I had only used my sensory perception to guide my focus I would have missed out on some truly exciting singing breakthroughs!
While preparing for this recital, I actually found myself eager to listen to my rehearsal recordings. Hearing my singing evolve, listening to my technique strengthen, and to feel my desires take shape. By going back to these rehearsal recordings I was building in two realities for myself:
What I was capable of doing at any given time and what I truly wanted for the performance.
We’re finalizing the mix for the recital recording and as I listened to it today I could honestly enjoy the sounds I was hearing. After spending weeks listening to my recordings, focusing on what I wanted and hearing myself get better and better, I could see and hear the benefits of that work in the performance.
It’s not that everything in the recording is perfect, but I got what I wanted from this performance and then some! And that’s the secret to successful performing, isn’t it? Knowing that at any given time you can go out there and get precisely what you want.
I always tell my clients to go back and listen to the work we’ve done because I want you to hear what I hear and start to turn your focus to what you want in your singing instead of getting lost in what isn't working. The work gets easier and better the more you focus on the results you actually want. So if you haven’t done this work yet, I fully encourage you to invest in listening to yourself and focus on what it is you want to achieve in your singing. Keep your eyes on the prize and you might find it’s not that far off!
If you want to chat more about this or review anything we've worked on together, I've got some openings for one-off sessions and I'd love to see your face. Drop me a line and let's get you scheduled!
Happy listening!
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