The Singer As Inspirational Teacher

An authentic singer performs to meet his own artistic needs as well as the needs of his audience. If the artist is truly an exceptional one, then he has the added luxury of having only to realize his artistic self in a performance, which—by virtue of his unique gifts—automatically satisfies the desires and passions of his adoring fans. This sacred skill is the ultimate meaning of being a great artist. If a singer does his proper duty, then his performances will penetrate deeply into the subconscious of his listeners and stir in them the awareness of the truths of the human heart.

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Generosity In Singing

That there is a self-indulgent component to all great singing is undeniable. But in authentic art, self-indulgence is freely transformed into a genuine concern and care for the audience—that is, a great singer, however passionate he may be about his art, is always in intimate contact with his listeners, and gives to them generously. When I was teaching and touring with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, I was often struck by the strong emotions that he aroused in both his female and male fans.

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Perils Of Self-Expression

A singer’s greatest challenge and ultimate goal is to have her listener feel what she feels. Different singers come to terms with this challenge in different ways. One singer, for example, may embrace her feelings of vulnerability directly and sing with extreme emotionalism in the hope that the listener will become absorbed in her emotions and understand them. Another singer, by contrast, may hold back her intense feelings and depend more on the listener’s ability to empathize with what she is singing about. The issue is to what extent the approach a singer chooses enables her listeners to feel and understand her feelings and mood.

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Singers And The Need For Powerful Communication

Singing is among the most esteemed of all high art forms precisely because of its unmatched ability to communicate mightily on an emotional level. Without doing so, singing could easily become nothing more than empty or irritating noise. Common sense communication is relatively simple—it’s easy to explain to any reasonable person the physical difference between a car and a bicycle, for example, or to show him that 2+2=4. Singing, by contrast, often deals with intangibles, with nuances of feeling and moods that defy easy and common sense communication.

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Your Voice As An Emotional Instrument

Voice building enables a voice to be more musical and responsive to the moods and emotions of the singer. The connection between our voices and our feelings is an intimate one and, in my opinion, has its origin in the evolution of our species.

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