One unavoidable aspect of practice is frustration. First there is the frustration of not being able to practice because something comes up in your schedule. There is also the frustration of getting to your lesson and wishing you had practiced more the previous week.
But then there is the frustration of just trying to make the voice work the way you would like. Sometimes we can go through prolonged periods of stagnation. With voice, we are constantly looking for a balance among muscles, which takes time, finite coordination, and physical growth. When we feel like we are doing everything we ought to be doing but don’t notice any progress, it is easy to get frustrated.
After starting the year with some great momentum, I’ve felt like I’m back in a little bit of a vocal rut again. It’s not bad, I don’t feel like I’m getting worse. But I also haven’t felt like I’ve been growing over the last few weeks.
Now that I’ve started rehearsing Threepenny Opera, my routine is all different. Actually, I haven’t found a routine yet—every day is different. So as long as I’m already unsettled, I’m going to try and use this as an opportunity to do some things differently with my singing as well: a new set of exercises, practicing at different times, and trying some new repertoire. I think we need that change of routine sometimes, especially if we feel stuck or like we’ve plateaued.
Like any discipline, singing can become a slog sometimes. It’s not fun when it’s not working. But, though frustration is probably inevitable, it doesn’t have to lead to discouragement. Stay focused, keep exploring, and keep putting in your time. You are ALWAYS moving somewhere, even if it isn’t where you thought you were going.
Peace and happy singing.
Now go practice.
Andy Harrison
ReplyDeleteAnother frustrating aspect of this discipline, and many disciplines, is my overactive tendency to compare. I find it so difficult not to compare myself with others and then doubt my own capabilities and potential, especially when I am in a period of plateau. But I've found that perseverance usually leads to the end of the tunnel and after some time the doubt subsides and something new is discovered that helps to reignite the flame.
For the past two weeks, I've struggled. I had a bomb of a performance, that I thought I had in the bag. Now I know what singing on a truly-tired voice produces; poo. I know what to do when life gives me poo...I put it in the garden A dimension of this that I've thought about balance in quality, chiaro-oscuro; balance.
ReplyDeleteI've worked mostly on forwardly-placed, almost obnoxiously bright, phonation and tone production for the past several years. As, I've moved forward in training, to a new professor, I've worked mostly on the oscuro side of my tone. I struggled for a bit, because this is everything I hadn't been working. Feedback I got from a revered colleague, as I was trying to incorporate these newly learned oscuro technique-ie things was that I sounded too dark. I was deflated. HOWEVER, I meditated on that for a bit and came up with a yinnie-yangey image in my mind of finding the chiaro in the oscuro and the oscuro in the chiaro....balance.
I feel better about my work. I feel more successful. I will prevail over my inner critic.
I'm really glad you posted this. I always feel like I'm getting nowhere with my voice and it usually doesn't discourage me, but lately it's been making me feel like, what's the point? But it's important to realize that hard work will always get you somewhere. Sometimes the results won't be immediate and sometimes they won't be what you thought. But at least you're moving somewhere, at least you're changing! And change is good. So I will end with this cheesy yet gracefully relevant quote:
ReplyDeleteSome days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway. ~ Emory Austin
My old voice teacher back home used to say "In this business you either get better, or you get worse. You never stay the same". So I'm going to have to dispute those who say they have hit a "plateau" in their work. If you feel like you are experiencing this I think you really need to analyze whats going on and make sure you are accurately hitting all of your goals. I'm a true believer in the idea that if you aren't getting better, you are getting worse, which motivates me even more in practice sessions and class and such.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fair point, Cameron. But I think sometimes progress is just slower than we would like it to be, which makes us 'feel' like we're not improving even though we probably are. Maybe we need to distinguish between 'progress' and 'noticeable progress.' Arguably, any intentional, focused practice will help you improve if you are reinforcing positive muscular action/balance and bringing increased consciousness to your singing. But on a day-to-day level we may not feel we have improved all that much or moved significantly closer to a specific goal. The greater point, though, is to keep working even when you don't notice the progress because, on one level or another, it is likely leading you to where you need to go.
DeleteI totally understand. I feel like I am in a rut every time when I don't get enough practice. I think I have enough to learn that I haven't reached my 'plateau' yet, but when I have not warmed up every day that week or I've taken a day or two off from singing, that's when I notice it the most. During the summer, I was in a car 30-45 minutes a day, sometimes more if I drove to Ogden. during all of that time, everyday, I was warming up, and occasionally I was able to sing in my house that 8 other people lived in. But I reliably had my car. Now I don't have my car, and I live in a house with 12 people, and finding my new routine and habit is difficult, but I always remember what it is like to have that feeling that my singing is at the best it ever has been, and that can motivate me to do more.
ReplyDeletePractice frustration is something that I also struggle with. I think that this frustration is unavoidable for performers. I have begun to find a system that works for me though. I have learned that a good way to avoid this frustration is to set realistic goals, set a realistic schedule/time for yourself, and then follow through with accomplishing the goal. Being realistic is the key here. If the goal is too big then you are bound to get frustrated too easily and often times give up. And if the goal is too small...then its not challenging and not fun. My problem lately has been with finding time to practice. This was frustrating at first but once I decided not to avoid the problem and do something about it everything got easier. I sat down with my schedule and switched it up a bit and changed a few priorities. Also... (sorry Brian) singing in my car has been my best friend.
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