Reversibility

With summer break just a couple of weeks away (!) it is a good time to discuss reversibility.

Essentially, reversibility (also called detraining) is the “use it or lose it” principle from exercise physiology. As described in The Vocal Athlete by Wendy D. LeBorgne and Marci Rosenberg, the longer you take a break from training, the more time it takes to get back the strength, flexibility, and capabilities you have built. The research suggests that if you take two weeks off from strength training, it can take up to four weeks to get back to the performance levels achieved before the hiatus. This likely applies to vocal training in similar ways.

Of course, we all need occasional breaks from vocal work. On a daily basis we need to plan resting periods (or "vocal naps") throughout the day, especially on days of heavy vocal use. Many pedagogues suggest taking one full day each week to rest from singing for both a physical and mental break from the discipline. Rest is an essential element of vocal training.

However, as I heard Placido Domingo say once in an interview, “If I rest, I rust.” This may be an oversimplification of the reversibility principle, but it gets the point across.

I hope you all find time in the coming months to relax, to have some time away from academic demands, and to devote time to the personal relationships and outside interests that are so vital to the human experience. But none of us can afford a three-and-a-half-month vacation from singing. Reevaluate your practicing when you know what your summer schedule will be, and continue to set aside times in your day for vocal activities. You have all made great progress and are on a positive trajectory with your technique and artistry. Make sure to maintain the commitment and discipline over the summer.

Have a wonderful summer. Relax, recuperate, and rejuvenate, but avoid reversibility.

And stay in touch!

Now go practice.

Motivation

This Auditions Plus blog entitled, “The Art of Practicing," is a quick read with some thoughts worth entertaining:

http://www.auditionsplus.com/blog/?p=3216

The author starts with the simple question, “Do you like to practice?”

Acknowledging that we all make excuses sometimes to justify not practicing, she goes on to say, "The art of practicing is not just about discipline—about practicing every day without fail, whether you want to or not. This might lead to improvement, yes, but it may also lead to burnout, resentment, or just constant excuses."

Instead, she asks the question, “Why do you practice?” Is it because you love to sing or you love telling a story or is it just because you feel like you’re supposed to practice?

To me, one of the more important points here is to distinguish between the discipline of practice and the art of practice.

I believe that we are what we do most of the time. If you want to be a healthy person then you have to make healthy choices a lot more often than you make unhealthy ones. If you want to be an honest person you have to practice honesty and avoid the situations that drag you into dishonest behavior. Therefore, if you want to be a good singer, you have to employ discipline and regular practice.

But, being an artistic singer also requires inspiration. Sometimes, to avoid burnout or drudgery, you may need to step back from your practice routine. If it is becoming mundane or tedious, taking a break for a while or reevaluating your process could be in your best interests. Until you find the motivation to get back into a routine, you may decide to use your practice time to rediscover or reignite the passion you have for singing and the love you have for music as both an art form and a necessary part of life—to refocus on how singing can make you a more expressive, compassionate, sympathetic, and communicative human being.

So I’m curious: Why do you practice? How do you get yourself to the practice room when you’ve lost motivation?

Now go practice (or don’t and tell me why).