Here we go, 2024/25!
A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog advocating that we should all aim to give "average performances." I wasn't trying to say that our singing should be dull or uninteresting. I was just pointing out that, most of the time, our singing will be representative of what we normally do—it will reflect our average.
Of course, we love it when the stars align and everything seems to go perfectly or like it never has before. And we love it when that happens in front of an audience or at an audition.
But, I'm sorry to say, that usually doesn't happen.
In statistics, we call this phenomenon "regression to the mean." For singers, this allows for the fact that certain performances will be outliers: either way better than usual or way worse than usual. But most of the time we settle into what we do most of the time.
The goal, then, is not to hope that whenever we perform, it will be one of the outstanding outliers. A more reliable approach is to methodically work to raise our average—to improve the quality of what we do most of the time. We accomplish this by identifying specific goals and engaging in strategic practice.
Coming up with specific goals requires some honest reflection about your current skill level. What do you like about your voice? What does it do well? What are some vocal elements you would like to preserve throughout your vocal training?
Then you can reflect on what areas you'd like to build or strengthen. Where do you find your voice sometimes falling short? What are some skills you admire in other singers that you would like to develop in your own voice? What skills will help you sing the songs you love most?
After that, we can come up with a plan for strategic practice. What exercises can we use that will target the skills you want to develop? What exercises will help continue to solidify the parts of your voice you want to preserve? How can you set up a regular schedule of practice so that you can devote consistent time and effort to building these skills?
As Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” If we want our average performances to be excellent, setting specific goals and consistently engaging in strategic practice sessions are the most certain ways to get there.
What goals do you have for this semester? What parts of your vocal technique and performance do you most want to preserve and improve?
Now go practice.
