Have you set your New Year's resolutions yet? Do you have any resolutions related to vocal practice this year?
Actually, maybe it's OK if you haven't made any resolutions. According to a Columbia University study featured in an article from CBS News, half of Americans make New Year's resolutions, but only 25% of us stick with them past 30 days. So, really, they should probably be called "January Resolutions," since that's all the longer they tend to last.
According to the article, there are a couple of reasons so many of us fail in our resolutions. When we dig into the details, these reasons can be turned into guidelines for how we can actually stay committed to our resolutions—perhaps especially so if they relate to vocal practice.
First, we need to turn our resolutions into habits. According to author Justin Hale, "Research shows that 40% of what we do day in and day out are habits. Habits are things that you do without even thinking. You do those things like a routine, habitually, almost automatic." Our lives during the school year are often tightly dictated by routine: get up at a designated time, go to class at a designated time, do your homework in that short window between class and rehearsal or work, etc. If we want to make our practice resolutions successful, we have to make them habits by scheduling regular practice sessions and then sticking to those times the same way we do for all of the other important events on our schedules. We have to make those sessions part of our daily routines.
A second reason people fail in keeping their resolutions is they are not specific enough. The article uses the example of "I want to run more in the new year" compared to "I'm going to run 30 minutes each day." As Hale says, "It's really specific and really clear—really measurable."
I've talked about this before with many of you (and I blogged about it in 2019). If your resolution is "I want to sing higher," that's less specific than "I want to extend my range by two half steps beyond my current highest note." When a resolution is less measurable, it is harder to know if you are making progress, which demotivates you to keep practicing. As it turns out, the more specific your goals, the more likely you will be to keep working toward them.
The last thing Hale says is something I don't entirely agree with: "Building new habits in the new year is less about grit and willpower, and it's more about having the right plan to make that new behavior habitual." Yes, the whole point of this blog is that we need to make resolutions habitual and we need to have specific plans for what we are working toward. But I also believe that grit and willpower are important.
According to Vocabulary.com, the word "resolution" and the word "resolve" come from the same Latin word: resolvere. And, according to Dictionary.com, when resolve is used as a noun, its definitions include “firmness of purpose or intent; determination.”
So, the first thing you might consider in setting a new resolution and working to make it a habit is to establish your resolve. Whether you call it grit, willpower, resolve, or something else, you can choose in each practice session to take on an attitude of determination. Combined with routine and specificity, resolve may also help you stick with your resolutions—long past 30 days.
What are your goals/resolutions for this semester?
Now go practice.
I've been thinking a lot about New Year's resolutions and how I wanted to frame mine this year. I've noticed in the past; I focus so much on what I want to get rid of/change of the year prior that I can forget to recognize what I did well.
ReplyDeleteBecause of this, I decided that rather than just doing "resolutions" this year I've also incorporated "recognitions" of what I did well. I listened to a podcast recent, and the guest said something along the lines of "don't destroy what you hate..save what you love"! So, this is my rendition of doing just that.
That said though, I definitely have goals for this semester, and they really have to do with mindset rather than specific lifestyle/routine changes. These mindset shifts I'd like to make really have to do with staying in the moment and not looking ahead all of the time. It's hard in this industry to not think about the next audition, next callback, next contract, etc. So, to do this i've created mantras I can say to myself when I catch myself living in anywhere but the moment.
Alexa Shaheen
Since the New Year began, I haven't found the time to sit down and actually set resolutions for myself, which I actually am going to do after this comment. As of right now, for this semester, I want to focus on taking in my class information. I feel like a lot of time I will learn something in class and then forget about it later when I should be incorporating it into my knowledge base. Yeah it would come up into thought a few days or weeks later, but I really want to review and ground myself when it comes to my learning. I want to breathe everything in and utilize it going forward so that I can become a more skilled individual when it comes to the musical theatre craft, as well as becoming an overall better human.
ReplyDeleteI love all of this commentary surrounding resolutions. Every year when I have made a list, I tend to fall back on them for the exact reasons above. But this year, I have made it clear in my journaling about very specific objectives when it comes to my life rather than sweeping generalities. Especially when it relates to vocal practice, I chatted with you about it in our lesson earlier this week, but I have a very strong, specific point of focus in mind. One of those being building my book for rep that is good for me when applying for jobs, and the other being to bridge the gap and stabilize that area that my mix goes in. I have dedicated specific times to practice especially with this busy semester, so setting aside that part of the day for just improving my vocal growth will help immensely, especially now that I have access to the practice rooms in the music building.
ReplyDeleteI've always had a rough time with resolutions, and I think you hit it on the nose in saying that people (me, I'm people) tend to make them general and that decreases the ability to actually work towards them. I think that I also fall into the camp of trying to get rid of something rather than trying to take on something, which is another big difference.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I do have goals/resolutions this year and semester. I really want to round out my book and find songs that can help me as I enter into the industry. I want to practice consistently, do some kind of vocalization every day (health permitting) and work on all songs equally, not just the ones I love. I want to continue to solidify the shaky parts of my mix and continue developing my higher register. I want to go back to some techniques I haven't used a ton recently and develop more vocal qualities.
I haven't made any resolutions officially other than to put my health first, which seems on the surface that it would be very easy, but it's much more nuanced and difficult than that. I saw a ted talk online, referencing people working in the theatre industry, that essentially said putting your health before your career is actually what putting your career first looks like. I think there is a lot of truth in that. I find in the times that I prioritize myself and my physical and vocal health, I am able to be more successful and avoid burnout, which speaking from experience, can be more harmful than you would think. I am making sure that I set times throughout the week to rest my voice, and during some of my practice sessions, I don't sing full out the entire lesson. Even some lessons, I'm planning on silent practicing for entire lessons sometimes, as needed to preserve my vocal health for Xanadu, auditions, class, and lessons. I really want to focus on keeping up with my vocal health this semester specifically and prioritizing those rest times since I have a tendency to push through singing for the purpose of auditions, deadlines, etc, and sometimes that isn't healthy or realistic.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest resolution this semester in terms of musical theatre is to listen to shows I haven't listened to. I told Erin recently "I know a lot about a little, not a little about a lot." There's so much great music out there (primarily golden age) that I haven't listened to. It's not because I don't WANT to know it, but more because I am content with listening to Les Mis over and over and over and I'll never get bored of it. Starting this week, my goal is to listen to one new show a week. If I do this, I'll have more suggestions for my own material to work on in my lessons. If I can get more material under my belt that isn't high rock tenor music, I'll not only round out my knowledge of musical theatre in general, but I'll round out my book and my vocal versatility.
ReplyDeleteThe topic of this blog is one that has been weighing on my mind, as it so often does each January. Over the past few years, I haven’t strictly put effort into thinking of New Year’s resolutions— I know how unlikely it is to stick to them considering having not only ADHD, but also Free Will. This year, I am putting in the intention of changing ‘resolutions’ into ‘goals’. I don’t want something to feel forced or required, but to genuinely be able to make it a habit by setting specific goals more frequently. I want to be kinder to myself this semester, and to not be so critical of my artistic abilities. My personal narrative for this period of my life is as follows:
ReplyDelete“There’s nowhere you’re supposed to be, nowhere you’re going. You’re not late; you’re right on time. Stop rushing it, you’re there!”
Hailey Petersen