Freedom to fail

I recently read this article written by a college professor:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201509/declining-student-resilience-serious-problem-colleges

While at first I wanted to dismiss it as another grown-up complaining about “these kids today,” I think he brings up real concerns about our ability to confront failure.

Part of what the article describes is that, in the current generation, failure in any capacity has become cause for panic. There are lots of theories as to how this came to be. Maybe we put too much emphasis on testing. Maybe parents (and teachers) have swooped in and prevented you from failure in an attempt to protect you (even though most real learning comes from failure). Maybe the increased pressure to succeed (get into a good school, land a lucrative job, etc.) has given the impression that failure should never occur, even though most successful people can relate story after story of how they bounced back from failures.

There is an obvious connection to the vocal studio. While none of us TRY to fail, it’s bound to happen. Whether it’s an audition where we don’t get the part, a performance that lands flat, or the occasional complete train wreck, anyone doing what we do will experience failure.

The question is, how do we react?

If we fail because we’re unprepared (not as memorized as we should have been, didn’t know the song as well as we could have) then that should obviously motivate us to prepare better the next time.

If we fail because our technique or interpretation was flawed, we should self analyze and decide what we need to do differently to improve.

If we fail because there were others who were just better than us on that day, we should strive to be better the next time and take steps to make that happen.

Failure is normal. Struggle is expected. It does not mean you are worthless.

True, we (the faculty and the institution) are responsible for encouraging a safe environment here at school. But that is not to keep you from failing. It’s so that when (not if) you do fail it doesn’t feel like the end of the world. You are not a failure just because you don’t always succeed.

This week I am working to enjoy my past failures and focusing on how they have helped me improve. In so many cases, it was by failing that I was forced to consider a different way of doing things that ultimately led to greater success.

How have you been failing this week?

Now go practice.

Pacing Practice

Back in my school of music days I had friends (pianists and violinists mostly) who would practice anywhere from four to eight hours a day. In order to be competitive, and in order to learn the complex music that is an expected part of their repertoire, that schedule is not uncommon among certain instrumentalists.

As vocalists, we just can’t do that. The vocal folds are muscles and can’t take the wear and tear of that much extended use. I often liken it to marathon runners. Most people wouldn’t run a marathon and then get up the next day and run another marathon and then get up the next day and run another marathon. Muscles need recovery time or they are susceptible to injury.

I’ve been reminded of this personally as I have been preparing for my recital (Sunday, October 4th, 2pm, Dumke Recital Hall, David Gardner Music Building, Free for U of U students!). Most of my vocalizing thus far has been in short sets, working on difficult passages, running entire songs, and then running groups of songs back to back. This has been paired with time on the train spent memorizing and dissecting the music and text. But now that the recital is only three weeks away I need to adjust my practicing to start building up the stamina of an entire program (18 songs with only short breaks in between). So I need to start considering longevity and adjust my daily vocal use accordingly.

If I were strictly a performer and only had to worry about my evening shows, it would be less complicated to manage my vocal energies every day. But in teaching a full load of lessons and classes I need to make sure I am getting sufficient rest as I pace all of my vocal activities. Spending a Saturday screaming (at a football game, at an amusement park, or at a rock concert) is just not an option.

I have had this conversation with many of my students who are in the American Idiot cast. For the next few weeks, they need to pace ALL their vocal activities around their performance requirements. That’s what professionals do and they don’t have to wake up for 8am dance or take a full-time course load. That may mean that each day these students only get in Session 1 vocalization to stretch and warm up the voice and then some silent Session 3 work on learning notes, memorization, and analysis. They can’t afford to go to their shows vocally tired or their performances will suffer. They also can’t afford to skip their daily vocal regimen—that would be like running at a full sprint without any stretching or warming up.

These are just some of the considerations we must keep in mind as vocal athletes. The mental work never needs to take a break but the physical work needs to be carefully paced with all our other daily vocal demands.

How has your singing been going this week?

Now go practice.

Discipline

Welcome (or welcome back)!

I started this blog last year as a way to encourage us all to be regular and disciplined in practicing our voices. We all sing, all the time. But practicing is more than just singing. It is coordinating specific muscle groups, it is heightening our awareness of physical sensations as they relate to singing, it is sometimes tedious repetition in order to get our music completely accurate, and it is drilling the technical elements of singing often enough for them to become so ingrained that we can focus more of our attention on expression and the emotional intent behind our singing.

This summer I read a book called The Yoga of Discipline by Swami Chidvilasananda. It provided some great perspectives on how the everyday choices we make impact the direction of our lives. One paragraph related specifically to singing:

“You have heard great singers. Do you think they could sing the way they do without discipline? Because they have led disciplined lives, now they can go beyond what we think of as the limitations of the human body. They can reach people’s hearts.”

Of course, we all know singers who do not lead disciplined lives and still manage to be effective performers, more or less. When I encounter those people I always wonder how much better they would be if they were serious enough about their craft to work harder at it. That’s our challenge. Anyone can get really fired up about something once in a while. The successful ones, however, make their art a daily discipline.

So, this first blog is about sharing ideas that help you stay disciplined about practicing your voice. What works for you?

Here are some things that help me:

-Scheduling regular time for it. If practice time is not in my calendar at a specific time, it’s too easy not to do it.

-Allowing myself to stop practicing after a certain amount of time. Some days it feels great and I just keep going. Some days are more difficult so after I work for my designated period of time, I stop and do something else.

-Alternating between brain work and voice work so I don’t get too tired or overwhelmed. A lot of your practicing can be done silently.

-Starting simple. Jumping right to the hard parts tends to frustrate me, partly because I try to take on too much before I'm physically warmed up and prepared.

-Having a goal or something specific I'm trying to accomplish. Maybe that’s just getting a certain rhythm down, maybe that’s memorizing a section of music, maybe that’s an ongoing goal like smoothing out the passaggio or getting better dynamic control.

What works for you?

Now go practice.

Hate watching

I read an article in a recent NATS publication about hate watching. We all know the game: watching a performance we expect (or hope) will be bad just so we can make fun of it. American Idol has made a lot of money off the concept. The article made reference to last year's NBC production of Sound of Music with Carrie Underwood as an example and pointed to the social media commentary as proof of all the hate watching.

I think a lot of times we imagine auditions, masterclasses, Dem Lab performances, JURIES, like everyone is hate watching our performance, just waiting for us to make a mistake.

When we find those thoughts creeping into our heads, it may be worth stepping back to consider what kind of audience members we are ourselves. Do we hope the performers we are watching do well or are we secretly rooting for some noticeable failure (as if their failure somehow makes us better)?

It’s one thing to notice imperfections and to have opinions about what we are seeing and hearing and deciding what we might do differently. That’s an important part of developing artistry. And it’s perfectly alright to say that you don’t like a performance.

But what are we looking for? Are we looking for flaws or looking for what works? Are we quick to criticize or quick to compliment?

Now, consider how you evaluate your own performances. Do you look for the flaws first or can you just as easily highlight your areas of excellence?

Did you see this French ad for Dove?
http://www.bustle.com/articles/74573-french-dove-campaign-asks-women-to-write-down-every-negative-thought-about-themselves

We would never let other people get away with saying the negative things to us that we say to ourselves. We all know haters gonna hate and we can't do anything about that. Do we really need to do it to ourselves, as well?

Some of the most gracious performers I know are also the most gracious audience members. They love to perform and they love to watch others do what they love—perform.

I love watching my students perform. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy it even more when I can tell you feel good about your own performance.

That’s what I'd like to see at your juries. Thanks for a great semester!

Now go practice.

Practice like Wynton

One thing I’ve been trying to emphasize differently this year (and the impetus for this blog, really) is just how intentional and methodical practicing needs to be if we are to make the most significant improvements.

Generally, we don't really need much time to warm up our voices. But we DO need specific exercises—used regularly over time—to build the voice in ways that will lead to the most significant improvements in our technical capabilities.

Singing in your car may serve to warm up the voice, but it can't really be considered honest “practice” because the seat tends to compromise posture and singing over the outside noise of the engine and traffic encourages pushing the voice. Plus, if you are really giving your singing the focus it deserves then you aren't paying enough attention to your driving.

Singing through a bunch of songs is one form of practice but it should never be a replacement for daily technical work.

Here is a site I saw recently (thanks, Cecily!) about how professional trumpet player Wynton Marsalis practices:

http://arbanmethod.com/wyntons-twelve-ways-to-practice/

His list of twelve ways to practice emphasizes a lot of elements we have worked on and discussed in lessons but also introduces some concepts that were new to me. I especially like #9 and #12, which I hadn't ever seen spelled out in quite that way before.

Which number(s) on the list work the best for you? Which numbers do you need to emphasize differently?

“I like to say that the time spent practicing is the true sign of virtue in a musician. When you practice, it means you are willing to sacrifice to sound good.” —Wynton Marsalis

Now go practice.

Cognition

For a long time pedagogues have discussed the three major elements of singing as respiration, phonation, and resonance. Recent authors have added registration and articulation to the list. But the most recent addition I have read is “cognition.”

Of course, every action begins with a thought—a message sent from the brain instructing the body to behave in a certain way. Sometimes the body acts accordingly and sometimes it doesn't seem to do what we ask.

Those of you who have studied the Alexander Technique may know that it encourages a similar process called “inhibition” or “the pause.” This means that instead of doing something immediately that we instead take a few seconds to consider what it is that we're trying to do and how we should do it before we move forward with the action.

I think human beings are naturally impulsive. At least, our current cultural climate seems to encourage spontaneity or action without a lot of forethought. YOLO, dude.

In singing, however, or at least in our practicing, we may benefit from a more mindful approach. Do we just act, react, and act again, or do we stop and consider before we act? Perhaps our practice could benefit from a more conscientious approach.

Something to consider. (See what I did there?)

Take time to think.

Now go practice.

Competition

Here is an article I read a while ago that I was reminded of this weekend as I was at the NATS auditions.

http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/how-to-compare-yourself-to-others-without-getting-totally-depressed/

The whole idea of competition is strange when it comes to the arts. The best artists I know are generous, giving, kind, and genuinely interested in the well being of others. Not aggressive, cutthroat, and win-at-all-costs, like the way competitive people are often portrayed.

Unlike sports, the arts aren't ultimately about winning anything. People run races to see who can get to the finish line first, but the point of singing a song is not just to get to the end of the song.

Even if you go through an arduous audition and end up getting the role, that’s when the work BEGINS. All the audition has afforded you is the opportunity to create and explore and express and share. In my experience, people who spend energy developing aggressive, cutthroat, and backstabbing skills are not the best when it comes to creating, exploring, expressing, and sharing.

That’s one thing I like about the NATS auditions. Though they do award place winners, everyone walks away with work to do. The comment sheets, in my mind, are the point of the competition (in addition to performing in this slightly odd and unfamiliar format). We all get comments on how effective we are in practicing our art and how it is perceived by a panel of folks who work in the field.

As we were tabulating scores on Saturday, it was brought up how vastly different the scores sometimes were in each center going from judge to judge. Someone on the committee suggested that we may want to encourage conversation and collaboration among the judges in order to decide who should win each category (something we currently prohibit).

It was ultimately decided to leave the rules the way they are: independent judges with varied perspectives stating their individual opinions. After all, that’s what we get when we perform before an audience—lots of different people with their own impressions.

As the article above indicates, there are healthy ways to compare ourselves to others as we work toward our goals. And a bit of a competitive spirit isn't necessarily a bad thing. But the cliche is true, the only person you are in competition with is the person you were yesterday.

Now go practice.