Marjorie Searcy's Middle Voice Method
The Secret to Great Singing
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November 2010
Focus
"Feel What You sing"
By: Marjorie Searcy I had the pleasure of watching my 14 year old son sing for a festival this weekend. He was amazing. Just him and his guitar, under some shade trees, on a little stage, by the bay. I think it was the first set he'd ever done that was composed of more than 2 songs. He played his guitar, a little harmonica and sang his heart out. He's a natural-it just looks like it comes easy to him. I know he practices a lot. Jordy has been singing and playing since he was very, very small-but there was something about his simple, passionate stage presence that I wanted to bottle-to share with you, with everyone. He was completely focused. I'm not sure if it mattered that anyone else was there. (A few art venders did pull up chairs, and a couple of our closest friends brought their families.) His utter "lostness" in the songs drew you into his world. Well prepared and singing with confidence, I doubt he gave one thought as to how he looked or what people thought about him. I am not encouraging you as a singer to ignore your audience, but there is something to be said about totally submersing yourself in the lyrics and music; something in that draws the listener to you. I compare this kind of confidence and focus to a pro tennis player. The player might give thought to his or her outfit, hair or shoes before the match, but once they are on the court, it is time to play. If a ball is missed there isn't time to dwell on it; they can deal with it later. During the match, you keep your head in the game. There is always another ball coming toward you. As a singer we must learn to focus, to shut out all the voices in our head that shout out impulsive, negative, self-conscious thoughts like: "What if I forget the words, what if I mess up," "Oh, here comes the high note," etc. I've learned to mentally sweep those thoughts aside and focus on the next phrase I need to communicate. No time for doubts, or fears-I'm singing! A great way to experience this is to force yourself to focus on the words of your song. Trust that you know the notes and rhythms and don't allow yourself to think about anything except communicating the lyric. Jordy seems to do this instinctively- I am so thankful! It took me years of professional singing to really figure this out. As my friend John says, "He's an old soul". |
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