Singing Better: What to do when you think your singing ISN’T getting better
Do you ever feel like you’re never going to be a great singer? Do you find yourself wondering, “Who would ever pay to listen to that?”
Do you ever feel like your voice… well… it sucks?
Yep. So do I, sometimes. It’s totally normal.
Here’s what to do.
Think of a spiral, like a Slinky or a DNA helix.
A spiral goes around in a circle, right? But instead of returning to the same point, it returns to the same point at a higher level.
This is the way many things in nature work. Since you are a human being, you’re subject to these same cyclical, spiral patterns.
Think about the seasons. New growth in spring, blossoming fullness in summer, fading and death in the fall… and then silence, rest and recuperation in winter. Winter rest is essential for preparing for a new spring. But the sage or oak or saguaro doesn’t start from a seed again every spring. It has grown, and the next cycle of growth takes it to the next level of maturity.
This is the way learning works. We go through a growth period. We integrate new knowledge. We blossom with the new knowledge. But then we plateau, and often we even backtrack. But remember: Backtracking is part of moving forward. If you never backtrack, then you are probably never moving forward, either. You’re stuck on one part of your spiral of growth. You’re stagnant.
I have noticed over and over again that whenever my voice simply isn’t working for me for a few days, and I don’t know why, and I’m wondering, “Am I ever going to get any better?!”…
… I’m often days from the next breakthrough.
I’ve actually started to get excited when I have these periods of backtracking and doubt, because they are so reliably followed by a leap forward!
Growth comes in cycles. You can’t continuously grow. But if you are putting forth the effort, you will spiral to higher and higher levels. As you go through the cycles you may feel like you’re back where you started, but if you listen to old recordings of yourself, you’ll hear your unmistakable progress.
(c) 2009 Adrienne Osborn
Adrienne Osborn is a vocalist and performance coach based in Colorado. For more free articles and tips, visit https://PerformanceHigh.net.
