singing, hurdles

[aroraborealis]

I've had a few hurldes with regards to singing the last few weeks. My instructor was traveling, and then I was, and so between all that, we missed two or three weeks, which is long enough that my practice sort of slacked a bit and when I came back, I was a bit rusty. It was a big surprise to find that not practicing actually made a difference, even to my unskilled voice! Lesson learned.

Unfortunately, I learned another lesson, too, which is that I shouldn't try to record myself to listen to how I sound outside my head. That was very discouraging, and I'm sure that splash of cold water ("THAT's what I sound like? Dude, I suck!") didn't help me motivate to practice.

Fortunately, I didn't let that stop me from going back to my next lesson, and I think that got me back on track.

Unfortunately, I don't have time in the next three weeks for a lesson, which turns out to be okay, because my instructor is moving away! This is actual serious bad news for my singing, because the inertia involved in trying to find a new voice instructor is tough to overcome. Jeannine promised to email me the contact info of a couple of people who would probably be good fits for me. The trick is to find someone who is good and knows her stuff, but who isn't super serious and won't look at me cross eyed for the fact that I want to sing for myself, not necessarily for an audience or some future performance or career.

Feel free, though, to ask me how my singing is going in the next couple of months. If nothing else, that'll prod me into looking for a new instructor if I haven't, yet.

In actual singing, it turns out I like jazz and blues, at least to sing; I'm still not sold on jazz for listening, but, then, I don't have to be :)

Comments

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

We used to have to record ourselves all the time when I was in school and it was always one of my least favorite things -- which is to say that I think the process of reconciling what you hear in your head with how you sound from the outside is universally disconcerting, regardless of your level of skill!

Nonetheless, I think you're on the right track -- if you're in it for fun, why put yourself through that distinctly un-fun process in the first place?

[approximator.livejournal.com]

I also dislike hearing myself recorded for exactly those reasons that dancingwolfgrrl states. I hear a weird glottal sound that apparently is filtered at some point in real time by my skull and head meat. I actually think my voice is occasionally very good, but the resonances I hear from my own head enhance it almost as much as bathroom walls seem to . . . and when I hear the recording I feel weird about it. I must admit that mirrors have the same effect on me . . . I often think, "that hairy ogre can't be me."

[jacflash.livejournal.com]

Listening to recordings of my own playing did more, in less time, to improve my (guitar) phrasing, etc., than anything else I ever did. That said, reality bites sometimes, and whether and how often you're willing to be bitten depends on your goals.

[lcohen]

i have tons of recordings of myself singing from the voice lesson years--it's a wonder i ever worked up the nerve to audition for anything.

in my totally unbiased opinion you should keep singing. if an instructor looks at you cross-eyed i will growl at them. when i started again, i had no thought of auditioning for anything, ever, it was totally for myself. who better to sing for?