JPF Home Page Forums Musician Gear and Techniques Microphone and Vocalist Forum How do you let loose?

Boy, can I relate to that. Your message prompted me to think about "how have I overcome that?" (BTW I don't know if anyone ever really completely overcomes it!) This is what came to mind:

--sing often. Daily.
--sing in front of people you trust, even if it's one friend at a time.
--when you hear a compliment, accept it. Don't try and negate it!
--take baby steps. Once you get comfortable with the delivery of a song, try adding something more daring.
--voice lessons. Whatever you can afford. Join a choir.
--really, really know your material. Then you won't have to worry about things like "can I hit that note?"
--find songs to sing that you can identify with or "own."
--remember that the vocal recording you hear on the radio has been processed, and yes, sometimes pitch-corrected as well. Important to remember if you start making comparisons.

Fear is evident in the voice. Are you afraid to be heard? Why? Apply those questions to yourself, not just to your singing. Difficult, yes, but worth the asking and certainly worth the searching.

Finally, don't be hard on yourself. This takes time. Singing is a very vulnerable thing to do!

I wish you the best of luck with this. And I really like Jackson's Marvin Gaye quote. Don't betray your true heart!

Brenda