I played a gig today and after my performance I was standing at the back of the room chatting with some folks when my friend Linda walked up. “Hey, Mark, I have a question for you--why’d you use the word “free” in the title of your book? I’ve been wondering…..”
It’s funny she asked because just yesterday I was looking at an old file in my computer of possible titles for my book. For a whole year, as I was finishing up the writing, the book had a different title. At the last minute I decided it wasn’t right and spent weeks wrestling with one title after another. In the end it was simple–the answer came when I asked myself, “What have I been teaching people to do in my voice studio for the past 26 years? What is it that people want most?” Just about everyone tells me they want to feel confident when they sing or speak—they want to feel free.
If you watch American Idol, The Voice, Glee, The Sing-Off, America’s Got Talent, The X Factor or any other reality show that features singing, and you say to yourself, ”I can do that!” you’re in the minority. Most people feel pretty intense fear when they think of singing, especially in front of others. “No way!” is more likely to come out of their mouths.
Being in touch with your body is so important for general health and well being but is critical for a singer. An awareness of any physical challenge, from muscle pain, to tiredness, to a stuffy nose, can help you make adjustments as you sing and achieve better results. This seems obvious but so many of us ignore what is going on in our bodies. We may not want to acknowledge that our bodies are challenged in some way because it might mean we have to limit an activity.