Self-Esteem Re-Structuring Part 3 - Identifying "Landmines" in Your Life


Unfortunately, performers too frequently fall prey to “landmines” they have actually set for themselves.  A landmine is a self-defeating, self-created and highly explosive action that guarantees the failure of an attempt to succeed.  Because these actions are not consciously executed but “stepped on” accidentally, the term “landmine,” is appropriate.  It may seem incomprehensible that a person would do this.  Sadly, in order to fulfill their own self-proclaimed prophesy about themselves that an audition was going to be a failure or that he/she was, in fact, not good enough, and on and on, individuals subconsciously create landmines.  This is an all too frequent, heart-breaking cycle and one that is of paramount importance to be identified before continuing further.
            There are essentially three types of landmines:  nerves and anxiety; ego and bluster; and, excuses or blaming.  Starting backwards, excuses or blaming take the form of shirking responsibility for any aspect of the audition, so it can’t possibly be his or her fault when it doesn’t go well.  “They don’t even listen for real talent”; “They just cast the same people all the time”; or, “Those judges wouldn’t know real talent if it hit them over the head.”  Ego or blustering takes the form of something like, “I’m professional caliber and this is an amateur company”; “It’s really ridiculous for me to even audition for this thing”; or, “I’d be doing these people a favor so I’m considering helping them out.”  In and off themselves, these are not landmines.  They become landmines when the person auditioning embraces them to the point that he or she makes them so large in his/her life that they become a landmine.  In other words, if a person becomes so focused on the fact that he/she believes a place only casts the same people every time, he/she will mentally, emotionally, and even physically make sure this becomes the truth, at least in their particular case (or at the very least, doesn’t cast him/her).  This is a landmine that is almost certainly going to continue to reoccur until the person auditioning is, not only, made aware of what they are doing but also given guidance to stop the sabotage.  It’s a “confess-possess” situation where something becomes true.  If you repeat something negative enough times, you intuitively move toward that failure, whether you meant to or not.  Obviously, you can’t just say something positive enough times that something happens but positive reinforcement definitely doesn’t hurt your chances either.
             I'm trying to make these blog posts a bit shorter so that they are a bit more digestible.  Please contact me through the comments with questions and/or comments, and please check out my website for additional ideas, SingitForward.net.  Sing it Forward!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Basic Music Theory - 1st Post - Notes, Rests, and Note Particulars

Image
          It is really important for a singer, even an amazingly gifted singer, to understand basic Music Theory.    That doesn’t mean you have to be any kind of virtuoso or study music theory for dozens of years but it does mean you need to study some fundamental or elemental aspects of theoretical concepts.   Your first “basic” lesson is below.   Stay tuned for more “installments” in the future.   Here goes: •             NOTES AND RESTS - Melodies in music are represented through patterns of “Notes” and “Rests”.   Here is a chart of the most common types of Notes and Rests: The Quarter Note is, by far, the most common type of Note and Rest but each of these notes and rests are important, universal, and frequently-occurring.   You DO need to know, however, that the values you see here CAN change, depending on the Time Signature (see the next post that covers Time Signatures) of the entire song.   The values shown here are applicable for any Time Signature with a
Read more

Vocal Quirks - Why do I Sometimes Yawn, Hiccup, Burp, or Crack?

When we begin singing, sometimes the very strangest things can happen. You may start yawning or burping or getting the hiccups or even hear your voice crack.   Why do these things happen, especially when you first begin singing?   Let’s explore some ideas…             Why Would Singing Make Me Yawn?   So, it’s true confession time.   I have always been told and believed that we yawn because our brains tell our lungs we need more Oxygen and so, initiate a deeper inhalation.   The yawn DOES cause a deeper breath and it IS a great way to practice deeper, voluntary breathing.   However, evidently the REAL reason we yawn is still for the brain but it is actually a “thermoregulating device”, which is to say the swift intake of air acts to normalize the temperature of your brain in the same way you might use a fan to automatically come on in your garage, if the temperature reaches a certain height.             So, why might you yawn when you begin a voice lesson?   W
Read more

Basic Music Theory - #3 - Rhythms and Putting it All Together

Image
So, here is the last installment in this beginning set of Music Theory posts.   I know I’ve covered an awful lot in these last 3 posts but I promise you, if you’ll devote a little consistent time to learning it, the benefits you’ll receive will far outweigh your small time investment.   These key components of Music Theory make up the essential underpinnings of composed music.   The next set of Music Theory posts will cover different types of Chords, Scales, and Chord Progressions but until then, enjoy these amazing pillars of Music Theory and send me any questions you still have once you’re done.   Here you go: •             RHYTHMS AND TEMPOS - I try to explain the “Beat” of music or the “Rhythm” like our own heartbeat.   It is a regular, constant “pulse” (literally).   Most of the time this “Beat” or “Pulse” is what you dance to, tap your foot to, or clap along with.   “Typical” Rhythms include the March (4/4 Time) and the Waltz (3/4 or 6/8 time), but oth
Read more