The Impact of Emotion on a Vocal Performance

       A singer or any performer must have many “Tools” in their “Toolbox”. Being able to versatilely express a variety of emotions is of quintessential importance. If every song SOUNDS the same and LOOKS the same on the face of the performer, what will catch and hold the attention of your audience? Portraying GENUINE sentiments, REAL feelings is the only true way to create a “Connection” with those listening to you. Read this post and begin to build your arsenal of emotional memories, whether they be sadness, anger, joy, surprise, fear, or any other. Let me know what you think!

       Emotion is a natural and beautiful part of life, and it can be a wonderful asset to any song performance. Emotion, however, is SUCH a powerful and personal character trait; it must be controlled and focused in order to optimize its participation in your musical creations. Joy, sadness, even trepidation and fear, are all valid and useful feelings. In order to make the most of ANY sentiment, it is imperative to fully understand and be able to manage it. Any emotion, “run amuck” will distract the performer and, WORSE, any audience. The goal is to harness ALL your feelings to create a balanced presentation where emotion is utilized to enhance all elements of the music.

         We all know what it is like to feel overpowered by “nerves.” That sinking, nauseating pain in the pit of our stomachs that seeks to paralyze and stupefy even the most seasoned professional, is also the fuel needed to produce a unique and unforgettable musical work. The “Trick” is learning how to corral those apprehensions and reverse them to your advantage. The first step toward this discipline is a thorough examination of the song to be presented.

         The “Song Story” sheet is a practical, tangible help to aid a singer in unearthing the positive and NEGATIVE emotions associated with a chosen song. NO emotion is negative if it becomes a tool in the hands of the singer. A feeling is only destructive when it becomes a way to disrupt or distract the singer from presenting the song in its most effective way. If the goal is to communicate a sense of uncertainly or fear of the unknown, these are most powerfully portrayed by a performer who is able to control his or her own fears and subsequently creates the desired musical climate using memory senses and technique, drawing the audience along through the story line. I like to think of singers as fishermen. Our “bait” is the effectiveness of the emotion, tonal intensity, and stylistic integrity exhibited by the performer. If our execution of the music is less than inspiring, we can “Dangle” that bait forever and no one will “bite”. However, if we engage, motivate, and animate our audience, we can take those listeners ANYWHERE we want them to go!

         Most singers don’t realize how transparent performing truly is. I understand that a lack of sleep may cause unsightly bags under your eyes but you may not see that that lack of sleep can translate to a lack of focus or a general lack of interest in the song you are performing or even worse, auditioning. If you are unhappy with your given accompanist, it reads to the listeners as anger toward the music. Singing is acting with a melody. Honestly, if I had to choose the more effective medium between straight acting and singing, I would choose singing every time. Music is one of the most powerful vehicles, the most compelling languages that exist. I have performed for audiences with no English language understanding but they still laughed and cried and cheered through the adventure we went on together; they could “feel” what the portrayal was communicating.

Sometimes the most difficult job for a performer is identifying emotions that contravene the intended attitudes and expressions of a song. There is a very great difference between expressing and sharing a song where the character is afraid of something, and actually showing your own nervousness toward the performing environment. Any emotion that you involuntarily show to your audience is a distraction you have to overcome if you wish to win that audience back. There is an old saying, “It is much easier to tame a wild horse than to resurrect a dead one.” Keeping this in mind, it would seem that sharing nerves is still better than showing no emotion at all. I think everyone has witnessed a singer on one of the myriad of “reality” talent shows that simply “freezes” in front of the camera. They manage to get the words out but appear otherwise petrified before their audience. These performers are never chosen. Their personal emotions have caused the audience to completely forget whatever song was being sung; all the focus was on their fear or discomfort or their favorite baseball team, whatever the performer was distracted with. An audience TRUSTS a performer to take them on a journey. That journey may be laughter, a good time, or a tear-filled, deeply sad reminder of some intimate memory. REGARDLESS, the performer should be able to create the specific emotional climate and guide it to the desired conclusion.

         To be a truly transparent performer, it is best to try to be “in touch” with every memory in your life but even as I say this, it is obvious THAT is an impossibility! However, there are times when I am working with a vocal student and seemingly out of nowhere, they begin to have trouble with a specific vowel sound. After closer discussion, the student realizes the sound has prompted a memory from earlier in life when a parent had yelled or repeatedly badgered the student with a particular word containing that same vowel sound. This may sound “far-fetched” but if someone called you “stupid” again and again, it is not hard to believe that word might make a serious, negative impression on your life. For me, the word was “smart”. I wasn’t pretty but my Mother would constantly call me “smart.” Truly, to this day, the “ah” vowel sound is still a challenge for me. I only mention this because I was probably 40 years old before I recognized what had been the root of my problem for so many years. In this case, my Mother had NEVER intended to hurt me in any way. In fact, she was trying to encourage me without being dishonest; I REALLY was “ugly as a stone fence post” as I grew up. Some of us are lucky enough not to have “Trigger Words” from our past, but the more honest we can be with ourselves, the easier it is to “deal” with any words or specific sounds that could potentially cause us trouble in the future. Once “Trigger Words or Sounds” are identified and reconciled, we can move on to working on more positive activities.

         I don’t usually see any benefit to “breaking bad habits”; I believe it is MUCH better to “BUILD New Habits.” However, this is easier to do than it may originally sound. Every pattern begins with one effort at a time. I am personally very “List” oriented. By this I mean I like to make lists of things I need to do so that I can “check off” things I’ve accomplished once they are completed. This is a wonderful way to build constructive new habits. With the purchase of an inexpensive calendar, all you need to do is “check off” each day when you successfully perform the “new” goal activity. (You can download free printable Monthly calendars easily from the Internet). If there is a day when you slip back into the “old” habit, DON’T MARK ANYTHING on your calendar; this project is ONLY to encourage you toward building a brand-new, original manner of operating. Scientifically speaking, there is some debate about how long it takes to create or BREAK a “habit.” Some say it takes as little as 3 weeks; others claim it can take as long as 5 or more months. An average estimate is about TWO months or 60 days. If you begin the process with that amount of time in mind, each day can be viewed as one day closer to new success and new freedoms. Any move toward the “new” is positive, confidence-building, and strengthening for every aspect of your life. THIS is how you MUST look at working with a voice professional who can help you understand NOT SO MUCH WHAT YOU ARE DOING WRONG but, more importantly, what NEW habits you could use in your life to make you stronger as a person, a singer, AND a performer. Truly anything that makes you a more exceptional human being, makes you a more superior vocalist, as well.

         Thanks so much for reading this post; I hope this has given you some helpful insights. Please send me any questions or further suggestions you may have. If you have any questions or comments about my lessons or me, check out my website at www.SingitForward.net. Your ideas, questions, and words of wisdom always bless me. I look forward to hearing from each of you! Sing it forward!