Entry 06
When singing brings you this great chance to ‘express’, yet another great risk to ‘be exposed’.
Singing does that.
The moment you start to let your voice flow plainly, in the middle of the air—a part of your body just cannot help but feel 'naked,' wishing to cover it immediately. You may frown, close your shoulders, experience throat tightness, or produce a breathy sound.
It's so automatic that we want to transform our voice into some kind of skilled production of fine sounds.
But without facing the true nature of our given voice and exploring its own tone, qualities, colors, and resonances, the effort to develop the voice often results in applying unhealthy habits or techniques.
So, what would be a good way to guide a singer who experiences this moment of feeling exposed?
The first note is to assure them that there’s nothing wrong with feeling this way. Our body is not flawed in its form, but somehow, being 'naked' makes us feel inadequately exposed. It’s natural to feel this way. It’s okay to feel that. It is also a small cry for support, care, and strength.
The second step is to create a safe space where the 'naked' voice can be heard and met by the singer. As singers, we don’t often listen to our voice as it sounds. We put more effort into singing it out rather than hearing it sound.
The third step is something I learned from Lisa Sokolov (Embodied Voice Work). Tension (stress) occurs when strength is misplaced. Our chest and throat are spaces that need to open up and resonate. These are not the places to add strength for support; instead, we bring more attention and strength to the lower, dorsal dimension of the body.
The thrill of expression and fear of exposure are two sides of the same coin. We can play around with this dynamic, enjoying the dance between these opposing forces. Dualities, polarities, and opposites always coexist. Our goal is not to remove one side and leave the other; our goal is to tune into what each side is telling us, find out their needs, and provide them with love and care.
