Many people who come to me for sessions, often come with a very clearly defined self-given label for what kind of singer they are.
“I’m a weighty contralto with a light top”
“I’m a super-light tenor with an airy flip”
“I’m a hard-rock singer with high-octane vocals”
And 99% of the time, they are not any of those things. Let me explain why, and start with a simple caution that every singer eventually has to learn for themselves.
Rule 1: Don’t rush to definitions
It’s all too common to want to know “but what AM I?!“. We all want a handle, something that makes the intangible seem more tangible, and to get a grip on what we should or shouldn’t be doing. It’s an understandable desire.
In turn, when one knows they’ve got a long way to go, it only seems logical to start with whatever we presently have. We look at what we can presently do, and what we can’t, and extrapolate from there. But here’s the problem: what each of us has at the start of our vocal journeys is so fledgling, so minute, it often doesn’t give anywhere near enough of an indication as to what the voice will be with even a modicum of training. Continue reading “What kind of singer am I?”