The Meant to be Heard Book

In Jocelyn Rasmussen’s childhood, singing had felt as important as breathing — she wasn’t sure she could live without it. Through the losses, surprises, and graces of her life, she became convinced that the gifts of the human voice weren’t just for those who have careers, but for anyone with breath. As her career developed from singer to teacher, giving Rasmussen the opportunity to work with the voices of others as well as her own, she discovered how life experiences — both physical and emotional — can affect a person’s voice and their ability to express themselves.

In Meant to Be Heard, Rasmussen weaves the fundamentals of vocal function with incredible stories of client breakthroughs and her own personal revelations to explain how the voice interacts with every aspect of our being. One woman overcomes a childhood trauma and her glorious soprano voice soars; a businessman rises above his grief to restore his clients’ faith in him; a young mother decides to join a choir and ends up saving her marriage; a heavy metal singer finds his high notes; a lifetime of shame is healed when an actor learns to match pitch. Rasmussen invites all of us to claim our voice, to speak our truth, and to sing our hearts out.

“I’m a huge Jocelyn Rasmussen fan. This book is about so much more than the voice. It’s about the person you want to be, the life you want to live, and how to make that happen.”

— David Shenk, author, The Genius in All of Us

“If you really want to discover the authentic power of your voice through words and song, there is no better teacher to guide you through this process than Jocelyn Rasmussen. This beautifully written, comprehensive guide to all aspects of the voice provides the knowledge and lays the foundation to discover your own true nature and express yourself effectively.”

— Bill Murphy, producer, Thirteen/ WNET

“Jocelyn Rasmussen’s radiantly loving persona as a singer and a teacher shines through in this wonderful contribution to vocal pedagogical literature. Her book manages to combine a simple introduction to the teaching of voice with those often indefinable elements in singing — the spiritual, emotional and mental aspects of the discipline that oftentimes lie outside the science of vocal pedagogy.”

— Kathleen Roland-Silverstein, DMA, author, Romanser: 25 Swedish Art Songs with Guide to Lyric Diction