Question:
I started singing lessons in grade 6 and had them for 3 or 4 years. Since then I have not had lessons because of the cost, and I go through stages of practicing, then not. I enter competitions and win various awards, even frequently take 1st Place. Sometimes when I sing it sounds as if I am yelling. It’s like I can’t sing a hard note without sounding as though I’m screaming it. Is this from not practicing every day and not having lessons? If I had kept my singing lessons going would my voice have been far more developed and stronger?
My family and sisters are also noticing when I sing a song I tend to just sing it too low. I find it very hard to ‘jingle’ notes around — like do little improvised notes throughout the song (if that makes sense). To fix this, should I once again invest in singing lessons to get my voice stronger with the advice of a professional, or should I just practice voice exercises everyday?
I aspire to have a voice as STRONG as Beyonce’s. Can this be possible through very hard work and dedication? Though you don’t know the style or quality of my voice, I would say its quite a jazzy, pop-like voice that, to be honest, sounds like a lot of people’s voices. If you could help me, I would really appreciate it, as I am running out of time to pick something to do for the future.
Answer:
The long and the short answer is that doing something professionally requires excellence, normally achieved with study and practice for thousands of hours. A natural instrument and musicality are the easy part. Refining what we do so we have endurance, longevity, artistry and congruency takes work over time, and that is why it is called a career or job. It is also a joy and great fun when we are good at it. Study and practice are the way we get good at it.
I also think we owe it to our audience to be our best. How can we charge for something if we do nothing to make it exceptional? I have also been pretty consistently amazed at how many things people will spend money on instead of voice lessons when they say they want to be a singer. It has to be a priority and like medicine or law or teaching, there is a cost for learning how to sing.
If you are serious about singing as a way of life, I recommend you study and practice to overcome the limitations you have described and to realize your dreams.