Transcript:
Hey, everyone, I'm Veronica Start, your holistic vocal coach, filming from my car in stunning Vancouver, BC.
Today I'm diving into one of the psychological foundations that I believe should shape your singing, helping you sing with real soul.
And let's start with Step One: My emotions, also known as emotional intelligence.
As singers, we need to connect with our emotions, to tell a story, and to feel it deeply.
And that means understanding how our past influences our expression.
Knowledge gives us power and power brings control.
Yet this isn't about blocking freedom.
In fact, it's the discipline over our emotions, that sets us free.
So, let me share a little bit of my backstory:
I was raised in a toxic and abusive environment that let me without any skills of self-care or any sense of safety and at the time, I didn't understand why I was such a highly emotional and sensitive young person.
But I always had gifts of self-expression, and my singing voice was noticed at a very young age.
Yet I was shut down at the slightest insult.
I mean, everything was personal to me.
As I grew up, I moved to the big city and began to take singing lessons.
And during those first lessons, I had really harsh teachers that I would break down crying whenever I was challenged or asked a question.
Everything felt like a threat, and I couldn't handle any judgement or being told I made a mistake.
And I had no sense of detachment or control.
One day, as I cried over my teacher laughing at my dream to be a recording artist, I left her house and I'd had enough.
After some reflection, I realized that in order to become a better singer, I had to become a better person .
I needed to understand my personal history better.
I needed to heal and learn about my emotionality and my behaviours.
I also had to find a better teacher who wouldn't be so harsh and short-sighted.
So I began to study psychology and bought every self-help book I could find .
At that time, I couldn't afford therapy.
And to be honest, I really didn't know I needed it.
I just knew that my emotions were getting in the way of my goal to sing.
And while my emotions were valuable, I mean, they really helped me convey deep feelings while I was singing…It wasn't consistent, and the temperature needed to be just right for me to perform.
So for singers, the first task is to brush up on basic psychology.
Learn about abuse, trauma, and how experiences may have shaped your confidence and your relationship to people and your relationship to music.
There's a lot of interesting discoveries in neuroscience that helps us to normalize many of our reactions to life.
Just knowing these things can help free what's holding you back and turns it into fuel for your songs.
Then we apply what we've learned to our own story in a way that feels right, while knowing your triggers, your your limits and your sensitivities.
The next part is to start to work on yourself.
Without control, your emotions are like a puddle of water spilling all over a table. It can overwhelm you and overwhelm your audience.
That's why we need to contain them, like water in a glass so that we can serve music in a way that quenches their thirst and uplifts them….instead of their witnessing… a mess.
Now, to do this, we need some tools.
We need self-help books, journalling, therapy, or even quite time just to process.
Mental health is the root of artistry, and singing starts in your heart, soul, and mind before even hitting the microphone.
And here's a pro tip: We need to approach all of this with lifelong curiosity.
Life's twists and turns, they never stop surprising you as you grow older.
And our loaf of life is never baked.
It's like kneaded dough, being moulded and reshaped by every new drop of water. Like, you're never going to be baked!
And your voice will evolve, too, as it shifts with life's changes and as your body changes….Emotional resilience lets you embrace every stage, striving for excellence while honouring where you are right now.
So that's Step One:
To sing with soul is about self-compassion and discipline, not letting emotions rule you, but learning to direct your passion into purpose.
Outro:
Please subscribe, follow me, save this post, yeah, yeah, yeah, do all those things so we can keep in touch and hope you can look forward to catch Step Two, which is all about your identity as an artist.
Bye for now.
See you soon soon!