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Close your eyes and think the words, "New York City," and you can't
help but conjure up an image of majestic skyscrapers. Take a stroll
through any section of Manhattan and you can't help but come across a
construction site for yet another addition to the skyline. From
street level, these sites all look the same with their eight-foot high
barriers and protective scaffolding. The building where I teach in
New York had one of those construction sites directly across the
street for a while. My studio, being on the second floor, provided me
with a perfect perch to monitor the project. The thing that struck me
after a couple months of watching crews labor away was the lack of
anything that resembled a building rising up. All they had
accomplished was a gigantic hole in the ground.
The immense pit was for the foundation, of course. It is essential
that large-scale buildings be anchored on bedrock. What the men were
toiling over was the task of driving down steel beams into the solid
earth to create footings for the building's support columns.
Ironically, their work appeared uneventful but was arguably the most
important aspect of the new building. Once the beams were in place
the rest of the structure rose up relatively fast. Another irony was
that my occupation is very comparable to those laborers; I help
singers construct a solid vocal foundation. Yet, there I was
complaining from my window at how incredibly long it was taking for
those guys to get something accomplished.
I guess I'll never learn. That impatient attitude cost me dearly as
a young singer and I see it all the time now in the people I train.
It's hard to appreciate what a solid foundation will do for you until
you experience its benefits. All of the struggles and inconsistencies
I dealt with when I was first performing were due to a lack of
foundation. At the time I was in denial. I thought I was good and
always had an excuse to defer any complaints about my singing to
outside circumstances. It was the microphone, the monitors, the room,
the song, I was hungry, tired, I had a cold, etc. Now none of those
issues effect my singing.
So much of what happens when we sing occurs beneath the surface. And
so much of the hard work singers must put in to gain control of their
instruments is unglamorous. The reason a solid foundation is a
"master key" for unlocking your potential might surprise you. It's
not for the ability to hit soaring high notes or project your voice to
the back of the theater. Actually, it's not for the singer at all. A
solid vocal foundation is the secret weapon that allows you to
transport your listeners on an emotional journey. Demonstrate that
you are under control and your listeners will willingly follow your
lead.
A cab ride in the Big Apple is a perfect example. You never know
what you're about to experience when you jump into the back seat.
Some hackneys are courteous drivers but most are NASCAR wannabes. Out
of those speed racers some exhibit control and focus as they zip from
lane to lane, just beating multiple red lights. But there are plenty
of times when I've been unable to even use my cell phone because I'm
clutching the seat in fear for my life. When you don?t trust the
skills of the driver the ride is tense and exhausting. When you trust
the driver, no matter how fast he's going, you can sit back and enjoy
the ride.
The last thing you want is for your listeners to be concerned that
you may crash while singing. It's an under riding issue. No matter
how many notes you sing well, if there are enough cues that you are
over your head the listeners will be bracing for the worst rather then
enjoying your best. A solid vocal foundation sends an unconscious
message to the listeners that they can relax and trust you.
Hopefully, you respect them enough to put in the groundwork. This
means seeking out the flaws when you work on your voice -- not simply
entertaining yourself with what you already sing well.
The reward for your dirty work will be options -- both artistic and
mechanical. The benefit of having an array of artistic options at
your disposal seems obvious, but it pales in comparison to the
advantage of having many pathways to the same sound when performing.
Like an ornery old cabbie weaving his way through the congested
streets of New York City, it takes a brain that has experienced many
routes to the same destination that will allow you to sing around the
effects of a cold or poor performance conditions. The knowledge that
you can sing well in the worst of circumstances is what transmits a
signal of comfort and control to your listeners. So don't be the
vocal version of the leaning Tower of Pisa. Devote the time it takes
to build a foundation of skills so you can take more chances, become
more vulnerable and build a signature singing style.
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