| Have you ever wanted the power to start conversations about the voice like this? | |
Everyone, at some specific emotional level, is the expert on their voice.
Have you ever tried offering unsolicited advice to someone about their voice?
If so, how well did they respond? The voice is so connected with our emotional center, and so much a part of each individual's identity, that we can appreciate people having difficulty hearing that you know something that they don't about their instrument. That idea extends to vocal professionals too. The very idea that a vocal professional might not know something seems to send us into a dark place. Yet, when we pause to ask ourselves if we know everything, every one of us has to admit that the voice is too complex to be fully understood, and that we are all specialists in very specific ways. The industry supports the vocal professional's reluctance to admit that they might not know something. Past instruction practices, a difficult job market, and a cult-of-personality system of private training have created a scenario in which vocal instructors are unwilling to show any weakness. Yet, the words "I don't know, let's find out" can be so motivating, and empower the instructor to deepen into their community as well. So how do we open conversations without the power of wizardry? Maybe magic is the only answer, or, maybe the voice world is developing the power of inquiry and openness to community in new ways so that new knowledge doesn't make us feel like we're being robbed, and help is always just a conversation away.
~David
Have you ever tried offering unsolicited advice to someone about their voice?
If so, how well did they respond? The voice is so connected with our emotional center, and so much a part of each individual's identity, that we can appreciate people having difficulty hearing that you know something that they don't about their instrument. That idea extends to vocal professionals too. The very idea that a vocal professional might not know something seems to send us into a dark place. Yet, when we pause to ask ourselves if we know everything, every one of us has to admit that the voice is too complex to be fully understood, and that we are all specialists in very specific ways. The industry supports the vocal professional's reluctance to admit that they might not know something. Past instruction practices, a difficult job market, and a cult-of-personality system of private training have created a scenario in which vocal instructors are unwilling to show any weakness. Yet, the words "I don't know, let's find out" can be so motivating, and empower the instructor to deepen into their community as well. So how do we open conversations without the power of wizardry? Maybe magic is the only answer, or, maybe the voice world is developing the power of inquiry and openness to community in new ways so that new knowledge doesn't make us feel like we're being robbed, and help is always just a conversation away.
~David
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