I’ve been taking singing lessons. My instructor works with people from The Voice among others – I am not one of those pupils! My goal is just to enjoy singing the national anthem or karaoke.
He knows little of my coaching profession and I see so many links between what he and I do. How someone shows up singing is probably how they show up to most things. I often say ‘how you do something is how you do everything.’ For example, if someone shows up tentative and quiet to singing, chances are they show up that way to many things they do like work or meeting new people.
Today we worked on a new song that I had never heard of before, slight panic set in with that notion. It was Callum Scott’s You Are The Reason for those who want to know. And it went great (ok, well enough)!
Here are my lessons from that lesson:
- More time doesn’t mean better – this lesson was the shortest lesson we’ve had and I learned loads.
- Trust – trust my body to do what it’s done before as it has cellular memory that my cognitive thinking does not enhance.
- Look for patterns – find the patterns in experiences (just like in a song and between 2 songs) for ease of going through life. I’m not starting at zero just because something is new.
- Believe in myself – be confident with what I know regardless of the situation (or song).
- Relax – relaxation of mind and body makes new things easier and more enjoyable.
- Breathe – breathe when I can and let my breath support me in whatever I’m doing.
- Risk going outside my comfort zone – he said he’d rather me risk making a mistake in practice to push my limits in that safe space.
- Practice makes perfect – or at least better.
- If I make a mistake, adjust – it’s about training to adapt in the moment when I hear a wrong note so the next note is better.
- If in doubt, 3 Blind Mice – seriously, this string of notes is used in so many songs!
Which lessons apply most to you in your life experiences?
