Going beyond the fear to develop vocals

You often hear you only live once, the only chances in life you regret are the ones you didn’t take, and so forth. It’s understandable to experience “living” one must push themselves out of their comfort zone – something I actually enjoy doing. For instance, when it comes to public speaking, many people say they would rather die than to have to be up in front of a crowd. I understand why, it’s incredibly nerve-racking to be up in front of a crowd with people watching your every move and listening to your every word. However, aside from the initial knots in your stomach and possible pre-performance anxiety, there’s a sudden rushing exhilaration once you’re up there executing your speech. Such simple yet complex thrills are some of many rewards you gain from removing yourself from your comfort zone. It’s like conquering fears you may not have even known you had and being able to feel free and overall happy with no regrets.

In spirit of all that, I’m ready to do something new. I’ve always dreamt of venturing out and exploring what my vocals (or lack thereof) have to offer. So this week I’ve rounded up another friend who’s willing to commence in these nerve-racking activities with me and we’ve decided to try out karaoke. Unlike her, however, I do not regularly practice singing. Sure, in my car I can see myself as the modern day Whitney Houston, but we all know you do not always sound the same out loud and in your head. On the other hand, I know if I never try, I will never know, nor will I ever have a chance to improve. There will be judgements, there will be imperfections, but there will be a chance of self-improvement and growth as well.

One thing that led me to this decision to sing my heart out, sober as a bear, in front of an unknown audience was while I was working through my first lesson book and some guitar songs added a twist of lyrics to the notes. Out of curiosity, I started to “sing along” to my own guitar playing. Now, don’t get me wrong. Doing two things that you are not the best at (for me, being both playing guitar and singing) is not easy! It takes a lot of brain power to focus on both, let alone just one. On the bright side, as I mentioned before, you never know until you try. Thus, I started to practice and added a little pep to my step and started singing along as I counted beats in my head.

Whether you are looking to learn a new instrument, perform before an audience, or anything in life, it may be hard at first. Discouragement may be natural, but work past that. We’ve been conditioned to believe certain experiences should be terrifying and discomforting. But why? What about the thrill? What about not knowing what to expect and just having fun? Who cares what others think, they’re not up there doing what you are! So whatever it is you’re curious about trying out, try it. Live, breathe, and love – it’s the only way to be.