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Why study?

happy weekend!

Conversations with the singers that work with me always bring me to further thought - and often it ends up here on the blog!

This one came up several times this week.

Why study?

I am always flabbergasted - and probably shouldn't be given our social climate - that so many think, in portions of our business - that their undergrad is done,  and so,  why study anymore?

Or  - there are some who have begun a professional career but don't further their studies.

The reasons why those attitudes and decisions are made aren't the point of this blog post.

More to the point,  why study?  why continue to study?  why pick up your study?  and most importantly,  why wouldn't you?

We are athletes are singers and performers.  We need to keep that physicality in the best shape.  Great athletes are constantly honing their craft,  their physicality,  working with coaches on all levels of their work.

As singers,  our physicality and metabolic life is continuing to change, morph and develop.  If we don't work with it and develop it fully,  and allow for it to be realized,  how can we call ourselves professional?

If we are asked to be part of the equipment - doing 8 shows a week - wouldn't it be the natural realization to keep working on the technical behavior so that instrument and equipment can do its job well?

If we are just at the beginning of a possible career,  wouldn't it make sense to keep exploring and studying what the physicality and technique can develop into in order to access it more fully and more specifically?

If you are in your career - wouldn't a regular tune up and 2nd set of ears be the thing you'd need to keep you aligned, balanced and healthy?

We have trainers at the gym;  we have life coaches;  we learn to eat well;  we take dance classes or yoga classes or pilates classes;  we may even take a performance class or two;  we keep getting new head shots;  we keep updating our websites;  we keep auditioning...

but do we study?

Do we learn how we do what we do?  how we need to re-approach what we thought was working and maybe isn't anymore?  do we know how we access that voice? that physicality?  with specific knowledge and action,  or just by the seat of our pants?

Finishing a program doesn't mean you know.

Being cast in a show doesn't mean you know.

You know when you know.  And the more you know the more you want to know.  Because knowing reveals how much there is to continue to learn!

Why study?  Because you must to truly reveal what you have,  what you need to hone,  what you need to develop,  in order to summon your talent at will.

If you call yourself a performer,  or an artist who performs,   then you are connected to the journey of KNOWING.  Knowing requires enquiry;  enquiry requires getting real;  getting real reveals truth; truth reveals authenticity.

Study.

It comes in many forms.

It morphs,  and it changes shape depending on what you need, when you need it.

It doesn't have to be weekly lessons,  although it can be.  It could mean intensive work in the voice studio over a short period of time and then a longer period of allowing that information to wash through you,  and for your technical behavior to catch up physically in order to access things fully.

It could be regular "check-ins".  It could be a combination of intensives and check-ins.

Nothing is in stone.  How you study is reflected on why you study.

I often ask my singers,  "why are you here?  What do you feel you need today?  What do you feel you are here to do?"

Sometimes they know,  sometimes they don't.  Sometimes they think they know,  and as we start to work,  it is revealed what they really need!

So,  why study?

Why wouldn't you?

Even if you are fully formed from a physiological perspective within the singing mechanism,  are you aware of all the micro-shifts and metabolic changes?  Do you know how to access it fully,  freely without issue?  Is your talent easily summoned without restraint,  at will,  because your technical behavior is so ingrained it needs nothing more?

 If you say you are an artist,  or a performer,  then your craft DEMANDS study, observation, changes, adjustments, tweaking, and an honest and true place to explore.

Take on the study - and commit to the lifelong exploration that allows you to access YOU!

What scares you?

There is so much in our world that is frightening - more now than ever.

This sense of fear, of disbelief, of hopelessness,  often renders us mute or stuck or simply unable to take a breath or a step or know what to do next.

Many of us have to learn how to respond to world in a brand new way:  a way that is foreign,  a way that requires us to learn new skills quickly in order to make sense of our purpose and our usefulness for that world in our own little corner.  We have to figure out why it matters, if it matters at all,  and what we have to contribute and what we have to DO to contribute to it.  It doesn't feel 'right',  it doesn't feel 'normal',  it doesn't feel 'enough'...

As you know,  this is not a political blog,  but how interesting it seems, that as I write the above paragraph,  it can be talking to you the artist and you the performer as you navigate the culture of the business,  should you want to pursue having a career.

What scares you?

I mean it!  What scares you?

What scares you about actually developing craft?  What scares you about developing your artistry so you can summon your talent at will?  What scares you about the business?  What scares you about walking through that door and saying "hey this is me,  and this is what I do"?   What scares you about sending out that application?  That submission?  What scares you about walking into that audition?  What scares you about getting that callback?  Not getting that callback?  Opening that email?  Not getting an email?

What scares you about walking into a class?  into a lesson?  What scares you about booking a project?  What scares you about practicing?  What scares you about taking a step outside your comfort zone?  What scares you about finding out what you can actually DO well and release  what you can't?  What scares you about discovering what you NEED to do?

Okay - you may be saying, "Pfff Susan I am not scared."  Fine.  Choose another word then.

Change "what scares you" to "what's stopping you";  change it to "how are you responding to"  or "what motivates you"  or "what stops you".

It all stems from the same place:  YOU.

Denial or dismissal or procrastination (and I have done ALL of it,  so don't with me...I see you!)  is a form of stress management.

When you feel like something is giving you anxiety,  a small or large panic attack,  an opportunity to hide or turn away,  there's your fear right there.

Sometimes what scares you,  is the fear itself.  The fear of failure?  The fear of actually succeeding?  And what is THAT anyway?  Succeeding in what?  Succeeding with what?  Succeeding where?  Succeeding how?

Who is that in the mirror and how do I come to terms with HER or HIM in a way that makes me feel like I am DOING something every day;  not for the business, not for the craft,  but for my place in it.

Your place matters.  The thing is,  you have to create it by being there.  You have to create it, hone it, nurture it,  stand your ground in it,  commit to it.  You have to acknowledge each emotion,  and claim them all as you have strength to.

You have to make that place yours and take it with you.

Think about being on tour:  so many of us create "home" around us in a hotel room - photographs, "stuff" that only matters to us,  that gives us a sense of belonging somewhere.

This is what brings us back to center.  This is what allows us to have a place to respond from and a place to return to.

So,  what scares you?  Do you have a place - your place - within yourself that you can take with you into every situation,  every possibility,  every sudden change?

Does it allow you to meet each situation head on?

More importantly does it reveal to you,  and are you aware when the excuses begin or when you feel the fear seep through and make you back away?

It's okay to be scared.  It's okay to be anything.

Claim it,  and discover how you can DO in spite of it,  despite it,  with it,  beyond it.

One step.  One idea.  If it feels too overwhelming,  stop and sit down and breathe and BE WHERE YOU ARE.  

When we are not where we are,  due to denial,  fatigue,  unawareness, delusion,  we cannot see where we are going,  what we are doing,  who we want to be,  or how we want to be seen.

What scares you?

Take a breath.  Where are you right now?  Claim that.  Stay there as long as you need to in order to make that real for you.  Take that place with you:  from one activity to another and be aware of it.

You are in charge of YOU.  Nobody's the boss of you - except YOU.  So what do you have to say?  What do YOU have to do?  Want to do?  Need to do?  Want to be bothering doing?

You can choose to be scared and do it anyway.

You can choose to be frustrated and find a new way to get there.

You can choose to stop.  You can choose to find motivation somewhere.  You can choose how you feel and how you respond,  not based on the outside but based on YOU.

As human beings and as artists we have this miraculous, wonderful and frustrating as hell thing called CHOICE.  It allows us to respond in ways more creative and magical than we allow ourselves to,  including making another choice!

So, what scares you?
Sometimes it's clear,  sometimes it's not.  Meet it head on,  find it,  and make a choice about what you will do with it.  Your fear.  Your choice.

What Does a Singer Need?

Happy 4th of July to all of you who celebrate!

As we enter the lazy days of summer,  it can be a great time to re-evaluate,  to re-negotiate,  to re-discover what you need,  what you want,  what your goals are for the upcoming season,  what you want to achieve through the summer.

So what does a singer NEED in order to create an environment to learn, to develop & to succeed in their development?

Talent aside,  there are many other things that can be more tangible or realized.


Talent is nothing without development.  Potential sucks if it's not developed.


What do you need?

A burning desire to sing.  Not a plan B or C;  not an excuse;  not a "yeah, but";  Just a simple burning desire to sing because that it was gives you a sense of yourself like no other.

You need to WANT to sing.  You need to WANT to learn that role, that song, that aria.  You cannot WAIT to throw yourself into the learning process because to sing is to be alive.


A capacity for major doses of reality.  The DESIRE is fueled by this.  You have to know what you are capable of doing and why;  and what you are not ready to do,  may never do,  and why not.

Do you know what it will take to pursue a career?  Are you ready to commit to that?  What are you ready and willing and able to commit to?  What can you glean from that commitment?

Knowledge is power,  and power is knowing.  The singer must have both and recognize that the balance of the two is constantly in flux.

AWARENESS is key.   Where am I?  What can I do?  What am I willing to do?  How do I make that work to achieve my goals?  Are my goals realistic to my talent, my desire, my tenacity, my commitment?  If not,  how do my goals shift in order to make my choices more realistic?

What are my priorities?  Do they line up with what I want or say I want or do they reveal something more important that I need to pursue or acknowledge?

Are you aware of your own psychology?  Are you clear what it represents?

Are you aware of your emotional and mental strengths, and even more importantly, your weaknesses?  Do you know how to develop your sense of self awareness?
Do you acknowledge self-doubt?  Self-sabotage?
Do you recognize what you need to do to move through it?

Are you willing to take responsibility for your emotional life in order to be healthy enough to explore a professional life as a singer?  What are you doing to achieve that goal?

Find a mentor.  Find that person that is willing to invest in you and challenge you.  A mentor will hold up a mirror to give you permission to see what needs to be seen.  They will help you continue to ask the questions in order to discover some answers, and probably some more questions.  They are not there to enable,  to tell you what you want to hear, but rather, to encourage,  and create an environment safe enough to hear what you NEED to hear and help you find ways to DO something about it.

I think mentoring is like reality training in a safe environment.

As singers,  as human beings,  we need this desperately.

What else do you need?

A solid,  unrelenting work ethic.

A focused consistency.

An unapologetic self-discipline.

The ability to laugh at yourself but always take the work seriously.

The ability to forgive yourself.

The emotional and psychological fortitude to say "no".

The emotional and psychological fortitude to ask "why".

The self-discipline to take a day off and not feel guilty.

The self-discipline to get back to work,  even when the obstacles take your breath away.

The desire and focus to always follow through.  ALWAYS.

So,  what are you working on?  What do you need?  What are you willing to do to acknowledge it,  and develop it and find more of it?

Nothing is promised,  but you have RIGHT NOW to make some choices that will allow you to find your "next".

Happy discovering!!

The Voice Competition, The Audition = THAT ROOM

Saturday musings after reading some heated exchanges online...

What about THAT ROOM?  That room that you enter as a singer for an audition, or for that first or second round as a competitor?

THAT ROOM that those who have been asked to "judge" are sitting at a table waiting to hear you?

As someone who has frequented both sides of that table lo these many years (!),  it is a fascinating observation.

Too often,  when nervous,  when unsure,  our defenses go up and our egos take over as the adrenaline kicks in.  We often over-think,  over-analyze,  over-criticize ourselves and possibly others,  as well as just hyper-extend our energy beyond what is necessary.

So,  what about THAT ROOM for the singer?

First and foremost:  BREATHE.  Nobody is there unless you have decided to be there.  The pianist isn't going to play for a ghost.  The adjudicators, audition panel wouldn't be there unless you had shown up.  Nobody is out to get you.  Everybody is there because YOU are.

So breathe. 

Be present.  In your body.  In your breath.  In each step you take and each observation you make.

If you are prepared you will have practiced the entire process.  You know how to walk;  you know how to talk;  you know how to smile;  you know how to speak with the pianist;  you know how to prepare to sing in that moment.

However,  it is a surreal moment and it's THAT ROOM.  It can be nerve-wracking,  it can be intimidating,  it can start "those voices",  it can create anxiety,  questions,  and panic.

BUT, it doesn't have to!

Those people at the table have been where you are.  They are on your side.  In the moment, you cannot judge nor pledge their behavior.  All you can do is be present in YOUR energy and bring that in.  As soon as you start questioning THEM ("do they like me?" "why did they not look up?" "why is that person frowning?" "why did they look at me like that?")  you are not aware of YOU. 

"Self-centered"  truly must be taken seriously here in a positive way.  Center yourself.  You are not going to know what they think,  what they know,  what they want,  and I am going to tell you a little secret:  IT DOES NOT MATTER.

All that matters is that you are doing YOU.  Authentically YOU.  Real YOU.  Not what you think they want,  but what you DO and who you ARE.

You have no control over what they do,  what they know,  what they are looking for.  You DO have control over YOU.  Knowledge is power.  You know you, so DO you!

What you sometimes DO NOT know is someone on the panel may need to pee.   Someone may have low blood sugar.  Someone may have had a disagreement with a colleague on the panel prior to you walking in;  Someone may be overwhelmed;  Someone may just have resting bitch face even better than yours when they concentrate and listen!

The competition and the audition is a giant puzzle.  A panel is there to try to find pieces that fit together.  It isn't easy,  and it can cause fatigue,  frustration & and more. 

What you see or what you do not see,  on the faces of the panel,  really doesn't matter if you are doing YOU! 

Sometimes people need to snack or eat or sip their coffee.  God knows, I need my coffee if I am going to be doing a full day of adjudication or auditions.  You bring your water in,  and your panel probably needs to bring their coffee or tea or water too.  If their day is insanely busy - they need a pee break!  You want their attention,  so don't take it personally if they excuse themselves for a few minutes to use the bathroom,  or fill up their coffee mug.  You want them fresh and accessible.

I always encourage singers to sit in if possible on some auditions to allow them to see things and experience things from the other side of the table.  It can be an eye-opening experience and isn't just about "being good enough".  So many facets and pieces play into decisions made from that table.

Ultimately,  those of us sitting at that table are rooting for you!  We want your best!  We want you to succeed!  We want to encourage and give constructive criticism for you to walk away with some information that can be helpful and allow you to continue to grow!  Remember, we are simply another set of ears,  hopefully informed,  and another professional opinion.

Opinion.  Not gospel truth.  Nobody has a monopoly on that!

We hope it is an informed opinion and decision that has relevance to the level of whatever audition or  competition you are there for.

We, when sitting at the table,  must remember and conjure what it felt like to be that singer in THAT ROOM.  We have to take control of the situation if it needs an adjustment so we are comfortable,  and that the SINGER is comfortable.  This is not an opportunity to belittle,  to have an ego-attack,  to go into passive-aggressive mode or to play politics or head games. 

Those of us who sit at that table in that room have a great responsibility to teach;  to inform;  to encourage;  to reveal truth;  to LEAN FORWARD and create safety and energy that a singer can feed off of and give us their best work in that moment on that day.

We deserve respect on each side of that table.  We should show respect from each side of that table. 

THAT ROOM is filled with possibility, and no matter which side we are currently on,  we can choose to make it a moment that means something real,  or not. 

Negative knee-jerk reactions have no place in THAT ROOM;  from either side of that table. 

I remember being told a young singer said "she hates me" after I had given her adjudication.   She didn't win,  so her feelings were hurt.  However,  I chose to address it publicly as an overall observation:  I cannot hate you,  because I don't know you at all.  Not winning/not getting a callback/not getting the role doesn't mean more than you didn't win, you didn't get the callback, you didn't get the role.  If you are only concerned about whether someone who doesn't know you,  hates you or likes you,  then you aren't doing YOU while you are performing or auditioning.  You are not staying present in what you say you were prepared to DO.

Just as the singer must be present,  so must the panel sitting at the table.  If they are tired, grouchy, crabby, hungry,  needing to pee - then they must take control of the situation and take 5 minutes to re-balance in order to be fully present to hear the singer who walks in next. 

Simply saying "My apologies, my blood sugar is taking a nose-dive and I have to take 3 minutes to chew some food" to a singer will NOT send you to hell!  In fact,  a singer recognizes you as HUMAN.  What a concept THAT is! 

THAT ROOM may be surreal but it's filled with many complex human beings.  Recognizing and honoring those complexities and respecting them and the process of being there would save us all a little angst,  a little grief,  and a little panic!

THAT ROOM is created by YOU.  Honor it,  don't despise it! 
Take the process seriously and learn how to giggle at yourself;  It adds a little more joy into how you got there in the first place!

The Great Elizabeth Gilbert & Criticism

Elizabeth Gilbert's Facebook page had this fabulous post on it today.

Thank you Thia Stephan for sending it to me!

I wanted to post it here - and I couldn't say it better!

*****

Elizabeth Gilbert

Question of the Day: HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH CRITICISM?

Dear Ones -

The other night at a book event in Kansas, a woman asked me how I deal with criticism about my work and about myself — particularly online criticism. It's a question that comes up a lot, so I thought I would take on the subject today, with the hopes that my words might help some of you — no matter who you are, or what you are doing with your life.

The simplest answer for me, when people ask me how i deal with criticism is to say, "I don't."

I don't look at it, and I don't look for it.

I avoid criticism about myself not because I DON'T care what people say about me, but because I DO care. I am sensitive and easily bruised. I know that critical words can hurt me, and I am not in the business of hurting myself on purpose.

There are major reviews that have been written about my work in serious, important newspapers that I have never even read. For instance: I know that I got a really bad review of COMMITTED in the New York Times several years ago by the legendary critic Janet Maslin, but I have absolutely no idea what she said about me, and I have no intention of ever finding out. (If you want to Google the review, go right ahead — but I sure won't!) People told me that the review was bad (some of my kind friends warned me, and some of my not-so-kind friends just sent me the link — thanks, pals!) In all cases, I said, "Thanks for the info — see ya later!" and I turned my head the other way, the same way I turn my head when I pass a car accident on the road, or when the TV news is showing footage of a grisly murder.

I will not put those words in my head. I will not put those images in my head. To do so is an act of violence against myself, and I do not commit acts of violence against myself anymore.

I think it was the novelist John Updike who said that reading your own reviews is like eating a sandwich that might have some broken glass in it. I have nothing to gain by eating shards of broken glass. It doesn't benefit me or anyone else to digest something that will cause internal bleeding.

If the review is nice and kind, on the other hand (and pre-screened by a loving family member) then I will read it. Because guess what? It's really nice to hear people say nice things about your work! And it's rare! So when it happens: Treat yourself! Enjoy the nice review! Which is to say: when that same Janet Maslin revewied THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS in the New York Times and loved it, I treated myself to her review, because there's nothing wrong with treating yourself to a nice sandwich with no broken glass in it. Because we all need to eat sometimes.

There are people who might say, "But how can you keep yourself honest as an artist, if you only listen to the good stuff, and don't pay attention to your negative critics?"

I say in return: "It is MY own job to stay honest as an artist; it is not the job of the critic to keep me honest."

The critic doesn't work for me; the critic works for the newspaper. The critic has her own responsibility to keep herself honest, but she is not required to help me out, or to be a midwife to my career, or to have my best interests at heart. That is not the nature of our relationship. I do not resent that critics exist; this is a natural part of the creative landscape. But I do not listen to criticism from people who do not have my best interests at heart, because it does not serve me or make me a better person.

I DO listen to negative criticism about my work, however — but only from certain people, and only at a certain time.

The people who I listen to about my work are people who have earned the right to offer me criticism. There aren't many of them, but they are precious. They are a few of my closest and most trusted friends, family members, and colleagues. Here is the test, to see if people are allowed to criticize me:

1) Do I trust your opinion and your taste?

2) Do I trust that you will understand what I am trying to create, and therefore can help me to improve it?

3) Do I trust that you have my best interests at heart — that there is no dark ulterior motive, and no hidden agenda in your criticism?

4) Do I trust that you can offer your criticism with a fundamental spirit of gentleness, so that I can actually hear it without being mortally wounded?

Gentleness is very important.

Because let's talk about "brutally honest". You know that friend of yours who proudly advertises herself as "brutally honest"? Yeah, well I know her, too. We all have a friend like that in our lives. Listen to me, dear ones: NEVER let her see your work; never ask her opinion; never show her your vulnerability. When somebody tells you that she is brutally honest, what she is actually telling you is ,"I am brutal." What she is communicating to you is this: "You can trust that I am waiting for a chance to brutalize you. Now please give me an opportunity to hurt you."

I don't volunteer to be brutalized. Again, I don't hate myself that much. Brutal honesty is no virtue. Honesty without kindness is not worth the price you pay for it. I can listen to honesty, but only when it comes from a whole-hearted person, who is not trying to draw blood.

As for WHEN I listen to criticism? I only listen when there is still a chance to fix or change the work. After the book is published, THERE IS NOTHING MORE I CAN DO ABOUT IT — so why would I go digging for criticism after the book is already printed, and it's too late?

The age of the Internet has made it easier than ever for us to find out horrible things about ourselves. Anything we put online or into the world is subject to attack, derision, insult. But this doesn't make the Internet an evil place. (Look how kind we are to each other on this Facebook page, for instance!) The Internet is also a glorious playground, where you can put yourself out there in ways humans have never been able to enjoy before. So enjoy that playground, and put your work forward. But don't read the COMMENTS, you guys. Just don't.

And don't Google your name, unless you are looking for further self-injury.

(While we're on the subject of avoiding self-injury, let me just throw this out there: Don't Google your ex's name, either. STEP AWAY FROM THE BURNING VEHICLE.)

Sometimes, of course, you can't avoid seeing nasty things. Stuff pops up on Twitter and Facebook that is mean and harsh. Block it, mute it, move on. Don't feed the trolls. Don't engage. And never let the trolls stop you from using the miracle that is Internet. You have a right to speak, and a right to put your work forward, and a right to find your audience. Just keep putting yourself out there, and then — whenever possible — turn your head away from the reaction that may result.

Most of all, I beg you not to do this:

DO NOT put something out there into the world, and then go searching for an evil reaction to yourself or to your work.

DO NOT sit wide awake at 1am (usually with a pint of ice cream in your hand) and start digging until you find a horrible response.

DO NOT sit there all alone in a darkened room with the blue light of the computer shining on your face, scrolling and scrolling and scrolling through all the nice things people have to say about you (and ignoring every single kind and generous and supportive comment) until — VOILA! — you finally find what you were looking for. Don't go excavating until you finally find that one wickedly cruel comment that proves what you have always suspected in the darkest nightmare corner of your mind — that yes, you are a fraud, you have no talent, you are fat and ugly and worthless and pathetic.

DO NOT go digging, as I have seen my friends do so many times. Because if you dig long enough, you will find it. You will find the pain you were looking for.

Scrolling through the COMMENTS about yourself is like reading your roommate's diary: It's so tempting, because it's sitting right there! But if you read long enough, eventually you will find something about yourself that will break your heart. Don't do it. Put it down. Resist the temptation. Show the self-discipline that is necessary for self-care. Walk away.

I've watched creative friends of mine do such harm to themselves and their work, by digging through all the nutritional output about themselves until they finally find the one shard of glass in the sandwich, and then they take that shard of glass and cut themselves deeply with it. Sometimes those wounds last forever. And then they wonder why it's so hard to be creative again.

Meanwhile, the asshole who wrote that nasty comment about you hit "send" on his evil message, then turned his attention back to watching porn and drinking beer and scratching his butt, and he never thought of you again...but you have put his words into your mind forever. And when you sit down to create the NEXT time, those words will still be echoing in your skull. ("You are talentless, you are worthless, you are garbage.")

I refuse to do it. I refuse to hate myself that much. It's hard enough to be creative, but I refuse to fill my creative space (my skull) with cruel and taunting words that will just make it all the worse.

Refusing to read nasty things about myself is not denial; it is AFFIRMATION. This is how I affirm my own life and my own creativity. This is how I protect myself, because I am the only one who can protect myself. This is how I keep the inside of my mind clean and fresh and ready to play again.

I said it the other day, and I will say it again: God gave me a soul to take care of, that soul is my own. I am the only one who can keep that soul safe. I am the only one who can protect my creativity so that my imagination can run and play freely in the world.

I want you all to put yourselves out there in the world — especially all you women! We need your voices, we need your creativity, we need your courage, we need your output. But do understand this: If you put yourself out there in the world, everyone has a right to respond to you however they want to — that's the contract. They can attack you, they can insult you, they can undermine you.

BUT YOU ARE NOT OBLIGED TO LISTEN TO THEM.

Turn your head from the violence. Find people to trust, and listen ONLY to them. Once you put your work out there, your work is finished. Let it go and walk away. Keep doing your work, keep putting yourself forward, and then turn your head from the darkness.

Take care of yourself. Create freely. Share bravely. But never go digging for broken glass.

ONWARD,
LG

 

**posted in its entirety

 

Upcoming WEBINAR with Backstage University!

Want to join us?

I will be giving a WEBINAR through Backstage University:

TUESDAY OCTOBER 20th at 4 p.m. EST

You can sign up to join us online LIVE or sign up to get a recorded copy of it, if you aren't available to join us live.

We will be discussing "Finding Your Authentic Voice" - and all that might mean as you discover YOU in the audition room!

Check out the link and details HERE!

Hope to see you SOON!


Best,
Susan

What a photo can reveal without your consent!

happy 4th of July to all American readers!

As I continue to work on physical therapy I am always amazed at breath and alignment.

Each must be so tangible and available to us just to move through our lives,  but even more so as singers and actors.

This has been an insistent and visceral theme in my world and of late,  even more so.

As singers,  we have to constantly stay in the NOW to discover how that breath and alignment is working with us,  not against us. 

One of those discoveries can be through a photograph.

Many singers and actors use photos to promote themselves - through websites, submissions, on social media and the like.   Head shots are one thing,  and "performance" shots are quite another.

These performance shots can be very revealing.  I am talking more about you in concert,  you walking onto stage,  you taking a bow,  you being YOU,  not playing a character in a production.

The importance of physical behavior is captured in that instant for all to see. 

Are you aware of what it reveals?  Are you willing to see it as it is,  and then make the adjustments necessary to improve upon it?

Many singers and actors are unaware of how they come across in a room or in a photo.  They simply put the photo up, not realizing that the subliminal response can be just as important as their head shot.

This doesn't mean you can't use the shot:  it means that you need to examine WHY and if necessary, crop the photo to exude only what you wish to be shown.

This demands a great deal of objectivity and not wishful thinking.  This requires you to ask bigger questions of yourself and the professionals you trust to give you the truth and what you need to hear,  not what you want to hear.

A photograph can reveal a professionalism that you embody - or it can reveal an amateurism that prevents you from being heard.  Wouldn't you want someone looking at a performance photo to say "I'm intrigued,  call her/him in!" 

Lately,  I have been seeing too many "amateur" looking performance photos.  You can do better than that;  you ARE better than that!

Use the photos that POP professionally and aren't just "good enough".  If you feel like they are "meh",  trust me, the business isn't going to give them more than a glance.

Energy READS.

If it's a full length photo - are your knees locked?  Is your stance too wide? Is your stance too closed in?  All these reek amateur.

What about your torso? 

Is your chest sucken?  Are you sitting on your solar plexus?  This is an apologetic stance.

Is your chest too high? Is your sternum and ribcage locked?  This often reads as bitchy and defensive.  (P.S.  This was MY M.O btw...I am not immune to these issues either!)

Are you leading with your stomach?  Completely unengaged?  This reads as you don't care. 

If you don't care,  why should they?

What are your arms doing?  What about those pesky hands?

Are you using a mic or mic-less?  If holding a mic,  are you comfortable with it? 

There is a reason to practice with your hair brush in front of you mirror you know...!!!!

Are your eyes open?  Is there something being said there?  Is there passion or fire or engagement?

The photos that encourage someone to enter are the ones that engage fully,  and create an EASE with the body, not a rigidity.

Some of you may ask for examples.  I can't use photos of people and embarrass them so if you want some feedback on yours,  ask me!  Or ask someone you trust who works with you regularly.

Don't forget,  in this day of photo shop you can crop crop crop!  Maybe your face is engaged and your hands are engaged, but your lower body is locked.  Crop it out.  Doesn't mean you can use it!  Just know HOW to use effectively!

In the meantime,  keep exploring and staying present in your body and your breath as you move through your day.  Keep integrating the two;  Sometimes practice without singing - just using the body through a song or aria.  Guide your intentions with your breath.  Make them authentic by making them conscious so they have an opportunity to find an honest spontaneity!

Let your photos reveal something about you that is more than professional or amateur.  Let it give the viewer pause;  and want to know more and HEAR more!

Terminology and Responsibility!

Sunday musings...

I have seen much discussion this week about terminology in singing.

We, as a community of singers and teachers and coaches,  use vocal terminology often without thinking about it.

So why blog about it?

Because there is a responsibility we must take more seriously about our teaching and coaching when using terminology;  and there is a responsibility we must take as singers more seriously to understand and translate!

First and foremost,  are we, as teachers,  aware of the vocal terminology we use?  Are we prepared to address it,  define it,  and re-define it fully for a singer to translate it into their consciousness and their physical instrument?   This is crucial.

I believe,  my philosophy of course,  so if it's not yours no worries, I'll sleep well:  I teach the SINGER,  then the material.  I do NOT work out of a "manual".  My job is to find the singer where they are,  not for them to walk into the studio and try to figure out what I want.  To me, that's ass-backwards!

So,  I must be very present in order to access what the needs of the singer are at each session;  what we are working on in an overall arc;  where they are in that process;  where they are with ME in that process (trust takes time!);  and what reveals itself in a moment to change the direction suddenly if needed.

If I, the teacher, am not present,  I am not serving the SINGER.  Nor am I serving the profession of singing. 

But, that's just me.

I do not believe one size fits all. 

As a young singer,  when given terminology,  I took it literally.  And when I asked why, often I was met with resistance.  Sadly, I still see that today.  Many use terminology that they simply cannot explain.  They cannot describe what it means as it pertains to the task at hand, or the singer at hand.  And sadly,  much of our current terminology is just incorrect.  Yes I said it.

I really encourage teachers and coaches to keep asking questions.  Find answers.  Discover new ways of describing technical behaviors,  physicality,  acoustics,  resonance,  vibration. Or simply, learn what it is first before you start using over-used words that mean nothing and can put singers at risk.

Singers, it is your responsibility, because it is YOUR voice, to ask questions until you get an answer that is real, and one you can work with;  to keep exploring your knowledge outside the studio about voice, the study of voice and YOUR voice.

Real teachers aren't afraid to say "I don't know but I will find out for you!".  Real teachers are never lax about their teaching and often have a voracious appetite to learn more too.  Find one like that.

Question your knowledge of general words in the lexicon of vocal-speak.  I am not even going to call it pedagogy as many are incorrect.  Figure out why it could have been talked about that way, and find out what the true physicality is behind it in order to give a more accurate and more obtainable result with a singer.  The more ways we, as teachers, as able to bring some of the pedagogical principles to light,  the more possibilities a singer has to access it fully!

If teachers do not understand WHAT they teach, then a singer has a hit or miss chance.  If a singer doesn't understand what he/she is DOING, then when they enter the business of show and translate literally what someone outside the studio is saying literally,  someone who knows even LESS about the voice in most cases,  they are screwed.

Think about it:  all theatre terminology is in opposition:  stage left, stage right, downstage, upstage, etc etc.  We learn it, we get it into our bodies and we don't think about it - we just do it.

Perhaps we must discover what the terminology of voice actually means, and get rid of the words and phrases that make no sense - literally or physically! - to what we are doing. 

To take that responsibility means focus, time, and attention.  It means being present every step of the way. 

Ask why.  Find out why.  Find out why not.  Don't just use the words if you don't really know what they mean.  If you cannot define it fully, then it's not realized. 

Take full responsibility of your terminology and how you use it.  Challenge its use in yourself. 

It will make you a better teacher, a better coach AND a better singer.


Language has agency.  Therefore, it is crucial we use it well.

It's 2015: MOVE!

Happy 2015!

What will it bring?

Or more importantly,  what do YOU bring to it?

I am not into regrets.  Or woulda-coulda-shouldas.  It keeps me locked into a place that doesn't let me move forward.

So claim NOW and look forward.

Let's play a game.  Try to answer with ONE WORD ONLY - you can always extrapolate later!
*****

What do you want?

What do you need?

Why?

What are you pursuing?

How are you pursuing it?

What does your artistic self crave?

What does your business self need?

What would simply give you contentment each day?

What makes you laugh?

What makes you frustrated?

What gets in your way?

What are the THREE words you are going to claim for 2015?


*******

Resolutions and regrets are not worth your energy.

Resolutions set you up for failure, and regrets keep you locked in place.

Move forward.  Move with purpose.  Move with integrity.  Move with balance.  Move with clarity.  Move with focus. Move with authenticity.

Just get moving!!  Great things happen when you know HOW to move,  WHEN to move,  WHERE to move. 

Trust your gut.  Trust your instinct.  Develop your intuition. 

Create an environment to move into and bring it with you!

AUTHENTIC VOICE WORKSHOP ***MUSIC THEATRE Edition***

COMING THIS FALL TO NYC!

Here's the info!


I am thrilled to announce that I am developing a voice workshop/master class called "AUTHENTIC VOICE: MUSIC THEATRE EDITION"

This master class will work with singers who are wanting more AUTHENTICITY in the audition room!

I draw on my unique background of theatre and voice to develop an opportunity to really work with the singer's unique gifts and how to access them easily.


What we DO:

Discover what makes the singer UNIQUE and why
Discover what the singer brings into the room - consciously and unconsciously
Discover what the singer can choose to reveal and how
Discover how the singer can authentically create an audition that makes "them" pay attention and want more!
Discover the difference between what you have to reveal and what you think they want to see!
Discover the physical behavior of the actor in the singing voice and the singing psyche!


Interested?  Know someone who might be?

Please send along the information.

The class will remain small to ensure participation and time with everyone!

AUTHENTIC VOICE MUSIC THEATRE EDITION MASTER CLASS

WHEN: TUESDAY OCTOBER 14
TIME: 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
WHERE: SUSAN EICHHORN VOICE STUDIO
               300 W 43rd St #608-2  (43rd & 8th - Times Square Arts Center)
                New York New York

ONE TIME FEE:  $75.00 

Pianist will be provided.  Each singer will prepare 2 16/32 bar cuts they currently are using, or going to be using in auditions.

To register: email me at susaneichhornstudio@gmail.com
Subject Line:  Authentic Voice Music Theatre Edition - REGISTER
please attach your resume and head shot with your registration email.

If you would like further information,  do not hesitate to email me!

Happy Fall Season!
best,
Susan

AUTHENTIC VOICE WORKSHOP/Master Class ***OPERA EDITION**** In NYC THIS FALL!

I am thrilled to announce that I am developing a voice workshop/master class called
 "AUTHENTIC VOICE: OPERA EDITION"

This master class will work with singers who are wanting more freedom to explore DRAMATIC EMBODIMENT AND INTENTION in the audition room.

I draw on my unique background of theatre to develop an opportunity to really work with the singer's unique gifts and how to access them easily.

What we do NOT do:

We do NOT discuss technique
We do NOT discuss fach
we do NOT discuss language or musicality or composer's musical style

What we DO do:

Discover what makes the singer UNIQUE, both dramatically and physically
Discover what the singer brings into the room
Discover what the singer can choose to reveal
Discover how the singer can authentically create a dramatic intention that reads in the room and from the stage
Discover the difference between pretend, affectation, and real acting for the singing actor!
Discover the physical behavior of the actor in the singing voice and the singing psyche!


Interested?  Know someone who might be?

Please send along the information.

The class will remain small to ensure participation and time with everyone!

AUTHENTIC VOICE OPERA EDITION MASTER CLASS

WHEN: TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 30th
TIME: 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
WHERE: SUSAN EICHHORN VOICE STUDIO
               300 W 43rd St #608-2  (43rd & 8th - Times Square Arts Center)
                New York New York

ONE TIME FEE:  $75.00 

Pianist will be provided.  Each singer will prepare one aria they currently are using, or going to be using in auditions.

To register: email me at susaneichhornstudio@gmail.com
Subject Line:  Authentic Voice Opera Edition - REGISTER
please attach your resume and head shot with your registration email.

If you would like further information,  do not hesitate to email me!

Happy Fall Season!
best,
Susan

Are you READY?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

To me,  September is more the "new year" than January. 

This is the beginning of the season.   This is the start of the "new".

So today, Labor/Labour Day - we claim one last day of "summer"  (although I am claiming warm days/cool evenings through the end of October, thank you so much Mother Nature for listening!),  and then ONTO THE NEXT!

Are you ready?

What is the next?

The levels we must function at are many,  and thus, it can get confusing.

Craft and its many levels and functions is an ongoing journey.  Honing, discovering, disciplining, nurturing, shaping - this is what we do day to day.  Are we ready to take that to the next level, on all levels? 

What needs focus right now? For YOU?

How is your mindset in general?   Are you dreading things?  Why?  Are you excited?  Are you prepared?  What are your goals?  Do you have the overview?  Are the specifics poised to fill in?

I read somewhere over the summer someone used the term "healthy denial".  I spit coffee on my computer screen.  Nope.  There is nothing healthy about denial.  All it leads to is delusion and working very hard to evade the reality that will catch up eventually, and ultimately take you away from any authenticity that might be there to pursue.

Denial puts the onus on something outside ourselves.  It gives us an "out" by never taking responsibility, or being ready for our lives. STOP THAT.

Are you ready to take that on that responsibility,  take charge of what you need and go get what you say you want?

It's a new year everybody! 

It's your craft, should you choose to go get it.

It's your career,  should you choose to explore it and develop it.

It's your job,  should you go out to compete for it.

It's your potential,  should you choose to realize it.

Are you ready to be realized and not denied?

There's a new mantra I am claiming today.  If it works for you,  use it with my blessings!

I AM BEING REALIZED AND WILL NOT BE DENIED.

Are you ready for that?  Be READY for what you wish for!


Happy New Year!

How do you define SUCCESS?

The end of summer is at hand...

Next week we begin a new season.  It always feels like the "new year" to me when the fall season begins.  Many of you are ramping up,  back at school,  checking upcoming auditions,  preparing to travel to your gigs,  taking on new roles and new projects.

So how do YOU define success for yourself as you enter this new year as an artist, or as one who embodies artistic temperament?

I ask this, because each of us comes to our own definition.  That definition can have many different possibilities for any one of us,  depending on where we are, what we are working toward,  what our goals are.

The dictionary defines it as "the accomplishment of an aim or purpose".

Given that as a template,  do we give ourselves permission to succeed only in the larger goal, or do we recognize the smaller accomplishments, the smaller successes on a day to day basis that help create the path to a larger goal?

I believe that as an artist we have to be "big picture" people,  as well as "detail" people.   We cannot afford to get lost in either scenario,  so setting that large picture can often come first, in order to discover how to get there. 

Success is discovered in the planning, and then in the EXECUTION and frankly,  the fine-tuning and re-organizing of that plan.

If your big picture "success" is to perform at a well known opera house, or on Broadway,  but you never practice, or seldom get your bum out of bed to get to an audition,  or get your applications in on time,  then you are creating self-sabotage,  and the big picture success won't happen, nor will you ever locate the detailed successes along the way.

True success is found in the day to day discovery of self.  At least that is what I am finding more and more.

We are hard on ourselves.   We stress.  We fret.  We don't think we're good enough.  We get scared.  Trust me,  I get that.  I am harder on me than anybody else could possibly be!  When I don't accomplish what I set out to in a day,  I can beat on myself royally.

What does that accomplish? 

What were my goals?  Why?  Did I reach or exceed them?  Why or why not?

What DID I achieve today?

Did I bring 100% of whatever I had to bring to whatever I did?  If all I have is 30% but I bring all 30,  then I have succeeded!

And if I didn't?  Well,  if I can recognize it,  acknowledge it,  OWN it,  not make excuses for it, nor beat myself up about it,  look into the mirror and say "tomorrow is a new day and this is goal"  then I still succeed on pursuing the path.

Success triumphs in tangible ways and in intangible ways.  It is not all or nothing. 

Failure is not an option.  Living is needed, necessary and required.

Success is measured in what you have to contribute and how you use that contribution to make this place a little better than you found it.

The intangibles can suddenly find a tangibility that is uniquely yours,  should you give yourself permission to be where you are,  and discover the possibilities that exist there.

Achievement of an action

Realization of a goal

A triumph over a struggle

Being ready to take on that new task

Living without hesitation

Fearlessness

Giving of spirit

Being open to the possibility

Satisfaction

Finding your power within the spirit of you and claiming it


All these are possible definitions.  Create your own.

The beauty of success is that no one defines it for you, but you.

So what are you waiting for?  Start this season off with DAILY successes that you can acknowledge and claim.

If you feel overwhelmed, start one step at a time.  Start small.  Each step is a success!

Reach and claim that unreachable star each and every day by WHO you are,  and what you claim in your artistic life,  your personal life,  your tangible life.

Success is as much a journey as anything.  We can create a large open ended picture and let it change from day to do by what we do with each day.

The day may bring you many things, but it is up to you what you do with it,  how you greet it,  how you take it on.

Whatever you have,  bring THAT into your day;  into your studies;  into your work;  into your pursuits;  into your dreams.  Let it lead how you are perceived and want to be perceived. 

Define your success by choosing to create it and  live it,  not by wishing for  it or yearning for it.

And I leave you with the eloquence of Sondheim's brilliance - make your OWN hat.

There's a part of you always standing by
Mapping out the sky
Finishing a hat, starting on a hat
Finishing a hat, look I made a hat
Where there never was a hat

Read more at http://www.songlyrics.com/sondheim-on-sondheim/finishing-the-hat-lyrics/#Tgm8otS4ygBu2egr.99

VOICE INTENSIVES PLANNED FOR TORONTO IN AUGUST!

FINALLY!

I will be back in Toronto to teach one-on-one intensives August 15/16/17, 2014.



If you are interested in more info or to book a session, please email me directly with your resume/head shot and enquiry:  susaneichhornstudio@gmail.com

I plan to be in Toronto again for workshops ONLY early in the fall.  Watch for that info!


ETA:  sessions are wait-list ONLY.  If you still want time, email me and let me know and I will keep you on the cancellation list.

Burning Bridges & CHOICE

Sunday musings...

What is burning a bridge really???

I hear that a great deal  "well I have to say yes,  because if I don't,  I might burn that bridge."

That bridge to where???

Are you even planning on taking that bridge anywhere?  Does it lead to anything stronger, more helpful,  more positive than the side you are on right now?

You have the right to say "no" to a project, for the right reasons.

Simplify WHY you say YES to  a project:  1.  The role/show is something you truly want to do  2.  The company/director/tour is something you really want to work with  3.  The money is just too good to say "NO" to   4.  The project intrigues you and you simply have to be involved

The "YES" can be any of the above, or combination of the above.

But when do you say "no"?

You don't have to say "yes" to everything that comes down the road!!  You don't want to become known as the entitled brat who turns everything down because she/he is waiting on that Broadway contract, or that chance to sing at the Met.  Guess what?  You gotta build that resume FIRST,  AND your reputation.

Saying "no" doesn't, in itself,  give you a bad reputation.  Your attitude, your work ethic, your preparedness, your interaction with others - these things count.

Sometimes,  knowing a situation is simply not a healthy one is a reason for "no".  Sometimes,  you have worked with/done that,  and really need to move on.  You don't need to give a REASON to say no,  but you can simply be cordial,  thankful for the opportunity,  but due to other commitments, you are unavailable.

Trust your gut.  If it doesn't feel right,  chances are something isn't right.  Now, granted,  it takes time to truly develop the finesse of the gut in the business of show - but even as a young performer,  you can trust your instincts.

Know your worth.  Even if a project isn't paying, or isn't paying much,  if a company still treats you with respect,  and recognizes the contribution you are making,  doesn't mean you have to say "no".

You, and only you,  can decide how to establish your business ethic,  and your boundaries.

If you are concerned about burning a bridge,  start by defining that bridge.  Does it lead anywhere other than what you may turn down?  If so,  what?  If so, where?   What is your reason for turning down the gig?

Saying "no" doesn't have to be a public performance.  In fact,  it shouldn't be.  It should be discreet, filled with discernment and measure,  with respect to all parties involved.

From a personal perspective,  "no" can be because of health,  energy,  conflicts,  life...Sometimes things are just too difficult to manage.  If your gut hesitates,  figure out why and then make a decision.  The choice is ALWAYS yours.  How you act on the choice is what has consequences - good or bad.

Ultimately,  the "burning of a bridge"  isn't about saying "no".  It is about HOW you say "no".

Graciousness and diplomacy in your business is so very important.  If you treat others with the respect you would want to be treated with,  you simply cannot burn a bridge.

If your attitude is entitled,  then you are not thinking of anything else but you,  and not in a positive light!

Make your decisions based on YOUR career.  YOUR direction.  Make your choices based on the bridges you want to take, and cross,  not on the possibility of burning one.  That will always make you look over your shoulder.  You aren't going there.

Move forward.  Be true to your commitments.  Say "no" when it is necessary.  Say "yes" when it makes sense.

Make the decision,  and begin the next step.  Rehashing choices makes us chase our tails,  and our path gets tied up,  and we may miss the next bridge.

Claim your possibility.  Claim your reason.  Claim your choice.

Leave those bridges alone,  until they are directly in front of you - and again,  CHOOSE to cross, or not.

Google is your Friend...

Sunday musings...

Perhaps it is being of a pre-computer generation,  where "pounding the pavement" literally meant getting up,  and taking materials into casting offices;  where searching meant going to the library,  knowing the Dewy Decimal System and finding books with information;  when you sent inquiries via hand written letter with a stamp on it and waited for the response;

What I am finding lately,  is that the computer generation - information literally at your fingertips - is separated not by your talent per se,  but by your ability to type in your question to a search engine or not.

What has not changed,  and will not change,  is the human aspect of this:  curiosity,  and the willingness to do the work to find the answers.

Whether it is literally pounding the pavement,  or whether it is discovering the right questions to ask and where,  THIS is what often separates the wheat from the chaff.

Nobody can hand you a career.

Nobody has all the answers.

Nobody can do your work for you.

YOU have to do it.

So how do you start?

Sit on your bum,  in your pjs with your coffee beside you and begin a list of questions of things you want to know.  Let that list develop as things occur to you.

So often,  I see this "list" posted on facebook pages,  or forum message boards.  This my gentle snowflakes,  is your INSIDE list.  Nobody sees it but you.  Don't share your inside list.  You need to absorb that list and let it gestate internally with a pen and paper or on your hard drive.

As the list develops,  then start asking the questions by typing them into that search engine called Google.  Yes,  Google is your friend.  Google isn't going to say "that was a really stupid question";  Google isn't going to laugh at you;  make fun of you;  chastise you;  Google is simply going to provide you with some valuable sites it feels may answer those questions.

Then,  YOU pour over the "answers" and see if what you are reading helps your query.  Maybe it leads you to another question.  Maybe it fulfills the question.  Maybe you gain information that can allow you ask an even more specific question.

The questions you pose via anonymous forums or message boards reveal much about you.  First,  nothing is that anonymous.  Second,  the world is small.  Six degrees of Kevin Bacon remember?

How do you want to be seen?  Does your question reveal that or does it reveal something else?

If a question you ask of someone or a place is something that the more knowledgeable see as an easy "Google" question,  you are marked as lazy,  clueless,  and a whole bunch of not particularly nice words. 

People in our business are more than happy to help each other,  if they see the person asking is doing their work and finding their answers!  We are the first to smack you upside the head if we see you asking questions that are easy to Google and show your unwillingness, inability, or pure laziness, to simply type and hit send.

No question is stupid when it comes from common sense,  your ability to reach out and find answers, and truly want to know. 

Even though things have changed in how quickly we can access information,  some things have not.  It still comes down to your ability to research,  to discover,  to know how to ask the right questions,  to recognize and follow the breadcrumbs.

Don't give up.  Keep asking the questions.  Ask those questions in the right places, and absorb the answers.  Don't make excuses for the answers if you asked the question.

So pour another cup of coffee,  take a big breath,  and begin the "inside" list.  Then open that browser,  and type in that question and hit send.  You will be amazed at what you find!

Ever try to exhaust Google?  I dare you!  It will then lead you to the human beings that can specifically answer your SPECIFIC questions based not on your lack of knowledge, naivete, or laziness,  but rather, based on your research and your discoveries.

THAT is what we want to see.  Performers and artists that are willing to DISCOVER for THEMSELVES.

Consultations/Lessons and INFORMATION

Just some information for those of you who are coming into NYC or are in NYC and want to book consultations and/or lessons.

Please send me your head shot & resume with some info about YOU.  Email me directly at:

susaneichhornstudio@gmail.com


I will answer you promptly to let you know about availability.

Please DO NOT go to the online schedule and simply book if we have not been in touch first.

Thanks for your attention on this. 

See you in the studio!

Best,
Susan

Welcome to the studio!

Wanted to share with you the NEW WEBSITE VIDEO!

The studio website is being COMPLETELY REVAMPED and here's a little peak!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyH2KR-DcjI

Self-Awareness and a Sprinkle of Delusion!

Happy Friday!

This theme has been wandering through my world lately in many aspects!

I am finishing up an online course for creatives,  written and lead by the golden inspiration of  warrior woman/life coach and more, Erin Stutland called "Magical Manifesters".

I have just put my Voice Over website and commercial demo to begin a more professional journey in that direction!

Whew.

Dream big.

I've written about the dreams versus the delusion.

I wanted to address it again, perhaps a little differently.

Have you ever noticed the people who often seem delusional don't seem to create any roadblocks for themselves?  They really and truly think they are where they want to be.

Those of us who are more self-aware,  tend to be more aware of where we are too.  We can dream big, but we tend to say "yeah, but.." and the self-doubt that is very much a part of being an artist often paralyzes us,  sabotages us,  and creates such inner turmoil we can't release ourselves and fully discover what we COULD do.

One of the reasons "THE BOOK" hasn't been written...YET.  One of the reasons I decided Erin Stutland's Magical Manifesters was for me.  It was time to get unstuck.

Since the car accident,  I knew it would be awhile before I would be able to do what I used to in the studio and on stage.  Now I know it will never be the same.  What I will be able to do will make itself known in time,  but what CAN I do now?

Voice Over was always something that I was interested in - but there was that "yeah, but..."

So, when I began a more disciplined study with my now mentor, Charles Michel,  I realized I COULD do this.  I COULD dream big.  I COULD dream bigger.

Oh, there's that self-awareness voice again - "can you really?" "yeah, but..."

I cannot tell you the number of teachers and mentors and friends and colleagues who, over the years, have said "You are over-thinking."  "Get out of your head."  "You are in your own way."

Sound familiar?

There's that voice again...self-doubt.  Wanting to find the complexities and riddle them out.  Striving for more.

Yet,  as my singing mentor,  Ted Baerg would say to me :"Could you just breathe and sing dumb?"

Self-awareness and self-knowledge are so important.  We need to know where we are,  what we have, how we can embrace that.  HOWEVER,  how many times can we over-complicate the journey or the path simply by over thinking?  being overly-critical?  questioning too much?

These are the moments that I look to the delusional ones for ideas!

Have you noticed (and you have, because you know PRECISELY who I am speaking about) these snow flakes never say "can I?"  They just plow ahead.  Now,  being delusional doesn't mean there isn't talent there, or skill, or ability,  but they dream big,  and have no roadblocks THEY erect!   They don't usually have many boundaries either, so self-awareness is ambiguous at best,  and realities shift from landscape to landscape - a great deal of BLUR in this world...

They are ALWAYS at those auditions, at 5 a.m.  They continue to tell EVERYBODY how wonderful they are in all aspects of their lives, unapologetically.  They see themselves a particular way and COMMIT to it!

We laugh.  We shake our heads.  They drive us mad.  They suck energy.  Yet, somehow they manage to land on their feet.

What is that?!?!

A sprinkle of that "delusion" could go a long way for those of us who are cripplingly self-aware.

I don't want to call it delusion now...not when you are not.  Let's change the language and discover something more magical.  How about a sprinkle of "ta-da!"

We have all wondered, mystified at these creatures.  They have no boundaries,  no questions,  no sense of how anybody else sees them.

A little of that goes a long way.  HOWEVER,  a sprinkle of "ta-da"  could perhaps give your self-awareness more permission to sparkle;  to take a risk;  to abandon safety for a moment and be in the moment;  to dream big without a "yeah, but".

Self doubt is part of the complexity of being an artist.  Our pursuit of truth, beauty, honesty,  and revealing of all of that DEMANDS a tenacity and a willingness and ability to look deep within ourselves and our craft to discover and reveal.  We work to uncover more.  We are never done.

Perhaps now,  we can learn something from the delusional ones.  Perhaps a little sprinkle of "ta-da"  when we discover something,  achieve something,  recall something,  journey somewhere,  is allowed once in awhile!

So, as you dream big,  allow the reality to create the boundaries to work WITH you, not against you.  "Yeah but" has no room in a dream.  It has no room in a complex reality either.
I challenge you (and every time I say "you",  I mean "me" too) to change your language with YOURSELF.  "Yeah but" needs to change to "What if..."

Possibilities.  Boundaries to explore within,  and push a little.

Create your sprinkle of "ta-da"!  It's okay to be a little scared,  it's energy waiting to be harnessed!

TA-DA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!