Singing is one of my passions in life. I love to sing along to the radio, I'm always game for a good karaoke session, and I've been in choir for about 5 years. If you sing seriously, as a soloist or in a choral group, you know all of the trials and tribulations involved in performing. Sure, it's our job to make it look easy, but like everything else singing has its own hoops to jump through. Here are 7 things we singers struggle through to give our best performances and do what we love!
1. When you know you're off pitch and just kind of float around in a gray area
That one note you just can't seem to find. You know it sounds wrong, but any other note sounds even worse, so you just kind of stay where you're at and accept the awful reality.
2. The ONE time you miss rehearsal they go over the part that's been stumping you
Usually when you go over a piece the first time you pick out your problem areas, and then they get resolved in the next few rehearsals. Of course, it always seems like if you have to miss a day they go over your worst spot while you're not there. Then everyone else seems to have it down, so you just kind of go along and try to pick it up quickly.
3. When you forget your water or your warm ups and your throat feels like it's going to explode.
A pain so real the only thing you feel more of is regret.
4. When you think you know your part, then you go off music and find out you know nothing.
Yea, you've been working hard on getting your part down, but as soon as you put your music down it seems like you blank on everything. The words, the dynamics, the notes, they're all out the window. You're just kind of winging it and hoping you remember it halfway through.
5. When you fall in love with a harmony part, but it isn't your part.
You always pick your favorite part when you work on a piece, but when that turns out to NOT be the part you're singing, it sucks. You just have to sit in your section listening longingly when they rehearse, overcome with jealousy.
6. When you're getting ready to sing a solo and that thing happens.
Nerves, a singer's worst enemy. Everyone has their thing that happens when they get nervous - nausea, shakiness, dry mouth, the sweats, anything is possible. Some people are talented enough to learn to control their nerves, but the rest of us just kind of learn to deal with it and hope we can hide it in some way.
7. When a note is out of your range, but integral to the part.
If it's too low, you just kind of groan and hope your heavy hitters can really bring it out. If it's too high, you just scream. You'll either hit the note or pass out trying!
