For as long as I can remember, singing has been a part of my day to day life. Whether it be the school choir, Sunday hymns, or karaoke with my sister at home, singing has become a part of who I am. In addition to learning the basics of music as a whole, I have gained valuable knowledge that is applicable to all aspects of my life.

Breathing is essential and can get you through everything.

As I often struggle to reach a high note or to make it through a long phrase of music, I am reminded that singing hinders on how well I breathe. The same goes for just living life. I don’t know how many times I have heard my mom say “just take a few deep breaths” when I am sad or upset. Sometimes taking a break from a tough situation to just relax and breathe can make all the difference in the end. One of my favorite music mantras that I’ve heard is: “Music is breathe and breathe is life.”

Multitasking is a real thing.

While performing, a musician must be thinking of a million things. A brass instrument player must remember correct fingerings for notes, the proper tightness or looseness of the lips, how long to hold the note, etc. This semester for my voice lesson, I am working on a vocal solo that is in a higher range than I am used to. It is 2 lines of just singing “Ah”, but there is also a time signature change transitioning into it. Because of all of this, your brain has to be sharp. Thinking is a musician’s forte, no pun intended.

It is important your voice is heard, but make sure you listen to others as well.

In a choir, every voice is important, but every voice is equal. Choir members must find the happy medium between letting their voice be heard, and not standing out. The lesson we can take from this is that everyone’s opinion is valid. In a time where we are experiencing extreme political division in our nation, this is important to remember. You do not have to always agree with people on everything, but listening and respecting their opinion is key.

Believing you can is the first step.

Humans involved in fine arts often experience a lot of self-doubt. There are bigger and better people in the arts that you often feel yourself being compared to. Audition processes are absolutely terrifying. When handed a new piece of music, I scan through it and if I see notes way above the staff. I often feel my throat start to clench up already saying “Nope, not today”. This is the thinking that we must remove from our mind. This total lack of confidence doomed us from the start. Instead of doubting ourselves, we need to be confident!

Have a plan for the future, but be present in the moment.

In addition to the multitasking that happens while performing, you should be prepared for what comes next. For example, do you need to take a breath before this next phase? Should you be watching the director for a cue? Is this the part you have had trouble with previously? The tricky part is while looking ahead, you have to make sure that you are still being present in the moment. The present is always more important than future and the future is always more important than the past.

It's not what you say, it's how you say it.

Even if a singer sings every note on perfect pitch, but sings with no emotion, the piece will not mean much to the audience. Dictation is needed so the text is clearly heard and understand, but you also must phrase your sentences, showing where the most important words are and giving them special care. The words won’t matter unless you develop the emotions and feelings behind them to make them matter.

Passion.

Being a part of music has brought me into contact with so many amazing individuals. The best thing about all my past directors and conductors is their passion for the art. It is something that you can easily see, it shines out of their eyes and causes them to smile. Although music is not the career path I have chosen to go down, I still hold a lot of passion for it and am so thankful for everyone who has helped cultivate this love of music inside of me.