Singers are Vocal Athletes
“Failing sometimes is useful: This is hard for the perfectionists among us, but if you’re never falling short, you’re not training at the right level. Potent practice can feel uncomfortable because you should be interacting with music that is right at the edge of your current capabilities. Some experts in motor learning think that a 50 percent success/failure rate means that you’re practicing at the right difficulty level.”
-Andrew Byrne (NYC Voice Teacher & author of The Singing Athlete)
Around twelve years ago, I met a fellow voice teacher, John Barth, who introduced me to an idea that has become core to how I teach.
“Teach a lesson the way a coach works with an athlete,” he said. One of his undergraduate teachers, the world recognized pedagogue Richard Miller, had frequently referred to the “vocal athlete” in his lessons. John had also been a competitive baseball player for 12 + years growing up, and completed over a dozen triathlons as an adult. Inspired by Miller as well as his own experience, he went on to incorporate ideas from sports coaching into his own teaching.
The similarities between singers and athletes are striking. Both need a high degree of muscle coordination to execute precise physical adjustments. Both have to repetitiously train in order to consistently hit their targets when in the field or on stage. Both have to perform well under pressure and deal with nerves, adrenaline, and the variation of their physical state and how that impacts their work.
Unfortunately, most singers are not training like athletes. It’s common, in my experience, for students in B.F.A. programs to report that they are barely practicing at all (outside of simply learning new material for class). If we genuinely espouse the idea that singers are vocal athletes, this is a substantial oversight, both on the part of curriculum creators and the students. Athletes would never dream of skipping out on working technical fundamentals. That is, not if they are serious about their professional career. Why do so many singers treat practicing this way?
How is practicing different from simply learning new music (and how is it the same)? What is the appropriate way to structure your practicing? How long should you be practicing for?
Over the years I’ve established some helpful guidelines to follow in building a practice routine. See below three quick tips:
Practice in short bursts. (15 minutes is a good length) as you are able to maximize focus and hone in on a specific task. Since often you will be pressed for time, this approach helps ensure you actually spend time practicing when you otherwise might not.
Make sure you have a specific goal. (it’s not necessary that you reach your goal in your session - only that you have one to guide your work). Ideally, this goal should be functional, not aural. What does this mean? Don’t sing to sound good. Sing to work a particular weak area in your voice. When athletes train, they do drills, performed very precisely, slowed down, for no one other than themselves. It’s not a performance. It’s work. But, that’s why it works. Will you occasionally need to alter your goal to adjust to what your voice is telling you? Absolutely. But start with a goal that can then be modified.
Aim for as high as a 50% failure rate. The research on hitting a high failure rate is telling. Those with experience in weight training understand the idea of “maxing out.” While singing is more about coordination than brute strength, I estimate singers don’t push themselves nearly enough when practicing. Understand that “pushing yourself” means finding a skill that isn’t easy to access and focusing on that specific function. Most of you sing loudly with no issue, so pushing yourself often means honing in on something in a more precise way - not making a bigger sound! I’m also a proponent of singing for 60 - 90 minutes at a time so that you can learn how to pace yourself. If you’re concerned about fatigue from doing this too frequently, commit to resting from speaking for 3 - 4 hours after a long practice session. Speaking often contains more inefficient vocal habits than singing.
I know it’s difficult to prioritize your time this way, but do yourself a favor and don’t skip the one thing that has been concretely shown to improve your abilities. Want to learn more? Visit our homepage and subscribe to our mailing list for weekly practice tips delivered straight to your email.
- Jacob Thomas Carr (Founder/Voice Technician)