There is a very funny phenomenon that happens when people first start taking voice lessons. They have a tendency to try to sing with their mouths closed! It’s a very strange thing. The whole point of lessons is to open up the instrument and learn how to let the voice soar. You would think if someone is willing to invest the time and money to actually take singing lessons it would be natural to open up and sing.  However, I have seen the contrary many, many times in my own teaching and watching other singers in master classes. Why is this so?

First, people are NOT AWARE they are not opening their mouths fully. Often when one sings with a partially closed mouth the voice actually sounds quite large on the inside. The sad truth is, however, the sound is getting trapped inside the singer’s body, rumbling around inside their throat, their mouth and their ears. It is not being projected out. As a result, the sound from the outside is small and muffled.

Secondly, in spite of the fact the student has invested in lessons and thus shown a genuine interest in learning to sing, they are AFRAID to let their voice out. Again, I have seen it many times, especially in young singers. The first time they open their mouth and let their voice really rip, they instinctively recoil at the bigness of their own sound.

Finally, a reason some singers do not open their mouths when they sing is they do not have the strength or coordination built up in their bodies to support their sound fully. Therefore, they are forced to “hold on” to their sound. They do not have the support mechanism in place to sustain the opening and project out. It is a technical and structural issue.

As budding business owners we are trying to find and project our voices too. Our stage is the marketplace. However, both the singer and the entrepreneur are trying to reach and entice their target audience. [Read more…]