The voice is a powerful tool.
Claim the power of your own voice.
“By the time Ralph finished blowing the conch the platform was crowded… before him small children squatted in the grass. Silence now. Ralph lifted the cream and pink shell to his knees and a sudden breeze scattered light over the platform.
...‘we can’t have everybody talking at once… He held the conch before his face and glanced round the mouth. ‘Then I’ll give him the conch.’... ‘That’s what this thing is called. I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.’”
Golding’s conch shell as a central symbol of the power of the individual voice has always been important to my views on vocal work. Unlocking the power of that voice is central to my mission as a vocal coach.
In this spirit, I named my first voice studio in Philadelphia “La Voce Mia,” which in Italian means “The Voice that is Mine.”
The central belief that forms the basis for my teaching philosophy is that the voice should always be treated with respect, care, and love. The voice is a very fragile, yet powerful part of our bodies. It can communicate to others everything from a basic greeting or to our deepest hopes and fears. The voice changes with our moods and is modified by our emotion. We laugh with giddiness, cry with sorrow, sigh with wistfulness, scream in fear, and squeal with delight.
Our unique ‘voiceprint’ is easily identified by those who know us with only a word or a single note. Our voices unwittingly provide clues to personal information, such as where we are from, how old we are, our gender and our moods. There is so much power and expression in a human voice. A mother intuitively knows exactly what her child needs just from the sound of his cry.
The voice also has an amazing capacity to be used as musical instrument, and is, arguably, the first in human history. When we use our voices to sing, music floods our bodies as well as our minds.
Voice and Identity
When we sing, we feel as though we can channel every note, every beautiful harmony underlying and surrounding it, every twinge of feeling with which the composer has imbued the music. When we sing, we feel these things throughout every fiber of our being.
Not only do we feel the music as it moves through us; we change it with our production. We give the music we sing our own, unique imprint as it passes through our body. This imprint changes as we develop ourselves, so that our growth is reflected in the sounds we make. This complex and foundational web of connection among the voice, the human experience of music, and the deepest sense of self is where the power of transformation through vocal study lies.
Honing and clarifying the voice is powerful, and brings higher levels of authentic self expression into our lives. Many of the things that make the voice healthy make the whole body healthy. Many of the things that strengthen the voice encourage us to apply the same dedication and perseverance to other parts of our lives. Practicing the philosophy of La Voce Mia is to reveal your own true voice and say goodbye to all of the things that block you from expressing your true core being.
La Voce Mia is about finding freedom within yourself to magnify a natural magnetism, beauty, and allure that’s not only audible, but authentically manifested throughout every aspect of who you are.
It all sounds very magical… how do we get it done?
Weekly lessons are important. Having an expert teacher who can give you the work you need and help you achieve your goals is the first step. Trusting your teacher’s experience with vocal development is even more crucial if you’re a beginner, as you’re laying the foundation for all the vocal development that lies ahead.
Practice is paramount. In addition to the financial and time investment of lessons, there is time and work needed at home during the week to make significant and noticeable progress. The good news is we make practice fun and accessible, and a main focus in lessons is how to fit the work into your schedule and your life in a way that it boosts your productivity and brings you joy.
Performance of some kind is key. Even it it’s just an opportunity to perform for your teacher in lesson, performance gives you a reason to practice, something to prepare for, and allows you to sprint toward your goals in doable chunks. Performances in front of larger audiences are a main focus as a vocalist becomes stronger and more independent over time.
“If I’m going to sing like someone else, then I don’t need to sing at all.”
“Truly to sing, that is a different breath.”
“The human voice is the organ of the soul.”
“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.”