How to Practice Singing with Mental Clarity

I want to reach out and give you something that will  help you achieve quality in your performance, and your life.  Did you know – the way you treat yourselves throughout your day has a direct impact on how well you sing?

This is because you are constantly creating muscle memory – not only in your voice, but in your brain.  When you sing,  how often does your brain cooperate with you? Consider: if you walk  throughout life without paying ATTENTION to your INTENTION, or struggle with being present, how likely are you to access the mental clarity you need when you sing?

The following exercise will help you feel empowered, so you’re not just focused on “WHAT” to do in a day, but “HOW” you do it. Remember, you get to choose this experience, and it’s the underlying feeling of your experience when you sing, that people will feel. Keep this in mind when you watch shows like The Voice. You can learn a lot by watching the vocal journey of others. This week, notice how the contestants treat themselves.

Below are 5 steps to help you practice awareness and empowerment. I encourage you to keep track on your C.O.R.E. Vocal Power® journal or in your planner.

Step 1.

Upon waking up – you set the feeling tone of your day. Your subconscious mind is more awake.  Decide how you want to feel while you’re in that space because your mood in the first few moments of waking up it sets the underlying tone of your day. Tune into gratitude because that will help you set the tone for a good day.

Step 2.

If you really want to have a powerful day, visualize yourself going through the motions of your day with the kind of energy and mood – feeling/tone you want to experience.

Step 3.

Then, before you start your day:

a) Write: Top 3 tasks.

Ask: What I’m supposed to do today?

Example:  Finish Project, Clean Kitchen, Buy Groceries

b) Write: How you’d like to feel while you do these things.
Ask:  How do I want to feel as I go throughout my day? (Pick one tone/feeling per day)

Examples: Patient, Kind, loving, productive, inspired.

Step 4.

End of Day Evaluation

Cross off the tasks you accomplished and write what you actually did that day.

Step 5.

Give yourself a percentage score on how you aligned with your tone/feeling (The “How” part). If you get less than 80% keep working at it each day. Be kind to yourself in the process.

Ask:  In addition to fulfilling tasks, how much did I truthfully express my desired feeling/tone today?

If you recall the most important moments in your life, there is a good chance you remember how you felt at the time.  Our life is based on feelings, and we are always choosing them, whether we realize it or not. I hope this exercise helps you become more aware of how you feel throughout your day, and more masterful in learning how to choose your feelings and emotional experience.  Let me know how you enjoyed doing this exercise.  Do it for at least 1 month along with your daily vocal practice  and see how it affects your life.  We will discuss in future videos and blogs, how this tool applies to empowered singing.