Perform?!? No Way!
I'd like to take a moment to address a common myth about singing. It goes something like this:
"Either you can sing or you can't. Some people have the gift, and others don't."
Argh! I don't even know where to begin to address this! Day after day, week after week, I see that this is completely untrue. Everyone can sing. Everyone has the ability to sing, and personally, I think everyone needs to sing.
Here is the problem: somehow as a culture, we got our wires crossed about WHY we sing. There seems to a prevalent assumption that singing is about performing. The problem with this view is that it completely ignores the process of singing.
In some other cultures, there isn't a distinction between "singers" and "non-singers." Everyone is a singer!
Here at Resound NW, we think of singing as a meditative practice, similar to a yoga practice, the practice of exercising, or a spiritual practice such as prayer, meditation, or dance. Take exercise, for example - not everyone is going to run a marathon, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't exercise! Similarly, not everyone will spend lots of time on stage performing, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't sing!
What is performance, then? Performance is simply the act of sharing your meditative practice with others! This sharing experience comes in many forms, many styles, and many flavors. We believe that performing as a singer is an act of community - an opportunity to share what you feel and what you have accomplished, in whatever stage of the process you are.
Now, what are you waiting for? Start your meditative practice of singing today! |