Your voice is a mirror for the state of your body and mind. When something is off physically or emotionally, your voice often reflects that–sometimes subtly and sometimes not so subtly.

 

While technique and vocal pedagogy are hugely important, they can only take you so far when your nervous system has decided that the high note is a threat, and your muscles have tensed so much that you can no longer hit it. Sometimes the “vocal” issues that singers run into have more to do with the mind and body than the actual voice.

 

And freeing the voice is only half the story. Once your body and nervous system are on board, the real fun begins: discovering what your voice can do, exploring new colors and textures, and shaping a sound that’s unmistakably yours. 

 

SomaSong voice coaching is a holistic approach that combines nervous system regulation and somatic techniques, vocal pedagogy and artistry, mind-body tools, and performance coaching. This method draws on my years of training and experience as a singer, psychotherapist, yoga instructor, and somatic practitioner. 

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Singing and the Nervous System

 

Your nervous system state has a direct impact on your voice. When the nervous system is in a heightened state (e.g. anxiety, stress, fight-or-flight), the larynx tends to rise, the breath often becomes shallow, and many of the muscles that directly impact our vocalization tighten, causing our sound to feel thinner, tighter, pressed, or unnecessarily effortful. This is why you might nail your song when you practice at home, but the minute you’re in a high-pressure setting, your voice cracks or you lose your vibrato or you sound strained. On the flip side, when the nervous system is in a freeze or shutdown state, the voice tends to feel soft, breathy, and disconnected. Essentially, if your nervous system feels threatened, it is difficult to sing at your best.

 

Nervous system dysregulation is a common yet under-discussed reason that singers get blocked or feel like they’re not progressing despite years of lessons. Learning to regulate your nervous system can change your life, both on and offstage, which is why nervous system tools are a central component of SomaSong.

 

Singing and the Mind

 

As a psychotherapist by training, I know personally and professionally how powerful our minds can be. The nervous system tends to react to our thoughts as if they are literally true. If you tell yourself that a particular passage is too hard, your nervous system may start to treat it as a threat, and the song will likely become more difficult to sing because your muscles have tensed up. Our thoughts about singing can very easily turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. While SomaSong is not psychotherapy, it does take into account the effect that our thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and past experiences can have on our singing.

 

Singing and the Body

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As a singer, your body is your instrument, and sometimes instruments need tuning. I am perpetually in awe of how small changes in the body can create major effects on the voice. Sometimes a simple movement exercise or stretch can completely change how a note sounds or how easy it feels. Sometimes something as simple as bending your knees more or releasing your jaw can be the difference between a note feeling free or squeezed. SomaSong treats the body as an essential component of singing.

 

Artistry and Authenticity

 

Beyond helping singers with stumbling blocks in the mind, body, and voice, a major goal of my coaching is to help singers find their most authentic sound. Your voice is an extension of yourself, and you deserve to sing in a way that feels genuine to who you are. So many singers feel like they’ve been forced into a box (e.g. you’re a musical theater mezzo, so you need to learn to sound like a quintessential musical theater mezzo). While I can help you break down and achieve a particular sound, I especially enjoy helping people discover and bring out what makes their voice unique. 

 

I also love to help singers play with different vocal textures, colors, phrasings, and sounds, so that every song you sing becomes a work of art only you could have created. Whether you’re a singer-songwriter looking to add vocal interest to your piece or whether you’re looking to put your own spin on a cover of a song, I’d love to help.