VOCALS
LETTING THE SPIRIT SING | Renée Maranan
I led a worship singer’ s vocal intensive recently, and during the showcase, one of the participants sang“ Alabaster Box” by Cece Winans. The pianist who accompanied her had brought a different arrangement, and they didn’ t have any time to really practice together. So when she got up to the stage, she was quite nervous.
At first, the song was going well. She had a beautiful, warm voice that fit the style of the song perfectly. But then she and the pianist hit a couple of snags – some interludes were a different length than she expected, some entrances were missed, some chord progressions weren’ t quite right. From the audience, I could see her getting increasingly self-conscious and flustered. She managed to get through the song, and the crowd broke into applause as she bowed and shyly took her seat.
But sometimes, this call to excellence can put blinders around our hearts. It can trap us into thinking of excellence as the end goal in and of itself. It can fuel a fear of failure, a sense of self-judgment that is more crippling than constructive. And because our instrument is our own voice, our performances can become tied up with our sense of identity, making them more likely to activate emotional responses within us. These emotional responses can translate into maladaptation and protective behaviors that negatively impact our singing. The results can include things like muscle tension, limited projection, compromised memory, over-exertion, and more.
Indeed, all these behaviors can be addressed with vocal training and practice. But even as we address our vocal and performance techniques, it’ s important to remember that ultimately, our voices are merely vessels of God’ s word. singers, but we are not alone in this ministry. And even those who are indeed solo worship ministers are not alone – the congregation is part of the choir, too! Remembering that we are in this ministry with other people can be helpful in taking some of the pressure off ourselves.
GET COMFORTABLE WITH MISTAKE-MAKING. When we become friends with failure, we find that there is not much reason to fear it. When we are able to keep our fears in perspective, we can become more capable of entering into our performances with equanimity and humility.
DON’ T JUST MEMORIZE AND SING YOUR SONGS – REFLECT ON THEM, PRAY WITH THEM. Sometimes the inspiration we need is written right into the songs we sing. Ask God to speak to you through the lyrics and music. That way, you are enriching your faith even as you are preparing to lead.
I got up to the stage after her performance and looked around at the crowd, and I was greeted with a moving sight – beaming smiles across people’ s faces, several of them wiping tears from their eyes. It was clear to see that the audience was touched by the song. And it prompted me to encourage everyone in the room with this thought:
We have no idea how God will move hearts through the songs we sing. Even the most simple, imperfect, spontaneous, unrehearsed performances can be powerful, as long as God is at the center of it.
As worship singers, we are called to put forth our best effort with every song we sing. With our voices, we lead God’ s people in praise and proclaim the Word of God. It’ s important work, and we are called to rise to the challenge by devoting ourselves to the development of our craft.
Ultimately, it’ s the Spirit that does the singing – that is, if we allow for the Spirit to take center stage in our own hearts.
Here are a few things I encourage singers to do in order to find some balance between striving for excellence and surrendering to the Spirit in worship:
CULTIVATE WHAT IS IN YOUR CONTROL. Work on your vocal technique. Commit to daily habits and lifestyle choices that support your vocal health, like adequate hydration and sleep, consistent vocal warm-ups, and intentional vocal pacing. Practice your vocal exercises and songs thoroughly so that you can let go of some conscious control during singing and allow your mind and heart to settle into a more worshipful stance.
ESTABLISH A POSITIVE RAPPORT WITH YOUR TEAM. We might be the ones at the microphone,
I’ ll say this again: we have no idea how God will move hearts through the songs we sing. But we do know that He has the power to do so, no matter who is singing, no matter what happens at the mic. So, let’ s meet Him on the journey of developing our craft. Let’ s make room for Him in our hearts as we cultivate our voices. And when the time comes to sing, let’ s allow every song to be an exercise in surrender.
Got a singing question? Send an email to hello @ reneemaranan. com with“ WM Vocals Question” in the subject line!
Renée Maranan Renée is a vocal instructor, voice teacher trainer, and life coach, with over 20 years of experience working with singers, vocal instructors, and performers from all over the world. For more vocal help, visit her www. reneemaranan. com or follow her on Instagram(@ reneemaranan) www. ReneeMaranan. com Instagram @ reneemaranan
26 April 2025 Subscribe for Free...