VOCALS
YOUR UNIQUE SOUND | Sheri Gould
Publishers note : This is Sheri ’ s 136 th article for [ WM ] and it is her last one . We have been blessed to have her love for teaching vocals not only in the written pages of this magazine , but also in-person at dozens of our Christian Musician Summit conferences . We will certainly miss you Sheri – thank you for all the years of faithfully serving us and our readers . Lord Bless Ya !
Many singers today are particularly interested in style . Often , rather than developing their own personal style , they tend to imitate the style of popular worship leaders . Those of us who are worship leaders or serving on worship teams may often wonder what kind of ‘ style ’ is appropriate for us to develop — if any at all . There are certainly different styles of leading worship and even different styles of worship music . So , what ’ s involved and what ’ s a good frame of reference for wanting to develop a unique — but attractive — personal vocal style ?
UNIQUELY YOU God has made each of us in a unique and wonderful way ( Psalm 139:14 ). This unique design gives you a specific template from which to start when developing your own style . The shape and structure of your face , neck , vocal cords , chest , etc , all contribute to your overall sound . Recognizing the value in your particular gifts is an important place to start . Although you may be able to imitate others and perhaps mimic many different styles , they will always contain an element that is undeniably YOU !
TONE QUALITY Contrary to what you might think , based on the above paragraph , you are not relegated to one specific tone quality . There may be some elements that are particularly fixed , but many can be affected to create the type of tone quality that you want . In order to affect this , you need to do some experimenting . Much can be learned by simply ‘ playing around ’ with your voice .
For example , when I was in college , we were required each year to participate in the annual community presentation of the Christmas portion of Handel ’ s The Messiah . Although I truly appreciated and enjoyed singing in The Messiah what I did not particularly enjoy were the warbling voices of the many senior citizens that also participated annually . My girlfriend and I would roll out eyes and laugh with each other at the “ weird , operatic ” style voices that often surrounded us . One day , in a display of great teenage maturity , we decided to sing the entire rehearsal in a fake opera style -imitating those around us - just to see if anyone would notice . We had great fun that day and thought we were quite clever , and no … no one even noticed - much to our glee . But I learned something that day .
At the end of the rehearsal , I had actually discovered some things about tone quality and resonance . Believe it or not , having never explored those particular areas of resonance necessary to imitate an operatic style , I became aware of a whole new aspect of my voice as I spent the hour and a half singing in a new and different way ( albeit tongue in cheek ). Periodically in my teaching practice throughout the years , I have often suggested to women , who have struggled to get out of a particular type of tone quality , to try imitating an opera singer - just for fun . Invariably when they try this , certain areas of resonance open up for them and it ’ s an eye-opening experience for them just as it was for me .
IMITATING OTHERS A lot can be learned by imitating the style of other , great , singers . We often pigeonhole ourselves into thinking we can only sing in one style . But style has a lot to do with resonance , tone placement and lots of other factors as well . By doing our best to sound like other singers , we can learn a lot about what we are personally capable of . We may also find that we are not so great at certain styles ! It ’ s still a great exercise for helping you to learn about your voice . Tone quality has a lot to do with where you ’ re resonating so learning how to resonate in different areas will help you to gain greater control over your tone quality . Although this is helpful for you as you seek to broaden and strengthen your style , it ’ s also helpful for you to be able to blend well with others . When we have only learned how to create one sound with our voice - only one tone quality - we make others around us adapt to us in order to blend .
BE MINDFUL Although there is much to be learned by imitating other singers , we need to always be mindful that we are singing with proper vocal technique . Many of our favorite artists and worship leaders are untrained singers and often employ faulty technique . We may love their music and their spirit , but we need to be discerning about their technique and careful not imitate the potentially harmful things they are doing . So always check yourself for proper technique : correct breath support and control , clear tone ( no airy tone ), relaxed neck muscles , lowered larynx , etc .
Imitation is said to be the highest form of flattery so above all , in everything , be imitators of Christ ! May God richly bless you as you sing for Him !
Sheri Gould Sheri is an internationally acclaimed vocal coach . She ’ s been helping artists and worshipers find their voice for over 40 years . For help and resources visit her site . www . SheriGould . com