VOCALS
BECOMING A WORSHIP SINGER : A STORY OF VULNERABILITY , GROWTH , AND BELONGING Renee Maranan
When Eli Hamel logged on for his first voice lesson with me in May 2021 , he was a shy , soft-spoken 17-year-old with almost no singing experience . What he did have was a desire , not just to sing , but to belong .
“ Growing up , being in the church , I ’ ve always looked up to people on stage during worship . I ’ ve always wanted to be part of that community ,” he said in a recent interview where we reflected on his journey as a worship singer .
He longed to be on the worship team , but he didn ’ t feel that he had the singing skills that he needed to lead , so he started out with guitar . But by 2021 , he felt the desire once again to take a step further and try vocals – a step that he took despite his fears .
“ I didn ’ t want you to laugh at my voice or laugh at how I sounded ,” he said . He is jovial about it now , but these were real fears .
“ I grew up really self-conscious of singing ,” he shared . “ I think of being the youngest child in the car , and you start singing and your siblings are like ‘ be quiet , stop singing ,’” he recalled with a smile . “ It was just siblings being siblings , but I think being the youngest , I took it too personally . And it took so much time to let go . Getting comfortable with my voice and how I sounded was a huge thing , because I couldn ’ t even do it in the car with my family .”
But while his fear of singing may have started with his family , it was also his family that offered his greatest source of support , along with worship leader mentors from his church community . “ Coming from a family where music wasn ’ t necessarily a big thing – like , I ’ m the only musician in my family – and now realizing that they ’ re going to support me no matter what … and then being able to reach out to people like Ryan , James , other worship leaders , giving
Photo : Bethany Church Puyallup , WA
me tips on how to just be more comfortable with worship … the support system that I had was huge .”
That support system carried him through a pivotal season in his life . On the surface , it appeared like a simple step from being a guitarist to becoming a vocalist . But the inner transformation was much more profound . It was a season of facing fears , overcoming insecurities , and rewriting narratives that had been playing in his mind since childhood .
Voice lessons were a big part of that process , not just for developing his vocal skills but also his awareness of his own potential and growth . He shared , “[ Through our voice lessons ], you helped me to work through some of this stuff and get past where I was . The encouragement was a really big thing because you often point out , ‘ Hey , you started here and look how far you ’ ve come .’”
This regular practice in vulnerability and affirmation contributed to growth in other areas of his life outside of singing . “ The vulnerability of singing helped me to realize who I was and what I have to give to people ,” he said . “ I got really vulnerable with singing , so then the other stuff got easier to do , like talking to people or being personable .”
As he became more confident with his voice , he ’ s been able to settle into the beauty and purpose of his ministry as a worship leader . “ More and more , I ’ m realizing the purpose of worship – the heart , the posture , and even the unity in the room that worship brings ,” he said . “ There ’ s something different about being able to lead in the worship setting – being confident in my ability to do so , not so that I ’ m above others but so that I ’ m able to be with them , to guide them .”
It ’ s also impacted his prayer life in a meaningful way . He shared , “ It ’ s given me more to pray about – not being self-conscious , not worrying what others think about me . Knowing what I ’ m singing and praying about what I ’ m singing and knowing my purpose in every other aspect of my life .”
And the desire that fueled this whole journey to begin with – that seed has flourished beautifully right alongside his singing . “ Even before the worship team , I made a lot of music with people . I was the guitar guy . Now I can have friends over , we can all play an instrument , we can all sing together . It ’ s a lot of fun . Before , I didn ’ t feel comfortable singing while I played guitar . So , I think the sense of community , belonging somewhere , that ’ s awesome .”
If Eli ’ s story inspired you to explore your own calling as a worship singer , join Renee at the upcoming Christian Musician Summit and Vocal Intensive ! Details at www . christianmusiciansummit . com .
Renee Maranan Vocal Instructor | Life Coach Ambassador for the Institute for Vocal Advancement www . ReneeMaranan . com Instagram @ reneemaranan
34 October 2023 Subscribe for Free ...