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On the Wings of Voice

How to sing with your heart’s true voice!

By Kate Barbour

© 2013
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Copyright © 2013 by Kate Barbour

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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ON THE WINGS OF VOICE

How to sing with your heart’s true voice!

Foreword

Introduction

Part I: On the Wings of Voice

1. Different Point of View
2. The Roots of Singing
3. The Gift of Being Unique
4. Singing and Living From Inside Out
5. The Power of Authenticity
6. Returning Home

Part II: Singing from the Heart

1. Your Heart is More Than a Pump
2. The Intelligence of the Heart
3. The Language of the Heart
4. From Heart to Art
5. Voice, Culture and Identity
6. The Healing Power of the Voice
7. Singing from the Heart

III. Finding Your True Voice

1. Natural Breathing
2. Resonance
3. The Flow
4. Mindfulness
5. Imagination
6. Emotions
7. Self-Expression

References
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Foreword
Every year for the past five years in early spring a blackbird has perched himself on
the tree outside our window. It warms my spirit to listen to him singing his heart out
from dawn till dusk. I suppose he’s singing to woo his love-bird. The fact that his
love-heart invariably keeps him waiting for at least two months before arriving
doesn’t put him off his constant singing. He never quits. Singing is what he does;
singing is natural to him. Or maybe he just sings because he can.

I often wonder if he knows how melodiously he sings in the clear air of the day.
Unlike most adults, he doesn’t seem to have any reservations or hang-ups about
singing. You see, singing is part of his natural habitat; singing is his way of being;
and singing is what he does… from his heart. And so, he sings with confidence, with
gusto, and with complete freedom!

Are you like this blackbird? Do you sing from your heart, with joy, naturally? Or, like
so many adults, are you afraid to sing for all sorts of reasons?

Maybe you had the joy of singing knocked out of you during your tender years.
Perhaps you even gave up singing due to unkind remarks about the “quality” of your
singing you received from a parent, sibling, or teacher. But that’s all in the past now,
isn’t it? Because now you have plucked up enough courage to start singing again,
even with a view to singing in public.

Or maybe you are an experienced singer who has been experiencing a few hiccups
with some aspects of your voice? You feel and know that you are not singing
authentically, naturally, from your heart.

Well, wherever you may lie along this singing spectrum, you will find a lot in this
book that will help you to improve all aspects of your voice and singing. Why?
Because in your heart there throbs a burning desire to re-live the joy of singing you
experienced as a child or as a newbie singer, and you want to share this joy of singing
with others.

This book about the voice and singing has been written for both experienced and
non-experienced singers. But unlike most books on singing, the author approaches
the subject from a unique and refreshing vantage point. In “On The Wings Of Voice”,
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Kate Barbour presents a practical philosophy of singing from the heart which has
been overlooked by mainstream voice coaches.

Kate discusses why many of the singing techniques you may have learned from
mainstream singing courses fail to strike a chord in your heart (as a singer) and in
the hearts of your audiences. She explains why you as a singer must first learn how to
re-discover your natural (true) voice, which she calls your Ideal Voice. She also
describes principles and practices for learning how to make this your habitual
experience as you perform as a singer.

Kate maintains that only when you as a singer are able to access your true (natural)
voice will you be able to avoid the endemic problem of vocal overuse and abuse that
plagues most singers. This is a key “forgotten” aspect of singing. She found the
invaluable benefits of accessing her true voice after experiencing a breakdown of her
fragile vocal cords from damage caused by using “old school” methods of singing.

This is a truly inspiring book which offers you as a singer or potential singer insights
into how to let your ideal voice out of prison. It covers both the psychological and
physical factors of doing this, together with practical techniques that you can use to
develop into a well-rounded, confident performer.

I suppose it is rather unusual for the husband of the author to write a foreword for
her book. I could be accused of positive bias, couldn’t I? Or even of negative bias?
Yet, as a participant in Kate’s life and career for over 16 years now, I think I know her
rather well. In a nutshell, what comes across in her book and in her character is the
purpose and passion she has in her heart for improving her own singing and for
helping other singers uncover their natural, authentic voices. Enjoying singing from
the heart is who she is; inspiring you to sing from your heart is what she does. Kate
sings because it is her natural habitat and because she can. So should you… from
your heart… in a way that naturally touches your listeners’ hearts!

In closing, I can hear at this very moment the blackbird singing in full flow. His voice
resonates with freedom. Unlike most human singers, his voice is not trapped inside a
cage of mental and physical barriers. His heart/voice has reason that brain-caged
reason knows nothing of. All singers need to start singing outside the cage!

Bill Barbour, April 2013

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Introduction
You may be asking, “Why another book about singing?” I know, there are plenty of
books on how to sing better. It would be a waste of time to only re-hash stuff that is
out there already.

Yes, there’s a plethora of books about the singing techniques that are taught in
mainstream music conservatories and by traditionally-trained singing coaches. But
as far as I am aware, this is the first book on “finding one’s ideal voice.” This book
covers a philosophy and practice of singing which puts the discovery of your natural,
authentic voice at the centre of singing training.

It is rather bizarre that this “singing from the heart” aspect of singing, and the
secondary factors that reinforce it, have mostly been set aside, forgotten, and lost
through the centuries. And so, I have written this book to influence and inspire you, a
professional or amateur singer, to discover your true voice, learn to listen more to
your heart, and experience the pure joy of singing authentically.

You see, as a compassionate person, a classical singer, and vocal coach, I believe that
more harmony on our planet will be a living reality when more people practice
thinking, acting… and singing from their hearts. My vision-purpose-passion is to
make the world a better place, one singer at a time, through heart-centred singing!

For me, singing from my heart has led to both inner and outer harmony, accord, and
balance. And so, in this book, I discuss the principles and practices of true-voice
singing that can promote harmony, accord, and health… at least within those who
use them. What I don’t know yet is the extent to which living and singing from the
heart can bring more harmony, accord, and balance more widely in society.

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one!” John Lennon,
Imagine.

Of course, it’s one thing to dream of living in a new age where heart-centred love and
compassion prevail over ego-centric fear and selfishness. It’s another thing to make
this a reality. Helping people to live and sing from their hearts is the value I add to
this cause. And so, I hope that this book will encourage those with a similar dream to
do what they can to promote a new era in which mutual respect, co-operation, unity,
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and harmony will prevail.

Structure/ Outline Content of the Book

I have organised this book into three related parts: Part I, On the Wings of Voice;
Part II, Singing from the Heart; and Part III, Finding Your True Voice. Part I is about
the forgotten aspects of singing; Part II is concerned with what singing from the
heart really means; and Part III is about a practical approach to finding your ideal
voice.

In Part I, “On the Wings of Voice,” I discuss specific aspects of singing that have
mostly been swept aside in current western society and the main reason for this. I
then discuss the roots of singing, reflect on the natural uniqueness of each human
being and on the suppression of individual uniqueness in western society, and
explain the effects this suppression has had on the whole area of vocal expression.

To remedy this, I suggest you can become more authentic by living and singing from
inside out, and discuss what this means. Claiming that the power of authenticity is
the ultimate quality that distinguishes all outstanding singers, I conclude Part I by
explaining why it is important to find your authentic voice. In truth it is like
returning home.

In Part II, “Singing from the Heart,” I reveal some new scientific discoveries about
the intelligence of the heart and how these relate to the voice and to singing. First
discussing that the heart is more than a pump, then going deeper into what makes
the heart intelligent, I explain what the language of the heart is and offer some
advice based on my own life experience.

The next chapter, From Heart to Art, expresses my deep belief about why there is no
genuine art without the heart. I go on to explain the connection between voice,
culture, and identity and why it is important to become aware of these. In the
context of freeing yourself from the cultural limitations imposed on you, I discuss the
healing power of the human voice. The main focus here is on two aspects that can be
healed through the energy of your own voice, namely, stress and identity. To round
off Part II, I ponder over what it really means to sing from the heart.

In Part III, “Finding Your True Voice”, I explain the principles and practices of my
vocal coaching. The core of my coaching lies in demonstrating how to discover
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(uncover) and develop your natural (authentic) voice. I go on to reveal seven aspects
of singing, one after the other.

You hear about the meaning, the importance, and the approach I have taken to
develop these seven aspects of singing in my individual singing classes and
workshops. I acknowledge the inspiration gained from the Swedish therapeutic
singing school founded by Valborg Werbeck-Svärdström and from the Czech singing
school set up by Rudolf Vašek.

However, the seven aspects of singing present the result of my own life-long journey
towards the essence of authentic singing from the heart, and the power of the human
voice. The seven aspects of singing reflect a holistic point of view where you and your
voice are both the goal and the journey! My purpose is to inspire everyone who loves
singing, regardless of experience and abilities.

As you may expect, I am well aware that the practical side of singing can never be
explained properly by the written word alone. Therefore, I have created a few short
demonstration videos to complement Part III of this book.
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Part I: On the Wings of Voice

“Singing is a flow of life’s energy. Both are gifts to be enjoyed and shared.” Kate
Barbour (2013)
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1. Different Point of View

There is a commonly-held point of view of singing which is promoted by the media,

especially the media which broadcasts television “singing-talent” shows. This
viewpoint emphasises singing “performance.”

On these talent shows, singers are rewarded to the degree to which they “perform.”
The few who make it through to the final stages of the competition are “performance-
trained” by voice coaches. These singers then perform in front of an audience, are
critiqued by a panel of celebrities, and receive votes from the public. The whole event
revolves around singing performance that is assessed in terms of “end result.”

You may argue that this is an extreme example. And yet, it is not really much of an
exaggeration. Obsession with “performance” in terms of tangible end results has
reached epidemic levels in most professions, sports, and especially music and
singing.

It is hardly surprising then that this fixation with singing performance in the media
has filtered down to both voice coaches and singers. I believe this is also the reason
why so many of them focus mainly on tangible aspects of singing.

There is no doubt that end results are important for voice coaches and singers alike.
But the real danger of putting too much attention on tangible outcomes is that
singers can easily lose the authenticity of both their voices and their self-expression.

Having an experience of being trained and also training others, I depart radically
from those singers and voice coaches who push themselves and their clients to the
limit in terms of singing performance. In my view and practice, there needs to be a
balance between “performance-based” aspects of singing and what I call “heart-
based” aspects of singing.

Tangible results-oriented singing may be seen as the “end,” but what of the “means?”
A large part of the proper means lies buried like a special treasure in the human
voice. This is where the amazing beauty and energy of the natural voice sits
waiting to be unearthed, despite the performance-based perception of singing
projected by the entertainment world.

Many things in life have both tangible and intangible aspects to them. Singing and
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the human voice are like this too. Tangible aspects of singing are mostly about the
end-result experience of singing; intangible aspects are more about the
psychological, heart-based experience of singing.

If you were a new client of mine, I would be seeking to find out what you wanted
from singing and voice coaching in terms of both tangible and intangible benefits. It
is very important for me to strike the right balance between these two contrasting
points of view. I do also respect that peoples’ views can be spread all over the scale,
further or closer to the ideal balance point.

Taking the middle way is often difficult. The reason is that most of us who live in the
“consumer society” are being pushed towards the materialistic, quick-fix view of life.
This way of thinking has to a great extent caused many to view everything only in
terms of tangible outcomes.

Due to this, the means and the end of many aspects of life have become separated. In
some cases, the destination is all that matters and not the journey. But with respect
to singing, it is helpful to consider means and ends as two sides of the same coin: two
aspects of life which are inseparable.

This is not the same as saying that the ends justify the means. In the case of singing
and voice coaching, competent singing performance may be the main end but should
not be the only end. Singing for the pure joy of singing is also an end in itself and
practicing heart-based singing can be a useful means to an ultimate performance-
based end.

So as you see, it’s entirely up to you to decide what you want to get out of singing.
Different people have different goals. For example, your ultimate goal may be to sing
in public as a soloist, or to sing in choir or band. Or you may just wish to gain more
confidence to sing in front of your friends informally. However, singing doesn’t
need to be a means to an end; it can be an end in itself. In other words, you
may just want to sing better because of how it makes you feel, even when you are
your only audience!

For example, my husband and I love to sing when we’re in the company of friends
and even when alone at home… because it’s fun, relaxing, and uplifting. But singing
from the heart wasn’t always the case for me. When I participated in various training
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courses for professional singers, the emphasis was mostly on the end results: the
repertoire, interpretation, and vocal technique. Hardly any attention was given
developing the quality of the voice in terms of apparently less obvious factors such as
the physical and emotional state of the singer.

It was only after I came across the therapeutic singing methods which I discuss in
this book that I realised that singing well depends on enjoying the singing process,
not just the end result! This singing process includes certain intangible aspects and
benefits of singing that I pass on to my clients!

Unfortunately, it is too easy for even excellent singers to lose the joy of singing
because of the inability to strike the right balance between the end-result and the
process of singing. Psychologically burnout, in parallel with flaky or damaged vocal
cords, results in many singers giving up their singing careers earlier than planned.
The singers who want to continue or return to the stage are understandably reluctant
to discuss their psychological and/or voice-related problems openly for fear of losing
credibility.

Recently, I read an article on a Mexican baritone who told his story about losing the
joy of singing when he was twenty two. He was even considering stopping singing
professionally for good. Fortunately, he had a close friend with whom he practiced
only breathing for a year. As natural breathing with active diaphragm is crucial for
singing properly, the young singer connected again to his authentic voice and re-
discovered the joy of singing.

As you can guess, I like to help singers who need to get back in touch with the joy of
singing, re-discover their authentic voices, get out of restrictive vocal and breathing
habits, and enjoy the overall health benefits of singing. I combine this with some
voice enhancing exercises which help them to further advance their singing
technique!

I also enjoy helping people who believe they cannot sing. I love working with such
clients as they are amazingly open to the process of discovering their authentic voices
and haven’t learned bad vocal habits. While a few of them may never learn to sing
well, at least they will experience the many benefits of singing from their hearts!

Since this book is about singing and living from the heart, I will finish this chapter
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with a quotation from Steve Jobs, the late C.E.O of Apple. Though he was certainly a
person who focused mainly on tangible end results, he also realised the importance
of the intangible, heart-based process and of following one’s inner voice:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by
dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the
noise of others’ opinions drown your own inner voice. And most important, have
the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what
you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
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2. The Roots of Singing

Scientists from the Centre of Brain Research in New Zealand have carried out many
experiments supporting the idea that human beings have an innate ability to express
themselves through singing. Though many people claim they cannot sing, this brain
research points out that singing is as much a biological gift as speaking. This
discovery just confirms my deep belief that the division of people into singers and
non-singers is an artificially created concept which is so typical of modern western
society.

I believe that all healthy people are able to sing. However, not all people are able to
sing in tune from the start. To sing in tune we need to have a sensitive “ear.”
However, with proper training, healthy people can learn how to coordinate their
vocal cords and strengthen their musical memory.

Unfortunately, from an early age, those who are said to lack in singing “talent” are
soon advised to stop singing. I have witnessed music teachers forcing less-gifted
pupils to sing in front of the whole class after which they proceeded to evaluate the
singers’ attempts in a humiliating manner. So, instead of developing children’s
innate ability to sing, music teachers of this ilk create psychological blocks in
children who are perfectly fine but only less talented. Other times, just a stupid
comment from an older sibling takes the joy of singing away from someone for the
rest their life.

Yet, my experience as a voice coach shows me that, with practice, “non-singers” I

have worked with have been able to “tune in” to the different tone frequencies I
demonstrate. Their musical “ear” improves as they sing regularly.

In addition, the quality of their intonation depends very much on their psychological
and physical condition. The same applies to the gifted singers who lose their ability
to sing on pitch when they are tired, nervous, or psychologically down.

Coming back to the idea that singing is an innate ability of human beings could
explain why most indigenous people around the world sing without excluding
anybody from their singing circle. Since indigenous people are supposed to represent
the lifestyle of our ancestors, I have speculated about the possible development of
singing and vocal culture and created a hypothesis:
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Our ancestors who lived connected with nature felt a natural desire to express
themselves through singing. They didn’t think about the style as it sprang out of
them spontaneously according to the environment they lived in. Singing was also
linked with rituals, storytelling and spreading of legends and myths, that included
the key values and models of behaviour of the given group of people.

The style of singing was formed by the environment, the way of thinking and the
purpose for which it served. In this way people passed songs and style from
generation to generation. One group of people tried to keep the original format
while the other group sought new ways of expressing themselves.

Apart from this process there was the merging of different cultures due to the wars
and movements of nations. Accordingly, new songs and styles emerged and with
them developed various ways of perceiving the ideal voice and vocal performance.

This process is organic, and has been happening for ages. The beginning of audio-
visual technology has affected the way we listen to and perceive singing. Due to this
change a lot of aspects of singing have disappeared from people‘s awareness, which
is one of the reasons why so few people regularly sing today.

So much for the possible history of singing. Whether it’s true or not, I doubt it’s
possible to uncover the roots of singing by the so-called scientific “objective” method.
On the contrary, I believe the roots of singing are possible to find only by looking
inwards. The roots of singing and their growth, like all organic growth, grow from
inside out.

Only by looking inwards can we connect with the collective consciousness and come
nearer the truth. This leads me to share some experience and feelings that helped me
reach the essence of singing inside me, and gave my life a new direction and deeper
meaning.

The Roots of My Singing

When I was two years old I started to speak and sing fluently. It was so easy and
wonderful for me to sing that I remember the lovely feeling until now. All family
members sang beautifully, including all my great-aunts and great-uncles from my
mother’s side. So I believed it was natural that everybody in the entire world could
sing. One day I had a strange experience. It was before I had started school. I was
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singing one of my favourite folk songs and felt so great in my heart that I still
remember the feeling of being lifted on the wings of my own voice.

Maybe it was a kind of trance. In this state of mind I felt overwhelmed by a desire to
share this experience of perfect happiness with others. It was a pure, strong,
beautiful wish coming from my innocent, child’s heart.

From then on, every time I sang for my mother or grandparents made me feel my
voice helped dissolve some of the clouds of sadness that I sensed from them. Today I
know I was using singing to lift up my own and other peoples’ moods, doing it
intuitively and being free from any preconceptions. As a child I simply believed that
singing was here to make us feel better.

Just after I started school, we had a very bad car accident. My left thigh bone was
broken and had to be operated on. The operation was very successful but my
experience at the hospital was more than traumatic. It shook my whole being to the
core. Before the operation I suffered from excruciating pain that made me scream
whenever the hospital staff lifted me. One nurse believed hitting me was the best way
to stop me crying. Another nurse told me I should be ashamed of myself as my voice
could be heard in the wards above and below. I was just six and a half years old!

I never sang while in hospital. And when I got home I did not start singing again.
Instead, my parents bought me a piano, as I wished. Again I was fortunate, this time
to meet a piano teacher who had a natural and fantastic way of teaching and
motivating children. He was also a great pianist who could improvise on the piano
for hours. He showed me how to love music. Today, I am very aware that music,
sport, and nature helped my family and me to overcome some very challenging times
in our lives.

I also remember joining a children’s choir for a short time. One day, three other girls
and I had to sing solo in front of the other members of the choir. Our choir leader
was trying to find out which of us was singing out of tune. Though singing in perfect
pitch, I found this experience terribly humiliating. Greatly disappointed, I left the
“elite” choir immediately afterwards. I just couldn’t understand why the choir leader
was more interested in having everything perfect instead of loving us as we were and
enjoying music and singing!
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This experience led me to spend more time on playing the piano rather than on
singing. Still, I always sang at school during the music lessons as I was good at it. I
also sang to compensate for problems I was having with a school teacher. So, I used
singing at school as a way of lifting my fragile self-confidence.

With growing awareness of my apparent singing talent, I started using it to capture

the attention and approval of others. At the same time I began to experience the fear
of losing this power, and the notion of not being praised for my performance made
me very nervous. I believe this was the first ego game I ever played or became aware
of. I desired fame and was absorbed by the idea of becoming a singing star who
would be loved and admired by everyone.

To make my dream come true, I needed a singing teacher who would reveal the
secret of becoming a successful singer. I started down a path which I believed could
lead to the stage of success. Along this path I took some brave steps, changing my
singing teacher many times. But despite this, my desired goal kept disappearing into
some distant fog and seemed out of reach for me. More often than not I got deeply
hurt when things didn’t turn out as I believed they should, yet singing was like strong
medicine that got me back on my feet.

It took me 20 years to understand that my heart wouldn’t give up its genuine desire
for singing, and that it was trying to help me find my real place in life. This was why
it sometimes allowed me to taste moments of perfect happiness. I experienced this
deep happiness especially when I felt a strong connection with my audience and
when I practiced singing in an empty church accompanied by an organist.

However, these experiences were not as frequent as I would have liked. In fact, I had
some years when singing in public was more about feeling greatly relieved after a
performance. Relieved because I hadn’t caught a cold just before the concert or that I
hadn’t forgotten the lyrics or missed the rhythm. Indeed, I often enjoyed the practice
much more than the performance. Still, I am glad that during that period singing
wasn’t my only means of earning a living, so I wasn’t overly bothered about it too
much.

So when and how did I discover the roots of singing inside me?

Life itself was my guide. I began to understand my own voice and at the same time
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learned to listen to the gentle voice within. I realized that everyone is unique and that
it’s a waste of time and effort trying to “become unique.” I discovered that singing,
like living, happens best when it is done from inside out. I believe that the source of
true happiness for singing is already within the person who wants to sing. Also, it’s
never too late to return home to your authentic self to find the true essence of your
voice.

My life and my singing have been and still /are intertwined to a large extent. Singing
affects the quality of my living and vice versa. Singing is truly a great teacher about
living. An “aha” moment happened to me when I realized that the roots of singing are
deeply embedded inside each of us.

Uncovering your voice and allowing it to express your authentic self

through singing is similar to giving your spirit wings. By doing this, you will
also experience the whole universe within your being and the sensation that your
voice is moving the stars.

I would like to finish this section with a fairy tale about the King of Forests. In this
story I use symbolic language to describe my inner journey towards the roots of
singing. As you read this tale, just keep in mind that we can (1) share life’s energy, (2)
experience unity with each other, and (3) receive vibrations of healing by singing and
by listening to others’ singing.

The King of the Forest

In the deep forest, far away from people, there lives the King of the Forest. Though
he loves his solitude, he also likes to sit around the fire at night with three wild-forest
women, who delight in singing for him. He enjoys the beautiful songs as he gazes into
the fire and then turns his head up to the night sky that is drowning in the sea of
stars. His heart is filled with indescribable joy. These three wild-forest women are
very different from each other, as are their voices and songs.

The woman with the strongest energy is the red-head Liberita. She sings lively
songs with a vigorous voice about freedom and the joy of everyday living. She causes
the others to dance around the fire and the stars to dance in the sky. In the circle next
to her is Unitin – she has a long, black hair and a velvety voice. When she sings she
often closes her eyes and her singing and songs cause human hearts to connect with
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each other and the universe. The third woman in the circle is called Medicony. She
is soft and light with long golden hair and a white, shining complexion. Using a
crystal-clear voice she sings gentle songs which have the effect of healing the inner
wounds of her listeners. From her heart a beam of unconditional love radiates into
her sacred melodies. These beautiful melodies are carried by a little brook from the
forest towards people’s homes to serve them well.

The forest is full of lost souls: will-o'-the-wisps, who try to find the King of the Forest
and his three singers without success. The reason is simple. They cannot hear the
beautiful songs because their ears are directed outwards. Throughout the day they
seek only the attention and approval of others.

At night they wander around the forest, hoping to meet the King of Forests and to
find out about real happiness. The challenge for each of them is to learn how to listen
within. Because it is only inside their own hearts they can hear the songs sung by
Liberita, Unitin, and Medicony. And it is only in their hearts that they can meet the
King of the Forests.
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3. The Gift of Being Unique

Every person is unique in some way. It is a gift of Life. Imagine: your DNA matches
no other in the entire world! Just as everything in the Universe vibrates, so every
person, every flower, and every stone vibrates with individually distinctive frequency.

Unfortunately, current western society is dominated by a social system that

supresses the unique qualities of the individual. We have been conditioned to believe
that we must “fit in” with the crowd and become more like others, just to survive.
Within this social system, life is portrayed as a struggle for success and success is
defined in terms of material wealth. All of this drives people to crave for material
possessions and to consume material things. It also leads people to be highly
competitive, not just in the workplace, but even in personal relationships.

Finding other dimensions in living seems to be almost impossible for those trapped
in the materialistic rat-race. The reason is simple. It seems difficult to free ourselves
from the collective programming which has been deeply-rooted in our subconscious.
This applies also to our current vocal culture.

The Trap of Success

Driven by the desire to succeed, many singers try to copy those who have reached
“the top.” They forget the simple truth that an important part of real success is being
inimitable. Each person has his or her own unique vocal quality and it is best to
develop this naturally.

Though I have believed this for a long time, I have often harshly judged my singing in
terms of the external attributes of success that the singing industry people promote
and reward. Even though in my heart I disagreed with their measurements of
success, I ignored my heart and pursued the dream of singing success on their terms.

In this I failed to realize that my negative feelings were sending me a clear message
from my heart to avoid the trappings and pitfalls of external success. This type of
success was simply not beneficial for my personal growth. For a long time I didn’t
understand that I was suffering from serious inner conflict similar to many other
singers who try to “make it” - all in our attempt to feel better about ourselves!

When we break free from the limiting beliefs around us and within us, we discover
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unique qualities within ourselves, including our voices. Suddenly even ordinary
things of daily living become more interesting. We realize that making mistakes is a
natural part of the school-of-life and necessary for our personal growth. Seeing
ourselves as unique transforms our inner world for the better. This in turn positively
affects our outer world.

In western cultures, we’ve been conditioned to be in control of any change we want to

make in our lives. The common mantra is that personal change happens only by
making it happen. This requires lots of will-power and determination, and even
force. The complementary (Eastern) practice is to let change happen naturally and
with ease. This is scary for many people, especially for those who cannot trust their
intuition.

When it comes to singing, regular practice and voice exercises are necessary. This
process involves discipline, determination, and a degree of voice control. But force is
unnecessary. In fact, forcing one’s voice can cause irreparable damaging to one’s
vocal cords.

Your Voice Is Your Path

I am fortunate to have been able to learn so much from my clients about this while
helping them to uncover their true, natural voices. I keep reminding them that voice
development is only possible if we first learn about our innate vocal dispositions.
This involves being able to sense precisely what’s happening in our bodies during
singing. The sound of our voice is deeply affected by even tiny physical and
psychological tensions within us. This means that our voice emits signals that
transmit the mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical condition we are in.

If our goal is to imitate a vocal “model” whose voice differs from the natural quality
of our own voice, this automatically creates tension that distorts our voice and the
way we feel while singing. The same happens when we try to develop a singing
technique without knowing the true value of our own natural voice. Therefore, we
need to learn about ourselves by tuning into our body’s sensations and by getting in
touch with our feelings.

It is really sad to hear a singer whose voice has been manufactured in a singing
factory. In most cases the owner is so uncomfortable with it that (s)he is almost
 23

choking. Unfortunately, this often happens even to the most talented singers when
they become blinded by their own consuming obsession to succeed at all cost.

My Vocal Awakening

For many years, I didn’t fully respect my voice. With hindsight, I suspect my singing
teachers did not know anything about this aspect of singing. The truth is that for a
long time I wasn’t able to ask the right questions until the day when life alone started
asking me some hard questions.

This happened when one of my fragile vocal cords was damaged due to the unnatural
demands I had placed on them. I ended up in the care of the Voice Clinique in
Prague. Due to this experience, I had to radically change my basic attitude towards
life, myself, and my voice.

This unpleasant lesson taught me that if we don’t respect and love our voice
unconditionally, and aren’t aware of our unique qualities, then sooner or later we will
misuse or abuse our voice. For example, if we try to fit into a cultural model of a
supposedly ideal voice we miss an opportunity to be unique and stand out from the
crowd. Also, we who chose to practice a repertoire which we aren’t ready for damage
our voice and hinder our progress.

Only when we realize that real perfection comes from our innate, distinctive voice
qualities will we be able to rid ourselves of the fear of not being good (enough) as a
singer. This approach actually helps us to develop our voice freely and at the same
time removes the constant pressure of measuring ourselves against others.

Living life on inspiration, freedom, and love is healthy, constructive, and fulfilling.
Living life based on competition and fear is unhealthy and destructive. The harsh
competition between singers in big opera houses and theatres creates an
environment full of tension. This leads to stress for singers and this stress comes out
in their voices!

The fear of not being good enough is based on the collective assumption that life is a
struggle. However, it is completely conceivable to leave the black and white world of
winners and losers behind and enter a new world where each of us is an artist of our
own life, and voice.
 24

The joy coming out of our creative energy makes sure we constantly begin new
adventures that life offers abundantly. For this reason let’s praise the gift of being
unique! Now, let the writer Alan Cohen inspire you with his story about an African
tribe where everybody respects each other’s uniqueness; this is the key to peace in
the settlement.

They’re Singing Your Song

From a story told by Alan Cohen in his book: Wisdom of the Heart

When a woman in a certain African tribe knows she is pregnant, she goes out into the
wilderness with a few friends and together they pray and meditate until they hear the
song of the child. They recognize that every soul has its own vibration that expresses
its unique flavour and purpose. When the women attune to the song, they sing it out
loud. Then they return to the tribe and teach it to everyone else.

When the child is born, the community gathers and sings the child's song to him or
her. Later, when the child enters education, the village gathers and chants the child's
song. When the child passes through the initiation to adulthood, the people again
come together and sing his song. At the time of marriage, the person hears his or her
song once again. Finally, when the soul is about to pass from this world, family and
friends gather at the person's bed, just as they did at the person’s birth, and they sing
the person into the next life.

To the African tribe there is one other occasion upon which the villagers sing to the
child. If at any time during his or her life, the person commits a crime or an aberrant
social act, the individual is called to the centre of the village and the people in the
community form a circle around them. Then they sing the person’s song to them.

The tribe recognizes that the correction for antisocial behaviour is not punishment; it
is love and the remembrance of identity. When you recognize your own song, you
have no desire or need to do anything that would hurt another.

A friend is someone who knows your song and sings it to you when you have
forgotten it. Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made or dark
images you hold about yourself. They remind you of your beauty when you feel ugly;
your wholeness when you are broken; your innocence when you feel guilty; and your
purpose when you are confused.
 25

You may not have grown up in an African tribe that sings your song to you at crucial
life transitions, but life is always reminding you when you are in tune with
yourself and when you are not. When you feel good, what you are doing
matches your song, and when you feel awful, it doesn't. In the end, we shall all
recognize our song and sing it well.

You may feel a little warbly at the moment, but so have all the great singers. Just
keep singing and you'll find your way home.
 26

4. Singing and Living From Inside Out

If we get in touch with our real self – for example through singing – and if we also
accept the gift of uniqueness, then we can easily tune into our natural state of being.
As a result seeming “miracles” can happen.

Of course, when we define a miracle as something that goes against the laws of
nature, then we have to keep in mind that our definition of these laws might be
imperfect and limited. In fact, a miracle shows us that our understanding of reality is
restricted.

When I managed to teach seventy-year-old Scottish ladies how to create digital

stories on their computers, it was a miracle for them and their families. When those
who have been told they don’t have either a musical ear or a singing voice starts to
sing, it is also a miracle. Therefore, in most cases we do not go beyond the laws of
nature. We create miracles just by dissolving our limiting beliefs about ourselves!
And that’s exactly what I love doing for myself and with my clients.

I often remind myself to believe in myself and not in external authorities! Who are
these external authorities? Politicians, teachers, church leaders, scientists, artists,
business people, sports people… and more. Why should we believe in what they say
instead of what we experience? Let’s take the scientists as an example.

The Miracles of Science

Although scientists are our great miracle-makers, they often have a hard time with
miracles too. The reason is simple. Before they can claim something is true, they have
to obtain the same results from many experiments. Also, since these researchers are
constrained by many factors, including time, money, and their own and others’
vested interests, we shouldn’t believe everything they claim.

For example, we hear a lot nowadays about cases of so-called “spontaneous healing”
but not from our doctors. The medical profession has been “programmed” to regard
these occurrences as exceptions. Why is the well-known placebo effect used as a
measuring tool to prove the effects of drugs instead of being studied on its own and
regarded as a great medicine of the mind?

Only when the number of miraculous recoveries by spontaneous healing reaches a

 27

critical mass might the medical community wake up and acknowledge openly the
power of the body’s self-healing qualities. (When the medical profession breaks
through their limited beliefs by focusing on promoting health rather than only on
fighting disease, then a true “miracle” will have happened!)

Waiting for the medical world to change first is hardly a recipe for success! As far as I
know, there is no pill or placebo for singing. But by typing “vibrational therapy” into
Google’s search box, you may learn that staying healthy can be viewed as tuning your
body into the right frequency. And the most natural way of doing this is through the
vibrations of your own voice. So, have a try!

Art versus Science

One of the typical beliefs dominating modern civilisation is that art and science are
separate. Accordingly, art is viewed as being based on subjective feelings and the
ideas of artists while science is based on objective observations and the rational
thinking of scientists. Who is more important in society: a scientist or an artist?
What would Leonardo Da Vinci say about this?

Ironically, both artists and scientists are just humans who are influenced by and
dependent on their own environment. Consequently, artists often cannot resist the
pressure that society places on them to adjust their art to deliver what is expected
and what will sell. In the same way, scientists can hardly become fully objective
because of inability to completely shut out their subjective thoughts. For example,
scientists are likely to disregard anything that could threaten their pocket or the
world view of their peer community.

I believe that great artists understand aspects beyond the seeming chaos of life, while
brilliant scientists exercise imagination. Also, both artists and scientists need to
know themselves and their societies inside out. So, in this respect, any seeming
separation between artists and scientists is blurred. The best artists like the best
scientists are people with exceptional ability to self-examine and reach beyond the
illusions of the five senses and others interpretation of “reality.”

Growing Ideas from Inside-Out

In a nutshell, every great artist and scientist has the highly-developed skill of being
able to interpret information beyond the limits of socially-constructed “truth.”
 28

Besides, everyone who ever created a distinctive piece of work has gone through the
process of growing the idea from inside-out, not from outside-in.

So how do we grow ideas from inside-out? Before an idea becomes a part of reality it
requires time to mature. The idea needs to be nourished by self-belief and faith.
Unfortunately, the brains and hearts of many potentially great people lie idle because
their owners lack confidence and feel isolated. Just as sad is the number of people
who fail to evolve due to being blinded by a certain unquestioned one and only
“truth” passed down to them by others.

“Faith is the confidence that you will achieve what you set your heart on
by listening to and following your heart. This is an inside out process.”
Kate Barbour (2013).

This open-minded type of faith is important for any singer. It is a faith that comes
from listening to the gentle voice within!

Rudolf Vasek, a Czech professor, was a pioneer of voice development. He was both
an artist and a scientist. His inner guidance and faith in the potential of the
human voice helped him to acquire practical knowledge about ways in which every
voice can be trained to make huge progress. The only condition he discovered was
that the voice has to develop in harmony with given natural laws that define the ideal
functioning of vocal cords and the human body.

His singing method was based on scientific knowledge disclosed by German voice
specialists whom he had learned from prior to 1938. Unlike other singing teachers,
he wasn’t looking for pupils with inborn vocal quality, because he regarded this as
less important. He helped dozens of singers to reach their full potential and become
successful opera singers. However, his controversial views and singing methods
didn’t find enough listening ears among other teachers in Czechoslovakia, though he
rescued many famous professional singers from serious voice problems.

Today, there are only a few of his students alive. I was fortunate to meet one of them,
Miloslav Dvorak. He taught me principles and practices he had learned directly from
Rudolf Vasek, especially exercises which had rescued his damaged voice and career.

Although Rudolf Vasek appears to have been ahead of his time, I believe the
principles of his method will survive. He often repeated: “The barometer of
 29

correct singing is the pleasant feeling in your throat.” This has become one
of the basic principles of singing from inside out which is now part of my vocal
coaching.

Learning how to sing from inside out is mainly about exploring our inner
landscape of feelings and sensations. On the physical level we re-discover our natural
way of breathing and we learn to manage some of the tiny muscles we didn’t even
know existed. Then, through voice resonance and the “inner ear” we become familiar
with our body again – and how it can serve us as a musical instrument.

On more subtle emotional and mental levels we learn about how our thoughts and
emotions influence our bodies and how they reflect in the sound of our voice. Once
we uncover the underlying principles, the door to complete vocal freedom opens. For
some people this can lead to the world of opera; for others it can mean regaining self-
confidence with multiple benefits, such as helping us create harmonic relationships
or find a better job. Indeed, on the way to uncovering our natural voices the
opportunity to find ourselves lies. The best way for this to happen is from inside
out!
 30

5. The Power of Authenticity

The best gift we can give ourselves is to be ourselves. When I think about the singers
who have inspired me during my life, they have all had one thing in common: they
have been authentic.

Authentic or genuine singing projects incredible energy, since it comes straight from
the heart. Such a way of singing can strike an audience with amazing vigour, no
matter the singer. It might be a popular singer, a young child, or a street singer. The
same applies to playing a musical instrument. I have experienced a few music
productions during which the musician and instrument became as one. The effect of
this on the audience, including me, was complete absorption into the music as we
had stepped into a world without time and space.

The Irish Wild Beauty

I remember once being taken by my Scottish husband to an Irish pub in Edinburgh

where a live Irish folk band was performing. I didn’t expect anything more than some
pleasant Irish rhythms and melodies. But what I experienced there is still beyond my
understanding.

In the band there was a young, violin player with long, thick black hair. She wasn’t
stunning in looks, but her performance on the violin was so captivating. She literally
hypnotised the audience with every single tone.

Right in the middle of her solo performance one of her fiddle strings burst. A
moment after this a string inside my heart burst and there poured forth an
unstoppable stream of joyful tears. Why? Because I had just received a serendipitous
message that told me that it was time for me to stop suppressing the something that
this girl was living fully and openly in her way of playing the violin. To this day she is
a symbol of a being who is genuinely free and who projects her natural and genuine
beauty. Such is the power of authenticity.

Releasing the Life Energy

To sing authentic, it is crucial to become completely immersed in your voice and

song while singing. Only then does your singing become amazingly powerful, and
this has nothing do with volume or vocal technique. It has everything to do with the
 31

ability of our human voice to dissolve blocked life-energy in ourselves and others. I
mean that type of emotional blockage which hinders people from experiencing
genuine joy and sadness.

It’s not a coincidence that singing was a way of living for Afro-American slaves and
that singing played a key part in their liberation from slavery. Similarly, all the big
singers have left such a big impact in our collective mind, that their names and the
impact of their singing cannot be forgotten. For me these names include Edit Piaf,
Ella Fitzgerald, Luis Armstrong, Maria Callas, and Frank Sinatra. From the living
legends, I include Barbra Streisand, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras.

Though the main idea of this book is about the forgotten aspects of singing, I would
now like to focus on a style of singing which originates from the cultural environment
of Western Europe. This style of singing assumes that the human voice is capable of
huge development.

Beyond the Artificiality of Art

A highly-developed singing technique is a basic requirement of an artistic way of

singing, nowadays known as classical or operatic. Singing as an art form requires
from a singer an artificial process. During this process a singer can develop her/his
singing abilities to a level that is prescribed by a specific group of people in society
called the musical and cultural elite. Besides, every music genre entails a particular
form of vocal expression which requires certain technical skills and style.

Every professional singer has been influenced by a certain vocal model, which not
only assumes the level of vocal technique but also requires the acceptance of some
artificial features, which we call mannerism. It is so easy to lose oneself in the
artificial process of becoming an artist. The more demanding the technical
requirements are, the easier a singer can lose the power of authenticity. This happens
mostly in the world of classical singing, as the singer has to perform like an athlete.
This is one reason why it is so difficult for professional singers to stay natural.

Nowadays, it is rather an exception than a rule for a potential opera singer to have
the opportunity to uncover the natural qualities of her/his voice. It is certainly not
something that is commonly found during training at music institutions such as
conservatories or academies of opera and music.
 32

Natural Voice Development

Voice development should go hand in hand with learning to understand what one’s
natural voice is. But this is seldom a priority of the training that potential opera stars
receive. The main focus is on technique and the knowledge of repertoire and other
music skills.

Jonas Kaufmann, the renowned tenor from Germany, writes about it pointedly on his
website. For years he suffered from voice hoarseness – a symptom of vocal overuse.
He couldn’t find a cure for this despite the support given by his vocal coaches and
advisors.

During these years he often wondered whether he would be unable to finish his
performance on stage each evening. He found himself in the frustrating situation of
not having control over the most important part of his career, his own voice. He
couldn’t speak about his problems with colleagues because it was a taboo. So he
continued searching for a suitable singing teacher till he found one.

This teacher opened his eyes. First she discovered Jonas’ natural voice, which was
surprisingly darker and more compact than Jonas thought. In this process he got rid
of all the artificially-created vocal mannerism, which was the root of his voice
problems. Finally, his new singing teacher helped him psychologically. As a result,
Jonas regained his self-confidence and again found great joy in singing. From that
moment his career took off. Not only did his performance improve greatly, his acting
reached new levels, because he was free to focus on playing the part authentically
instead of anxiously observing the condition of his voice. This is a story about how an
average opera singer became a real star in the world of opera.

Jonas Kaufmann’s case isn’t unique. What is rather special is the happy ending.
Hundreds of promising young opera singers leave their careers prematurely. They
never reach their true potential because they fail to develop their voice in harmony
with its natural quality. Essentially, vocal cords are such a delicate instrument that
every type of wrong technique, especially those based on force, always results in
some sort of vocal problem. Many young opera singers have far greater repertoire
than they have knowledge of their own natural voice.

I finally got rid of exactly the same vocal problems as Jonas Kaufmann’s, which had
 33

led me up a blind alley. It doesn’t matter that my singing career is more like a
“professional hobby.” I haven’t performed in the Metropolitan opera, but I have
certainly gone through the same agony as any singer who has ever suffered from
vocal difficulties.

I credit my turnaround to the combination of two things. One was the Swedish
therapeutic singing school founded by Valborg Werbeck-Svärdström; the other was
the exercises of Professor Rudolf Vasek. Through this combination I did not only
become free from my voice problems; I also found much deeper joy in singing,
discovered that fear is the biggest enemy of any singer, and saw that authentic power
can emanate only from people who know themselves and their voice. Only then can
singers feel relaxed and free. Only then can singers experience the fantastic feeling of
becoming one with music and the sound of their own voice. During these magnificent
moments one can experience that the voice sings almost by itself and that one flies
on the wings of voice!
 34

6. Returning Home

Singing is truly a gift, as it enables us to connect with our hearts. Singing opens a
path for us to return home - to ourselves – and away from the world of illusions.

We can accept this gift only when we first look at singing from another point of view
– quite different from the one promoted by the media, the music world, and
organized religion or from some of the well-established cultural traditions.

Still, there isn’t anything much new in my point of view! If you are little interested in
the life of indigenous people or other people living in harmony with nature, you
certainly know that these people never forgotten the power hidden in singing. They
haven’t become too smart by losing their innocence. Therefore, they have stayed
connected to a deeper wisdom about the life-giving energy that so many of us need to
re-discover.

Though I have met many fantastic people who inspired me and passed on invaluable
experience, I know now that they were really confirming the most important answers
that lay within me. Instinctively I have always felt that singing offers much more than
our modern society teaches. I have always known that every person is unique, as is
their voice, and that the best way of living and singing is from inside-out.

I have always quivered with joy when listening to somebody singing authentically.
It’s like balsam for my soul. However, it took me a long time before I started giving
these principles my real attention and applying them to my own living. My desire is
that more people will discover that singing authentically is available to them and how
much it can lift their spirit on wings of joy…

On my way to finding myself, I realized my calling in life wasn’t only to sing for
others but also to help others to sing from their hearts. Kate Barbour (2013).
 35

Part II: Singing from the Heart

1. Your Heart is More Than a Pump

In the first part of the book, we have looked at the forgotten aspects of singing. I have
pointed out that there is a hidden power in singing that goes far beyond the world of
entertainment. In the second part of the book we will look at the connection
between the voice and the heart and what it really means. I chose to bring
together what ancient spiritual wisdom, science, and art say about this and how I
have experienced it in my own life.

Your heart is more than a pump. It has its own intelligence. This “knowing” lies at
the core of ancient wisdom and has played a key role across many religious and
spiritual systems throughout the history of mankind. For example, the Egyptians
believed that all consciousness, including life itself, resided in the heart. The Mayas
thought the heart was the seat of the soul, and the Buddhists reviewed their wisdom
in the Heart Sutra. Judaism points to keeping a balance between the mind and the
heart, while Christianity says that the heart reveals our true identity!

Also, the indigenous people of many tribes speak of the wisdom of their ancestors
and claim it lives in their hearts. Yet, in our western cultures, priority is still given to
the logical, rational mind rather than to the heart. Hopefully, the recent findings by
some scientists about the intelligence of the heart will prove to be a major re-
discovery and more.

The Challenge of Seeing the World through the Heart

In the past few years, some inspiring books (both spiritual and scientific) have been
published on the intelligence of the heart. There is plenty of information about this
subject online.

Tapping into the wisdom of sages, being inspired by indigenous people, and listening
to seminars online regarding the intelligence of the heart is one thing. Being able to
apply this knowledge in everyday life is quite another.

In our present-day materialistic society, many consumers of spirituality gain a head-

level understanding of the subject and not a heart-level application of it. The reason
is simple: we don’t really recognize the language of the heart because the
 36

language of the brain is taught and rewarded in our educational system and in wider
society!

If we want to practice the language of the heart, we need to find people who are
willing to speak the language of the heart and to give it a place in their living. Having
a “heart-to-heart conversation” means to speak openly, to share experiences without
feeling that one might be judged, misinterpreted, or see one’s information misused in
any way. So if we want to practice the language of the heart, we need to learn how to
trust and be trusted.

How can we do this? In the rush of everyday living there is a little time to explore our
inner world and understand the interaction between our heart and our mind (brain).
Depending on the environment we live in and on our personality, we either let our
mind dominate our heart or the other way round. Our heart and mind are often in
inner conflict. We talk about the heart wanting one thing and the mind wanting
something else.

The problem is that we have little understanding about the relationship between
heart and mind, so most of the time we learn by trial and error. Only when we go
through some kind of personal crisis do we wake up and open up to giving more
space for the heart to guide us instead of just the head.

I am no exception. However, I have had great help all way along – you’ve guessed it –
from singing and music. My heart has been bruised more than once and the repairing
and learning process has been supported by the wonders of singing through the
heart, which I will reveal later in this part of the book. For now I want to address
another important issue: the closed heart.

In my life I have met too many people whose hearts were closed because of some bad
experiences or because of their upbringing. It is understandable. Besides, our
materialistic environment hardly supports people to open their hearts. There is a
great tendency for people nowadays to suppress their hearts and emotions.

When I lived in Sweden, I found that most Swedes believed that human emotions
were to be suppressed and controlled. Rational thinking was everything. By contrast,
when I lived in Spain, I discovered that most Spaniards believed that expressing
emotions had a large part to play in their society.
 37

Of course, it is important that we express emotions constructively, and this means

being connected closely with our heart. Expressing our emotions positively and
constructively is essential for building a harmonious life and healthy relationships.
Expressing our emotions negatively and destructively leads to disharmony and
disease.

For me, living with a closed heart is a poor choice, as the heart is the most powerful
organ in the body and does much more than pumping blood. The heart has its own
“brain” and intelligence. Without heart intelligence we can easily get lost in life. We
need to create a balance between our hearts and our minds, between
emotions and thoughts. Such balance brings us inner harmony which is the best
environment for personal growth, health, and real fulfilment. What is within is what
will be manifested without.

There are three important questions that we can explore in this connection:

1) What is meant by intelligence of the heart?

2) What language does the heart speak and how does it communicate with
the brain?
3) How does one connect to one’s heart?

I will cover the first question in chapter II/2, The Intelligence of the Heart, the
second question in chapter II/3, The Language of the Heart, and the third question
in chapters II/6 and II/7, The Healing Power of Voice and Singing from the Heart,
respectively.

Also, the importance of the heart in art is revealed in chapter II/4, From Heart to
Art. This topic is further developed in chapter II/5, Voice, Culture and Identity as the
sense of our authentic Self comes from the heart. It’s about finding our true voice
beyond the limitations of our own culture.
 38

2. The Intelligence of the Heart

“Living from the heart is business – the business of caring for self and others.
Understanding this will take us past the age of information into the age of intuitive
living.” Doc Childre, The Institute of HeartMath

The new scientific findings about the intelligent heart are fascinating! They could be
the key for positive development in the world, which is so much needed in this time
of extraordinary change. It is beyond the frame of this book to go into the details
about these discoveries, so I have picked three phenomena which are important in
connection with the human voice and singing. The main source of information for me
has been the HeartMath Institute.

When I first came in contact with the scientific data about the heart’s intelligence, I
thought to myself: “It is high time that somebody gave us proof of the extraordinary
power of the heart.” The wonders of the brain are great, but the wonders of the heart
seem to be even greater. And best of all is when brain and heart work together in
harmony! There are three aspects of the intelligent heart that I regard as most
important:

1) The electromagnetic field around the heart

2) The “brain” in the heart

3) The heart’s impact on our awareness

The electromagnetic field around the heart

Have you had an experience of being either attracted to or repelled by certain

individuals? When somebody opens her heart and smiles, can you also feel a warm
wave of subtle energy coming towards you? Perhaps then it is not surprising to learn
that the electromagnetic field of the heart is 5000 times stronger than the
electromagnetic field of the brain, and spreads to a few feet around each person.

As everything in the universe is holographic, so every object, every cell, and even
every subatomic particle is surrounded by its own electromagnetic field. This field is
dynamic, not static. It is a dynamic flow of energy in the shape of a doughnut - called
torus. The torus can be viewed as an intelligent system that organises itself to keep
balance and to thrive.
 39

It’s even more fascinating to know that our hearts constantly send and receive
messages from each other through their energy fields. Of course, this happens most
of the time beyond both our awareness and our connection to the quantum field of
all possibilities. If this sounds like science fiction to you, I urge you to find out more
about quantum physics. Then you may realise that our everyday life is probably more
fictitious than we want to believe.

I’ve noticed that some people are more sensitive to the energies around them than
others.

Be that as it may. It’s a good start to become aware that your electromagnetic field is
your power station and one of its purposes is protection. Take good care of it!

In the world of collective singing, I believe one reason that people enjoy choir singing
is because the sound of unified voices recharges their energy fields. And when the
singers know how to breathe properly and allow themselves to sing from their hearts,
the effects on overall well-being can be incredible!

The “brain” in the heart

In 1991, Dr J. Andrew Armour found out that the heart can think, as it has “a little
brain.” Then, almost 20 years later, scientists from the Institute of HeartMath found
that in the heart there are several kinds of proteins, neurons, support cells, and
neurotransmitters which can also be found in the cerebral brain. Apparently, the
heart’s complex electrical structure, with its network of 40,000 neurons, allows it to
work independently of the cranial brain. Therefore, we can truly learn, remember,
feel, and sense through our hearts!

When we learn something by heart we mean that we can memorize it word for word.
Similarly, most of us remember only things that are “close to our hearts,” by which
we mean things that are important to us and which we can “feel.” When we don’t
perform as well as we expected, we often excuse ourselves by saying, “My heart
wasn’t in it.”

So, being passionate about something is really about involving our hearts in the
process. It isn’t about disconnecting from our minds; it’s about using both our hearts
and minds. With the power of positive emotions like enthusiasm, love, compassion,
 40

and appreciation, we can reach a state of being in which our heart and the brain are
in harmony and our emotions and thoughts are in perfect balance.

The Heart’s Impact on Our Awareness

How do we know that our thoughts and emotions are in balance? We do so by

listening to our hearts! The beating of our heart isn’t only mechanical palpitation; it
is also an intelligent language system that influences our perception and reactions.
While negative emotions disturb heart rhythm, positive emotions harmonize it.

When heart rhythm is disturbed and so out of synchronicity with the brain we are in
a fight or flight mode. In this mode we act at survival level, which is the lowest level
of our existence. Learning how to shift from a negative emotional state to a positive
one is the key to getting and maintaining a higher level of being, which I believe is
our natural state. (See the chapter on The Healing Power of the Voice for more on
this.)

When we feel positive emotions such as appreciation, love, compassion, or joy, there
is harmony between brain and heart. This is the optimal state of being that brings
sharper thinking, clearer perception of the world, stronger intuition, increased
creativity, and better communication with others. Scientists at the Institute of Heart
Math call this condition coherence between mind and emotions. When mental and
emotional coherence is strong, our awareness expands. When such coherence is
weak, our awareness is reduced. Our vision, listening abilities, thinking, and feeling
are all influenced by the strength of coherence (harmony) between thoughts and
emotions, between heart and brain.

Therefore, the state of coherence (unity, harmony) should be a starting point if we

want to thrive rather than only trying to survive. It is a door to a life that can bring us
real fulfilment. It isn’t a solution to all problems – what some call the Holy Grail or
the Only Way. But it is the inside-out approach.

When we remove the conflict between our heart and brain, the root of the problem,
we enter into a higher level of being. We who live in such inner harmony see the
world and ourselves with expanded awareness. Therefore, we don’t create problems,
but rather see and create solutions everywhere. So the first thing we should all learn
is how to create Inner Harmony!
 41

Voice is the bridge between the mind and the heart

Now let us bring the voice into play. Since the vocal cords are placed between the
heart and the head, they do reflect with precision what happens between the two.
People often ask me if I can teach them to control their voice when they get upset. My
advice on this is always: “Get to know your voice and you will learn how to manage
your emotions.” The voice is the perfect bridge between your mind and heart. Its
vibrational energy is a source of personal power which can be unlocked at any time of
your life!
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3. The Language of the Heart

I belong to no religion. My religion is Love. Every heart is My temple. ~ Rumi

We speak about “a heart-felt” truth or say “my heart wasn’t in it.” A friend may
encourage us by saying “follow your heart.” When somebody close to you betrays
your trust or breaks a promise it “hurts your heart.” If the pain is severe we say it is
“heart-breaking” and speak of being “heart-broken.”

These expressions may describe what is happening more accurately than we imagine.
In reality, our heart communicates with us through the subtle language of sensations
or through the less-subtle language of feelings and emotions. It also communicates
with us through what has been called “a quiet voice” of intuition.

How does physical communication happen between the heart and the brain? The
heart sends impulses through the nervous system not only to the brain but to the
whole body. It also produces hormones, sends pressure waves and interacts with the
environment through its electromagnetic field. The Persian poet Rumi, who lived in
the 12th century, expressed the language of the heart in a beautiful and poignant way
and in accord with what scientists know today:

“The energies of the heart are constantly flashing forward in an unbroken series of
rushes, waves, and pulses that you will feel in your body. By experiencing these
waves moving through you, one after the other, you get back in touch with your
natural state.”

As I mentioned previously, positive emotions such as appreciation, love and care

create a harmonious wave exchange between the heart and the brain, also called
entrainment. This state enhances mental capacity, strengthens the immune system,
and makes us resilient to stress. We can create a harmonious inner environment by
consciously directing our attention to the heart and listening to its loving language.

The loving language of the heart is based on the simple truth that each of us is
an individual expression of life’s energy as a whole. Therefore, our human heart has a
holistic “logic.” It always sees beyond right and wrong, beyond winners and losers,
and chooses the middle way: a path which brings the best for everyone involved. As
somebody wise once asked: “Do you want to be right, or do you want to be kind?”
 43

The heart tells us to be kind, not only to others but also to ourselves. It has a
language based on respect. It teaches us how to live a life in harmony, without
hurting anything and anybody.

“The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.”

—Jacques Bénigne Bossuet

The Heart Can See, Hear and Speak

Also, the language of the heart knows no fear. That’s why all our courage comes from
our hearts. The heart knows the deepest kind of love, the love that needs nothing in
return.

As the intelligent heart is capable of seeing beyond appearances, it communicates in

an unexpected manner. If there is danger, it might even send a spicy word to our
minds to get our attention. Though it will give us many hints, it will never force us to
do anything, because the heart respects the gift of free choice. So, don’t expect any
forceful language from your heart! By contrast, the voice of the ego is loud and the
language is out of proportion. The voice of ego knows only opposites. It doesn’t know
the middle way of life that leads to harmony.

If you have tried following your heart you will know that it is not always easy. The
heart often tells us to do what might not be the most popular thing to do. It doesn’t
ask us to check for the approval of others, because it wants us to be free and
independent.

Listening to our heart makes us full of genuine self-love and at the same time full of
compassion for others. It often tells us that our vision can be realised and then
nudges us to undertake risky journeys or become pioneers. It instils in us confidence
and courage. It teaches us that if we want to receive a lot we first must give a lot.
Ultimately, most of us are afraid of hearing the deepest truth: what the heart really
says is: “give it your all!”

But before we can hear the voice of our heart, we need to learn how to recognise it
among the other voices talking to us at the same time. The voices in our minds
coming from our parents, our teachers, society in general, and especially the voice of
our ego all tend to drown out our heart’s voice.
 44

Singing can help us clear out this constant mind chatter. Singing can help us silence
“monkey-mind,” as can meditation. Ironically, singing can take us into the silence
that opens the path from our mind to our heart. Only then we can hear the quiet
voice within.

Reaching Peoples’ Hearts

Singing is also the perfect language for us to use when we want to reach the hearts of
others. Naturally, it works only if we sing from the heart. It is the most powerful way
of expressing our passion, our feelings, and our thoughts.

Like many others, I was touched by the story of the Scottish lady, Susan Boyle, who
performed on stage in front of a critical jury and a sceptical audience during the first
auditions of Britain’s Got Talent, 2009. Within seconds she had the audience
standing, applauding, crying, and the panel of judges dropping their jaws. Within a
week she became a world sensation. Youtube video went viral. This lady has a
beautiful voice, but what makes it irresistible is how she sings authentically, from her
heart!
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4. From Heart to Art

I strongly believe that art should touch our hearts. It should express something
beyond material reality. It should open a door for us to the world of harmony, where
real love, beauty, and truth reside. And so, the main purpose of art should be to bring
harmony into our everyday lives. For me, art is about living my life in dignity and
living it from the heart.

The story of Susan Boyle is a good example of what I call the way from heart to art.
There must be a strong sense of identity to pursue the path of an artist and Susan is a
person who knows her heart and so knows why she sings. Some people see her as a
simple woman, but they forget that simple doesn’t mean stupid. When simplicity is
combined with the intelligence of the heart, it can project amazing power.
Remember, the main hero in Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” is Frodo. His biggest
asset is his heart… which he always obeys. He uses his greatest asset without having a
huge intellect or any magic powers.

The Power of Genuine Art

Genuine art that comes from the heart has the capacity to transform our way of
perceiving the world and to change how we look at ourselves and others. Earlier I
described how an Irish violinist helped me free myself. Also, over the years I have
had other transformational moments where music was the catalyst. Somehow, these
moments have never happened during great performances in front of large, euphoric
audiences. They have always come as a surprise. Let me share with you one special
event that didn’t turn out as I expected…

Vivaldi and the Golden Fish

The night before I slept like a baby. I was happy that the theatre play I had written
for my students had gone well. And I felt so joyful and thankful the next morning. By
nine o’clock I had to leave. The rehearsal of Vivaldi’s “Gloria” with a Swiss-Italian
choir was starting at 10 a.m. I was one of the soloists. I didn’t mind the rising
temperature. It was an early June morning and the weather forecast came with a
health warning that temperatures would climb to 37C.
 46

So, I was looking forward to spending time in a beautiful Baroque church away from
the heat. Due to my deep satisfaction from the performance the night before, I was
thinking to myself: “Whatever happens today, I will take it gracefully.” An hour
later, full of optimism, I opened the heavy iron door of my favourite church. It had
become my personal bolt-hole in the centre of Prague to escape from the traffic noise
and pollution.

When I entered the church, I heard the sound of heavenly music which was filling the
whole of the main chamber. I saw musicians playing violins and cello, and recognized
they were practicing bits from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons.” It was a pleasant surprise for
me, as I hadn’t known about this part of the programme. I just wondered who the
violin soloist would be. I listened and enjoyed every note. They were all Czechs and
excellent players.

Soon it was time for the Swiss-Italian choir to practice Gloria. I shook hands with the
visiting conductor. He looked more German than Italian and I immediately noted he
was the clockwork type. I felt comfortable, especially when I found out the alto
soloist was a pleasant and intelligent woman. We both sat with closed eyes on the
beautifully carved wooden bench and listened to the choir. At that moment,
everything was just perfect, like a dream…

And then it happened. I was startled out of my reverie by music that sounded more
like Ravel than Vivaldi. I opened my eyes and saw the conductor waving the choir to
stop… He went with his score to the orchestra and checked their scores. Then he said
in English with a soft accent: “The choir has a different version than yours. It won’t
work.”

So I left the church with my colleague for cup of coffee in the café nearby. When we
returned to the church we were told that people were trying to get the right music
score from the Internet. Therefore, we had our practice only with a small keyboard. I
was extremely careful with my voice and sang half of my normal volume.

My violinist friend came to me and whispered: “Come on, Kate, give it a blast!” I
sighed and gave him a funny look. “My voice isn’t a violin. Let me keep the best for
the evening.” Then I thought to myself: “I wish the instrumentalists could
understand more about the human voice! They seem to believe you either have it or
not. You either have an expensive instrument in your throat or a cheap one!”
 47

They envy singers for not having to practice for six hours a day like they do. But they
forget that having a cold is a big deal for a singer. I didn’t have a cold then. I’d just
experienced a week of trying to be a singer, an actress, a production manager, and a
singing coach in one person. Yes, the love of art can be dangerous. I promised myself
I wouldn’t put myself in such a situation again. No more would I behave like a
masochist!

After the rehearsal, I went home in a Metro full of sweaty people. I wanted to have a
rest in a cool place, which wasn’t possible since there was no air-conditioning in our
flat. When I got home, my husband didn’t ask any unnecessary questions, as he’s
clever at mind-reading me. I lay down and tried to sleep but couldn’t. I felt
exhausted. This was a performance I had been looking forward to so much. What
could I do?

I counted all the people I had invited. They might stay at home because of the heat, I
silently wished. However my inner voice told me to keep calm, though I didn’t know
who would be playing the oboe in my solo piece and whether the conductor would
resolve the issue about the scores. In my heart I felt I had only one choice: to
surrender. So after my siesta, I went back to the church in my evening dress wearing
minimal make-up to avoid my face from melting in the sun. I was prepared for
everything… or so I believed.

When I entered the church, I was re-directed to a small chapel in the back of the
premises. While stepping up on the old wooden stairs, I heard the violin solo from
the Vivaldi’s “Spring.” It sounded amazing. Every cell in my body started to dance. I
carefully opened the door and beheld the soloist, a young man with long hair having
a love affair with his violin in front of the chamber orchestra! No, he wasn’t an
exhibitionist. He was just losing himself in the music.

His relaxed concentration made me rejoice as much as the tones flooding out of his
beloved instrument. Suddenly, I knew everything was going to be fine. The conductor
told me that the rest of the orchestra, including the oboist, would arrive just 40
minutes before the concert. I saw calmness and determination in his eyes. So I left
the chapel with the delicate tones from Vivaldi’s “Autumn” ringing in my ears.

In the corridor, I met a nun who showed me into a small inner yard with a tiny
garden and an even tinier pond. She said: “What a shame I seldom find time to sit
 48

here to enjoy all the beautiful flowers and the golden fish in the pond.” I nodded in
agreement and replied “Yes, what a pity! This little hideaway is like a Secret Garden,
a tiny paradise!” I didn’t even finish the sentence and she was back at the door,
waving at me and mumbling something. Then she disappeared into the building and
left me alone to contemplate.

I sat there quietly, appreciating the incredible peace which emanated from this place.
In the distance, I heard the Vivaldi’s violins buzzing like bees. The evening sun was
flirting with the water in the pond while the golden fish were playing hide and seek. I
thought to myself, “This is Perfect Art!”

P.S. I sang my solo without the orchestra, accompanied only by the oboe. Golden
Fish with Vivaldi. Perfect of course!

The Perfect Art

So once again, I experienced that perfect art isn’t about perfect performance
but about how deeply it can touch the human heart. Though all artists must
work hard to learn their craft, art is and must stay a living thing, innocent and free
from any programming and manipulation.

Unfortunately, this seldom happens in the musical world of big stage performances. I
guess it is the reason why I am not attracted to it. I am not the Diva type. I think my
approach to singing has always been more introverted. I experience life more like the
instrumentalist, the poet, the painter, or the photographer who lives expectantly yet
patiently waiting for something spontaneous, unexpected, and surprising to unfold.
 49

5. Voice, Culture and Identity

Each of us has been shaped by the beliefs, values, and norms of the culture(s) in
which we were raised. One’s world view is often based on the particular group
identity we are conditioned into by parents, teachers, peers, and leaders of society.

Even so, each of us also has an individual identity which is independent of the
nation, culture, or group we belong to. Within this individual identity is a unique
quality we receive at birth: the quality of “voice.” Yet for various reasons, few of us
are encouraged to develop our voices naturally.

I discussed this earlier in the chapter on The Gift of Being Unique. Here, I would like
to explore why so many of us apparently lose our authentic voices and how we can
reclaim this precious asset.

The Limitations of Group Identity

I am feeling optimistic. People who know their true identity might still be rare in
today’s world, but their number is growing. I have always found them in all the
countries I have lived in. Yet the majority of people live only in and through their
group identity, and they spend much time on defending this group identity.

Political and religious conflicts are caused by people who believe that their way is the
only right way. It is sad. The horrible consequences of intolerant behaviour based on
such pig-headed beliefs have been witnessed down through the ages, and they are
still happening. What have we learned?

I grew up in a communist country where carefully-controlled group thinking was the

key to keeping such an inefficient system intact. I soon realised that group thinking
must be fed by fear, otherwise it cannot survive. When I moved out of Czechoslovakia
in 1989 at 23 years of age to Sweden, a so-called democratic country, I discovered
just a different type of group thinking that was also fed by fear. It was not a fear of
losing one’s life or being reported to the authorities by secret police. It was a fear of
losing one’s job, losing face, losing the support of family and friends, or losing
popularity. These kinds of fears were for the most part hidden and suppressed, but
still quite damaging.
 50

So, I learned that fear in general is the energy that keeps us from expressing our
authentic self and our authentic power. Consequently, we lose balance and fall out of
harmony, especially within ourselves. This negative emotion causes our heart and
brain to be out of synchronicity.

Fear makes us unable to manage stress. It paralyses us into inaction or it stimulates

us to become overactive, obsessive, and paranoid. Fear causes some of us to become
aggressive (fight mode) and others to be submissive (flight mode). Fear can even
cause the same person to alternate between the fight and flight modes, depending on
the situation. This depends on coping strategies and overall personality. But living
under constant fear causes our energy to be used up with survival thinking and
survival acting. This leaves little if any energy for personal growing of any kind.

The Obstacles to Finding True Identity

Although difficult, it is possible to find our true identity beyond the culture we belong
to. The main obstacle is our fear of being different and of being “punished” in some
way. There is also our fear of the unknown. “Who do you think you are?” is the
protest of the group when you try to be different. “Who am I without them?” is our
fear of the unknown.

Fear is the voice of our ego-mind; it is not the voice of our heart. Love is the voice of
our heart and it urges us to let go of fear and to become who we really are: peaceful
beings. It’s true that many people still believe that most people behave like predators
in a survival-of-the-fittest social environment. I disagree with this view and say that
such people have chosen to be predators as a coping strategy to take advantage of
others. As free-will beings, we choose what we believe, become what we truly believe,
and live with the consequences of our choices.

Group identity can also be defined as a systematically-developed net of predominant

thought of what is wrong or right, ugly or beautiful, boring or cool within a specific
group of people. Unfortunately, this net first formed as a loose safety net soon
becomes a socially-constructed, rigid matrix which few even seem to escape from,
like a group-think Hotel California cult.

One of the ropes that ties people down is the obsession with performance. Most
people in western societies are image-centred and not moral character-centred. In
 51

such a world, one’s status (e.g. from one’s job) and appearance (e.g. one’s material
possessions, words, and projected image), take precedent over one’s authenticity (i.e.
who one really is). Yet, in a world that seems to reward form and pretence over
substance and genuineness, what can one expect?

When it comes to singing, many would-be successful singers are willing to swallow
the form-over-substance singing matrix pill if they think it will lead them to “the
top.” Consumed by “making it,” they are prepared to do whatever it takes, even if
they have to behave in underhand ways to get there.

The Solution Is You

Like everything in life, our experience of singing tends to go through peaks and
troughs. It is like a wave. Every singer experiences ups and downs. In my case, my
numerous ups and downs have helped me find my true identity. Together with the
methods I have been able to learn and practice, these singing peaks and troughs have
helped me to uncover my authentic voice. This is a liberating process in which all our
fears dissolve in the sound of the voice and in the light of awareness. This is what I
help others to experience in training.

In the chapter, The Intelligence of The Heart, I pointed out that when negative
emotions disrupt the connection between the heart and the brain we become
inefficient and out of sync. And of course, this is strongly reflected in our voices.
Therefore, getting into a state of coherence, i.e. harmonious cooperation between
heart and brain, is the key to being ourselves. Only then can we learn about our
authentic voice.

Being in a state of inner harmony is the key to good singing. Once you learn how to
sing from this relaxed state of being, there is a bonus. You can use voice and singing
to get back to inner harmony whenever you feel your heart and brain are out of
sync.

Dissolving Fears

When I work with non-singers, the first thing we need to deal with is the fear of being
judged for making “wrong” noises. It is the fear of being heard by somebody who
might make negative comments or laugh. So we take away “the net of right and
 52

wrong” by learning to accept that all noises are okay and that all the tones we make
are part of a huge symphony and part of a learning process.

By keeping this new perspective in our hearts, we can start the process of uncovering
the voice. I have wonderful experiences with “newbie-singers,” especially those
clients who believe they cannot sing. They are much faster in finding the distinctive
qualities in their voices because they haven’t developed any habitual ways of singing.
They haven’t found ways to hide behind their voices. They also have a more objective
attitude by not being attached to a certain vocal culture.

When I work with good singers, I have to deal with the “group identity” mind, which
some find hard to break away from. I let them hear different ways of singing and
show them how these can be achieved. For example one of my clients, let’s call her
Petra, sings in a prestigious choir. She came to me to improve her technique as she
was suffering from hoarseness after rehearsals. So, we first dealt with her hoarseness.
But then we had to get her away from the habitual group identity of “being a choir
singer.” She was very surprised to find out that her voice was much bigger and richer
in colour than she was aware of. The reason was simple. As a little girl, she had been
told by a choir leader to use just her head-voice. So, she reduced both the volume and
the colour to a minimum. When she heard her strong, rich voice for the first time,
she was genuinely shocked!

Another example is Ann, my client who is a folk singer. She came to me when she
was suffering from a serious voice problem and being attended to by a voice doctor.
Once her vocal cords were restored to health, I started teaching her how to be gentle
with her beautiful voice. The biggest breakthrough happened during a class when I
asked her to sing as if she were completely drunk. I wanted her to lose the grip she
had over her voice and let it out freely.

During this exercise, she found her natural, liberated voice. She admitted that with
her earlier singing she had been adding “a little tear” to her voice, which is a typical
colour feature used by many folk singers. Today, she prefers her voice without
adding anything to it, and the result is amazing! She also used to be very nervous
when singing in public. Now she has gained a higher level of self-confidence and
enjoys her performances much more than before…
 53

As long as you identify only with a group – be it rock music, church choir, folk music,
or opera – and simply imitate that vocal style, you are hardly likely to recognise and
understand the unique quality of your voice.

Beyond Group Identity

I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity of living in five different
countries/cultures and of trying different vocal styles. This has meant that I have
experienced losing my group identity a few times. In turn, this has experience made
me look inwards to bring out the identity which is only mine, independent of any
group.

I always smile when different nations say about the others that “they are strange.”
For me, culture is just a theatre stage for us to experience, experiment with, and
thrive on… and to outgrow. Experience of living in different cultures can be viewed as
a stepping stone on the way to reclaiming one’s inner freedom.

I am now convinced that it is unhealthy for us as singers to identify too closely with
any group since it can cause us to give up our individual, natural voice. By
liberating our voice we can get in touch with our true identity. Then we
can also become free from the fear of being ourselves!

Let me finish this chapter with another example from my coaching classes: One of
my male clients felt very shy when we were doing simple exercises for uncovering his
voice. He said: “I feel naked when I have to sing in front of you.” I answered: “That’s
all right. I love your naked voice and hopefully you will be the next one to love it.
Then you will be free!”

Though he hasn’t found his authentic voice yet, I know the day will soon arrive. I
have plenty of patience since it makes me so joyful to hear the naked voices of my
clients! You know what? It is the most beautiful music one can ever hear!
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6. The Healing Power of the Voice

“When understood and used properly, the human voice is an ideal diagnostic and
therapeutic tool.” Wayne Perry, Sound Medicine: The Complete Guide to Healing
With the Human Voice

I wrote previously about how ancient cultures and indigenous people valued, and still
value, the intelligence of the heart. They also appreciate(d) the healing power of
sound and the human voice. For example, it is now well-known that the Egyptian
pyramids served as huge vibrational stations where the spiritual elite spent time to
tune into higher frequencies of consciousness. Similarly, in other cultures and
religious traditions, singing and music have been used for centuries to expand
human consciousness and connect to the source of energy which created us and
which we are part of.

During the past hundred years, this ancient knowledge has been re-discovered, and
so a lot of therapeutic methods using sound and singing have been developed. If you
are interested in learning more about this, I recommend a book by Wayne Perry
called The Complete Guide to Healing with the Human Voice. This book gives a
comprehensive overview of the voice’s incredible health-enhancing properties.

I wrote previously that the voice is the perfect bridge between the mind and
the heart. Its vibrational energy is a source of personal power which can be
unlocked at any time of your life! Also, the healing capacity of the human voice and
singing can affect us at least at four levels.

At the physical level, singing is an activity which gives us ENERGY. This happens
especially we can breathe deeply and naturally and when we know how to make the
vibrations of the voice permeate our whole body. At the emotional level, singing can
help us to release and dissolve blocked emotional energy. It can help the heart and
the brain get into a harmonious, coherent state. At the mental level, it can help us to
identify self-destructive thoughts and replace them with positive ones. And at the
spiritual level, singing can help us to expand our consciousness and heal our deepest
traumas.

Learning how to get into a relaxed state is a basic skill for anyone who wants to sing
well and at the same time enjoy the health-benefits that singing offers. There are a lot
 55

of good singers who cannot perform or even practice without tension in their throats
and bodies. This reflects in their voices and in the sound energy they project around
them.

Here I would like to make an important point: The healing power of the voice
isn’t automatic. Our access to it depends on how we use the voice.

I have chosen two aspects of singing that are important parts of my vocal coaching
and beneficial for health. Nobody needs to become a qualified voice therapist or
psychologist to understand and practice these. One is related to stress, the other to
identity.

In brief, the therapeutic value I mostly focus on in my vocal coaching is as follows: I

show my clients how to de-stress and teach them about authentic voice. By doing so,
I help them to get closer to their true identity, which is the only source of real self-
confidence/ self-belief.

The Negative Consequences of Stress

Now I want to discuss how stress affects us and especially how it affects our sense of
identity.

Throughout the medical scientific community, it is a well-known fact that stress

induces and aggravates most disorders and diseases. When our body is free of stress,
our immune system remains strong and we enjoy vibrant health. The self-protective
and self-healing powers of the human body are truly remarkable.

When our body’s immune system is weakened, for example by habitual fight/flight
activity, we become susceptible to disease. The ability of our cells to restore
themselves decreases. This stress reaction of our body may be helpful in the
fight/flight mode of physical survival, but apart from this, most types of stress
disrupt the coherent connection between heart and brain. Stress of this nature
negatively affects our performance, reduces our mental clarity, and impairs our
ability to communicate effectively with others. Therefore, to live healthier (and
longer), we need to learn how to manage stress!

Stress and the Human Voice

 56

The human voice is a perfect mirror for reflecting the degree of stress a person is
dealing with at any given moment. The human voice is also a perfect tool for
releasing both the cause of stress (e.g. negative emotions) and the consequence of
stress (e.g. muscle tightness, increased heart palpitation, shallow breathing, and
decreased digestive activity). Used properly, the human voice will help to restore the
energy levels of an exhausted human system, especially one that has been suffering
from prolonged periods of stress.

As mentioned already, fear is the most common source of stress. For example, the
fear of being judged or the fear of not being good enough can disturb our balance. It
just adds to other types of situational stress, such as tight deadlines, inter-personal
conflicts, an unhealthy diet, or an inactive lifestyle.

Therefore, in my singing sessions I always place special attention on creating a

stress-free environment in which everyone can feel comfortable. It is an atmosphere
which allows my clients to make any mistakes or noises they choose to. In such an
atmosphere, everyone can relax and switch off all external controllers. This creates
space for dealing with the major internal controller that plagues so many of us as
singers. I’m talking about the critical voice that rattles around the inside of our
brains and which needs to be silenced.

The Critical Voice Inside – How To Switch It Off

There are many ways of switching off the (hyper)-critical voice within. I recommend
to all my clients that they simply acknowledge the critical voice is there, but do all the
exercises in spite of the chattering of the critical voice. By doing the exercises, they
will find that the critical voice soon quietens.

A super way to silence the inner critical voice is to learn how to love oneself more, in
a healthy (non-narcissistic) way. Natural singing and healthy self-love go hand-in-
hand. From my experience as a voice coach, I have discovered that many women
suffer from a distinct lack of self-love.

When it comes to singing, it is my experience that too many women seem very
reluctant to accept and appreciate the innate beauty and quality of their voices… until
they are shown how to. Then, with practice, they soon learn that singing can feel
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great in the throat as the tone flows freely out of the body, and the quality of their
singing improves.

Then there is another matter. Once those women acknowledge that their singing
sounds good to them, they often find it hard to believe that their singing could ever
sound good to others. This often happens to those who have the most beautiful
voices!

There is no doubt that we hear our voice differently from what others hear. Even so, I
am sure about one thing: it is impossible for a healthy, relaxed voice, with
clear resonance to sound anything but good!

The Voice Isn’t the Key Until It Is

There are lot of singers with voices far removed from what I call an ideal voice who
have success in their singing careers. Why is this so? Because a successful career as a
rock or pop singer isn’t built entirely on the quality of the singer’s voice.

The majority of singers within the entertainment industry don’t need to search for
their ideal voice because the voice they have works well enough… until it doesn’t. Due
to improper breathing, most of them cannot sing with full vocal resonance without
forcing their voices. Sooner or later these singers develop voice problems serious
enough to threaten their singing careers. Also, many of them sing in a limited range
and do not expand this range beyond what they believe is necessary. I could go on!

So, what is the key to their “success?” Repertoire, musicality, personality, ambition,
self-confidence, drive, focus, marketing, and a very good agent!

I don’t criticize these singers. They’ve probably had to work extremely hard to
succeed in their singing careers. Once upon a time I found it painful to listen to them
performing. Nowadays, when I listen to anyone singing with a raw and unhealthy
voice, I just try to imagine them singing with their natural, authentic voice,
unrestricted by any voice blemish.

Still, many singers with unhealthy voices seem able to perform with reasonable self-
confidence. However, I often wonder to what extent their self-confidence is genuine.
Of course, it could be a case of “ignorance is bliss.” Then I imagine what finding and
using their “ideal voice” would do to their self-confidence and performance.
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Whether working with experienced singers or newbie singers, I have discovered that
when they learn how to breathe correctly their self-confidence is boosted, for singing
and in general. Proper breathing relaxes the voice, dissolves stress, and allows the
voice to release its best quality. It also helps the singers to enjoy their singing to a
higher degree.

Dealing with Psychological Blocks

Sometimes, while a client is engaged in practicing a voice exercise, a psychological

blockage will surface. This can happen with experienced singers and newbie singers
alike, although the patterns of psychological blockages tend to differ between these
two groups. Here I will touch on a type of psychological blockage common among
some of my newbie singers.

Most of the psychological blockages of newbie singers can be traced back to

something they experienced as a child. The most common stem from negative
comments about the quality of their singing. A parent, sibling, school teacher, or
music teacher criticized their singing ability and left some deep-seated fears about
the quality of their voice and of singing. I have learned from experience that I must
help these singing clients resolve any psychological traumas before they can make
any progress with their singing.

While on this subject, I should add that I can foresee that extreme cases require me
to call in an expert psychologist. Until now, for clients with non-extreme
psychological blockages, my help has sufficed to break through their blockages. I
generally encourage them to change their viewpoint from “judge” to “observer” and
“explorer.” Then, the practical exercises help them to reach a point when competence
breeds confidence. That is the real break-through.

Of course, there are a few clients who have general self-management issues which
can disrupt efforts on my part to coach them on singing matters. I have learned how
to deal with such clients and know their symptoms. These include a host of excuses
for their apparent need to constantly postpone appointments and their payment of
fees; the urge to speak about their problems rather than to practice singing; lack of
concentration; cancelling lessons at the last minute; and entering into long email
dialogue several times a week. Such clients tend not to remain my clients very long,
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because I have learned how to let such clients “disqualify” themselves from the
services I provide. I don’t want to be the one in need of psychological help.

Therefore, though I work with some aspects of singing which are truly therapeutic, I
leave the serious cases to qualified therapists. I focus entirely on uncovering the
authentic voice. By doing so, I am also helping my clients to recognise the hidden
power of their voices, which they can use as a source of energy and healing all day
long!

Coherent Singing

I make no apology for stating this once more: We can uncover our authentic
voices only when we are in a coherent state. This coherence happens when
heart and brain are in harmony and our breathing is relaxed, deep, and smooth.

One way to come into this balanced, harmonious state is to feel in awe. This is the
child-like state of playfulness and openness which we can experience both physically
and emotionally. Another way is to use ancient vocal techniques like overtone singing
or toning with seed syllables. Also the sound of a Tibetan bowl is sure to help us enter
a state of inner harmony.

When we are in a state of disharmony, the voice becomes distorted and non-vibrant.
It tenses and causes us to feel that we are struggling. So, tuning our beings into
harmony is a key first step to better singing.

In my experience, the benefits of authentic voice singing go far beyond singing for
fun and pleasure. For me, the study and practice of “ideal voice” singing is a key
catalyst for my personal growth. In fact, my practical philosophy for living and my
practical philosophy of singing are in harmony. Authentic singing, which I also call
“singing from the heart,” is similar to smiling from the heart. It touches both singer
and audience and lightens and lights up the world.

Lastly, training others in the art and science of authentic voice singing is my way of
contributing to my community. It is a gift and a delight to share the skills I have
learned with those who enjoy singing from the heart. When this gift takes the form of
artistic expression, the results can be truly amazing!
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7. Singing from the Heart

“When you know yourself you are empowered. When you accept yourself you are
invincible.” Tina Lifford

Singing from the heart has been the quest of my life. I am still learning new things
every day - about the heart, about the voice, and about living. It has been a
fascinating journey as I have discovered forgotten aspects of singing that have
changed my life. I simply cannot imagine who or where I would be without singing.

I might still be only dreaming about finding my ideal voice instead of having found it.
Fortunately, I found a path less travelled by that led me to a real treasure trove of
singing pearls and singing sense. Out of this treasure of singing wealth I am now able
to help others find their own path to singing success.

Becoming a star and “singing just for joy” need not be mutually exclusive. Too many
people lose the joy of singing because of straining to become a successful singer.
Why this appears to be so is perhaps due to the methods and disciplines that certain
singing schools burden their students with.

However, this process can be reversed by teaching people about singing from a whole
being therapeutic point of view. For the student or client this involves him/her in
learning how to improve their singing in a natural way, with ease of breathing and
another method I call the hidden and forgotten aspects of singing.

Fallen and Sleeping Stars

Some of my clients come to me as fallen stars in need of some voice therapy that will
heal their damaged vocal cords. Others come to me as sleeping stars in need of some
voice therapy that will build their self-confidence for singing. Both types of stars
soon discover that the singing methods they learn from me start to move other
aspects of their general health and well-being, far beyond voice and singing.

Unfortunately, there are lots of people who would love to sing but believe they can’t.
There are also a lot of people with latent singing talent who don’t understand what
they’ve got and how to express this talent properly. Winning a singing talent
competition and becoming famous is for the very few, and often singing talent is only
one aspect of this media-manipulated journey. This pathway is strewn with the
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broken spirits of those who believe they have no value because they didn’t gain the
approval of those who manage the singing-media circus!

I have written this book especially for these two groups: The people who would love
to sing but believe they can’t, and the people who can sing and who want to find their
natural voices by unlocking the power that is hidden in the forgotten aspects of
singing.

The Singing from the Heart Principles

Many times I have heard people saying: “He/she sings from his/her heart.” I have
found that the art of singing and the heart belong together. Therefore, in a nutshell,
the characteristics of singing from the heart are: 1) vocal identity, 2) vocal freedom,
and 3) harmonious heart-living.

It all starts with the process of getting into a harmonious state to uncover your
natural voice. Then come learning and practicing different ways of developing your
voice to gain vocal freedom. This is not only about vocal cords; it is also about
psychological freedom to creatively express whatever you want to express through
your voice. So vocal identity and vocal freedom are interconnected.

While words are the expression of cerebral intelligence, the sound of the voice - when
connected to the heart - is the expression of emotional intelligence. The heart knows
how to express what it feels through the vocal cords. This is the highest level of
singing. Children do this intuitively. Artistic singers do it consciously to touch the
hearts of their audiences.

Unfortunately, if you select a song or an aria which is beyond your vocal abilities at a
given time, you cannot experience vocal freedom. As a result, you can neither sing
from your heart nor use the sound of your natural voice. A distorted voice loses most
of its acoustic qualities, especially the spectrum of overtones unique to every
individual.

Through experience, I have reached the conclusion that the healing power of the
voice and artistic singing are inseparable. Every professional singer who separates
these two aspects of human voice, even if unaware of doing so, is disconnecting from
the heart and is singing only through her/his head. In some cases the result can be
impressive, but I believe there is no art without the heart!
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As I wrote earlier, art is something that is a natural part of life and living. For me, art
is about living with dignity and self-respect in and from the heart. The first place to
find the source of joy is in your heart. From inner joy you can then touch others
around you with a joy that radiates outward to the whole universe! And what better
way to start doing this than through singing from your heart?

Yes, you can find the roots of singing inside you. By doing so, Liberita will bring you
vocal freedom, Unitin will help you connect to your heart and the heart of others, and
Medicony will help you find your authentic voice, which will bring healing energy to
you and others whom you sing for!
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III. Finding Your True Voice

“I became the singing teacher I wished to have all my life!” Kate Barbour

I teach singing as a conscious process. Valuable universal principles of singing

learned from a few masters and my practicing these let me now believe that almost
everyone can learn how to sing better.

No doubt you know people who are self-taught piano or guitar players and play
intuitively. It is a real gift. There are also singers who sing intuitively without any
training, and it works naturally for them. However, even these singers would gain
many advantages by understanding singing as a conscious process!

In the previous chapter, I described the three important aspects of singing from the
heart, namely, (1) vocal identity, (2) vocal freedom, and (3) connecting to the heart. I
pointed out that understanding these helps us to experience a coherent state of being
which can bring growth to all other areas of our lives. Here, I will explain the seven
aspects of singing critical for finding and developing your true (authentic) voice:

1. Natural Breathing
2. Resonance
3. Flow
4. Mindfulness
5. Imagination
6. Emotion
7. Self-expression

Before we get into each of these, let me mention two specific ways of vocal coaching
which I use. First, I sit opposite you and sing every exercise for you and then ask you
to repeat what you have heard. Sometimes we sing together, but always facing each
other. Second, I work without using any additional musical instrument (except for a
tuning fork or a xylophone, and the human voice which is a musical instrument). No
other musical instrument (even as a piano) disturbs the ambiance between us!

By observing closely what I do you activate mirror neurons in your brain, which
speeds up your learning. By listening to my voice you learn to appreciate how the
physical, emotional and mental processes influence the sound of your voice. Also, the
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connection between your ears and vocal cords help you on the subconscious level to
mirror what happens in my throat! This happens automatically without the need to
control it by the analytical mind. This is why it is so important for you to listen to
singers with healthy voices and singing habits because they are helping you to
program your subconscious to reach the same vocal quality. It is also the reason why
you should avoid vocal coaches with damaged or strained voices.

To sum up: You imitate what I do on conscious level by learning various exercises. At
the same time you tune in what I do on a subconscious level – in other words you
learn intuitively. As the intuition and subconscious mind are connected to the heart
– singing from your heart is something you learn with me from the start
even when it comes to some very basic exercises!

Just consider that the Italian masters didn’t know anything about the scientific
discoveries about the human voice. Still they knew how to pass on the secret of Bel
Canto singing to their students. From heart to heart. (Bel Canto means BEAUTIFUL
SINGING.)

Now I will now discuss the seven aspects of singing that are essential for finding and
developing your ideal voice - the voice free from all constrains so it can reveal its
inherent beauty…
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1. Natural Breathing

“…this fear of not having enough air, this convulsive clinging to the material air, it
is the crudest enemy of a correct respiration process.” (Valborg Werbeck-
Svärdström, Uncovering the Voice, p.173)

Breathing shouldn’t be an issue for you as a singer. If it is, then it blocks both your
vocal identity and your vocal freedom. Singing can hardly be enjoyed and done well
when there is a permanent worry of running out of breath at some point while
singing. Also, bad breathing technique is likely to have a negative impact on your
vocal cords, especially if you try to inhale as much air as possible too quickly.

The ideal breathing technique for singing is when you breathe naturally, which can
only be done when completely relaxed. Babies and children can still breathe like this.
It is called diaphragmatic breathing. This type of breathing is also recommended as a
way of calming nerves, lowering blood pressure, and dissolving anxiety – in fact, as
ways of dealing with stress.

The diaphragm is a special type of muscle located between the chest cavity and the
stomach cavity. It divides the respiratory system from the digestive system. When it
moves down during inhalation and up during exhalation, it works like an air pump
and also gently massages the inner organs around it. When we laugh loudly, we
always breathe diaphragmatically, which is why laughing is mostly good for our
health!

However, the natural breathing I help you with is not just about deep abdominal
breathing. There is also natural breathing which expands the ribcage sideways and
causes “breathing to your back”. When we are in a state of awe or engaged in
smelling the roses, we are activating this other type of breathing which is most
beneficial for singing, as well as for our health. It can be compared to what is called
“calm breath”. The inhalation happens without struggle, peacefully and naturally.
The exhalation is at least three times longer. (A trained opera singer can sustain a
tone for at least 30 seconds!)

Supporting a tone from the diaphragm means using your respiratory system like an
air pipe. If you cannot use your diaphragm during singing, you engage in a vocal
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production which distorts the voice in one way or another. Your tones are either
breathy or too tight. Both can cause problems with vocal cords.

Valborg Werbeck-Svärdström came up with a wonderful exercise, which she called

the exercise for forgetting breathing. It is a process in which natural breathing is re-
activated and you don’t need to think about breathing at all, because your body does
it well and by itself. According to Werbeck breathing exercises have to be carried out
together with vocal sounds otherwise one cannot reach the experience of effortless
singing.

Professor Rudolf Vasek promoted singing on “residual” air after he discovered that
healthy vocal production doesn’t need any more air than speaking (about 500 cm3).
Also, while inhaling during singing, you draw in air naturally through both your
mouth and nose.

I often do a test with my clients. I get them to sing a tone first with a full breath and
then with half of the air being exhaled before starting to sing the tone again. The
results are amazing. The first tone is usually longer but by no more than five seconds.
When Rudolf Vasek’s method is practiced regularly, your voice is capable of sounding
in perfect resonance while using the same amount of air as you do while speaking.

Natural breathing cannot be explained in words - it has to be practiced. However,

natural breathing is the foundation for uncovering your authentic voice. Without
breathing naturally you will never be able to find your true voice! Yes, anybody can
sing without breathing correctly, but the result will always be a vocal sound that
hasn’t fulfilled its potential.
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2. Resonance

There are resonant voices and there are voices that cannot be heard in a big room.
The difference is often just in how people use their voice, not in the innate properties
of the vocal cords. A resonant voice is one that has a special ring with the capacity to
penetrate through a jungle of voices and sounds.

Children own this distinctive resonance - until they lose it for various reasons. They
lose it even before puberty, because they start breathing shallowly and become more
self-conscious. Many children then start to manipulate their voices according to the
vocal culture they live in. As a consequence, they lose their clear resonance.

Everyone’s voice has a specific spectrum of overtones which makes it unique; as does
every musical instrument. These overtones are like rainbow colours in a light
spectrum. When we sing a tone, there is the frequency of the tone, for example c1.
But there are also small tones sounding around this tone at the same time. If we
reduced these overtones with the help of a computer, every voice would sound the
same. The richer our voices are with the overtones, the better acoustic quality our
voices have.

When it comes to resonance, there are problems with terminology. Different people
talk about resonance in different ways. Due to this, I would like to explain my
practical approach to voice resonance:

With every voice, my goal is to create an instrument that can play freely across
registers (breast, mixed, and head voice). A lot of singers suffer from having to deal
with a voice break or even two breaks between the registers. I give them exercises to
train the voice so there are no breaks. From this the vocal range develops
substantially, depending on how much they practice, of course.

These exercises were designed by Rudolf Vasek. Now I will briefly describe the
principles of these exercises, which are rather different from the norm.

Like Rudolf Vasek’s singing school, I work with small tones – in pianissimo – which
are created through the sound NG. I also work with singing that uses only residual
air, relaxed jaws, and open throat. This leads to the voice becoming more flexible and
at the same time becoming anchored in the facial mask, including the head. As a
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result, the head/facial resonance is present across the vocal range and adds a shine to
the voice as well as the acoustic quality to carry the voice through a space.

It is more difficult to work with male voices because their vocal breaks to the upper
register are distinctive. However, due to the technique which professor Vasek called
voamix, the male voice can achieve high tenor tones in full resonance, instead of a
breathy falsetto voice. In general, this applies only to male voices which are naturally
placed higher: baritone and tenor voices, but not bass.

Working with small tones in pianissimo helps your vocal cords to become more
flexible, so they are able to react to a tiny air impulse. For me this is a double “win”
situation. You learn to create pianissimo from the beginning, plus you learn to
produce a sound without pushing from the throat. This means that beautifully
resonating NG sounds can grow stronger without losing their acoustic quality. This is
the key to vocal freedom.

A voice that is anchored in a facial/head resonance becomes a compact and flexible

instrument. The NG sound gives you an experience of inner vibrations which help to
develop your musical ear and improve intonation. By practicing overtone singing,
your ear’s sensitivity develops and your intonation and resonance become automatic.

This vocal technique works very well on anybody who wants to learn it. I enjoy
watching some of my client’s amazement when they hear their voices in the beauty of
full vocal resonance!
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3. The Flow

Once we have activated natural breathing and beautiful resonance, we need to let the
voice flow into the “small forms” of language. Unfortunately, the world of sound and
the world of speech are created on different principles. This is why you can often hear
two types of singers. The first types are those whose songs can be understood well
but who sing as they speak. The second types are those with beautifully sounding
voices but whose lyrics cannot be understood (many opera singers fall into this
category).

With both types of singer, the relationship between words and sounds is out of
harmony. For both words and sound to be clear, a singer has to be trained in how to
put these together without reducing either of them.

There is only one way to do this. It is by learning how to pour the vocal
sound into the words. The throat needs to be open, the resonance needs to be
strong, and the sound needs to permeate every word without changing the quality
and compactness of the voice. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

This is simple to achieve by practicing on one tone. Learning how to sing through
consonants is equally as important as learning how to shape pure vowels. When it
comes to consonance, the work of lips and other speech organs is important.

In today’s society, where lazy ways of speaking are so common, many clients have to
realize how much the flow of the vocal sound is reduced by not fully engaging their
speaking muscles. “Lazy mouth” is the first obstacle which needs to be dealt with!

While working with vowels, many of my clients find it surprising what the lips and
tongue can achieve while shaping sounds, both negatively and positively. Closed
vowels are easier to keep in resonance, while open vowels tend to fall out. However,
it is important to achieve a vocal sound that keeps the same quality through all the
different types of vowels.

Practicing on one tone is an easy way to find out where your vowels are uneven. It
also helps to detect any other problems such as uneven and unsupported exhalation,
tight throat, and tension in the jaws. In one way or other, all these problems disturb
the beautiful, natural flow of the vocal sound.
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When you have mastered vocal flow, you will keep the same quality in the voice
regardless of the language you sing in. However, it may surprise you that the sound
does not only flow out of the mouth but also through the head and the facial cavities,
including the ears. For proof of this, just try singing anything on the letter M with
your mouth closed!

Flow is also about keeping your energy level high and staying in the (present)
moment. It is about your ability to stay focused and to become one with the tone.
Since this is such an important skill you need to develop, I will treat it separately in
the next chapter.

I like to point out that your voice should move forward like the stream of a big river.
When your voice gets into such flow, the resulting energy that emerges can be
amazing!
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4. Mindfulness

Throughout this book, I have often mentioned the coherent state – which is the
harmony between the mind and the heart. Mindfulness is a name for a state of active,
open attention in the present. This is a state in which you are able to become the
observer of your own thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions, as well as
environment around you. It is about being fully awake and living in the moment.

Mindfulness helps you become the observer rather than the judge. Lots of people
have psychological blockages which create serious obstacles for the free flow of their
vocal sound. Some people have a huge need to control the sound, to keep it inside,
and to criticise it. Other people whose confidence is low want to have constant
confirmation as to whether the tone was right or wrong. Training these people how to
become observers is a useful way to help them overcome all these psychological
obstacles.

While discovering and playing with your voice, it is important to stay neutral.
Curiosity and openness are other desired states of mind that make the whole process
an interesting adventure rather than a series of tasks to perform. One way of helping
you to uncover your authentic voice is to teach you about mindfulness.

Mindfulness is that state of relaxed concentration that you need as a singer

regardless of whether you are practicing or performing. In other singing circles
trainers call this focus. However, mindfulness is a gentler notion. Focus can
sometimes be interpreted as forced concentration – like trying too hard – which
mostly causes your vocal production to deteriorate.

For me, the ideal state for singing is to become one with my voice and to immerse
myself in the music. At the same time, the observer in me is watching everything
inside and outside.

Mindfulness is also important for intonation. I have discovered that when singers are
tired and/or cannot concentrate, their intonation is affected in a negative way. Of
course, the same applies to rhythm. I have noticed this many times even with
professional singers. Therefore, it seldom helps try harder. Instead, they should take
a break and come back with a fresher mind!
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When singers perform in a state of relaxed concentration it helps to break the ice
with the audience. It has a calming effect on the audience and develops an
atmosphere of trust. Mindfulness combined with good breathing technique also
steadies the nerves of singers who may suffer from stage fright.

Practicing mindfulness is useful while singing… and to improve other areas of your
life. It reduces situational stress because it makes you aware of the observer, thus
making you open to choosing a more suitable response instead of reacting
automatically.

For singing in public, singers need to learn mindfulness to avoid falling into
emotional turbulence when a performance doesn’t go according to plan, or when they
are criticised in public. As an observer you don’t take anything personally, which
always helps you to escape from an unpleasant situation relatively unscathed.
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5. Imagination

Mindfulness and imagination might sound like contradictory terms, but they are
closely connected. The mind’s ability to play inner movies is incredible. It is the
creative part of the brain which allows this; without it we wouldn’t be able to live our
lives independently and creatively. When we let the mind drive us, our imagination
becomes more of a hindrance than a help. This is why mindfulness and “the
observer” play such an important part in using imagination for our advantage instead
of to our disadvantage!

The intelligence of the body is astonishing. Every good singing teacher knows this.
When a singer gets into a song and plays a positive inner movie, the voice
automatically expresses what the singer sees. This is then transmitted to the listener
in such a way that some sensitive individuals might even see the same inner movie as
the singer! It has happened to me twice, but the main point is that what happens in
our minds as we sing influences our voices!

I train you to become aware of this beautiful gift of playing positive mental movies.
During our practicing sessions, we use images and metaphors even to speak about
some voice issues.

It is much more effective to say to you: “Let the tones flow like a river and feel its
energy!” instead of “Use more breathing support, improve your resonance and
pronunciation, and focus only on singing!” The mechanical language of the left part
of the brain might work on some, but in my experience, speaking in pictures is
usually much more powerful.

I have met some musicians who like to assign certain colours to certain chords and
keys. Singers like to speak about a dark colour, a full colour, or a light colour to
describe different voices or vocal expressions.

I encourage you to see different colours while singing. This is complementary to the
chakra system I use to let you focus on different parts of your energy centres while
singing. Let me assure you that there is a quite a big difference between singing a
yellow tone c1 and singing a blue tone c1!
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Using the imagination is absolutely crucial to every singer who wants to become a
great interpreter. There’s nothing more boring for me than listening to a singer who
doesn’t use the gift of imagination and instead sings the same song in a same way as
a robot! So I ask all my clients to picture vivid images while singing a song and to let
their voice tell the story!
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6. Emotions

While the mind works with images, the heart works with emotions. Singing without
the heart is not an option for me. You should learn how to sing from the heart
because it is the main way to connect with your audience.

The word “emotion” is made up from the word motion prefixed by the letter e. For
me, e is the perfect symbol for the word energy. I interpret e-motion as motion of
energy (or energy in motion), which is exactly what it should be in music and
singing, because it uses the language of the heart!

When we sing a song or an aria, there is already a given emotional frame to the piece
due to the lyrics and the composed music. Then we have to make a conscious
decision whether to follow this emotional frame or whether to create another one.

If we choose to create a different emotional frame, we might be violating the original

intention that the composer of the piece had in mind. I find it interesting that opera
singers are trained never to violate the original emotional frame of an aria, yet
“popular singers” are often expected to create their own emotional frame of a song.
Thus it would seem that opera singers have to work within prescribed emotions
while pop singers have to dig deeper into their own emotional landscape.

On closer inspection, this contrast is not as stark as it might seem. Opera singers are
quite restricted by the form, but the best opera singers create a dynamic role (instead
of a static one) by mastering both vocal colours and emotions. Feeling the emotions
changes the voice, although in some cases expressing deep emotions might work
against the voice. For example, if an opera singer experienced a negative emotion,
like anger, despair, or sadness, as if it were real, they would surely find it difficult to
sing!

When negative emotions are really felt physically, they disrupt the body and trigger a
fight or flight reaction. This causes the heart to beat faster and blood to rush to the
arms and legs. The whole body is on alert mode, which adversely affects the voice.
Therefore, dramatic emotions like sadness, anger, and fear have to be expressed
creatively in a way that triggers the same feelings in the audience without disrupting
the balance of the singer.
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Singers have to learn the various ways of expressing negative emotions in a song
without feeling them intensely while singing. Strangely enough, expressing negative
feelings in a song can be of therapeutic value to the singer. This is because the singer
has to practice overcoming these negative feelings by becoming an “observer” of
them. It is about singing with compassion for the pain rather than feeling the pain
personally. Compassion is then the healing energy which transforms every human
experience into something positive.

I believe that singers can honestly sing only about their own experiences. At least
they need to relate to a song from a personal experience which evokes in them a
similar emotional understanding. I find it easy to recognise when a singers don’t
empathise with what they are singing about, no matter how fantastic their voice
might be.

Pop and rock singers are less restricted by demanding technique and form. For them,
there is more freedom to pour emotions straight into the song. Of course, the results
can vary greatly.

I do admit that I am not a fan of rough and damaged voices, especially those which
are amplified by the use of sound-blasting equipment. There is nothing attractive for
me in listening to someone screaming out her/his pain. But even here, I prefer to
listen to a singer who has transformed the pain into compassion for the pain and so
expresses this in a way that uplifts listeners who may be dealing with a similar
experience.

To express dramatic emotions is a great and creative process. There are effective
ways to do this by playing with emphasis, colours, volume, contrast, tempo, and
pronunciation. This is something that drama schools teach very well and a lot of
singers would benefit from taking some drama classes to learn how to do this.
However, the most important thing at first is to understand that there are many ways
to convey an emotion and that the human voice is capable of mirroring all of them!

It is often true that positive emotions are more enjoyable to express than negative
ones. Positive feelings enhance vocal performance and they can be fully experienced
whenever we choose to have them! Positive emotions can even help to overcome
technical difficulties because the power of positive energy causes every cell in the
body to work better. For example, expressing joy is something that every voice will
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do automatically when the body feels it. Pretending to be joyful is something to be

avoided, as both the singer and the audience feel the truth!

It is not so difficult, then, to spot when professional singers are having problems due
to emotional instability in their personal or professional lives. Mastering emotions,
especially stressful negative emotions, is a critical skill to learn, especially for
professional singers!
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7. Self-Expression

When you find the sound of your authentic voice you can open a door to your heart
and easily see what is in it! It gives you the wonderful experience of letting your voice
express whatever you choose it to. Not only will you find vocal freedom by using your
authentic voice. You will also find inner freedom and the communicative clarity that
accompanies this. You can create your vocal identity by fully being your authentic
self!

Many people find it hard to convey what is in their heart. If you have ever tried to go
through life “wearing your heart on your sleeve,” you will know that it can be a risky
business. However, as a singer it is possible to learn this, even if you are an introvert.

For extroverts, it is easier to let go and sing out, but they can also stay on the surface
of the song. Therefore, the overall impression might not be great. For introverts, it is
easier to dig deeper under the surface of the song, but they might have inner barriers
to break down in order to express the song. Still, both extroverts and introverts, and
even extroverted introverts and introverted extroverts can find ways to own the song,
since this is the basic condition of artistic self-expression. And all good singers are
also artists!

When a singer doesn’t own the song there is a feeling of disconnection in it. As
singing students, my colleagues and I often experienced the stress of having to
handle a substantial repertoire without really “owning it” emotionally. In particular, I
noticed early on in my singing career that only the pieces that I made truly mine
received a positive response from the audience!

Being able to handle high tones and runs in a Mozart aria might impress some, but it
will not move anybody. Therefore, I coach my clients to work with a song until they
own it, until the piece of Handel’s aria becomes their personal experience.

I recommend you listening to other singers, not to copy them, but to be inspired!
Why would you want to mimic another singer when it does nothing to empower you?

You might be thinking “Who Am I” to create my own version of a song? My answer to

this is: “You will create your own version anyway, so why not do it properly?” Few, if
 79

any, are capable of copying somebody else completely, so why not redirect your
energy to being an authentic singer?

Of course, there’s often that other skeleton in the closet. Most people are afraid of
being original because they cannot face any sort of disapproval. Cultural rules about
what’s in and out, what’s good and bad are often swallowed as given, but they present
a huge impediment to our freedom of self-expression!

The irony is that when people break the rules they often get slighted to start with, but
gain many followers later. At the end of my book, On the Wings of Voice, let me
restate what I have said many times already:

Singing can give your soul wings, but you have to become free first! If
you stay in a cage, it won’t matter whether you have wings or not!

P.S. Self-expression is about “giving your all”. It’s about transforming the energy of
fear into the energy of love!
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Acknowledgements
I express my deepest appreciation and thanks to all those who have contributed, in
their own unique way, to the process of me starting, continuing and finishing this
book…

To my husband Bill Barbour, who helped me with the writing and editing process
and who wrote the inspirational Foreword.

To J. Michael Horak, whose professional editing skills and love for singing lifted the
quality of this book greatly.

To the musician Thomas Schönberg, whose enthusiasm for the subject kept me
pressing on.

To those who helped me discover new dimensions of singing… In particular, my

singing teacher, Miloslav Dvořák, and František Blecha, who introduced me to him;
Svatopluk Němec, whose skills and enthusiasm for overtone singing showed me new
ways of exploring the depths of the human voice; and Susanna Andersson-Dornwald,
who inspired me to find the balance between performance-based results and heart-
based results of singing.

To Alan Cohen, for permitting me to include his story “They’re Singing Your Song.”
(See References.).

To Iva Dybalova, for inspiring her pupils to draw wonderful illustrations for this
book, and to the pupils who drew them.

To Sophie Hurt, a young lady of eleven with a generous heart and lots of creative
energy, who draw the picture at the beginning of this book. Young people like her fill
me with hope for future generations.

To my delightful singing clients, too many to mention by name here, from whom I
received immense inspiration throughout the writing process. Their stories are
represented in this book.

Thank you all!

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References
Will Johnson, Rumi; Gazing at the Beloved

Wayne Perry, Sound Medicine: The Complete Guide to Healing With the Human
Voice

Valborg Werbeck-Svärdström, Uncovering the Voice: The Cleansing Power of Song

Rudolf Vašek, Kultivovaný zpěv

Alan Cohen, Wisdom of the Heart, Hay House Publishing, www.alancohen.com

Institute of HeartMath, www.heartmath.org

the full article about Jonas Kaufmann can be found on www.jonaskaufmann.com

more about the Werbeck therapeutic school of singing:

www.musicforjoyandhealing.com/voicemethod/