As my son navigates his first weeks playing the clarinet, of course he is squeaking and squawking as he learns to navigate the instrument, control his embouchure, and so many other basic skills.
I reminded him that those cracks, those squeaks and squawks, are a natural part of learning to control your instrument. In fact, I argued that the most successful clarinetists (like the marvelous Anthony McGill) have probably had more squeaks than anyone else.
The mistakes are an integral part of our development, and they don’t ever go away. So we have to learn to accept them as part of our daily experience. Or even more: as a badge of honor. They are proof of our continued perseverance in pursuit of excellence. That goes whether it’s flubbing two-handed scales for pianists, squeaks on the reeds, or learning to navigate the passagio for singers.
My voice still cracks when I sing. But unlike when I was fifteen, now I greet those cracks like old friends – they aren’t proof that I’m not an accomplished enough singer, they are proof that I’m still growing, and still committed to growth. The only two ways I can think of to stop the cracks are (a) to attain perfection in my singing (impossible) or (b) to stop singing.