So often, as we seek to get our choirs to perform at the highest level, we work to put the pressure on. We try to light a fire under our singers, motivate them to aim higher.
When I’m working with singers in the studio, particularly one-on-one as I am this week, the motivation is completely different. Consistently, the singers I’ve worked with in the studio feel a surplus of pressure. Their own passion for the music, the fact that it’s being recorded for posterity, even the very basic fact of a high-end condenser microphone in front of them–all of these things add pressure onto the singers.
It’s my job, then, as the leader, to take the pressure off. I need to bring them back to an equilibrium where they feel comfortable to perform at their best. Without that pressure-release, I find singers get in their own heads and perform below than their potential.
Yes, we want to inspire our singers to reach their potential. But no, that’s not always accomplished by putting pressure on them. Sometimes it’s by taking the pressure off.