Your Mind Is Lying To You

If you think you’re only capable of one vocal style or technique, your minad is lying to you.

Sure, you may have an affinity for one vocal tone, or even an aptitude for it. But our voices are infinitely flexible, and when I hear someone say, “I can only sing Broadway belt” or “I only sing bel canto“, I firmly believe that they are misled by their mind.

Maybe it’s a fear of not being good at a new technique. Maybe it’s a strong desire to be great at one style. Maybe it’s dislike, or a lack of understanding, or some other reason. But it’s not an inability.

Certainly, if you’ve spent years and years developing a certain stylistic ability, it will be harder to develop different muscles. A Verdi specialist will struggle to sing vocal jazz, and vice versa. But we’re talking about the equivalent of a competitive bodybuilder – these muscles have been toned over years of consistent and targeted effort. For high school, college, and even post-college musicians, there is no question in my mind that they can learn to sing well in any vocal style.