Lessons from Obama to help you become a GREAT singer

In light of the recent radically historic presidential 2008 elections in the US, we can find a vital tale that ought to be sewn into the hem of every singer’s story – the archetypal tale of the hero.

For John McCain had everything that should have easily made him a president. He was a decorated war veteran with many years of political experience, significant strong political allies, and the first vice presidential female candidate, among many other things. By all accounts, he was in a political stronghold that should have overpowered his opponent – the comparatively young and inexperienced (and first Black candidate) Barack Obama.

obama for tacos
photo credit: mediajorgenyc

But Obama had a vital skill that crushed his opponent at every turn – the power of passioned speech. He knew viscerally how to communicate directly to the hearts of the people, and draw allegiances – both financial and otherwise – just from the integrity and emotional exuberance of his words.

In the world of singing, the singer lives in a similar world where the stakes are just as high. You can have many credits to your name – who you have played with, a tremendous range, a powerful facility, great licks, insightful lyrics… Just like John McCain, you can have it all – but it certainlly will not gonna guarantee your success against the competition.

Even more so today than any other period in history, the concert has come to all but replace the once powerful church. We no longer look to the archetypal religious hermit to relieve our aching souls – we look to the singer to see in ourselves a sense of hope and a sense of direction… For the singer, that is a very daunting responsibility, but one that cannot be ignored.

The singer MUST make a fundamental connection to his/her audience. Further, the singer must do so every time he/her opens his mouth, and never allow themselves to slip. This is not easy to do – but it’s what the very act of singing was always meant to be.

What forms that crucial connection from the audience to the singer? Some would argue that audiences differ. I would firmly disagree.

090/365: String telephone
photo credit: dotbenjamin

To succeed in the complex world of singing, one should study the tactics of the self-professed unlikely hero Obama… All it takes – and really the only thing you need to stay focused upon – is opening up to your own sense of empathy, vulnerability and personal integrity. A commitment to this end creates a guidance system that trumps all others. Obama survived not through inciting pre-fabricated political fantasy stories, but on being honest, frank, firmly centered, and by listening with deep integrity to what was happening before his eyes and in the country around him.

This, my friends, is what vocal technique was meant to enhance. Firmly ingrained in rightful purpose, the singer’s instrument becomes imbued with an intensity that mesmerizes an audience. And as his ability to access more range increases and strengthens, along with his confidence to master that range, his ability to dramatically intensify his sound and his message increase in equal proportion. This is the formative purpose behind speech Level Singing, and like it or not, it is the archetypal path of the singer.

Like Obama has become a man of the people, the singer must become the voice of his/her audience.

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