Metaphore

My voice lessons and studio have taught me a lot about singing this school year. I am told over and over again to stand grounded and open, relax every muscle, let the breath in, expand everything, move air, and then tell the story as the sound flows freely. Never force anything. Never push the air out, never strain the sound, never sing through the pain. Relax, have confidence, know you will do well, and sing. The amazing thing is that all this actually works.

Another amazing thing is how closely singing resembles life in this situation.
Last semester was horrible for me. I hated school, I hated where I was in life, I wanted things to be different. I wouldn't accept things as they were. I tried with all my brain power to manipulate things and possibly make them different. I wanted time to go faster. I wanted more then I could have. I wanted a set plan for what was going to happen and when it would happen. I can't count how many times I cried that semester, all from my frustration with life and people.

And then break happened, and then school started again. But something was different second semester. I had finally learned to accept life as it was and where it was. I wasn't nearly as upset as I used to be. Granted, like any girl, I still had mood swings. But I had learned how to be content. Reading my Bible more definitely helped with that one. I'm still learning and trying to be happy and content, but I've come a long way since first semester.

The principals of singing apply to the principles of life. When you sing, you stand in a way that allows your body to produce the best sound. In life, you set yourself up with the stance and grounding in God's word. When singing you relax everything and let the breath in without forcing anything, and then let the song and story flow out. In life, you open up to opportunities, people, things and allow them in. You then live out the story of your life. In singing, forcing things never helps anything. In life, forcing things and stressing out and trying to make everything happen your way never does any good. The goal of singing is to get your best sound, every time, with relaxation. The goal of life is to live every moment to the glory of God, be your
best, and enjoy it.

The best way to prepare for singing on stage is to ground your stance, relax, allow the breath, open the sound, pump the story full of energy, and know that your voice knows the song, and trust that everything will go fine. The best way to prepare for life is to ground yourself in the Bible, open yourself to people and opportunities, live your life to the fullest, know that God is in control and you are doing what He has planned and His plan is a good one.

This is hard to do. I know. It takes time and practice and you have to work on it until it comes naturally. It's hard to let go and just trust that you will hit that high A. It's hard to stop trying to figure out exactly how your life will go or how you will overcome the next trial. It's hard to trust that God will see you through anything and everything if you will just let go and trust Him. I'm practicing to sing and I'm practicing to trust God.

Stand, breathe, let go, trust in God, sing, live.