My Voice
One of my greatest passions is to live to the fullest the life that God has intended and purposed for me. My greatest desire is to know the full attainment of the destiny that lies before me. I have been truly blessed by God to fully experience one of those passions which is the joy of music and voice.
Music....I love music! And I believe that God has blessed me with the gifting of an anointed voice - of power and distinction - through which to convey music and song. The greatest part of this gifting is a voice that's uniquely mine. Through much training, I've discovered how to utilize my voice to speak to the hearts of hearers in the way that only I can impart.
Now that may sound a little ego driven, but the truth of the matter is this – everything about me is unique and special. I'm an original design by God; He made only one of me. And this fact proves my original point I referenced earlier. Due to my uniqueness, when I sing a certain written song or any inspired melody in my heart, I release a sound that no one else can match. Other voices are limited to imitation and may even come very close, but it will never be the exact voice tone and quality as delivered by my vocal chords. And although said to be the sincerest form of flattery, any gifted vocalist sells themselves short when imitating another.
In my younger years, though, I had not yet learned this attribute as a vocalist. I practiced the sounds and stylistic phrasings and interpretations of many popular artists of my generation. I loved the effects of the sounds they vocalized and the delivery, so I practiced and practiced in an attempt to sound like these singers. But it was only with a modest amount of success – at least to my own ears. It wasn't until I was in my mid-20s that my vocal coaches started disciplining and advising me to find my “own unique voice.” They admonished me to find my voice and cultivate that sound quality and tonal shape.
And for the last 25 years or so, I have done just that. I started by listening to and for my own certain vocal sound that I naturally produced every time my vocal chords made melody in song. I searched for comfort and confidence in my individual tone, range, shape and skill. Having done such, it has blossomed into the instrument by which I've earned a living for many years now. It is the work-station from which I produce my life and career. Again I say, it is God's blessed gift to me. And I have faithfully multiplied this “talent” by effectively using it in certain ways to express who I am as a vocalist, and to convey the intentions and emotions of many other singers and songwriters.
Ultimately, the experience of finding my voice has taught me various things. It continuously allows me to perfect the way in which I can release a sound to produce tonal shapes in the manner that could never be captured by imitating the vocal tone and phrasing of another singer. Having arrived at this place of thoroughly enjoying my own voice and the never-ending discovery and beauty of how God shapes sound in me, has given me an awesome freedom in singing. I have truly become acclimated to and still marvel at the sounds that come from within me that no one else can produce; at the same time, I have truly become comfortable with knowing that my vocal progression means not having to produce the sounds of other singers.
So when I hear that little raspiness or skip in the phrasing when going from a chest voice to a head voice, or from a head voice to a full falsetto barely making a sound....I remember...and you must remember, too, that no one can match that sound exactly. And when you think about it… that is amazingly over the top how we are uniquely designed.
With that being said, I encourage every singer to begin studying and listening to and for your own voice. As you journey to that phenomenal place, along the way you may use other singers' vocal phrasings and styling effects, but you must discover the unique imprint and sound design within the gift of voice the Creator has given you. You, too, are unique and special, and there's no other voice made exactly like yours. Hence...your discovery must not end until you… “Find your own voice.”