Singing is one of the most archetypal human forms of expression whether these might have been vocalizations and yodels or more sophisticated improvisations and melodies along with words. However in our modern culture, people, especially those living in big cities, scarcely use this means of expression in their everyday life. Modern lifestyle along with any type of complex or “blockage” it causes in the first place, also deprives humans of this very important and inherent way of expressing emotions and balancing psychism, which is the use of their singing voice.
I would like to deepen a little bit more on the subject of the human psyche by adding one more important factor that affects the formation of the personality and the psychological background of a person. It is the crucial environment to which a human relates… and of course, this is the family, most of the time. It is not within my field of knowledge so I will not extend to such an analysis of the sociological and psychological elements of modern life and human evolution. I just want to place some arguments about how significant the mood or psychism is for the singing process, whether it concerns the professional singer or the person that just wants to express himself/herself with authenticity and sincerity.
Psychism is inevitably connected to the singing process, in my opinion. For example, when one is aware of the deeper emotions and connected to them, then the sound of one’s singing voice can be calm and free. Then, singing has this effortless free-flowing energy and the voice fills the space. The listener subconsciously perceives this specific “quality”, feels the “balance” of the performer (regarding what kind of emotion he/she wants to express), and surrenders with pleasure in the listening experience.
On the contrary, when the emotional state of the singer is negative or when insecurity and lack of confidence are very present, all these are reflected in the sound, which becomes dull. The song is not delivered with the required energy and there is a feeling that the body is not responding to the process. The flow of the breath seems to “slack”… and along with it, the voice and its expressive power are diminished, too. The listener subconsciously realizes that something is not working properly, but usually cannot decode and interpret the cause of this discomfort.
The voice is produced in the body. Therefore, since any psychological condition directly affects the body, it is clear that it also influences the singing voice to a greater or lesser extent. I emphasize the words “to a greater or lesser extent” because the human mind has the ability to recognize, come to terms with and eventually suspend these psychosomatic symptoms that affect the function and performance of the voice (from the technical and interpretative point of view) during the singing process.
Therefore the unceasing quest for emotional awareness and mental balance on behalf of the singer is of great importance! The authentic and honest expression through singing is priceless. For that very reason, this specific “contact” with such an almost divine experience is pleasurably overwhelming for the singer who will convey it but also for the listener that will receive it.