Singing as a journey of opening to yourself

Do you ever feel a longing to express your true self, to let your voice flow freely without the weight of self-doubt??

I know I have, and I want to share a bit of my journey with you. Maybe it will resonate.?

Having grown up in London, I felt quite shut down and inhibited, as there was a lot of judgment and peer pressure from my social world while in my teens. I was so self-conscious I could barely say anything without worrying about whether it would be seen as cool or entertaining. I certainly couldn't just be myself or express myself in a flowing, easy-going way.

Then, while in my 20's I had the opportunity to sing in lots of different ways - - in singing workshops at festivals; - joining in with protest chants at environmental actions where people were expressing their beliefs; - learning folk songs round campfires.

The culture was all about being authentic, being natural, being ourselves and I took to it like a duck to water!? It was very freeing.

Then I did a 2-year training in community music and holistic voice, which was incredibly supportive and gave me a real look under the bonnet of what's there in your singing voice.?

The whole holistic side of it was about how singing is so closely connected to your emotions. Our voice reveals our emotions and helps us discover them too.

Learning how to use our voice in new ways is literally a journey of opening to oneself, and it does require courage. I just love this emotional-spiritual aspect of singing; it's part of what makes me passionate about singing.?

This journey of mine through organic, permission-giving settings in my 20's and then detailed, structured training in my 30's completely changed my relationship with myself and my voice.

I gradually felt my true self and my inner spark coming through.

It's also what brings me such pleasure in helping others. I can help people release inhibitions, let go of self-doubt, trust themselves to sing, believe in themselves, and 'find their voice' in more ways than one.

So now I get to express myself fully as a person, through speech and singing, and help others do the same.?

It doesn’t matter where you’re starting from; it’s the journey of opening up and moving forward that’s so joyful and rewarding.

So I like to send out an energy of support, encouraging singers to follow this journey wherever it leads them, even if it might be a little nerve-racking at times!

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