Singing, which is even more natural than talking, is one way we reveal ourselves to others.
Marco Visscher | May/June 2012 Issue
Some people make every effort to sing beautifully. But according to “voice liberator” Jan Kortie, author of Your Soul Wants to Sing, all you need to do is sing what’s inside you.
Why do people sing?
“We all have a basic desire to express ourselves and be heard. And no two voices are alike. So singing, which is even more natural than talking, is one way we reveal ourselves to others. If you give space to your individuality, it naturally becomes music. Singing connects us with others and reminds us that, as humans, we are attuned to each other.”
Why is all that so important?
“I’ve seen a lot of people find real delight in singing. It brings happiness. If you can express what’s inside, it gives you a tremendous sense of satisfaction. If you hold yourself back, it makes you unhappy. Some people are trapped, or they feel like part of them isn’t being expressed. Singing has the potential to allow who you really are to emerge. That’s why singing is, quite literally, healing: It makes you whole. And your voice is naturally exactly right for you.”
Except, of course, if you sing off-key…
“That’s really an overrated phenomenon. You can only sing off-key if you compare your voice to someone else’s. I always try to remove that comparison. No one ever decides by themselves that they can’t sing. A child sings, dances and draws without preconception, until an authority figure steps in to express an opinion. But all that is a natural part of who you are. If you learn to nurture it, you might find yourself singing in the bathroom or joining a choir.”
What does singing do for us that dancing and drawing don’t?
“The vibration of the voice is magical, which makes singing the most direct way to connect our internal and external worlds. Singing can bring out the real you. And you don’t need anything extra to do it.”