Voice Epiphanies – Page 3 – Liz Johnson Voice Blog

Hope Without Attachments

November 15, 2016 No Comments

“Hope is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all -“

-Emily Dickinson

Hope. It has substance. It has life and weight and it dances with faith. It calls us to action, and is the farthest thing from plain-ole-wishful-thinking you can imagine. It reminds us to dream, and lifts us out of boredom, lethargy, and depression. It has life, and it has a song. (There is a reason Emily D. is still quoted at dinner tables.)

But, what if hope sings from the perch of your beautiful soul and nothing happens? What if hope is all you have for what seems like an eternity, and nothing seems to be changing or growing? What if, despite the song of hope bursting from your chest, you still don’t see the thing you hope for materializing?

I’ve had to learn about this aspect of hope the hard way. Trust me, it was not easy, but I learned that hoping for the sake of hoping is like balm for the soul. And the best way to enjoy the process of hope and hoping is to let go of the attachment to the outcome.

Vocal Athleticism, Voice Epiphanies

Life Experiment – Weight Lifting

November 11, 2016 1 Comment

Today marks 4 months into a weight training program I never imagined I’d do. But, in order to change the body, you have to change your habits. This is what I tell my voice clients everyday.

But you can’t preach what you don’t know. Well, you can, but then you just sound hollow and boring after awhile. There’s no #truthjuice behind words without experience to back them.

I’ve witness several clients go through a fundamental shift in vocal function after approximately one year of doing organized voice exercises. Something in their bodies aligns in a new way, and they seem to have a new ground zero set point. In order to truly know what that feels like, I have to go through that process myself – at least that’s what seems logical.

Voice Epiphanies

A Voice for Love

November 10, 2016 2 Comments

“If love hasn’t won – if equality isn’t in place – then it just means our work isn’t done.”
-from writingsfromthecityline.com, Nov 10, 2016

Blogging everyday brings clarity. Not going to pretend daily blogging was my idea, so thank you Seth Godin for telegraphing the concept. I wanted to try it because I know interesting things happen when you commit to interesting projects.

What I did not expect was to find clarity so quickly about the core focus of this blog.

In light of this week’s presidential election results, something steely and vocal is rising inside me. It makes me feel strong, grounded, and it makes me want to speak [the f] up. I use a little language here, because this fiery feeling churns in my belly like a wild thing. It has taken up residence in my stomach and chest and won’t leave me alone. I feel emboldened and kinda fierce and way more focused than I did Tuesday morning. Way more focused.

Got It

As I was walking the dogs this morning, it hit me: this blog is a voice for love.

Free voice resources, Vocology (Voice Science), Voice Epiphanies

Don’t Go To Music School

November 1, 2016 No Comments

“But I worry that what students of the arts are often seeking in higher education is nothing more than proof of their own legitimacy – proof they are for real as creative people, because their degree says so.”
Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic (103)

So, don’t go to music school. Unless you have to. Unless you feel so excited about it, your heart bursts. Unless you know it’s the perfect path for you. Unless it’s paid for, or you can easily afford it.

Of course, not all of these criteria will apply to you, and many people are blessed by music school in ways that nothing else can bless them. All I want to point out is that creating art does not require a degree from college, nor does it require the kind of money colleges are asking for these days.

“But if you’re considering some sort of advanced schooling in the arts and you’re not rolling in cash, I’m telling you – you can live without it. You can certainly live without the debt, because debt will always be the abattoir of creative dreams.” (104)

I feel like I have some ground to stand on when talking about this subject. 1) I was a University professor for 12 years. 2) I do not have an undergraduate degree in music. 3) I do have a master’s degree in music.

Presence and Psychology, Voice Epiphanies

Expressed By You

October 28, 2016 4 Comments

“Most things have already been done – but they have not yet been done by you.”
Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic (p. 97)

Someone recently called me the Liz Gilbert of the voice world. That’s high praise, ’cause Elizabeth Gilbert has changed my life. Twice. And even though I may never be as influential or well spoken as she is, I get her. She speaks to me, just as I hope to speak to you.

The first time was with Eat, Pray, Love. I know, I know, totally 2007, but I read that book in one sitting because I was deeply desperate for hope and authenticity. Those were things I couldn’t muster for myself at the time, and that book was a guidepost toward my healing.

In that dark time, Eat, Pray, Love was a ray of bright, loving light shining straight into my heart. One sitting, one book, life bettered.

The second time Liz’s words changed me was with her new book Big Magic. A friend asked me if I wanted to borrow el libro recently, and with a title like that, who could refuse? Several ideas from Big Magic have allowed me to do the unthinkable, including start this blog. Hence, the next few posts will be about insights from this gem.

On discussing originality vs. authenticity, Gilbert says, “Everything reminds us of something. But once you put your own expression and passion behind an idea, that idea becomes yours.” (97)

Boom. This concept is a game changer, and I’ll tell you why.