Summary
-These last few chapters focus on how the techniques discussed in the previous chapters can be applied in the real world of singing and performance. It discusses what makes a good audition, and how to be successful as a singer. One of the best ways that you can be successful as a singer is to figure out what you want out of your life. What is important to you and stay true to that as you pursue a career in singing. It is important to take care of your physical health as a singer by staying hydrated and by keeping your body healthy. The best performances and auditions are when a singer enjoys what they perform and personalize it to themselves, wether that is choosing repetoire for an audition that speaks to you personally and suits what you love in your voice. Finding balance and freedom in your voice can help you to find balance and freedom in your life. You need to create your own definition of success and always seek to improve and become your best self while accepting and loving where you are in your growth process today.
Application
-I loved reading these chapters and learning what Smith thinks about application in what makes a successful singer. I don't agree that it is better to err on the side of arrogance when it comes to auditions but rather that a singer should seek to be confident in sharing an unapologetic performance with the people they are auditioning for. I definitely agree that a singer gives the best performance when they are authentic with what they choose to sing. I for one have learned to enjoy the songs that I have learned to sing over my univerisy studies but the songs that I still sing today and the ones that I choose to sing for my recital are the ones that I feel more of a personal connection to and just throughly enjoy singing. Each time I get a new student, I always like to ask them what they want to sing. I don't even care what genre it is necessarily because I know that the work that we do in our warm-ups and with the repetoire is going to be fruitless if they don't enjoy what they are singing. I also agree with the value of discovering your own voice and not trying to become a caricature of someone else or a past version of yourself. I actually had a conversation with one of my students about that very thing this week. She was singing a song that she really liked by an artist called Birdy. I had her sing the first verse of the song and noticed that she was imitating the original artist. So I had a discussion with her on how I wanted to hear HER sing the song and not her trying to sound like Birdy. She was a little frustrated with it because she really wanted to imitate it because that's how she learned the song. It's still a work in progress. I know that I still have a hard time trying to connect to my own unique voice. I love how each singer needs to define what they want out of their career and then go for it. I for one would like to focus more of my career on teaching, but I think it would be a good goal to try to audition to perform in one production a year knowing how long it takes me to adequately study and learn a role. I love that learning about your voice helps you to learn more about yourself.
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