At a certain level of singing, there will be a lot of good people auditioning for your role/band, or trying to get that same record contract.  When everyone is talented, prepared, professional, and looking good what can make some singers pop from the pool of others?

Your sound.  Your unique sound.  Your vocal timbre. No imitations allowed.

Can you force a unique sound?  Not in my opinion.  To me it is the difference between the great choral soprano as opposed to the Diva soloist.  You are born with a unique sound which you hope not many other people have.  I am not saying this is your only route in , so if you are a great singer with a more “common” voice don’t fret, there is still much to be done and conquered for you. such as vocal styling, image, good song writing, personality, stage presence etc…

But, if you are someone who possesses that unique timbre you are a lucky one.  If you are unclear as to what I mean by Vocal Timbre, please refer to a past blog I wrote:   Vocal Timbre Blog

When you posses a truly unique sound, the minute you open your mouth to sing people know its you without looking.  Think of Tom Waits, Frank Sinatra, Bjork, Maria Callas, Barbara Streisand, Edith Piaf, Maria Carey, Pavarotti, Paul Simon, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen- just to name a few.  They are all identifiable by the first note they sing.  That is something truly great to posses.  If you have it, congratulations.

You can’t force it though, it never sounds genuine when you do.  Singing is not about impersonating a sound that you like, rather freeing your own unique sound.  Make sure when you sing that you are being true to yourself, not following Brittany Spears or Miley Sirus on the radio.  Take song, sound, and tone, and make it your own. Let your voice out.

This can be more complicated then it sounds.  I often spend a lot of time peeling back layers of “impersonating sound” off of my students till we found their own true voice.  I can understand how it happens, you receive so much audio input over time that you may not even know you are imitating someone.

So think about it the next time you warm up and sing.  Go bare of other influences and let your own natural tone release.  You may just find that you have your own unique one of a kind gem in your own larynx!

written by: Ariella Vaccarino creator of Voice Lessons TO GO (singing lessons on CD), and author of Vocalize!

Want my opinion on your own voice?  Sign up for a  Vocal Assessment on my site.  Then send me a link to your voice with your questions and I’ll get back to you with my feedback right away.

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