Mariah SS Intro

Mariah SS Intro
Chapter Summary: Singers cover up their voices with so many unnecessary burdens. Stephen Smith's goal is to get rid of these burdens and find the true, "naked voice" of the individual. Our naked voice is pure, honest and authentic. When we find this true voice, we can give more honest performances and our audience can sense our authenticity and true self. Sometimes we need to get rid of all of our cover ups, go against everything and find our own path. This sense of abandonment can lead to us discovering personal truths that we can apply to our lives more easily than the ones being forced upon us. In one of Smith's classes, the teacher used a lot of imagery. Instead of rejecting this type of teaching, he converted it into his own form of understanding. His approach is a new way of looking at singing but it is not the only way.
Key Concepts: When singers free themselves of useless burdens, they can discover their true, pure voice. Their naked voice can then be used to express authenticity and true emotions.
Key Terms: naked, authenticity
Making Connections: I like the idea of letting go of all rules for singing for a while and finding my true voice and self. I get so worked up about doing it right that I forget why I want to sing. I want to sing to express a part of myself, but if I've lost my true self in the process I lose the very honesty that I wanted to share.