The Naked Voice: Chapter 14
Emily Cottam
Chapter Summary: “I believe true success is finding our own unique path and staying on it... True success comes from finding and following your passion... Success in singing is all about the process of continual growth.” “When we go to the theatre and we are moved by a singer’s performance, it is almost always because that singer was able to strip away pretense, connect emotionally to the music, and communicate something authentic to the audience. That, to me, is a successful performance... Successful singers are those who continually seek to free their voices so they can say [what is important] clearly, honestly, and beautifully.” (I figured that quotes directly from the chapter would sum it up better than I could.)
Key Concepts: Success is not the attainment of wealth and fame--rather, it can be a product of true success, but do not use material gains as an indicator of success. As we age, we grow and change with the experiences we have. Thus, when we sing, we must be able to change how we sing and always be seeking improvement.
Key Terms: success, the pursuit of success, evolution
Making Connections: A lot of what the author said in this book reminded me of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous quote from his essay “Self-Reliance,” “Imitation is suicide.” As singers, we must be willing to change and evolve--just as we grow, our singing must grow as we age. Trying to be what we are not is, obviously, being untrue to yourself, even if it is an imitation of a past version of yourself. I have found to this to be true in my own (although short) time singing; a lot of the things/techniques I used to sing with are completely useless to me now because my voice and my experience has grown/changed/evolved. It would be naive for me to think that the same “tricks” that I used as a sophomore in high school would work now, because I am different from my 10th grade self.
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