Self-knowledge, self-acceptance, and the “It Factor”

In every single field of music, the most celebrated artists have something that’s often called the “It Factor.” There’s nothing more frustrating than someone telling you that that’s something you need, and then having no idea how to help you get it.

My experience so far as a teacher is that the people with this quality have one thing in common:

A willingness to be seen, heard, and experienced as they are.

This is simple to say, but not easy to do.

For one, it requires knowing who the heck you actually are. If you’re unwilling to see, hear, and experience yourself, you can’t expect to be able to show up authentically for someone else.

And then it requires being okay with others experiencing who you are. You might choose to amplify or exaggerate a particular aspect of yourself in persona form (and many artists do), but you still have to be comfortable with sharing that part.

Thankfully, if you’re in a place where you don’t really know who you are, the good news is that you can get to know yourself. It might sound corny, but it’s ESSENTIAL to artistry. The better you know yourself, the more clearly you’ll show up for others.

And, you can also get more and more okay with being seen and heard. Many folks think that getting better at singing will earn them the right to be heard, but that’s just part of it. The fact that not all great artists are great singers should tell you that there’s something else besides a great voice that people connect to. And I’ve had amazing singers walk into my studio who still haven’t given themselves permission to be heard. They still think it’s some tiny imperfection in their voice that’s holding them back, when it’s a fear of showing up as a person.

For many of us, different traumatic experiences made us believe we shouldn’t be seen or heard. Or seen or heard in a certain way. Or that it was okay to be seen and heard, but only if we hid this thing or that thing. I know my own journey in therapy has often addressed these things, and I’ve felt the positive effects on my voice and artistry. I highly recommend trauma-informed therapy as part of your journey to whole artistry.

As I’ve gone through my own journey of letting myself fully show up, I’ve learned from many people along the way, and I’ve developed materials to help others do this work, too.

Isn’t this something people already do in music programs?

Unfortunately, most music programs don’t include this kind of work. In fact, most of the training people get in elementary through college in music is composer-focused as opposed to artist-focused.

At True Colors, we work with lots of degreed professional singers and voice teachers who want to teach popular music singers, but realize they need to shift from composer-focused to artist-focused training in order to do that. (And then they realize that they actually want that approach for themselves.)

I also loved working with teens, in large part because I want to help them before they have the experiences that so many of the degreed singers and voice teachers have to recover from. I love helping them figure out what music looks like for them as they are figuring themselves out as individuals. Some of the most talented young people I’ve worked with have been the least successful or least favored in their school music programs because they couldn’t successfully conform. I have loved showing those folx what makes them awesome while giving them a way to express it.

And I love working with all levels of people exploring singing for themselves. I truly believe the act of singing and finding your voice is healing and transformative, and I love being a part of that journey for anyone who wants to take it.

Okay…all of this “know thyself” stuff is great, but don’t you need skills to be a singer?

ABSOLUTELY.

So at True Colors, you build your skills AND your self.

Skills

Self

We’re ramping up to our fall semester, and I can’t wait to work with folks on their music and their artistry. Will that be YOU? If you’re unclear about how to move forward, email us at hello (at) truecolorsvoiceandartist.com and let’s chat.