Voice is an Instrument

Doing a feet first dive into the livestreaming culture that has been cultivated over the past few years has taught me some vital lessons. 

First: I have learned how to better connect myself with other artists - with livestreaming allowing me to network from home instead of out everywhere (which has been a major obstacle for me personally, due primarily to health issues). 

Second: I have realized how far behind I have fallen in the realm of musical technology, which I am working on. 

Third: I have had to CONSTANTLY remind myself not to compare my own level and goals with the levels of others. At first, seeing hundreds of artists within the first week of joining Twitch, I would feel overwhelmed and disheartened. I would watch these incredible musicians, who I felt to be far and above my own levels, and feel like my musical mountain just grew exponentially. After several conversations and attentively watching these musicians, however, I have pivoted my thinking into: 'What can I learn from this musician?', and 'What can I take away from this performance and improve my own musical knowledge?'. The great thing about this is that I am strategizing and studying musicians that I admire. So instead of simply watching in awe and comparing what I view as shortcomings of my own talent, I am actively learning and improving upon it instead. It has taken me from feeling overwhelmed to feeling excited and like I am making progress. Add that to the fact that the musical community on this particular platform is a community of wide open arms and I have found a place within it. 

Fourth: Voice is not often seen as an instrument on its own. 

This fourth realization is what I want to address mostly today. There seems to be this general view around vocals and singing that it shouldn't be the main focus of streaming (unless, of course, you are singing a cappella or opera). It seems as though Voice is seen as an expected portion, but not a highlighted part of livestreaming music. The focus, instead, is placed far more on physical instruments like guitar, piano, violin, etc... 

So how do we change this view? 

I think part of the problem is that nearly everyone has a voice, so nearly everyone has the capability of learning how to sing. It is not seen as a rare talent or an instrument to necessarily fine-tune. 

I first began to notice this because of my own streams. My piano playing is primarily accompaniment, and yet people kept coming to my channel expecting it to be a 'piano stream', where the piano-playing is highlighted and the main focus. Because of this, I have been practicing and trying to expand my piano within my songs even more, but I don't want the focus to be on the piano. I want the focus to be my vocals! Plus, compared to the true piano streamers, my piano is nowhere near those who have spent their entire musical careers on piano. My entire musical career has been focused on voice - on increasing range, maintaining a clear vocal quality, etc. . So I am torn between working on drum loops and learning new piano techniques, while also practicing and keeping my vocals centre-stage. 

There are many steps that I can take to really place the focus on vocal performance. I could strictly sing a cappella, although without harmonies it can get a little stagnant. A vocal loop/harmony pedal is on my wish list, but that will take time to save up for. $$$$. A second vocalist or musical partner is out of the question at the moment because of Covid. A looper would at least allow me to harmonize overtop of my own vocals and really add some dimension, and a harmonizer would help in specific phrases or songs or a cappella performances. 

I could also delve into music production - which I have been slowly plugging away at - and add multiple tracks with various harmonies and instruments, all to complement my voice. 

I could also revert back to classical performance, where voice and vocal techniques are essential and absolutely the spotlight of a piece, but I would feel more comfortable doing that if I could also be taking lessons again. 

I could also include some vocal lessons within my own stream - go over fundamentals of singing and place the focus directly on the voice itself. This is something I do plan on doing wihin the coming weeks. 

I am loving this new exploration in livestreaming, but I am also struggling with finding my place in it, what I really would love to be showcasing, and also showing people that voice is absolutely an instrument, like any other. 

What I love (and worry) about vocals is that they are ever changing. Once those cords move or change, you cannot simply tweak a cord or tighten a string. You have to move with your voice - always continuing to work on pitch, tone, and range, but your range changes over time. The quality changes over time. So you must incessantly practice and fine-tune the instrument you have been naturally given. And if you break or ruin or overwork your instrument, you cannot just run to the store and pick up a new one. 

So yes, voice is the instrument nearly all people are handed, but (in my opinion), it also requires the most work and patience to master. Musicians know that there is always more to learn, more to work on, ways to improve. There is no ceiling when it comes to musicianship and musicality. 

I want Voice to be better acknowledged in the streaming community as not just a piece of the puzzle, but its own category, in all its glory. 

Voice is an instrument. It takes years to control. It is never fully mastered. 

Above all, I love My Musical Life!