What's happened through the current musical education environment is that we've packaged our singing into a neatly-wrapped box. We don't stray very far from that. We don't take very many chances vocally. We sing what we know. "What if I hit a wrong note? What will listeners think?" It's time for us to challenge our voices, our ears, and our egos. It's time for us to think outside of the (voice)box.
This is why I've always loved jazz. It's rarely ever the same thing twice, and it forces me to create on the spot. I love a cappella for similar reasons. Vocally, we re-shape things. We take parts, some originally written for instrumentalists, and sing them vocally, thinking and creating in new ways.
The key for those of us in a cappella is to not get stuck in a rut. It's easy to have someone in your group direct you and tell you what parts to sing, or how to sing them. It's easy to default to those syllables that we all know. It's easy to stay in the background. You may even enjoy those things, but you may also be denying yourself some of your most creative moments.
As groups, it's important for us to nurture and encourage each other's creativity. Improvising together can produce some truly organic and memorable moments. For instance, one afternoon with All About Buford, we devoted a large amount of time to improvising, creating music on the spot. We played around with syllables, rhythms, melodies, chord structures and we had FUN. From that, the melody and lyrics for "Hoochie Mama" were born. "Hoochie Mama" won Best Original Song at the 2003 Boston Harmony Sweepstakes and is one of our most-requested songs.
There are lots of different ways to improvise, but the most important thing is to try something new. Let go of your fears: hitting wrong notes, singing silly syllables, fear of what others might think. Don't be afraid to experiment and hear what your voice has to offer. Challenge your ears. You're guaranteed to hit some clunker notes, but I always tell my students that it's much better to sing something wrong with passion than to sing something accurately with no commitment. It's time to forget fear, and embrace and challenge your voice.
Taunia Soderquist is a professional vocal coach and consultant in the Boston area. She performs with Vote For Pedro and sings with her jazz quartet, The Taunia Soderquist Group. For more information, or to contact Taunia about improvisation exercises and techniques, go to tauniasoderquist.com or email Taunia at divataunia@aol.com.
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