Coming Home to the Self through Freeing the Singing Voice

Singing is a doorway to one's deepest self. Freeing the voice can intimately connect us to our breath, bodies and emotional lives, and bridge the gap between mind and body, and heal splits between thinking and feeling. The power of this process is a surprise to many singers, particularly when it brings them face to face with their vulnerable selves, need for control, deepest fears, or crippling shame. When asked to describe a time of significant vocal change, every singer interviewed for this qualitative research project answered with personal stories, not vocal techniques. Trauma, divorce, a death in the family, abuse, illness, identity confusion, and depression were cited as causes of vocal tension. Working through these struggles paralleled their move towards vocal freedom. "Coming Home to the Self" is an interdisciplinary study blending self-psychology, theology, and vocal theories to map the psychological, emotional, spiritual, and vocal journeys of several singers. Prominent themes are breathing, the role of the teacher-student relationship in the development of a singer, fear of judgment, shame, sexual identity, risk taking, confidence, and letting go of control.