Vocal Casanova

Diana Yampolsky

In my previous column 'Vocal Impotence - In Need of Vocal Viagra', I outlined how to use your voice correctly in order to protect it from damage and avoid succumbing to 'vocal impotence'. It also explained how to use 'Vocal Viagra' to cure any existing voice problems and ensure the sound your voice produces is longer, fuller and stronger.

In this article, I would like to talk about how to use your newfound or recovered instrument in such a way that you will truly be able to satisfy any audience. After all, you may have taken Vocal Viagra, which solved your physical problems, but you really would have only succeeded in fixing your instrument. The question then becomes, 'Do you know how to play it?' 'And do you know how to play it for an audience so that they would ask for an encore?'

Essentially, the moment you went from merely singing in the shower to singing on a stage or in a recording studio, you changed from someone who is solely singing for yourself to someone who is singing for other people. There are many reasons you may have done this. It could have been a need to be the center of attention. Maybe you want to share your musical talents with other people? Or, possibly you have a desire to communicate your thoughts and feelings to others. Regardless of the reason, you most likely want to impress the audience and leave them with a positive impression of your performance. It is has been my observation that the most successful singers are the ones who know how to interact with their audiences in the same way that an accomplished lover does with his or her partner. It is for this reason that I have titled this column 'From a Vocal Impotent to a Vocal Casanova'.

The word Casanova comes from the name of an 18th Century Italian writer, Giacomo Girolamo Casanova, who was reputed to be an extremely skilled and legendary lover. He knew how to please women like no other man and always left them begging for more. Historical records note that while he was average looking, he had exceptional charm, charisma and knowledge of lovemaking. What does this have to do with singing? A lot, actually. Firstly, your goal as a singer should not only be to physically sing for the audience, but to make love to them through your voice! Secondly, you do not have to be the most talented singer in the world or have a five octave range to make an impression, but you do need to know how to use what you have and infuse it with your own natural charisma and charm.

Even though I am definitely a vocal coach and not a sex therapist, I think I can safely say making love is about more than the mechanics of sex necessary to produce a climax. It involves peaks and valleys, gentle and more energetic movements, foreplay, teasing, kissing and the use of the entire body and not just the midsections. Casanova was a great lover because he knew how to kiss women, how to touch them and talk to them. He knew how to react to the way they were feeling both physically and emotionally and respond to their needs and desires. You should approach singing the same way. Use your voice to tease the audience. Vary your voice by singing softly for some parts of the song and harder and more energetically for others. (Peaks and valleys are important because a constant high is too much for the audience and will leave them feeling exhausted rather than elated.) Build a connection with the audience and vary your singing depending on their needs.

A song that perfectly encapsulates what I am trying to say here is 'Killing Me Softly' which was written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel and recently covered by the Fugees. The song was written from the perspective of a fan who is explaining how much she is touched by the singing of a person that she does not personally know? The lyrics talk about a stranger to her eyes. She feels that he's telling 'her whole life with his words' and goes on to say that she feels flushed and embarrassed because it's like the singer had found her 'letters and read each one aloud'. That says she was able to identify with the lyrics of another singer as the message was conveyed in a very intimate and authentic manner.

You can have an incredible power over your audience and touch them very deeply if you use your voice in the right way. You can literally touch their soul and bring them to the heights of ecstasy if you really learn to use your instrument, desire to communicate with your audience and are willing to share yourself with them. In essence, anyone can become a Vocal Casanova if they approach the audience as if they are an intimate lover and openly want to share themselves vocally and emotionally. The creation of this type of performer-audience bond is what will create an enduring and truly fulfilling relationship between yourself and your fans.