Singing Is For Everyone Part I: The WHY of Singing

Singing is for everyone. Period. I am a huge proponent of making sure it’s known that singing is for all, as are all of my colleagues at NYVC. You have a right to sing and make music. I’ll go so far as to say it’s vital for humanity. Singing isn’t just for the best of the best. Singing isn’t just for people actively pursuing a career in music. I have, unfortunately, encountered many folks who have been told (even passively or in a joking manner) that they can’t sing. It is not true. I have had the true pleasure of proving many folks wrong. If you want to sing, do it; I can’t push you out of the nest faster (albeit gently). 

With that said, I’m going to be writing a short series of articles highlighting a handful of clients of mine with diverse backgrounds sharing a brief bit about their why - reasons they take voice lessons. In the list below you see amazing singers of all kinds of backgrounds, goals, and career paths. They will tell you about their personal goals for singing. My hope is that you will see yourself in some of these folks and that you will be encouraged to embrace the part of you that DESERVES to be loved and nurtured. 

CHRISTINA, Registered Nurse 

“I had it stuck in my head that to be an adult meant that all I did was work and pay bills. After the pandemic I decided that life was too short and that I wanted to start doing things that made me happy. I started taking voice lessons with Andy and realized not only how much I needed music in my life but also how it gave me a sense of purpose. I look forward to my lessons because simply, singing brings me joy.” 

AARON, Mental Health Therapist 

“To pursue a career as a performing/recording artist!” 

LIAM, PhD Student in Chemistry 

“I started taking lessons because I found I enjoyed the experience of singing but had no musical background and wanted to better develop my voice. Regular lessons have kept me excited about singing, both by installing some external routine in my practice, and by being a place where I can talk and learn about the parts of singing I enjoy and interest me.” 

JOSH, Sales Professional 

“I have always loved singing. When I was 9 or 10 years old I learned I could communicate what was meaningful to me to audiences through song when I performed The Presidents Song from the Animaniacs at an All Camp Talent Show, but I never felt like I sang nicely or beautifully. When a young tenor joined the school, he was highlighted with more of what I'd consider the challenging singing roles over myself. In college, I was told to ‘pick one, either the tenors or basses’, though I couldn't sing either. I take voice lessons because singing doesn't come easily to me. It's a challenging art form I admire and want to practice and improve (and I have!) Being a part of a singing community, clearing the next hurdle, and accomplishing something personally meaningful and great is why I signed up for - and continue to pursue - voice lessons.” 

TIZ, Account Supervisor in Cyber Security 

“Taking voice lessons is a profound act of empowerment for me, especially because I was often silenced as a young girl. Singing is an activity I've always wanted to pursue, despite my fears, it’s incredibly gratifying to overcome these obstacles while finding my voice. The ultimate form of empowerment!” 

CARA, Attorney 

“Singing is by far my favorite hobby so I want to make the most out of my voice. I take voice lessons because they provide a very helpful blueprint and breakdown of my voice, including its strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, voice lessons give a useful roadmap of the things I need to do to improve my singing.”

MICHELLE, Professional Actor 

“As a person pursuing a career in performance, I take voice lessons to not only push myself outside of my comfort zone but also to gain confidence in my vocal abilities. Since I was young, I've always loved to sing and lessons have been a great way to stay consistent in practice and hold myself accountable within my vocal journey.” 

FAYE, Financial Advisor 

“I was quite unhappy about my life 2 years ago, and couldn’t find a way to let out the pressure and emotions. Then a popular Asian singer (JJ Lin) came to New York and his concert completely blew my mind. I listened to his songs non-stop for a few months, and one day I suddenly thought to myself that I wanted to be a good singer like JJ Lin. This is how I started to take vocal classes. Ever since, I found myself much happier and the weekly vocal classes are truly my therapy sessions. My life/work can still get stressful sometimes, but now with singing, I find a way to live with my problems and channel my pressure/emotions through songs.” 

VARSHA, Software Engineer 

“I take voice lessons because it allows me to express myself in ways I can’t even describe and I get to hang out with one of the most awesome humans ever! I also get to feel like the star of my own show. It’s an amazing feeling to sing with live piano. Taking lessons also motivates me to practice more often, push myself in general, and improve as a singer overall.” 

VICTORIA, BFA Acting and BA Business Advertising and Promotion at Marymount Manhattan College

“My vocal lessons serve as a continuous routine and growing process for my current performance career and as a creative and expressive outlet, promoting my vocal stamina and health. My lessons also hold me accountable for committing to never letting go of music!” 

CRISTINA, Data Scientist 

“As someone who trained to be a concert pianist for 13 years, made a complete switch from that career trajectory, and took a break from making music for several years, I take voice lessons to reconnect with and continue to develop my musical self. A further motivation is discovering my vocal abilities as I had noticed through solfège training and choir practice that I may have a good voice but never got to cultivate this side specifically.” 

AMETHYST, Grants Administrator 

“I take lessons because I need accountability and objective direction on how to improve. On my own, it’s too easy to not stick with singing or to find people who tell me what I want to hear.” 

MATT, Creative Director 

“I grew up singing -- as a boy soprano in the Metropolitan Opera children's chorus, in a high school jazz group, in a college a cappella singing group, in bands, in solo recording projects. I always had a strong voice and it was the number 1 defining feature of my identity. As I got older, I continued to sing and do music as a side project, but much less frequently, and a couple of years ago, I realized that my voice was in significantly subpar shape from lack of use. Singers are athletes, and if you're not training your voice, those muscles will atrophy and you won't be able to deliver in peak form. So I started doing weekly coaching with Andy, and in about a month, started to feel much more vocally secure, and not longer after that I felt a smoothness of tone return. Nearly two years later, I feel like my voice is in the best shape it's been since my mid-twenties (which was a long time ago!).”

MINA, Musical Theater Student at American Musical and Dramatic Academy 

“Singing is my favorite thing to do in the world, and I want to explore and improve at that thing in any way I can. The voice is such a complex instrument, but you can't see it or touch it, which can make it very hard to navigate. Having another person that has a lot more knowledge of how the voice works helping to guide you through your bad habits that you might not even know you have is immensely helpful. Plus, with any activity, it's always helpful to have a third party perspective on how you're doing, especially one that's always rooting for you to improve and grow.” 

AARON, Software Engineer 

“I started taking voice lessons because I was looking for something I could do outside of work that would let me challenge a part of myself that I didn't get to day-to-day. Through taking voice lessons, I've ended up making some great friends and becoming a part of an amazing community of people that inspire and encourage me to keep going.”

Stay tuned for part 2, where we will discuss what my clients and I do to fulfill the reasons and goals stated above!