The stage is where we make choices. The Practice Room is where we choose them.

Email 4 of 5 in the Principles of Practice Series

Hi again,

Here’s the 4th of 5 emails in the Principles of Practice series. Today we are talking about our choices. Let’s get into it:

Let’s talk about choice. Because at the end of the day, singing is just that: a series of choices. And you cannot make great choices onstage if you haven’t made them - and remade them - offstage first.

This is your next Principle of Practice: the practice room is where we choose our future choices.

Let me paint you a picture:

The curtain rises. Your mouth is dry. Your heart's hammering. The first notes come out of your body - and suddenly you realize you’re doing things you never decided to do. You're breathing weird. Your passaggio isn’t where you thought it was. You're rushing. You're clenching. You're grasping.

It feels like things are out of control but these are actually the choices you made (or didn’t make strongly enough!) in the practice room. Choices made over and over again turn into habits. And on stage in those pressure-filled moments, habits will win out over nerves every time.

BUT- I’m not saying that laying that groundwork is fast or easy. It’s absolutely neither!

Here’s the rub:

In performance, we don't have the bandwidth to make new decisions. We fall back on the ones we already made... or failed to make in the practice room. As the saying goes- we musicians fall to the level of our preparation.

Which is why the practice room isn’t just where we “try” stuff. It’s where we also choose the choices we are going to make in our performances.

It’s where we figure out:

• What breath makes this phrase feel liberated?

• What intention brings that tricky passage into focus?

• What vowel makes me feel like a superhero in my passaggio?

We choose it. We write it down. We repeat it until it's as natural and comfortable as a habit can be.

When you start thinking of practice as decision-making, big changes can happen (because you're putting yourself in the drivers seat!). Your singing will get clearer. Your performances will be more consistent. Your brain will stop trying to do ten jobs at once. And in my opinion, your artistry will develop into something more uniquely yours.

And THAT is why having a ​practice method​ is important. To help you log your choices. To help you stop guessing each time and keep building where you left off the last time you were in the practice room. To help you show up onstage knowing exactly what to do - because you’ve already carefully chosen it, 100 times.

Take one phrase you're working on. Decide what exactly what you're choosing - breath, vowel, intention - and write it down. Practice (or visualise!) it until it's a boringly consistent habit.

📩 And if this helped you think differently about practice, hit reply and tell me what you’re choosing this week or tag me over on IG

Happy Singing

–Martha

Still need the PJM to track your practice and build good vocal habits? Get it with a discount code here.