It is nothing short of some kind of miracle when a 12 year old gets up to sing with a voice so grand that it rocks just as great as any adult pro. Those kids can sing so perfectly, so in tune, and with a voice powered by so much emotion and artistry that the stories they are singing about come to life and go straight to your heart. It doesn’t take a genius to know that if that same child’s strongest desire and biggest dream is to rise to the top that they will, especially if they never stop performing and winning competitions. That’s them living their dream all the way up.

            You recognize that the qualities of a good singing voice are represented in a singer such as the one just described, or described as being the case with any singer no matter how old you are. They aren’t just good singers, you know they are great ones. Once you have felt the power and sound of any singer’s emotions just the way you feel them, you become a fan. So just what are the qualities of a good singing voice, and how do you find your singing voice, your real singing voice?

            First, if you love to sing so much and have so much fun doing it but would like some training to get even more of the qualities of a good singing voice, the best thing you can do is find a qualified and skilled teacher who can take your voice from where it is now and train you to sing at full potential. Those teachers will guide you in such a way that not only will you come into your own, you will also learn how to avoid injury, how fix pitch problems, how to bridge the breaks that keep you from singing through phrases seamlessly, how to increase your range, and exactly how to get away from things so technical that it sets you free to get straight into the emotional and story content of your songs. These things do not only define the qualities of a good singing voice, it’s also the way into how to find your singing voice, your truest one.

            Your job as a singer/performer, and one with the qualities of a good singing voice, is to provide your audience with the permission to feel their own emotions by the way you emote through your songs. You have beloved favorite singers because they share the same perspective as you. They have the same “take” on the subject matter, and they express it exactly the same way you would if you could.

            I mention this because out there in the real world, societal norms tell us that we can’t wear our hearts out on your sleeves. This applies most especially when at work. Do that at work and your boss will be sure to tell you to leave all those emotions at home. But in a venue such as the ones you attend to go and see your favorite performers, this is the arena where it is perfectly acceptable to feel all that you feel without someone telling you differently. In fact, this is the service you provide and how you are of service to the public at large.

            So here’s how to find your singing voice, your true voice: you find a teacher who is knowledgeable and skilled enough to start you out learning how to sing using your speaking voice. The only difference between singing and speaking is that singing is speaking, but with a melody. You don’t have to sing loudly in efforts to sound like you are belting. Nor do you need to take in heaping amounts of air to ensure the same.

            The qualities of a good singing voice are those that you hear singing with so much ease and freedom that the voice in its volume and resonance alone sounds like it is coming from any place other than the singer themselves! They sing so effortlessly! How is this possible? I’m here to tell you that it is not only possible but that this is the way it has to be.  It is a necessity.

            How to find your singing voice, getting it, is accomplished when you have learned how to sing effortlessly: with a maximum of efficiency and a minimum of effort. I know — all of this is so counterintuitive. It goes against every instinct you have, but the dictionary definition of the word instinct means an unlearned response and it’s not instinct that will help you. In fact, instinct often gets you in trouble. On instinct, the sound might not come out the way you hoped. It may also make you feel like you are never going to be able to sing well. Going on instinct alone can make singing feel like it’s a lot of hard work and if that’s the case, it will take the fun out of it.

            So the first order of business is to give the singer a good working intellectual knowledge of some of the science behind how the voice is supposed to work. There is no arguing with science. Once you have some of that info under your belt, you won’t know any of it to be true until after you have physically experienced it as such. That is when the “AH HA” moments come and you think to yourself, “Oh so this is what she was talking about!”

            How to find your singing voice, your true singing voice, comes from knowledge. What does that word mean? According to the dictionary, knowledge means understanding gained after one has learned from the experience. That tells you that you are going to have to physically experience the intellectual scientific knowledge you’ve been given on the physical level. Until then, you won’t know if all that science is really the truth. Not only that, but after the physical experiences of singing songs much more right than wrong, you’ll know when it’s right because it will be easy; so easy that you’ll be thinking to yourself, “This can’t possibly be singing.”

            Now you are wondering what it will take to find my singing voice, my real singing voice as well as have the qualities of a good singing voice? Answer: Voice lessons. Do yourself a favor because, in truth, if you weren’t born with your singing voice as a natural gift (and even if you were) you might have to learn how. Taught well and learned well, you’ll walk out of those lessons knowing for yourself that you are indeed a good singer.

            Compliments are great, but they won’t stick for more than 5 minutes if you don’t believe this for yourself. But if you do, then when people tell you how great they thought you were you’ll be able to say, “Thank You,” with some humility because you already do know this for yourself. And with humility, your fans will love you that much more… I can pretty much guarantee it.