“I’m an interpreter of stories. When I perform, it’s like sitting down at my piano and telling fairy stories.” -Nat King Cole

I always think of music as a form of communication and singers conveying a specific message to the audience or listeners. That’s why, when I read this quote, I felt so drawn to its message: singers tell a story each time they sing a song. They can be sad, happy, celebratory, vengeful, or great songs about love or conquering some type of obstacle. Either way, each song is a story.

Singers have always been regarded as story-tellers. The best way to remember a family lineage, tales of great battle, or stories of love or bravery, is to sing a song about it. The easiest (and, in my opinion, best) form of entertainment is playing music or singing songs. I truly believe this, and therefore, consider how a singer interprets the story within a song a fundamental part of who they are as a musician and performer.

I always try to approach singing a song as if I’m trying to tell a story when performing or when working with students on performance technique. What is the context of the song (message) you’re trying to convey to your audience? What emotions, feelings, or thoughts do you get from this song? What can you do (hand gestures, facial expressions, melodic phrasing, lyrical phrasing, etc.) that will help your audience feel what you’re feeling during those moments? These are just a few things that a singer should be actively thinking about when they perform a song or set.

People–musicians and non-musicians alike–think of songs as stories and music as a form of communication. With or without words, music can transcend language barriers, religious, or political lines. When a singer performs a song, they are conveying a message or a story in such an emotive way that this lines become blurred, and audiences of all backgrounds walk away from that performance changed in some way. Singers (and instrumental musicians) should be aware of this and realize the importance of each performance or story they tell since it can have a profound effect, either good or bad, on their listeners.

“I don’t believe in geniuses, I believe in hard work.”-Michel Petrucciani

I’ve sat at many recitals and watched many musicians performing on YouTube videos who have been labeled as “prodigy” or “genius.” This quote reminds me of the amount of uneasiness I feel towards these terms because I just don’t agree with or believe in them. Even in regards to well-known musicians, like Ell Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, or Miles Davis, I would have a hard time giving any of them that label. Instead, I would say that they are all extremely talented and have worked very hard to get to the level at which they were at.

Calling someone a genius or a prodigy completely side-steps all of the hard work that they’ve put in to their craft. I also believe in raw talent–some people are just naturally good at doing certain things. However, talent doesn’t amount to anything if you don’t work hard at what you’re good at or passionate about. When you don’t work at what you’re good at, you don’t progress and you stay stagnant. Music is dynamic, constantly changing and progressing, so if you’re not trying to progress, it’s hard to call it music.

On the contrary, I’ve also heard many musicians who are very talented say that they just work very hard. I can appreciate when someone says that, however, I think that (in terms of music) some people have naturally big ears and good instinct.To say that you’ve achieved what you’ve achieved is solely based off hard work isn’t correct either; the natural ability should be there from the start as well. The terms “prodigy” and “genius” are too problematic for me to use, but I can see why some would use them because it is hard to find the right term or description that would fit a person who has the right balance of natural talent and hard work. Whatever your terminology or ideology, the musician who progresses beyond the impressive level that they started out at is actively exemplifying what music is and should be considered extremely talented and creative by anyone.

“We all played bad before we played good.” –Branford Marsalis

We all have to start somewhere. Writing, painting, dancing–everything requires starting from a certain point and putting in the work to become better. Even something as simple as riding a bike required tons of practice (at least for me, it did) in order to be able to roll down the street without toppling over. No matter how much work we put in, what matters most is our mindset and attitude towards playing our instrument, improving ourselves as musicians, and the different musical situations we put ourselves in or are presented with.

When reading this quote, I think of young musicians who show up to a jam session eager to play. Eagerness is good, but attitude is not. Some of these musicians walk around with the attitude that everyone should automatically make room for them and that they are entitled to play. This isn’t saying that all young musicians and performers behave this way. Older musicians who have been playing for a long time act like this as well, sometimes not letting others “have their turn” with an instrument. Attitude can potentially make or break a musical situation if it isn’t given or received constructively.

This is also something to keep in mind when we mess up. This is inevitable. We’re all constantly learning. No one is perfect and not everything goes exactly as planned (or how you rehearsed it) all the time. I’m not saying not to strive to be a good or even a great musician or performer; what I am saying is to not let it completely derail you emotionally and mentally when and if you don’t hit that high note or you forget that line of the second verse. How you react (your mindset and your attitude) to these different situations will shape who you are as a musician and person, potentially hindering or aiding you in further development.

Everyone should remember the above quote as they continue developing as musicians and artists. We all started somewhere. Successful musicians (both young and old) who forget this become cocky and are less likely to help out a fellow musician both in and outside of a musical situation. Music is a communal, human thing. When we let attitude get in the way of making music–when we forget this idea that we all started playing “bad until we played good”–it ceases to be creative, no longer inclusive, but exclusive. No longer really music.

“It has taken me all my life to learn what not to play.”-Dizzy Gillespie

This quote makes me think of the whole concept of silence in music and how, more often than not, musicians don’t try to respect and utilize silence, both in their playing and in their writing.

When I first began singing, I thought the best approach was to sing everything, filling in all the gaps with my voice, attempting characteristic R&B runs that were almost melismatic in nature because that’s what the “Pop Divas” at the time were doing. However, as time passed, I started realizing (because of listening to musicians like Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, and my own personal musical preference) that it was more interesting to be silent in some musical situations. What am I implying by not singing here when the audience thinks I should? What message am I trying to send or what tone am I trying to set by singing a certain note or word in a different place than the ear wants to hear, and what happens when the ear experiences silence in that previously occupied musical space?

Some musicians don’t fully grasp the concept of silence–knowing when and when not to play–and try to fill in as much musical thought as they can within a small space. They don’t really let silence have its space (so to speak). This reminds me of another quote by the Brazilian musician, Joao Gilberto: “Näo se pose machucar o silêncio que é sagrado (You must not injure silence for it is sacred).” Respecting lack of sound (silence) and its place in different musical situations can then allow you to experiment with it, manipulating its effect. This a valuable tool for singers to be able to utilize and those who do it well can deliver poignant and interesting performances.

Knowing what not to play and when not to play (utilizing silence) is something that takes years to master. I hear musicians, both young and old, say all the time that they should’ve played a different chord or note, and I, myself, have thought why did I sing in that spot? I shouldn’t have sang or said anything. Music and creating music is a constant process. Through trial and error, in different musical situations, we discover what sounds or feels good to us and what notes we should or shouldn’t play. And when we should stay silent.

“I say, as a singer grows older, his conception grows a little deeper because he lives life and he understands what he is trying to say a little more. If a singer tries to find out what’s happening in life, it gives him a better insight on telling the story of the song he is trying to sing.”-Sam Cooke

This is quite possibly on of the truest quotes I’ve ever heard of when it comes to singing and performing. Before I start rambling, performances are interpreted based on the individual. What I get from a singer or instrumentalist’s performance may be received in a completely different way by you or anyone else. That being said, I truly believe life experience greatly improves and enhances a singer’s performance style.

I’ve seen many performers who attempt to sing a song containing a message or theme that they aren’t emotionally cognizant of. I don’t necessarily emphasize age as a factor here–though, if I’m being completely honest, I’m less inclined to believe a ten-year-old who sings “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman” than I would a thirty-year-old or even someone in their twenties. People who haven’t experienced things such as romantic love or death will have a hard time relating to their audience when they sing songs about these topics.

Even though I believe that life experience enhances a singer’s performance of a song and that vocalists shouldn’t sing about particular topics until they’re emotionally and mentally capable of doing so, if a song speaks to you, do it! I am completely for vocalists at least trying a song or style of music at least once to see how it feels and what happens. You only progress by experimentation and through trial and error. If it doesn’t feel right, you can always table the song, come back to it later, and try it again. Types of music, artists, and specific songs come to us at different phases in our lives. It only makes sense that some of the music you perform might not work now, but could turn out to be part of some of your best performances later.

This may seem cliché since people say it all the time, but it really is true. Go out and live your life. It can only make your music and your performances more real, more believable, and more enjoyable. Go out and meet new people, fall in love, travel (if you can). Experiment with and listen to different types of music, take risks, and push yourself way out of your comfort zone. These life experiences not only shape who you are as a person, but help you to better relate to your audience through song, making you a better, well-rounded singer and performer.