As a recording engineer/producer I do a lot of voice recording. I work from top to bottom - the highly talented professionals to avocational musicians. Guess what? Whenever a musician of any grade is "in the tank" his or her ego and emotions are right out on their sleeve. They are very vulnerable. They often do their work while looking me in the eyes. The temporary psychological bonds that happen are very interesting and their is definitely something spiritual about it. It is my job to become their temporary best friend, choosing to both gently hold their heart in my hands and affirm and urge them on to excellence. I do so by encouragement. I do it in an atmosphere of acceptance.
One of the first things I do is to talk to them and place a sheet of paper over my face and show them that until they push the expressive bounds a little, no-one can hear a difference. I tell them three things: 1) We are not simply singing, we are acting out the emotions involved in the song. The voice is a stream, and unless we modulate it purposely to communicate, the audience won't hear the emotion in our voices. 2) Until you push the emotional bounds until you are a little uncomfortable, there's a pretty good chance that the audience won't feel your communication. 3) We are all "Italians" in the studio. As a culture, Italians communicate freely with their hands. Guess what? When you gesture with your hands, it is almost impossible to keep your voice from inflecting, from responding with greater emotion. So point, wave, sweep, shake your hands, reach for the sky. We are all Italians in the studio and we aren't ashamed of it. "Speak with your hands... we can hear it."
When you are at the point of the DAW being in record-ready and the talent standing before the mic, it is time to accept the tool (voice) for what it is but work to get the most out of it while encouraging the talent so he or she can leave the experience feeling he or she gave it his or her best, whatever that was, and can hold his or her head up and look forward to the next time.
Oh, and I use these techniques with myself as well.
Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' "
Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring
THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website)
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