Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
What does it mean to be inauthentic as as singer? Are you an inauthentic singer? Do your singing inauthentic? What does that even mean?
Inauthenticity means that you’re performing mostly for the benefit or the approval of others. Showing up in a way that you think they want to see or hear.
When I put it this way, it seems obvious that that’s not what we want. Why on earth would we do that? But it’s tricky because of the bigger word here….INFLUENCE. Or motivation. What are you singing for? Admiration? Respect? Love from others? OR - because it’s fun to explore sounds. Or it feels great to move some energy around and make something interesting with all those messy emotions.
It’s ok to want to invoke a response from others. But the source of discouragement for many developing singers - even singers at the professional level is that empty vacant feeling of trying to live up to everyone else’s standards, performing those standards flawlessly, yet still receiving criticism. I’m gonna lay a heavy truth on you….it will never be good enough. It will never make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, let alone fulfilled. How can you meet standards of expectation that are always changing? YOU CAN’T.
When people project their taste onto another person, a sort of cutting away, or collapse occurs. A type of compromise down into the soul. This is why it’s important, if you’ve chosen a voice teacher to help you, it’s important that they not project their taste onto you as a person. (Sing like me - I’m not you” example.) The role a teacher plays is one of facilitator of exploration. Meaning, they are helping you create the space where you can explore your voice without the harsh judgments of “appropriate and inappropriate.”
Like I said earlier, this is tricky. It’s hard to be authentic, because most often, we’re not even aware we’re being inauthentic. Are we “behaving?” And it’s scary! Matter of fact, I can’t think of anything scarier - save swimming in a shark tank. To be authentic means to be completely and unapologetically present. To own up to all of you. Especially the parts that you may be secretly hoping that no one else notices. This is not an idea you can have once and then you’re authentic forevermore. It’s a practice of peeling back those layers. One at a time. It’s a lifestyle.
The beautiful thing about singing is the experience of it. So much of vocal exploration is about creating space for the voice to emerge without being labeled good, or bad. I like to look at arts like acting, singing, dancing as experiential art forms. It’s the experience of it that IS the art. What you create right there in the moment. Make space for yourself. ALL of yourself. Not just the piece that you think is the most acceptable to others. Let your voice guide you into new places. And if your voice wobbles, then celebrate it. You are allowing movement into a place that you did not allow before. That’s a really big deal! Each time you explore your voice, you become more and more whole. But you’ve got to be gentle with yourself. We all have years and years of should’s on our shoulders. It’s a burden we’ve even grown accustomed to. But we get to teach our voices wheat freedom feels like little by little.
Can you imagine being so connected to your own experience that you can share it openly and honestly with someone else without any expectations? Because the point is that the experience is what you’re aiming for. First your own, and then what happens between the hearts of you and the audience. Because when you hold an honest space with yourself, you hold the space for them as well.
Do what you want. Like what you like. Make sounds that shake out all that appropriateness.
What does it mean to be inauthentic as as singer? Are you an inauthentic singer? Do your singing inauthentic? What does that even mean?
Inauthenticity means that you’re performing mostly for the benefit or the approval of others. Showing up in a way that you think they want to see or hear.
When I put it this way, it seems obvious that that’s not what we want. Why on earth would we do that? But it’s tricky because of the bigger word here….INFLUENCE. Or motivation. What are you singing for? Admiration? Respect? Love from others? OR - because it’s fun to explore sounds. Or it feels great to move some energy around and make something interesting with all those messy emotions.
It’s ok to want to invoke a response from others. But the source of discouragement for many developing singers - even singers at the professional level is that empty vacant feeling of trying to live up to everyone else’s standards, performing those standards flawlessly, yet still receiving criticism. I’m gonna lay a heavy truth on you….it will never be good enough. It will never make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, let alone fulfilled. How can you meet standards of expectation that are always changing? YOU CAN’T.
When people project their taste onto another person, a sort of cutting away, or collapse occurs. A type of compromise down into the soul. This is why it’s important, if you’ve chosen a voice teacher to help you, it’s important that they not project their taste onto you as a person. (Sing like me - I’m not you” example.) The role a teacher plays is one of facilitator of exploration. Meaning, they are helping you create the space where you can explore your voice without the harsh judgments of “appropriate and inappropriate.”
Like I said earlier, this is tricky. It’s hard to be authentic, because most often, we’re not even aware we’re being inauthentic. Are we “behaving?” And it’s scary! Matter of fact, I can’t think of anything scarier - save swimming in a shark tank. To be authentic means to be completely and unapologetically present. To own up to all of you. Especially the parts that you may be secretly hoping that no one else notices. This is not an idea you can have once and then you’re authentic forevermore. It’s a practice of peeling back those layers. One at a time. It’s a lifestyle.
The beautiful thing about singing is the experience of it. So much of vocal exploration is about creating space for the voice to emerge without being labeled good, or bad. I like to look at arts like acting, singing, dancing as experiential art forms. It’s the experience of it that IS the art. What you create right there in the moment. Make space for yourself. ALL of yourself. Not just the piece that you think is the most acceptable to others. Let your voice guide you into new places. And if your voice wobbles, then celebrate it. You are allowing movement into a place that you did not allow before. That’s a really big deal! Each time you explore your voice, you become more and more whole. But you’ve got to be gentle with yourself. We all have years and years of should’s on our shoulders. It’s a burden we’ve even grown accustomed to. But we get to teach our voices wheat freedom feels like little by little.
Can you imagine being so connected to your own experience that you can share it openly and honestly with someone else without any expectations? Because the point is that the experience is what you’re aiming for. First your own, and then what happens between the hearts of you and the audience. Because when you hold an honest space with yourself, you hold the space for them as well.
Do what you want. Like what you like. Make sounds that shake out all that appropriateness.
