How to sound authentic

What does “authentic” even mean? I’m often told by new students that the goal in taking voice lessons is sounding “authentic.” And I almost always respond, “What does “authentic” mean to you?”

And over the years, I’ve noticed consistencies in the answer…

To sound authentic as a singer, you should:

• Sound like yourself
• Have confidence in whatever that sound is
• Know your limitations
• Know the style

…sound right to you? I think these components of authentic singing are certainly on the right track.

But achieving these elements in your singing isn’t always easy…you want to be capable, so you overestimate what you can actually do vocally, or you want to sing heavy metal but your voice lends itself more easily to R&B. 

It’s easy to feel lost and unfocused. Questions and doubts start to creep up…

⁉️“I don’t know what I’m doing.”

⁉️“I can’t figure this out.”

⁉️“I can tell something is missing.”

⁉️“I’m not sure I can actually sing after all.”

Discovering and singing with your authentic voice is a journey, my friend. Stop saying these things to yourself, start following the advice below, and you’ll be on your way to sounding more and more authentic.

Below are three steps to sounding authentic. Do them in the order listed!

Know your voice

Have you ever sung a solo? Have you sung at a karaoke bar and heard your voice back in the monitor? Believe me here, you don’t know your voice until you’ve sung by yourself in front of an audience.

You need a vocal warmup (which you can get here), and you need a small set of songs you can choose from to get your voice moving, 3-4 songs. (And no singing along, you must head straight to the karaoke track, my friend.)

Having go-to exercises and songs you can sing solo will allow you to stay attuned to how you sound.

And then, once you’re used to singing regularly with exercises and songs, you MUST test it in front of an audience. Because nerves change everything.

Performance anxiety releases stress hormones, and that affects your singing. Period. So get used to it.

Even calling a friend and asking to sing a song over FaceTime is enough to help you learn the sound of your voice and how it feels to sing in front of others. A little pressure goes a long way.

Sing different styles

Some of my best students started taking lessons to improve in singing ONE style. And after some gentle nudging (and sometimes not-so gentle nudging), they agreed to try a new style and sounded AMAZING.

When was the last time you chose a random song to sing? 

Have you ever tried singing a tune from before you were born?

You must get started in exploring what your voice can actually do. Trying different styles will help you to make these discoveries.

To challenge yourself, ask a friend to choose a random song for you to learn and sing. And discover what you can do!

But I know you’re still hoping to sing well in the styles you love…

Not to worry, my friend. The skills you learn singing styles you’re unfamiliar with will strengthen your voice for your favorite songs. As long as it doesn’t hurt, it’s probably good for your voice.

Make new & unique artistic choices

You don’t have to sing Mariah Carey’s riffs. In fact, I don’t recommend it because she was a sloppy singer.

You can sing whatever you want! Change up a chorus once in a while. If you’re singing folk, change up the lyrics to a verse or two.

But before you start experimenting, keep two things in mind:

1. I’ve taught hundreds of singers this - wait until the second verse/chorus to riff. The audience wants to trust you, use the first verse and chorus to build that trust.
2. Decide on your choices and practice them before a performance. Waiting until opening night to try something new is a trainwreck waiting to happen. Be polished and prepared.

Notice how these three steps inherently bolster the other two. That’s the beauty of singing, and authenticity in general. You do one thing to improve and better your true self, and other aspects follow.