Musetta and Me

How singing together changed my voice
--Liz Jackson Hearns

You have undoubtedly heard or seen snippets of information about the benefits of singing in a group. Making music together, specifically singing together, improves mental and physical health and links us to each other right down to our hearts. But along with all the scientific reasons to explore collaborative singing comes experience: if you’ve ever experienced the joy of singing together, you know that it feels great!

There is something magical about sharing your voice with another person. I’ve seen students take command of their voices and transform debilitating nervousness into calm and confidence, simply by singing with others. Hearing the synchronization of voices together bolsters each of us  technically, emotionally, and psychologically. And I have certainly been on the receiving end of that transformation as well. I want to share a personal experience about the power of making music together. Feel free to smile with (or at) me as I delve into personal anecdotes instead of citations and terminology.

Grad school, while an invaluable endeavor, was tough.

I was teaching private students full time and going to school full time. Because I was overworking my voice, I had voice health problems and spent quite a bit of time on voice rest and had to be very selective about how much I could handle at once. Singing was a struggle during my first 3 semesters. I cried after almost every voice lesson, sometimes I cried in the middle of lessons, and I struggled in choir and opera rehearsals. But I did not give up. Singing is essential to my existence and my identity and it’s worth the work for those glorious moments of freedom when they come.

As my voice health issues began to resolve and I discovered new methods, like straw phonation, I found I could stretch my voice a bit further, sing a bit longer, and trust my instrument to do more of the things I asked it to do. I was starting to find my voice, probably for the first time in my life. That same semester, I sang Musetta in a scene from Puccini’s La Boheme. Puccini is a dreamweaver to me and I love singing his music. In this particular scene, Musetta and her artsy boyfriend, Marcello, are in a fight because they love each other but recognize that their relationship is not sustainable.

Two distinct experiences emerged in my preparation for this scene, both of which shaped my future as a singer and educator.

The first was in my own voice lesson. I had brought the scene to my lesson, not sure how ready I was to work on it with my voice teacher. I began singing, and then my voice teacher, who has sung Marcello many times before, joined me and sang the scene with me! What a wonderful experience! My teacher, a renowned professional opera singer and educator, was singing this scene with me!

I felt like the Grinch (at the end of the story) in that moment--like my voice had just grown 3 sizes and was on its way to becoming a mature instrument. It was empowering sharing my voice and allowing it to become something much larger than it is by itself. Thank you, Jeff.

The second future-shaping experience was in the performance, well, in the dress rehearsal. I was lucky to have a dear friend, Michael, as my scene partner and an amazing director, Matthew. Singing, especially singing in an ensemble, creates an opportunity for us to hold space for others, and to have space held for us. What I mean is, you have the opportunity to allow yourself to be vulnerable while knowing that your colleague will be there to support you. In turn, you give your scene/ensemble partners the same opportunity, and then you create captivating art.

Michael and I pushed each other to extend our expression and experience of the scene by holding space for the other to explore emotionally, artistically, and musically.

In some performances, this particular scene is comical--a fleeting lovers’ quarrel that ends in silly name-calling. For us it was a rush of reality and the frustration that many of us face trying to balance love and stability. At the dress rehearsal, Michael and I had a powerful moment both singing at each other with such fire that we both broke down into tears afterward. We allowed each other to become vulnerable and to feel the emotions without judgement. As colleagues and friends do, we made sure to check in with each other after the scene to make sure the other was okay. That was the first moment that my new, big girl voice was expressing big girl emotions without fear or inhibition.

I wailed and let my heart break with beauty, grace, and sparkle, and I wouldn’t have found that without having someone to sing with. Thank you, Michael and Matthew!

As I’m looking forward to upcoming ensemble events at The Voice Lab, I love recalling these experiences, knowing that they are only two among a lifetime of them. I know I get generally excited about most things, but I’m especially excited to share voices and collaborate with you as we wind down the summer. I encourage you to find as many group singing endeavors as possible and experience that deep-down joy of connecting your voice to others!