Vocal Ease with
Andrew Fuchs
The Holistic Musicianship Podcast Episode 3
The human voice is an extremely powerful musical instrument. And given that with the voice, we are the instrument, it offers all manner of unique possibilities and challenges.
In today’s episode, classically trained singer Andrew Fuchs shares about the power of physical, mental, and emotional self-care as a musician. He also shares with us a whole bunch of tips and tools for maximizing our vocal potential, as well as working through challenges with performance anxieties, insecurities, jealousy, and the physical demands of being a musician.
“The transcendental moments of playing music and singing are part of what keep a lot of us coming back to what we do as artists”
-Andrew Fuchs
Selected Takeaways:
Emotions and how we are processing them has a huge impact on the singing voice
When anxiety/low self-worth thoughts are spiraling it can be helpful to shift our awareness to the body - the breath moving, the feet on the ground, the ribs moving, etc.
Find your own warm-up and way of practicing that works well for you, rather than just following what you’re “supposed” to do
When getting frustrated or mean to ourselves, simply taking a break can be one of the best remedies
Everyone experiences anxieties, self-worth issues, jealousy, perfectionistic tendencies - You are not alone in it!
It can be helpful to realize we never or very rarely have perfect vocal days, and instead intending to just do our best and work with where our voice is at in the moment
Think about what message you are trying to communicate through your music and focus on communicating that to your audience
When you stay in the moment as a musician, you actually have much more time than you think you do
There are many different pathways to follow as a musician. Find the one(s) that you feel drawn to and skillful with and follow that rather than forcing yourself down a path that “you’re supposed to follow”
About Andrew:
Andrew is a classically trained tenor based in New York City, who is in demand as both a soloist and ensemble singer. Especially passionate about performing the music of today, Andrew has premiered many works – from concert pieces to chamber operas – and has sung with some of NYC’s most exciting new music ensembles, including Ensemble Signal and Contemporaneous. He also was a guest artist for The Juilliard School’s Focus Festival.
His wide-ranging repertoire also includes an abundance of early music, most notably the works of Monteverdi and his contemporaries which he has performed with groups such as Tenet, ARTEK, and Pegasus Early Music. He’s also a regular guest of the Grammy-nominated quartet New York Polyphony, and can be heard on their acclaimed album, Roma Aeterna.
Andrew’s Website: www.andrew-fuchs.com
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