So here’s what happened to me Monday night…

Fifty Amp Fuse were in town!

Yes, I admit it, I am a little biased as they are my clients. However, although I have coached several of the guys, I have never had the opportunity to see them live. (They are from Detroit.)  I’d heard recordings  and seen videos of course (see www.FiftyAmpFuse.com), but this is one of those bands that one just has to experience live. If you ever get the chance, don't miss it! First off, allow me to congratulate them here publicly. I know how hard they have worked, and I am obviously extra excited for them since I know what great guys they are.  However, I was just as excited for pure musical reasons. And judging by how the rest of the crowd went nuts, I sure wasn’t alone.

So let’s talk about what it is that makes a band great and what I believe you can gain from this discussion. But first, to give you a better understanding where I’m going with this, let me share a little of what Fifty Amp Fuse does.

Fifty Amp Fuse is a “tribute band” in the best way possible – they are truly paying tribute to the greatest music from the 60s and on.  Now the remarkable thing is that they don’t have one great singer. They have six phenomenal singers! You got Tam Johnstone behind the drums bringing down the house covering styles from Stones to Eminem.  You got Allen David’s awesome smooth vocals taking the lead in numerous songs. You got Remy Lambert who goes from Barry White, to getting the crowd roaring  in Sweet Home Alabama, to delivering rock “screams” only Steve Tyler (Aerosmith) can do.  You got David Eversole embodying Marvin Gaye – and this is at the same time  he’s playing the bass! Yes, these guys are superb instrumentalists as well as singers.

Then you have Peter Shaw (previously lead singer with Trans-Siberian Orchestra) entering the stage in a bunch of numbers, singing Bohemian Rhapsody in a way that Freddie Mercury could only do on good nights (And Freddie sure was an awesome singer).  And then Brian Lord lets loose taking on Guns N' Roses,Journey and more like very few singers can.  Add to that the addition of guitar virtuoso (and singer) Louis Metoyer, as well as a choir in some of the numbers, and you have no other choice than to either gape in awe, close your eyes and just enjoy, or sing and dance along. 

You can, by the way, go here to see an interview I did with Remy earlier this year

Now there are a lot of things we could study and talk about – from their instrumental skills, to how they practice, to how they effectively have built the show. However, for now let’s talk about vocals. 

Take a song like, for example, Bohemian Rhapsody, where the lead vocals in this case were phenomenal. However, there is something extremely important that takes the song to yet another dimension… and that is the additional vocals. 

When I was in my teens there was a local band trying to do Earth Wind & Fire songs.  They got the groove down, they got the brass section, but hello… where were the vocals?  They seemed to forget that EW&F was a phenomenal vocal band.  I hear bands all the time where the lead vocals may be okay, but … where are the additional vocals?  Additional vocals add a completely new dimension to a song.

Listen to your favorite bands and listen to the additional vocals.  The problem is that many bands can’t pull it off live (even the famous ones).  That is, once again, why it is so rewarding to hear a band like Fifty Amp Fuse pull it off.  You get six voices like that together (seven with Louis) and you have something absolutely extraordinary.

Per Bristow backstage with FiftyAmpFuse – www.FiftyAmpFuse.com and www.YourGenerationInConcert.com

Beatles knew the value of vocals of course.  Try doing a concert of Beatles songs with only one vocalist.  But the truth is, most great bands have multiple singers who can sing well. Listen to your favorite bands. Listen to the additional vocals.  Listen to the details.

Anyone who has sung in a band, group or choir, knows what an incredibly feeling it is to be part of voices coming together.  It’s an incredible experience for the audience too. Have you had that experience?

So here’s my suggestion.  If you play in a band, encourage all of the members to develop their voices. I guarantee you will be able to create a new dimension to your songs, a far more exciting experience for the audience, and greater success for your band.

I’m not saying additional vocals always need to be in harmony. Unison can be powerful too.  And certainly not all songs need additional vocals – especially not if it’s a more intimate song, but try it out.

And if you sing backups or sing with a group or choir, I recommend you adapt the mindset of a soloist.  Embrace and get comfortable with the idea of being a soloist. 
That doesn’t mean it is an ego driven idea of wanting to take over from the lead vocalist.  It means you are in charge of what you do and you do it with confidence. Just like the goalie is in charge of his role on a soccer team or the drummer is in charge of what he does in the band.

When you have great individual skills, and you bring them together, that’s when you have a great team.

So now I would like you to share your experience of voices coming together.  Do you remember your first experience of singing in harmony?  Have you had some great experiences as an audience member?  Have you had experiences of songs being enhanced when you added additional vocals?  Have you had experiences of when bands/teams went to a new level?  Please add your comment below.

Now, I mentioned Shaun White and I wrote about fear in regards to performance. I also promised I would follow up on this subject.  Well, we have certainly witnessed amazing feats in the last couple of days…

Let’s start off with Shaun White.  I wrote the previous article before he was about to compete in the finals of the snowboard half pipe.  I mentioned how he was the heavy favorite with enormous pressure on him to win, and also expected to perform a trick no one has ever done before. Would he be able to perform at his peak with this kind of pressure?

I also mentioned his attitude, work ethic, his constant challenge to push the boundaries of what is possible, in addition to his fun-loving personality. This has not only made him the peak performer that he is, but has also been a major factor in growing the popularity of his sport.

Well, if you saw the competition you know what happened.  In his first run, he flew higher than everyone else.  But then in the last trick, he didn’t do the trick everyone had had been waiting for.  He did a safer trick, and yet he landed the highest score.

Now being the leader, he would start last in the second run. Since it is the highest score of one of the two runs that counts, everyone else would now have to push the boundaries of their capabilities to outscore him.  He had turned the tables and put the pressure on them.

This time no one succeeds and Shaun White is proclaimed the winner without needing to do his second run. 

So what do you do now?  The pressure is off. You have already won. You’re celebrating. But what do you do?  On TV we could sense this dilemma. Just ride down the center and celebrate? 

To be able to refocus in this situation is one of the most difficult things to do.  If you have listened to Shaun White you know that he needs pressure to perform well. All peak performers do. But where’s the pressure? He has to find it. 

Now, of course he knows what people are waiting for.  They’re expecting to see the trick – the one everyone has been talking about. Talk about pressure. His coach helps him to refocus – adding to the pressure – by saying: “Don’t do it if you’re not gonna stick it”.

However, his thoughts are likely not on what other people expect. He came to the Olympics with a trick in his bag that he has worked so hard on – the Double MacTwist 1260. Would he walk away without doing it?  Of course not, not if you’re Shaun White.

For peak performer is not just about winning, it is about doing what you set out to do – to do something you haven’t done before.

So there he goes in his second run, flies like never before, leaving us mortals gaping in awe over how it is even possible. And then he heads for the last trick… and he does it.  He lands his Double MacTwist 1260 perfectly and once again he has given us insights into the spirit of a peak performer.

So was he nervous?  Of course. All performers are nervous. In fact, Shaun White speaks openly about it

If you listen to athletes, you will learn that they are all nervous.  Some are just more honest about expressing it.  The Alpine skier Bode Miller has openly talked about how nervous he has felt this time. And amazing results have followed. To him nervousness is good. 

Last week a private client, who is a great singer but hasn’t had much performance experience, mentioned how nervous she is because she is not yet a pro.

I ask you the same question as I asked her:

What has made you believe that professionals are less nervous than you are?

In fact, I will leave you with this to contemplate (and respond to if you wish):

If you are not nervous on a regular basis, you are not challenging yourself enough.
What are you about to do this week that makes you nervous?
 

In American Idol we have arrived at Hollywood week.  For most of the singers this is an absolute dream come true.  They are beside themselves at the possibility and the opportunity that has proven to follow success in American Idol.  What if they can become the next American Idol?

And in Vancouver, the Olympic athletes have arrived at the moment they have trained towards for the last 4 years.

Now what is the big difference between American Idol contestants and Olympic Athletes?

Well, here’s one:  Last week we saw tears of desperation from the American Idol contestants who did not make it to the next round.  Several people choked in the heat of the moment and forgot lyrics.  Simon Cowell had of course added to the pressure when he proclaimed that “if you forget the lyrics” you’re out. And others didn’t do as well as they could and begged for another chance.

But the interesting part is how poorly they handled defeat. Several contestants were completely heartbroken, apologetic, ashamed or angry: “Sorry mom”, “I blew my one chance,” or someone defiantly screamed they could have been the next American Idol..  They were speaking as if their one chance in life to be something worthy had been crushed.  They spoke as if their careers were over.

What they don’t realize is that this fear of not being good enough is exactly the reason they choked.  They had built up this belief that this is the one chance in their life to prove something.  Their whole behavior is fear based.  Their singing is based on trying to prove themselves rather than communicating a song with love, joy and passion.  Frankly, many come across as quite immature.

But American Idol is no Olympics. You want pressure – compete in the Olympics.  You want to ensure that you don’t get another chance – compete in the Olympics.

But here’s the big difference: Athletes do not operate with fear. Great performers aren’t afraid of losing. They may hate to lose but they aren’t afraid of losing. Listen to athletes – real athletes – when they speak. Listen to them when they fail and listen to them when they succeed.

Tonight is a great opportunity to watch the veteran snowboarder Shaun White in Snowboarding.  Now there is someone who will be extremely nervous.  The pressure is enormous.  He won four years ago and everybody is expecting him to win and to perform a trick no one has done before. That, my friends, is pressure.  But listen to him when he talks.  I don’t know if he will succeed or “fail” tonight.  But listen to his attitude in either situation and you’ll understand why he excels so often.  Learn about the enormous work and preparation he and other athletes undertake.

For them it is a constant never ending search for improvement.  Now, I said Shaun White is a veteran.  But did you know that he is only 23?  Yes, that’s right, he won the previous Olympics when he was 19, after having fallen in the first run, then got up and outdid himself.  That is a true performer.  At 19 he was younger than most American Idol contestants who can’t seem to handle falling down even once.

To everyone who wants to become a singer, I urge you to watch and learn from someone like Shaun who knows what it takes to excel.

The Olympics started off with a horrific tragedy during a Luge practice run, which resulted in the loss of young Nodar Kumaritashvli from the country Georgia..

The Ceremony had already been a beautiful display of art and music, educating us about the history and bringing together the many aboriginal nations that inhabit Canada. And the ceremony became even more potent with the many reverences in honor of Nodar Kumaritashvli, such as when the audience stood up honoring the small delegation from Georgia as they entered the stadium.

While the word love was never mentioned, on display these coming  weeks are people who truly love what they do, and fearlessly do what they love.

I give John Furlong the first gold for his excellent performance.  Here is his speech:

With Jack Poole and Nodar Kumaritashvli in our hearts, and standing on the shoulders of every Canadian, I commit that the men and women of Vancouver 2010, our partners and our friends, are ready to deliver the performance of a lifetime.

The first email was from a concerned potential customer wondering if the Sing With Freedom program also works for someone who is a complete beginner and who has never sung before.  He was concerned because he had seen a bunch of testimonials from professional singers.

The short answer is yes. But how is that possible if also professionals find the program rewarding?

When it comes to learning an instrument there is a distinct difference between a lesson that is designed for a beginner, versus one that is designed for an advanced player. But that is not necessarily the case when it comes to singing. How come?

See, you may think you are a beginner, you may not have sung much, but your voice may still be strong, free, resonant, and flexible. You have after all used it your whole life, (which makes the process of learning to sing different from say learning to play a piano). It is very possible you may develop at rapid-fire speed.  Since you are a “beginner” you don’t know, do you?  In fact, being a beginner may be beneficial. You may not have developed a lot of bad habits (or limiting beliefs).

Even if you have some physical restrictions or weaknesses in certain muscles that haven’t been developed before, you may have a very flexible and adaptive mindset which will make you learn fast

Now let’s look at email number two:  You should first know that it is incredibly seldom that we get a refund request for the Sing With Freedom DVDs.  However, a few weeks ago my support staff got an email from someone who liked to point out that he was an “advanced singer”, and he requested a refund because he had “reviewed all the lessons in one sitting and didn’t feel he learned anything new”.  Therefore, in his opinion, “the program must be geared only to beginners”.

Now I could have told him that there is one way I can guarantee with a 100% certainty that he will not gain any results. And that is if he reviews all lessons in one sitting.

In fact, I did tell him that before he started lesson one.

The first thing I do in lesson one of the Sing With Freedom program is that I lay out the strategy of getting the most out of the program. Naturally, it is in my interest too that you experience wonderful results. Two of the main points I made is that you really need to do the exercise with me and then work on them for several days before you move on.  For people who do the program it becomes abundantly clear why that is. And for those who embrace these strategies, the results are often wonderful – for singers of all levels. 

Most likely, this person didn’t do a single exercise and was indeed just “reviewing”. And even so, doing all lesson in one sitting is completely worthless. 

The reason why I bring this up is that it is important to realize that, although this person may believe he is an advanced singer, he is not an advanced learner. And by being unwilling to learn and grow he is likely not very successful in his endeavors.

The “know it all” attitude is what makes growth impossible. I’m sure we all get trapped in that from time to time. This has nothing to do with the level of knowledge we possess, but the mental attitude we live with.

The reason many beginners and professionals alike get such nice rewards from the program is because the program is about encouraging new discoveries.  It is about making you feel muscles and movement on a deeper level than before. This way you can release tension and develop strength, flexibility and freedom and as a result you become freer and more confident in your expression.  This is of course crucial for both “beginners’ and professionals

So what I would like to encourage you to realize is that you don’t need to categorize yourself as a “beginner” or “advanced”.  The only thing that counts is if you want to grow and develop from where you are. Growth, new discoveries and a new freedom to your instrument is naturally exceptionally rewarding, whether you just sing for fun or you sing professionally. 

Are you an “advanced learner”? Under what circumstances and in what area of your life have you made major leaps in your development? Feel free to share any thoughts below.

Dear Per, I was wondering if you could give me some advise on what I wrote below! I know it’s a lot but maybe you could tell me what you think as a professional!  When I was younger I used to sing at home around the house to everything,  then when I was 8 I recorded myself singing. I listened back to it and it sounded pretty awful and out of tune so I decided never to sing around people again.

Unfortunately, it’s more common than we may think that we make dramatic “decisions” based on some perceived “bad experience” which then affects our lives – even if it is on a subconscious level.  It’s sad that this is so common when it comes to singing. We would hopefully not make the decision to stop playing basketball because we happened to miss the first shot we tried?  In your case it has nothing to do with your singing ability, but your tendency to make such a judgment about yourself.  (As you will see below, there is a reason for this).

Now I’m learning to play acoustic guitar and I sing at home to my CDs. I can reach the high notes the same as the singers singing the songs.  Even though I don’t know what it sounds like to anyone else! But I noticed I can’t sing the same when I sing on my own.

Yes, singing a capella (without accompaniment) is a far more advanced skill than singing to music.  In The Singing Zone I provide an ear training course, rhythm training course and a music theory course in addition to the voice training, so that you develop these skills also.
 

A few years back my mom made me enter X factor. I didn’t want to, I don’t have much confidence, I’m quite shy, and I’ve never sung in front of anyone, but I went along. I didn’t have a song prepared, but went with Dimming of The Day. The 3 judges were listening very attentively and I was shaking all over! I got to the chorus but couldn’t reach the high note. It was screechy and out of tune and one of the guys was laughing at me! All I could think about was getting out of the room!

So you made a fool out of yourself. Terrific. Welcome to the club. Now, it might be interesting to know that professionals prepare extensively while beginners tend to wing it. Successful people prepare to succeed. Did you prepare to succeed? Apparently not. It seems pretty obvious you would fail. How could you not? This has nothing to do with your potential to sing. And singing off key and not “reaching” high notes is far more a muscle/mind issue than an ear issue.

Now, why is it that so many want to put themselves in similar situations, but do not want to work hard to prepare?  Why do so many seek fame without having done their home work?  (you’ll find part of the answer below)
 

I got some advise and was told the reason that what I hear sounds good but what comes across in the recording and maybe to other people (as I’ve never been told what I sound like)  is bad, is because my inner ear isn’t in tune?

Why would it be in tune if you have never sung before, especially a cappella in front of people? It makes it sound as if it is some kind of inborn deficiency. It’s not your ear that is the problem. Your problem is that you haven’t developed the skills and didn’t prepare. You dived into the Olympic swimming pool without knowing which stroke you were supposed to swim. How about if I suddenly dived into the pool in the 100 meter butterfly, just to find my self violently flapping my arms in a desperate attempt to avoid swallow the entire pool, and all I can think of is if anyone will throw me a floating device within the next four seconds.  Then afterwards someone would give me the advice:  “Hey, your problem is that your arms aren’t in tune with your legs”  Well, duh, thanks for the tip, buddy.

Most swimmers would be recommended to start learning and practicing in the local pool – preferably under the guidance of someone who can teach it. How about we adopt the same philosophy for singing? 
 

I love to sing and really it’s a dream of mine to sing and make people happy when they listen to me sing and make my mum proud of me, but I don’t feel right now it is something I will ever do!

And there we have it. The child who is judgmental about him/herself is the child who is afraid of making mistakes. The child who is afraid of making mistakes is so because of the need to receive approval. A child who grows up to believe that the way he draws, sings or behaves is to make people happy, is the child who becomes programmed to believe that he isn’t good enough. This child will always seek external approval. This is what we call low self-esteem. This is the person who grows up to seek instant gratification, who needs to be in the limelight and shoots himself in the foot every time, or goes on hiding from himself and others. This person will get caught in a trap of seeking quick-fixes rather than enjoy long term processes – such as intense preparation. The person who is afraid of making mistakes inevitably makes a lot of mistakes – she attracts more of it.

Pride might seem honorable. However, the truth is that pride is a negative emotion. It is something far different from positive states of acceptance, joy and love.  (That’s for another discussion.)

And for you who are reading this:  Please don’t fall into the trap of blaming/ judging the parent. The story may be completely different from another person’s point of view.

The need for approval – the need to be loved – is immensely common for most people.  Those of you who have followed my program have learned that the first step to rapid learning as well as peak performance is to give yourself permission to “fail”.
Once you do, you can let go of judgment and instead become AWARE.  Now we can go to a fearless state of discovery and rapidly improve body and mind. Now we can become real winners.  Winners aren’t afraid of losing. 
 

I was thinking of getting singing lessons to help with my voice my confidence and my shyness , but I thought I’d get your opinion to weather I should as you have a lot of experience? Do you think it's something that can be fixed or is it just that I can’t sing?

There is no such thing as can or can’t sing, just as there is no such thing as can or can’t play tennis.  Some play for recreational reasons, some like to compete.  One person may practice 3 hours a day and another might play once every other month.  Both can enjoy it immensely.  I believe singing and developing the ability to sing with greater freedom can be an incredibly empowering activity that transforms us beyond making pretty sounds. If you want to sing to experience a greater freedom to your body and mind and experience the true joy of music and free expression, then yes, I highly recommend it.
 

So what was the point of this video? Let's look at a couple of important issues:

1)  Become aware. There is no way we are going to overcome fears unless we become aware of them. Unfortunately, we tend to avoid that four letter word and instead cleverly disguise it with more pleasant sounding words. So what is one of the most important keys to grow, develop and succeed?

Yes, the magic key is awareness. As you may know, much of my teaching is about developing greater awareness of body and mind.  When you become aware it is far easier to do something about it, and therefore improve significantly.

2) Just do it. When you are facing something uncomfortable, realize that "just do it" is a very good piece of advice. It's more than a cute marketing slogan for sports shoes.

3) What happens when you "just do it"?  When you are afraid, your body will tense up. Your breathing becomes shallow. The whole body goes into a fight or flight state of emergency. Your mind races, anticipating the future. (Fear is always about a perceived future). Most people will exit the situation without a clue of what actually happened in their body.

For many this is going on daily, although on a more subtle level. And every day these subconscious fears are holding you back.

As I was heading up the tower, my goal was to be aware of the fear. As I noticed it, I was immediately able to relax my body.  Many times during the ascent I tensed up, but since I was aware I was again able to relax. 

Realize though that there is no way you are going to be able to relax if you don't know what relaxation feels like. If you don’t know how to put your body in a resourceful state when you aren’t under stress, how are you going to do it under stress?

If, for example, you are not able to relax muscles in a comfortable range when you sing, how do you think you are going to be able to relax on high notes?  If you are not able to release a free, powerful, confident sound when you practice, how do you think you will be able to do it during performance?

This is why you want to develop an extraordinary awareness during practice. As you do, you  develop rapidly. You learn to coach yourself to perform well under any pressured circumstance.

Also realize that greater awareness of self leads to greater awareness of others – i.e. you become a better performer.

4) Challenge yourself. Remember that it is always easier to NOT do something than to do.

P.S.  I later went on the smaller free fall that I showed you earlier in the video.  This time I was able to relax even better (everything is easier the second time, isn't it?).  Frankly, I felt so relaxed that I thoroughly enjoyed the view and experienced no fear at all.  It was quite phenomenal. I am so glad I did it. 

So go ahead. Challenge yourself! Take action!  Do it! Then share your experience below.