On a scale of one to ten how enjoyable is singing for you? Is it still as much fun as it was at some time in the past? If you are enjoying it more, keep doing what you are doing, as it is obviously successful. If you are enjoying it less, perhaps it is time to change some things and adopt a new perspective.

State of Mind 

Singing can become far too arduous. Worrying about what others think of your voice, struggling with inadequate vocal technique, singing with a poor monitor system, shouting over a too-loud band, dealing with poor tour conditions or no pay or unappreciative club owners, may gnaw away at your enjoyment of singing.

Advice from a Pro

I recently had the pleasure of listening to Don Was at the annual Los Angeles alumni brunch of my alma mater, Berklee College of Music. Don is a multi-Grammy Award winning record producer and the current president of Blue Note Records. His keynote speech at the brunch emphasized the importance of creating from the heart and sincerely performing music that touches people emotionally and helps them understand their lives better.

Clarify Your Goals

So what can you do about your loss of excitement for singing and performing? Clarifying your goals and reflecting on the bigger picture is a good first step. Just step back and remind yourself why you are doing what you’re doing. Certainly, if you didn’t know in the first place, it’s time to set some goals.

Or if you took up a singing career so that you could be the next Rock star and now you are 35 years or older and that isn’t looking too likely, reevaluate your situation and set meaningful goals for your musical career. Regardless of your age, you can create and perform music that others will appreciate. There is joy to be had from creating and communicating, so don’t underestimate that as a reward for your work.

There are other things you can do to revive your attitude about performing and we can discuss them in future blog posts. Leave a comment to let me know what else you’d like to know about this.