Make a song your ‘own’

The ethos of the Yes! You Can Sing! method is singing the song in your own unique way and making it your ‘own’. Some singers can imitate other singers very well, but even though they have that skill, they will often will want to find their own unique voice. People who think they can’t sing are often put off by the fact they simply don’t sound anything like the singer on a record they’ve heard. This is often understandable, if you want to sing a song you heard Ray Charles sing and you are a young woman with a ‘white’ ethnic background, the reality is, you will never sound like him! But what you can do, is sound like YOU the best you can be. Finding your own unique way of singing the song, is one of areas of singing that i specialise in. I believe that expressing the emotion of the song and singing the words like you really mean them is key. While the idea makes sense, you have this problem to overcome… where do you keep your voice when you are not speaking? And where do you keep your emotions when you are not feeling them? Now put your voice and your emotions together and put it into the song! Easier said than done! It can take a little guidance and practice before it falls into place!

I have picked some songs and chosen various renditions by different singers. I think it’s fun to listen songs interpreted in different ways and below are some of my favourites! However, there is a point to this, when i started singing i listened to singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Janis Joplin, Whitney Huston, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, and i couldn’t emulate any of them! It left me questioning whether i could sing or not but i didn’t want to give up. I realised that the only way that i could sing was if i stopped trying to sound like the world’s greatest singers and started finding my own way of singing. Even if you are one of the world’s greatest singers, there will be people who love what you do and people who hate what you do. You can’t please everyone. But you can learn to be the best you can be, in your own unique way!

Another important consideration which is highlighted by the tracks below, is the musical style the song is played, it  has to’ fit’ with the singers sound otherwise the singer won’t sound good. Ella Fitzgerald singing with a heavy metal band would sound weird!
Coming soon – listen to Yes! You Can Sing! students singing their own version of these songs!

Hallelujah written by Leonard Cohen
This is KD Lang’s version… it’s absolutely stunning!  Other singers versions coming soon!
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It’s Oh So Quiet written by Hanslang/Reisfeld
This is Betty Hutton’s version, i love Bjork’s version but this is truly brilliant! Other singers versions coming soon!
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I Heard It Through The Grapevine written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
This is The Slit’s version, i love this version. Other singers versions coming soon!
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I Can See Clearly written by Johnny Nash
This is the Beat Crusaders version. I like this version and it’s a good example of the music ‘fits’ with the singer’s style. Other singers versions coming soon!
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Feeling Good written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse
This is Muse’s version. I love this! Other singers versions coming soon!
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These Boots Are Made For Walking written by Lee Hazlewood
Cool version by Le Braghe Corte. Other singers versions coming soon!
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