Failure is never nice. Maybe small failures cause us to have a quick laugh at ourselves, but the big ones can be emotionally scarring, even to the point of us giving up altogether. Failure however, is an essential part of learning. You can’t get good at anything without learning from failure. So, how to “fail” well in singing?

Many singers might embrace this principle to a point, but eventually we start reaching limits where it feels like we can’t go any further. This is made worse, when we attempt something daring – like a high note we don’t hit very often, or even performing in an unknown setting – and it goes terribly wrong! It can cause mini-trauma’s that we carry for years to come. Perhaps you identify with this, knowing you’ve had experiences that caused you to remain in a comfort zone in the way you sing.

If you want to go to the next level with your singing, you MUST be brave. Not reckless, putting yourself wilfully in harm’s way, but definitely open to the idea of failing. Singing something and being bold enough to accept that it might not work, robs the body of the fear and tension that we would experience when under threat. Chances are, you’ll relax, accepting that failure is a good thing, not bad. A relaxed body will allow for better transitions in your range, better pitch, better tone and easier access to your emotions.

Accepting failure robs it of its power over us. And for the singer that wants to go to the next level, that’s a game changer.