Singers are born, not made.

Think of a time whenever you were WOWED by a singer. Maybe it’s a GRAMMY award performance; maybe it’s an opera singer with a 70 piece orchestra, or maybe it’s a TikTok-er showing off their incredible range. Maybe you thought to yourself “Wow, they’re so talented!” before immediately feeling inferior. You think this person was born with an amazing ability because it seems so effortless and natural. They make you feel alive inside, and you wish you could give that feeling to others.

But you’re not a singer. Maybe people tell you you have a nice voice, or maybe you did community theatre in the past. You always wanted to live the life of a professional singer, but then your life got in the way. You wish you would’ve been born as talented as that TikTok-er and wonder what life could’ve been.

You conclude singers must be born, not made.

And you’d be right…but not in the way you think.

Each one of us is born with a voice. Each one of us lives a life that influences what our voice does. Maybe you grew up in a large family and learned to make your voice loud so you could be heard. Maybe you were punished for speaking up and now speak softly. Maybe you have an accent that reflects the region of your upbringing. No matter your story, your voice is a tapestry of your experience, and every time you express something with your voice, you express something about yourself and the world around you.

This is what it means to be a singer. Sure, like athletes and most things in life, some people are born with immeasurable talent. But that doesn’t mean they know how to channel that talent into expression. And certainly they still have struggles and challenges like the rest of us. But singing, at its core, is about expressing one’s humanity with the oldest instrument known to humankind.

So maybe you don’t like the sound of your own voice (who does?). Maybe you’ve been told you’re tone deaf (very few people actually are). Maybe you just don’t know where to start your journey learning about your voice. Well do I have good news for you!

Here’s the secret: use what you were born with and just start singing.

Anything, preferably something you like. Something that feels good and doesn’t feel painful or strained. See what your voice can do, and see what it doesn’t like to do as much. Then whenever you’re ready, find a qualified voice teacher to help point out and fine tune your training (I can help with virtual voice lessons if you’re ready for it). The point is, you CAN improve your voice and learn to sing no matter how talented you are. Unless there’s something physically inhibiting you, anyone, at any age, from anywhere, can learn to sing.

Because singers are born AND made.