BLOG

Reclaim your voice – both inside and outside.

Viola Bornmann, Vocal Coaching & Personal Coaching

#5 Building Confidence and Awareness in Your Voice: Navigating Vocal Tips from Social Media Coaches

October 06, 20245 min read

Remember, even if the person giving the advice online is a professional, they aren’t in the same room with you. They can’t hear or feel what’s happening in your voice. So in those moments, you are the expert of your voice. Trust what your body is telling you.

Introduction:

One of my clients recently asked me during a class, “I tried this exercise from a Vocal Coach on YouTube, but it didn’t feel good at all. I was only pushing. Should I still keep on doing it?”

I was happy she asked because it gave us a chance to try that exercise together, and with just a few small adjustments, it felt so much better. This question comes up often – people try vocal tips they find on social media, and it doesn’t always feel right.

That’s why I wanted to share some thoughts on this today.

Building Confidence and Awareness in Your Voice: Navigating Vocal Tips from Social Media Coaches

In this blog post, I will discuss how to build confidence and awareness in your voice, navigate vocal tips from social media coaches, and understand the importance of listening to your body. You’ll learn how to trust your instincts and choose what’s right for your unique voice.

Table of contents:

  1. The Good and Bad of Online Vocal Advice

  2. Prioritizing Vocal Health

  3. Building Awareness for Your Voice

  4. Listening to Your Body, Not Just Your Sound

  5. You Are the Expert of Your Voice

  6. The Bottom Line

1. The Good and Bad of Online Vocal Advice

First of all, I love that there are so many free resources out there. It’s amazing that even if you don’t have the chance to pay for private coaching right now, you can still access all kinds of information, exercises, and tips. It can be a huge help!

But here’s the flip side: having so much information can also be overwhelming. With so many opinions, technical terms, and contradicting advice, it’s easy to feel lost, especially when you’re just starting. How do you know which exercises are right for your voice?

2. Prioritizing Vocal Health

The most important thing to remember is that any advice or exercises you follow should keep your voice healthy. Since the vocal coach on YouTube or Instagram can’t hear you, it’s up to you to decide what works for your voice.

But how do you know if an exercise is good for you?

3. Building Awareness for Your Voice

The key to knowing what’s right for you lies in building awareness of your voice. The more you understand how your voice works, the easier it is to decide if an exercise is helpful or harmful – even if it’s from the most famous vocal coach out there.

Every voice is unique. What works wonders for one person could cause strain for someone else. Let me give you an example: You might hear advice that says you need to be very active in your body for a powerful tone. That’s true – we do need some body activation. But if you’re already someone who tends to over-engage your body, trying to activate even more could lead to tension and pushing. In your case, relaxation might be more helpful than more activation.

4. Listening to Your Body, Not Just Your Sound

So how do you build this awareness?

One of the best ways is to focus more on how your muscles feel than just the sound you’re making.

When you sing, consciously connect with your body. Is there any strain? Do you feel like you're pushing or exerting too much effort? Is there any discomfort in your throat? If so, it’s a sign that you may need to reduce the effort in your vocal muscles and work less. Your vocal tract is made up of muscles, and you can lower the muscle effort here as well. Start with very low effort and gradually build up from there.

If reducing the effort still doesn’t feel right, it might mean:

  • This exercise isn’t for you,

  • It needs to be adapted to fit your voice, or

  • It’s simply not what your voice needs at the moment.

5. You Are the Expert of Your Voice

Remember, even if the person giving the advice online is a professional, they aren’t in the same room with you. They can’t hear or feel what’s happening in your voice. So in those moments, you are the expert of your own voice. Trust what your body is telling you.

And if you’re ever in doubt, or if something doesn’t feel right, it’s always helpful to seek feedback from a Vocal Coach you trust in a 1:1 setting. That way, you’ll get personalized advice tailored specifically to your voice and needs.

6. The Bottom Line

While free vocal exercises and tutorials online can be incredibly useful, they’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. Your voice is unique, and building awareness of how it feels and responds to different exercises is key. Trust your body, listen to your voice, and don’t be afraid to adjust or step back when something doesn’t feel right.

And when in doubt, personalized coaching can make all the difference! 😊

☕️ I invite you to a Coffee Call

If you're interested in discovering your voice with me, I invite you to a free 20-minute coffee call. During this discovery call, we can discuss your goals and needs, how I can best support you, and how we can work together. To learn more about me, you can also sign up for my newsletter or connect with me on Instagram. I am excited to get to know you.

vocal tipsvocal coachingvoice teachervocal coaching social mediavoice tips social mediavoice awarenessconscious voice
I am a Singer, Vocal Coach, and Personal Coach, with over a decade of experience coaching individuals. I write music, participate in theater plays and events as a singer, and lead vocal workshops and teambuilding events for companies. Holding a BA degree in Music, Pedagogy, and Psychology, I am also a certified Estill Master Trainer and Systemic Coach (DVCT & ECA).

As the founder of 'You Got This', I unite my two passions – voice and psychology – to offer a space where individuals can discover, develop, and reclaim their unique voice both inside and outside.

Viola Bornmann

I am a Singer, Vocal Coach, and Personal Coach, with over a decade of experience coaching individuals. I write music, participate in theater plays and events as a singer, and lead vocal workshops and teambuilding events for companies. Holding a BA degree in Music, Pedagogy, and Psychology, I am also a certified Estill Master Trainer and Systemic Coach (DVCT & ECA). As the founder of 'You Got This', I unite my two passions – voice and psychology – to offer a space where individuals can discover, develop, and reclaim their unique voice both inside and outside.

Back to Blog

FREE DOWNLOAD

YOUR VOCAL DIARY

Are you struggling to maintain a consistent daily vocal practice routine?

The VOCAL DIARY is a guided Diary that I created to help establish a practice routine (that fits into your schedule). Get your Diary for one week for free.

Establish and nurture your practice and celebrate your progress. You got this!