If you
recently watched Kelly
Clarkson’s appearance on American Idol, or Lady
Gaga at the 2016 Oscars, you witnessed something very similar. Both of these performers were singing their
truth. They were singing real
personal stories, which they authored or co-authored, in both cases. Their feelings were palpable. Watching them, you knew that they had
lived through this painful experience. By expressing their feelings
about their experience, these performers made themselves completely vulnerable.
However, recreating
the power of this type of storytelling, when you are not the actual author,
presents a challenge for any singer. If
you are not the author, How do you emotionally recreate your experience through someone else's song? Is it your charge to find songs that tell stories similar
to your own? If so, how and where do you
find these songs? Do you start with the song or start with the memory? And what experiences, painful or memorable, do
you share with your audience? Should you
even bother with a song if it does not elicit a visceral reaction when first
presented to you? What tools do you employ to actually make the song your
own? These are the type of questions, a
singer of cover songs might ask themselves.
Your
personal experiences make you who you are.
But making a strong connection to your audience members is not
necessarily due the content itself -it can be the simple act of sharing. Whether sharing awkward uncomfortable
experiences, or joyful moments, as with most authentic stories, there is
usually some common ground. People love
to be reminded of the human experience in all its gloom and all its glory.
A singer may ask-what are some of the most unique, important, life changing, bizarre,
glorious, horrible, gleeful memories that make you the person you are today?
What songs could bring out your story or even a portion of your story? What are
the songs that trigger memories for you? Perhaps start a list and unpack those
memories. The memories could be big or
as small as a fleeting moment in time.
If you
have trouble recollecting, peruse old photos, take a trip down memory lane, talk
to family or friends, visit some old stomping grounds, listen to some old
albums/songs/soundtracks…then, put the list of memories in a column and then go
through each one and in a new column select the song.
What you
decide to share could be as small as a single reaction, or as big as the
road not taken. But in the end, you will have a great chance of truly
connecting to your audience, heart to heart, if you dig deep to connect and choose the song and share your
truth.
