Is Bigger Singing Better Singing?

These days especially, many singers are concerned about impressing people with the size of their voices. They want to belt and they want to sing big, but the key to being an exciting singer and therefore an impressive singer is not singing bigger, it is about creating "big moments". Any singing without dynamics is both unmusical AND damaging because the elasticity that comes from asserting the voice in the places within the phrase musically and then letting up, keeps the voice from being damaged. Pounding away at the same dynamic is stressful, but it is an element of some rock singing;what comes to mind is some of John/Lennon's rock singing in the Beatles, but that is not how to approach songs that are even slightly more melodic. If everything is loud and a singer is singing at their maximum, nothing seems loud because there is nowhere to go at the climactic points and the performance seems dead.

The second thing is that "big singing" has to be motivated ALWAYS by big emotion, and hopefully emotional release; that the singer is "letting out" emotion. Otherwise it fails both artistically and once again, is stressing the voice.

Thirdly, the particular voice needs to be ready(mature enough) and right (of a particular nature) to do "big singing". When weak and breathy voices try to sing louder by asserting more air pressure they blow the vocal cords apart, lose tone and actually become less present.  A voice has to be "focused" before it can be asserted. The range has to be established. If a high voice is singing heavily in the upper middle it will not be able to ascend to it's top. Voices must be asserted in the correct way and at the correct time.

Fourth, the technique behind the singing must be in balance. Generally beginners are encouraged in my studio to not consider dynamics just use the voice and what ever comes out is ok. Then we start to think of the direction of the phrase and add weight in the important places. Then we strengthen to be able to make a thrilling sound, finally we refine to make beautiful supported soft tones. If a singer is an absolute beginner it takes a few years. If a more advanced singer commences lessons with me, we could be at the refining stage.

Bigger is not necessarily better, but that does not mean that if a singer is not singing out enough it  should not be addressed. There is also the fact to be considered that every voice has a minimum amount of energy that has to be given to activate the vocal mechanism. Singers who don't give that minimum energy, will not function properly in any way. On the other hand, no voice produces it's most beautiful tone when it is at it's loudest!  Also, voices do not sing at their loudest when the singer is  trying to be loud!

Sing motivated. Sing musically, Sing beautifully. That is where the teacher should lead
the student who wants to sing big,