!

The NEW ERA

of SINGING TRAINING
!

Why Breakthrough Methods Can

Dramatically Improve Your Voice

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!
by Per Bristow
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!
Creator of The BRISTOW VOICE METHOD
!
and the
!

SING WITH FREEDOM / THE SINGING ZONE

home study program

Training people in 132 countries

to sing and perform with confidence and freedom!

!
www.TheSingingZone.com
!
Per Bristow - All rights reserved

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FOREWORD
In 2008 I published the first version of this report,
and while I hoped it would have an impact and be
helpful for people, I didnt quite realize what would
happen.

Since then, I am immensely grateful and humbled

that singers in 132 countries of all levels, styles and
ages have embraced the concepts of the Bristow
Voice Method through the Sing With Freedom / The
Singing Zone home study program.

I published my method to a broader audience with

the intent of helping people discover more of what they are truly capable of.
This instrument that we call the voice is so powerful on so many levels. Song
in all forms benefit mankind. A confident and empowered you benefits
mankind.

So today I am releasing this report once again. I feel the information is just
as pertinent today as it was a few years ago. Frankly, it is as important as it
ever was in 2008. I hope you too find it helpful and that it inspires you to
sing, perform, and live with greater success and freedom.

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ENJOY!
!

Per Bristow

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The New Era Of Singing Training

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Why Do You Sing?

!
Who wouldnt want to sound and feel good when they sing?
!
I take it youre not raising your hand :)
!

After all, you are here reading this for a reason. But in all seriousness, I doubt there
are many in this world who deep inside wouldnt want to sing better.

Singing is a fundamental and natural way of expressing ourselves. Singing

bonds. Singing lifts our spirits. Singing feels good.

There is no known society or tribe that doesnt sing (unless suppressed). In

fact, we could argue that we all sang long before we were able to
form sounds into language.

Maybe you want to be able to experience the high of 50,000 cheering fans maybe
you want to be the front singer of your band, or succeed at your next Idol, X Factor
or The Voice audition? Maybe you want to see your friends jaws drop when they
hear you at the next karaoke night?

Maybe you love singing in a choir? Or maybe you simply want to experience the
true inner joy of singing a sense of confidence and freedom whether you sing by
yourself or with others?

!
However.
!
maybe you feel you arent good enough? Maybe you dont think you are talented?
!
Maybe you experience strain, fatigue, hoarseness or some other kind of voice
problem?

Maybe you are frustrated because you cant sing those high notes or that you
dont have the strength and power you would like to have that you sing off key
or you simply dont sound as good as you would like to

!
Maybe you are frustrated because you feel nervous and awkward in front of people
!
Maybe you you know you are a good singer, but you also know that thee is more
within you more that would make you even more successful?

!
If so, you are right. There is more within you. Much more!
!

In this report I am going to outline why it is that you can indeed develop
your singing voice dramatically, and why you can do it faster than you
probably are aware of.

In fact, Im not only going to address why you can sound better than ever, but
how you can literally turn your voice into a magnet of attraction.

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The Promise Of A Greater Voice

I have coached singers and speakers in

the Los Angeles area for almost two
decades, and they come to me because I
provide no ordinary singing lessons.

They come to me because they know

that my coaching is more than just
improving the physical voice.

I am known for helping a person heal a

severe voice problem, to communicate
and express with greater freedom and
confidence, to become healthier, to be able to perform at your peak
when it matters the most.

And, yes, to become more attractive, spontaneous, alive, powerful and

influential.

Perhaps you have seen some of the success stories at http://

www.TheSingingZone.com/success-stories/

How is it possible that even very accomplished singers singers that I havent
even met (but who have done the Sing With Freedom home study course)
email me and say they have experienced the breakthroughs of their lives?

Please realize that these success stories come from completely unsolicited
emails. Please also know that the reason I bring this up is not to toot my own
horn, but to impress upon you that there is no reason why you cannot
experience similar breakthroughs.

!
In fact, there are two things we should establish right away:
!

1) As you will come to see, to not achieve dramatic results is highly

unlikely. It is, in fact, very difficult not to.

!
!

2) It has little to do with me. It has to do with the enormous capacity

that lies within YOU - enormous capacity that for some reason has
never been given permission to flourish.

The question is: How do we make your potential flourish? How can we ignite
the magic within you?

!
!
!
!

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To Break Free Of Restrictions

Its not surprising that American Idol, The Voice, X Factor and all the other
spin-offs across the globe are as popular as they are that karaoke bars are
flourishing, garage bands are formed every minute, and that song in all forms
is expressed throughout households, parties, devotional gatherings and
choruses all over the world.

Like I said, singing is such a fundamental part of us as human beings, and

there is also a reason singing brings with it so many health benefits.
Yet, many experience feelings
of inadequacy.

Many, even accomplished

singers, experience
discomfort, physical strain
and lack of confidence.

Many feel unsatisfied with

the way they sound, or how
they are able to express
themselves.

Many, who once loved to sing,

have lost the joy and would do anything to re-experience that joy.

!
And many more live with a false belief that they cannot sing.
!

In short: Many feel restricted in some ways, but dont know how to
break free of these restrictions. It is very important to break free of
these restrictions and release who you really are.

!
!
!

Why I Do What I Do

I know how devastating it can be when the voice isnt functioning the way we
would like it to. Whether its a pro whos lost his/her voice right before the
world tour, or a person who has lived closed off all his/her life after having
been told to be quiet as a child.

And I know the life-transforming impact a freer, richer, more resonant,

flexible, dynamic, and attractive voice has on someones life.

And by voice Im not only referring to the physical voice. I mean the real
voice your inner voice.

!
Everyone deserves to be able to sing with freedom and confidence.
!

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The process to become a powerful, free and confident singer, the way we do it
here, likely transforms your life in other areas. You become a more
empowered human being, and you serve your community and the world in a
new powerful way

So my task, my calling if you will, is to help empower people like you - to

take your singing, performance, and life to a new level.

The unfortunate fact is that singing training traditionally doesnt necessarily

lead to this kind of empowerment.

I often see singers who have trained for years and might be quite good, but
still operate with a lot of restrictions. As we will see, this is not surprising.
They know it and they sense it, but dont know what to do about it.

!
!
!

The Myths of Singing That Still Hold Us Captive

Perhaps you have heard or been told that breathing is the foundation for
singing? Perhaps you have been taught you have to learn breath-control
techniques?

Maybe you have even been exposed to statements such as sing from
your stomach, or sing from your diaphragm?

Perhaps you have even been warned that if you sing from your throat you will
damage your voice?

How many times have you encountered the advice that in order to sing
properly you must first stand with correct posture?

You may also have heard or been told to feel as if you are yawning, sing
through the mask, or open your mouth more?

Have you been told to push harder with your stomach to sing high notes?
Have you heard that in order to sing high notes or to sing with power
you must support your breath, or have stomach support?

Perhaps you are as confused as most of us as to what these statements

actually mean? Perhaps you have come to accept them as correct and have
never been exposed to anything different?

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And more importantly - how many

times have you been engaged in
singing training where the
process is via singing scales?

Why do you think scales always

used? To develop musicality, to
learn to sing on key and to be able
to hit the right notes?

How could I possibly argue that

singing scales is often highly
ineffective?

Why is it that most traditional

singing training focuses on
posture, breath-control and
singing scales?

Could I possibly believe differently

than that breathing is the
foundation for singing? Id seem
ready to be hauled away if I did,
wouldnt I?

!
The Right and The Wrong
!

As you will come to learn throughout this report, I dont subscribe to a right
versus wrong mentality. Nor do I subscribe to platitudes that people say just
because they have heard someone else say it.

Lets take breathing as an example

Out beyond ideas of

right-doing and
wrong-doing there is
a field. Ill meet you
there."
Rumi - 13th century poet!

We could easily agree that breathing is the

foundation of singing. We might even feel
that this statement is a sign of wisdom. Then
again, we could also easily agree that
breathing is the foundation for life. Now,
would this statement be a sign of wisdom or a
sign of simplistic naivet?

Many, if not all singers, have at some time

been told you have to sing from your
stomach.

But what on earth does it mean? What if I

claim that in order to run you have to run
from your legs?

Anyone can make statements and say what is supposedly wrong and what is
supposedly right.

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Anyone could have told Michael Jordan, who just missed a shot to his right, to
shoot more to the left next time.

!
But would that instruction have been helpful to Michael Jordan or anyone else?
!
Whether something is right or wrong is beside the point. The only
thing that matters is whether it is helpful or not.

!
Now before we go on, lets once and for all address the issue of talent.
!
!
Are You Talented Enough? What is Talent Really?
!

What if you simply are not talented enough? Maybe youre just not born to be
a singer? How talented do you need to be?
There is probably no other discipline
where the word talent is as used
(misused) as when it comes to singing. We
hear the term natural singer all the
time.

Many sincerely believe that singers are

born rather than made. Many believe
that where they are today (or where
they arent) is a result of their talent
(or lack thereof).

WHEREIN LIES THE TALENT OF A SINGER?

What is talent? Wherein lies the

talent of a singer? Is it the shape of
your larynx that determines your
talent? Your ear? Your mind?
What is it?

!
And who is equipped to judge talent?
!
What if we are talented, but the talent has only laid dormant?
!

I would like to start out by boldly claiming that the word talent is a
meaningless word.

In singing, where it is ultimately about communicating, the word talent is

even more meaningless.

There are successful singers who sound completely different from one another
and have completely different physical bodies, different musical talent,
different personalities in fact, completely different skills in every area.

!
!

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We could argue that to succeed in sports you need a certain genetic physical
makeup. However, even in that area talent is highly overrated.

!
!

Talent Versus Training

Some time ago I wrote an article about the similarities of teaching a kid to
throw a ball, and a singer effortlessly and confidently going for a high note.

I wrote about my then 6-year-old son who stood in our backyard pounding
baseballs at a target over and over again.

When he first stepped onto a baseball field at the age of 5, he was hailed as a
natural talent as a born athlete.

I was fascinated by how quickly people tended to throw out the word natural
talent, without knowing any background of what leads someone to develop a
skill.

And what really disturbed me was when someone did it in front of their own
kid, making their own kid believe he didnt have this natural talent.

There is no denying that we are all different. We are all unique and are born
with a different genetic makeup. There is nothing wrong with that, and there
is nothing wrong with accepting that we are different, but what do we really
mean by talent?

!
!
!

How We Really Learn

Dr. Howard Gardner at Harvard University is one of the people who paved the
way for a greater appreciation of our differences with his theory on multiple
intelligences.

!
The intelligences he describes are:
!

!
!

Linguistic intelligence ("word smart")

Logical-mathematical intelligence ("number/reasoning smart")
Spatial intelligence ("picture smart")
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart")
Musical intelligence ("music smart")
Interpersonal intelligence ("people smart")
Intrapersonal intelligence ("self smart")
Naturalist intelligence ("nature smart")

You may also be familiar with the different modalities of learning. These
include auditory, visual and kinesthetic. Sometimes we also include
tactual as a fourth modality. These modalities refer to the way we use

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our senses to take in and process information. It has been found that
different people use their senses differently when they process information.

However, realize that most of the discussions involving methods for

accelerated learning are geared towards retention of information.

But where are the methods to accelerate the development of musical

intelligence and inter- and intrapersonal intelligence?

!
!
!

The Birth of a Genius - YOU

Despite the differences in learning styles, it might be interesting to consider

what world-renowned developmental psychologist Jean Piaget pointed out:
Initially, we all learn kinesthetically.

When you entered this world, your senses and your awareness of self were
developed via your kinesthetic experiences. You began discovering that the
hand in your face was in fact your own hand, that the feet wiggling about were
your own feet. Your eyes began to interpret what you touched and vision was
developed.
Distance to objects is discovered via touch. We
discover what is soft, hard, round or sharp via
touching them and putting them in our mouth.

Sound is at its root vibration, and our hearing

i.e. our ability to interpret these vibrations
develops in the womb as a kinesthetic
experience.

As an infant you began making sound. Just

merely making sound, any sound, was a
fascinating exploration in and of itself. At that
time you had no concept of good versus bad, or
right versus wrong.

touch vision distance

balance space shape
texture sound goal
concentration awareness

As long as that freedom prevailed, you explored

endlessly.

Physical actions became interlinked with mental activity. This was also shown
by Jean Piagets study of the young child who, when attempting to "figure out"
how to get an object out of a closed matchbox, opened and closed her mouth.

!
!
!

Habits, beliefs and knowledge are constantly being implanted

via our kinesthetic discoveries, in conjunction with other
sensory experiences.

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Most people believe that becoming a great singer is about musical

intelligence and auditory learning.

And this is exactly what singing training historically has always emphasized.
This is why listening, copying sounds and notes, and singing scales are the
dominating methods to learn to sing.

For example, most beginner singers are encouraged to follow along with prerecorded CDs.

But singing is much more than that. Singing is also very much a physical
activity a kinesthetic activity.

!
!
!

The Real Secret to Learning

Now lets go back to the art of teaching a child to throw and catch a ball to
help us understand how you can rapidly develop your singing voice no
matter your age.

!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

Take a look at both these pictures above. Which kid is going to throw the ball
the farthest? Its pretty obvious, isnt it? But whats the difference?

(Im using my own son here as an example since I know the facts behind it,
but it could be any kid.)

The term hes got a great arm is often used for someone who can throw
well. But is it just the arm? Look at the picture. Where do you think the
power and accuracy comes from?

First off, we should realize that if he throws a ball only 50 times a day (which
is about 20 minutes of play), he has thrown it over 18,000 times in a year!

Considering this factor alone, are we surprised that this kid shows greater skill
level than a kid who has never tried? Is this talent or training?

!
!

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If a child is regularly expressing in sound, is it surprising that the voice, and

the confidence using the voice, becomes developed?

!
!

However, even so, it is not the time spent that makes the real
difference. The secret lies in the how!

While repetition is known as the mother of skill and practice is certainly

valuable, the person who excels is not necessarily the person who has
done something the most.

The reason one child throws further, harder and straighter than another has
also less to do with strength than we might think.

The secret of a throw is to use the leverage and

balance of the body feet, legs, hips, back,
shoulder, arm, eyes etc.

!
But heres the important part:
!
!

The process of learning even learning

a physical activity is
more a mind issue than a body issue.

Now, the power of the mind is a huge subject and

a dear subject of mine but would take hundreds of
pages to write about, so lets settle for this:

!
!

The person who

excels is not
necessarily the
person who has
done something
the most.

The act of catching i.e. the result

is irrelevant during the process.

Catching the ball i.e the result just becomes the obvious and soon very
easy by-product. As a result, a five-year-old catches a ball thrown at him with
full adult speed without blinking an eye.

!
!

Whether you catch the ball or not is irrelevant in the process of learning
to catch a ball
Where the ball lands is irrelevant when learning to execute a baseball
swing.

Whether you hit the notes or not is irrelevant when learning to

sing on key!

!
Lets read that again:
!
!
!

Whether you hit the notes or not is irrelevant when learning to

sing on key!

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It sounds counter-intuitive doesnt it? Shocking perhaps? How then can you
learn to sing perfectly on key?

!
Bare with me
!
We can state this phenomenon in a different way:
!

It is the child who is concerned about catching the ball that has
a hard time learning to catch the ball.

It is the child who is concerned about hitting the baseball who never
learns the balanced swing.

It is the singer who is concerned about hitting the notes who

ends up singing off key!

!
In fact, lets take this one step further and broaden our perspective:
!
!

It is the person who falls for get-rich-quick schemes who never gets
rich.
It is the person who goes for lose-weight-quick schemes that has a
hard time losing weight.

!
!

It is the person who seeks instant gratification via drugs

(pharmaceutical or recreational) that has a hard time being healthy.

Yes, when we go for quick-fixes we apply band-aid solutions to a deeper

problem. A quick-fix mentality is ultimately a very slow process
towards the real goal.

The reason for all this is simple: The result-oriented person has not learned to
truly experience THE PROCESS.

When your mind is focused on the result, your mind rushes back and
forth between anticipation and judgment and you cannot truly
experience the process.

!
!
The Two Words That Stop You in Your Tracks
!
And there we have the word: JUDGMENT
!

We adults are expert judges. When a kid makes a drawing, our inclination as
adults is to comment on whether it is good or bad. If we have a positive
mindset we might say its good. But commenting that something is good is
also making a judgment.

!
!

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While praise is highly beneficial, we easily fall into

the trap of praising the result rather than the
process. As kids we then grow up with a
subconscious desire to be good and get external
rewards (until maybe we rebel in our teens).

As you can tell, there is one emotion that runs

through all of this. Thats right: It is FEAR.

Embedded in the desire to be good, the desire

to catch the ball and the desire to hit the
notes, lurks the FEAR of not being good
enough the fear of missing the ball, or the
fear of not hitting the notes.

Every person who lives with a secret desire to be

able to sing, yet feels they cant, did at some point
come to believe they werent good enough. This
person was maybe told to be quiet or was kicked
out of the chorus.

How many times today have

you made a judgment about
someone else?!

How many times today have

you made a judgment about
yourself?

If you believe you cant sing at all, then ask yourself how many attempts you
made. Did you make 18,000 attempts in a year? How many people helped
you discover a strategy that would enable you to find your singing voice?

!
Numerous people believe they cant sing.
!

Its a ridiculous belief really.

Now, professionals and celebrities live with just as much fear and judgment
especially when the pressure is on especially when the voice isnt working!

!
!

How to Develop Amazing Skills

So to go back to the example of throwing a ball: How do you teach a kid how
to throw a ball like that?

!
The answer is: You dont.
!

People ask me if I can teach anyone to sing. One answer could be: Yes,
absolutely. Another answer could be: I dont teach anyone.

We could argue that my real expertise is to learn. Yes, Im a learner, and

as such I help other people become rapid learners (and effective healers).

Think about it; you werent taught a language. A child acquires a language
when exposed to it.

!
!

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There is no way I could teach my kids to assemble 100-piece puzzles at the

age of two and a half. Both of my kids did it because they were in an
atmosphere where they enjoyed the process of DISCOVERING.

I dont teach my kids how to catch a ball by just showing them how to do it. I
help them DISCOVER a fearless approach to seeing a ball come at them.
I (and my wife lets not forget her) help them discover and develop an
awareness of their body i.e. kinesthetic awareness and help them
discover the balance, rhythm and movement of the body.

This also includes the ability to go from maximum physical output to

maximum physical relaxation in a matter of minutes.

!
This involves activities seemingly unrelated to catching and throwing a ball.
!
Do you see the T-shaped arms? A fraction
of a second earlier, his right arm was
complete stretched to be able to get the
leverage and free rotation in his shoulder.

You seldom see this in a kid who is 5 years

old. (Yes, he was 5 in the photo). Why not?

!
Is it hard to learn?
!

Of course not.

Its just that most kids never discover how

easy it is. Most kids this age do as his
friend in the other photo does, and
effectively lock their shoulders, which
makes any power quite impossible.

!
Similarly, many singers effectively lock their larynx.
!

The kids who havent discovered this are not necessarily the ones with less
talent, but the ones who have not had the opportunity to be coached
through the process.

In all likelihood, they have been more focused on the outcome of the throw
than on experiencing the beautiful feeling of a freely rotating shoulder.

Similarly, many people have not had the opportunity to experience the process
of freeing the functionality of the voice.

In all likelihood they have been more focused on the outcome of the sound,
hitting notes and singing scales than on experiencing the beautiful feeling
of freely vibrating vocal cords (vocal folds).

!
!

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See the power and balance in the right leg? A fraction of a second later his
right foot pivots, the hips snap around, still in perfect balance, creating
momentum for the upper body, making his arm the last thing to move.

!
Yes, the free rotation of the hips creates the power more than the arm does.
!
His friend in the other previous picture does what kids commonly do at this
age, and makes movement of the hips quite impossible.

Likewise, many singers make movement of the vocal cords quite

impossible.

!
!

The Art of The Process

So

!
!

There is never any right or wrong involved in the game i.e the
process. There is no judgment of the result but instead awareness of the
process.

If a child gets involved in the process of seeing objects coming at him, rather
than trying to catch it, there can never be a right or wrong. There can
only be discovery.

A year or so later, catching that ball that comes straight at him at full speed is
like picking an orange off the tree.

!
Now what do you think that does to his confidence?
!

Can any child learn this? For some it may take longer, but of course they can.
In a year or so, the boy in the other picture may be sensational at baseball.
We dont know. Then again, he might be more interested exploring other
things in life.

Can anyone learn to sing? Of course they

can.
The Great 19th century
novelist Henry James
mentioned awareness
as one of the essential
qualities of genius. !

A genius is a person
on who nothing is
lost.

!
Does it matter how old you are?
!

While muscles are more difficult to develop

as we get older, age is far less a factor than
is mindset.

!
Age is, however, a terrific excuse.
!

The question really is: Are you willing to let

go of judgment and allow yourself to
experience something new?

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A rapid learner is someone who loves to be involved in curious exploration and

discovery.

!
!
In contrast, a quick-fix mentality seeks external rewards.
!

Someone with a quick-fix mentality doesn't have time to become involved in a

process. As a result, he/she learns very slowly - or more likely, he/she never
learns.

On the other hand, the person who loves to experiment and discover without
judgement, but with a high level of awareness, also develops dramatically.

!
!

Internal motivation is endlessly more powerful

than external motivation.

Since rapid learners are involved in the process, they are also engaged in the
present moment.

Judgment and anticipation are reflections on the past and the future,
while awareness is in the here and now.

The present moment is where rapid learning takes place and where peak
performance occurs. The rapid learner and the peak performer may love
results, there is nothing wrong with that. However, we learn that the way to
achieve remarkable results is to love the process.

!
!
!

Peak Learning and Peak Performance

Rapid learning and peak performance happen in a state of heightened

awareness in the here and now. (Actors speak of being in the moment and
athletes speak of being in the zone.) Kids are experts at this until we
encourage them to judge the result or achieve results just to get external
rewards.

So, as I mentioned, we could argue that I dont teach people how to sing. I
help them experience a process in which they discover a voice they
never knew they had.

I help you discover an awareness of your instrument, together with a process

of learning you never knew existed no matter how young or old.

When you first take your mind off of needing to sound good and hit the notes
i.e. the result you can begin to experience true magic. And not only has
it been proven to be exceptionally effective it is also fun.

Kids dont see doing fun things as practicing nor should they. To them it is
all play. Its interesting to ponder why we adults have turned the word

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practice into a rough-sounding chore that takes effort, instead of using the
more effective learning tool play.

A child will do more of what he experiences as fun, and so will you. Joy is
what creates a desire to do more of the same.

So we have mentioned curious exploration, and that this curious exploration is

a process in the here and now, and we mentioned joy.

!
!

Curious Exploration + Joy

Momentum!

Yes, now we have momentum. We want to do more of it. Now we do more,

not just for the sake of doing more, but to discover new things. Each new
discovery creates more joy and more curiosity, leading to more discoveries,
and so on.

Part of that joy is of course when we experience dramatic improvements.

Theres no denying that.

However, being aware of improvements is a far cry from judging. Naturally,

when we realize possibilities, these possibilities become magnets for
developing further.

!!

Note: Doing with joy, doesnt mean everything has to be fun every
single moment. Frustration can be an important part of the
process. The frustration of not being able to reach the toy isnt seen as
failure for the infant. It simply makes him want to move forward.
Athletes come to enjoy the fact that some physical and mental
pain is part of growth. In fact, growth is impossible without it.

So during a process, there is no such thing as right or wrong. There is no

such thing as correct versus incorrect.

When you were a child learning to walk you never experienced the falling
down as wrong, incorrect, mistake or failure. To fall once in a while was
a natural and vital part of the process. It is only when we judgmental adults
reacted to that fall as if it was a mistake or an oops that judgments were
brought onto you as a child.

We should realize that this kind of thinking has certainly not always been part
of learning processes. How many piano students have been conditioned to
stop as soon as they played something wrong? (some even used to get their
fingers slapped.)

How many kids hear from parents and coaches when they make a mistake on
the baseball or soccer field? I hear it at every game I attend.

!
!

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In fact, at every single game or match I hear parents yell what the kid should
do, rather than let the kid focus and discover it together with his teammates
and coaches.

How do you feel when you sing a scale and your voice breaks? How
do you feel when someone laughs at it or tells you oops, or that youre doing
something wrong?

In fact, most often, even in so-called advanced voice training, it is

considered failure when the voice breaks/or cracks, and most people do their
best to try and avoid it.

The truth is that we grow up to avoid failures and mistakes. We avoid the
fears. We avoid making fools of ourselves. And we try to avoid sounding bad.

Avoidance creates more and more restrictions. It is indeed true that what
you resist persists.

!
And what happens when you sing scales?
!

Yes, when you sing scales everything automatically turns into auditory
dominant learning. It automatically does so since you are following along and
trying to hit the notes, and listening to how your voice sounds.

It is then impossible to gain the level of awareness that you can gain
instantly as soon as we change the process.

!
!
!

The Old Conditioned Beliefs of Singing Training

Unfortunately, so many singing teachers are conditioned to believe in correct

versus incorrect. This is not surprising. Volumes have been written
regarding correct versus incorrect breathing, posture and overall use of the
voice.

The tradition of singing training has

taken such a stronghold over how
singing is supposed to be taught,
that teachers still quote what was
supposedly correct centuries ago.

Many even go so far as to state that

singers of different styles sing
incorrectly, and the internet is
loaded with material making claims
of correct and incorrect singing.

!
!
!
!

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(Note: There are surely plenty of singing teachers that have derived their thinking and
their methodology from the old-school thinking. This is in no way meant to dismiss
their good work. Yet, from my experience, the overwhelming majority of singers have
indeed been exposed to the old-school kind of limited thinking.)

We should realize that anyone who speaks of correct versus

incorrect is of course only expressing their limited and judgmental
view of the matter.

So the issue is never what is correct or incorrect according to some

idealized opinion or according to a book. The only issue is what will help the
person in the most effective way.

My passion as a coach (and parent) is to create a situation where the person

acquires the skills they want to acquire. One of my developed skills is to be
able to devise strategies to trick you into discovering your unknown
potential. The real help arrives when you develop a greater awareness of
their body and mind.

!
!
!

Singing Training from a Historical Perspective

Training methods for athletes have evolved dramatically. Different training

tools have been developed. Greater scientific knowledge has given us the
understanding that various ways of activating muscles affect them differently.

Different training strategies have been developed for different sports. The
world of sports has also been in the forefront in understanding mental
training, mental preparation and the psychology of performance.

But isnt it funny that singers still sing the same scales? And many even
practice exercises that were designed for a different use of the voice.

The singing training that most people encounter here in the Western world is
derived from the Western school of classical singing.

I stated in the beginning that every society and tribe sings. However, we
should realize that centuries ago in Europe when opera became popular, the
common man certainly did not sing opera. It was not music for the people. It
was music for the courts.

Opera became a style, partly born out of a need to project the voice in a large
auditorium over an orchestra. Singing opera was, and still is, a far cry
from a natural way of using the voice.

It was a highly specialized technique and it was an art form for the elite few.
Becoming a singer back then was a way to go from poverty to wealth, just as
it can be today. But it was only the select few that were able to pursue it.

!
!

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The chosen ones were indeed chosen because of genetic makeup. In

order to be able to create a sound of opera, you do indeed need a certain
physicality that is inborn.

Today this is no longer true, as singers can sound completely different and still
be singers.

We should realize that even within opera there were clashes among
techniques. There were differences of opinion between the German and the
Italian schools, for example. And even within the Italian school, where the
technique that got the name Bel Canto came from, there were many
differences of opinion.

I have to admit I find it somewhat puzzling when teachers of today claim they
teach the real Bel Canto. How would they know how someone taught
centuries ago? Even if that were true, why would that be a positive? If you
are striving for Olympic gold, would you use the same training methods from
centuries ago?

This does not in any way mean that we cannot greatly appreciate, admire and
learn from art and cultures of the past. In fact, many of the strategies of
effectively influencing the body and mind where known thousands of years
ago.

So it becomes problematic when techniques that were used in one specific

style a hundred years ago are promoted as a correct way of using the voice.
Perhaps such claims are the remains of an elitist point of view.

By making such claims we are also dismissing every other culture who sang
long before opera and Bel Canto became popular.

!
!
!

Breath Control Why It Is Counterproductive

One would be hard pressed to find any singing instruction that does not begin
by teaching the concept of breath control.

Breath control and breath support are

standard terms we hear and read about in
just about any literature on the voice.

Now, as we said in the beginning, we

could easily agree that breathing is the
foundation of singing, and we could also
easily agree that breathing is the
foundation for life. But again, would
stating it be a sign of wisdom or a sign of
simplistic naivet?

!
!

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It is certainly true that many breathe far from optimally, especially in our fastpaced and stressed society. The question is how we effectively develop
effective breathing when singing.

!
Lets explore the concept of control
!
The Evolution of Control
!

Being out of control is generally seen as something negative. The desire for
control has been a natural progression from an evolutionary perspective. Our
ancestors daily life was about eating or being eaten. The neurological fight
or flight response has evolved out of a need for survival.

As tribes and societies formed, control was necessary. Civilizations have

evolved on the basis of control and by assuming power over others in order to
avoid chaos in order to not be eaten from within tribes or from outside
threats. Control has been necessary for survival and order.

Religious institutions and political systems have many times been about
controlling and assuming power over others. Educational systems and
parenting were built on the idea of teaching children to learn specific skills and
to be obedient.

Obedience and submission were in fact highly valued within a family, the
workplace, church and society in general.

The obedient worker used to be the valued worker. Children were subjugated
to the adult world, and were taught to assume their place in society. Not
long ago, it was assumed that children would follow what their
parents did.

To dream of success or strive for something different than our

parents did is a quite new concept. To not be obedient was disruptive and
not seen as beneficial for the greater good.

As our level of consciousness, technology, society and understanding of

ourselves have rapidly evolved, we have become more aware that we have the
ability to control. Being able to control our emotions, our mind and our lives
has been seen as ultimate mastery.

So in relation to having no control and being subjugated to outside powers,

the idea of being able to better control our lives has naturally been seen as
significant progress.

The pharmaceutical industry was revolutionary in that it first saved lives and
then achieved the perceived mastery of being able to control and suppress
symptoms and assume power over the body.

However, today as we have evolved further, concepts of control are shifting.

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Where mechanical workers where highly rewarded in the past, mechanical

obedience has very little value today. Today the worker who just does his
job is minimally rewarded. It is the worker who is self-managed, creative,
communicative and proactive who is highly rewarded.

!
!
!

The evolution of consciousness has brought the insight that even

greater benefits are gained by empowering others rather than
assuming power over others.

!
!
!
!
!

The successful, thriving corporation of today is the one who empowers

its employees rather than attempting to control and assume power over
them.
The successful child is the one who is empowered to discover his/her
own abilities.
The healthy body is the body that is empowered to be alive and to flow
with energy without restrictions, rather than being controlled.
The thriving society is the one who empowers its citizens rather than
assume power over them - which results in greater productivity and
greater peace.
The thriving schools are where students are empowered to research,
discover, create, work in teams, etc. These schools are the ones who
are moving away from rote learning
and lecture style learning.

-- The old male ideal used to be the one

who controls and doesnt show emotions.
Todays strong male is the one who isnt
afraid of being vulnerable and show his
emotions.

-- The old ideal of a strong woman was the

one of obedience. Today, the ideal woman
is the empowered woman.

-- Old school acting was not about

experiencing true emotion. The skill of an
actor in the past was to control emotions
and with gestures and voice inflictions
illustrate emotions.

!!

A phobia is a persistent
and irrational fear of a
particular object or
situation

The underlying feeling

with all phobias is a
fear of being 'out of
control'.

What was seen as highly skilled yesterday is

in todays world seen as fake.

!
!

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Actors of today want to let go of the need to act and the need to control. The
top actor of today seeks to experience the truth, and to be completely
spontaneous, vulnerable and authentic in the moment.

!
!

To Release Restrictions
The need to control really implies the fear of being out of control.

For example, it is only the person who lives in fear of his emotions who feels a
need to control his emotions.

It is the singer who lives in fear of missing notes who needs to control the
notes. It is the singer who fears the voice will crack who feels a need to
control it.

!
To control implies holding something in check.
!
However, what is effective breathing?
!
Breathing is MOVEMENT!
!

Yes, movement of air, movement of muscles and organs, movement of

energy. In a healthy voice air and vocal cords (vocal folds) move freely.

Free movement cannot be achieved when restrictions are present.

Sound is movement and life is movement. Why would you ever want
to hold your life still?

Its not surprising that people who have

been trained in the concepts of
controlling their breath from traditional
singing training are also the ones who
have the most restricted breathing
patterns. (Although since it is habitual,
they dont experience these as
restrictions until they suddenly
experience a newfound sensation of
freedom).

For many people, fears such as if you

dont control your breathing you will damage your voice are deeply ingrained.
In this case, the need to try and do something to control is ultimately fear
based.

With all of this in mind, isnt it interesting that we are so often still taught
concepts of control when it comes to singing, even though singing is perhaps
the most natural form of expression?

!
!

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What if we told the child who loves to express with her voice that she has to
learn to support her voice from the stomach, or else she will ruin her voice?

What if I told my kid that he cant throw that ball until he learns to do it
correctly?

The truth is that many have ben told exactly that. And that is exactly how
many talents have been squelched.

!
!
!

The Power of Letting Go

When I lead a client through a series of specifically designed experiments whether in private or through the Sing With Freedom program - they suddenly
experience a profound shift.

!
How come?
!

Because rather than being shown what is right or wrong, they

make a rather extraordinary discovery.

They experience a newfound sense of release release of sound,

release of air, release of fears, release of the need to control.

!
It is a wonderful feeling.
!

Often they immediately experience that this newfound non-restricted

breathing enables them sustain a note far longer compared to when they
attempted to control their breath.

In addition, they experience far greater power and freedom, but with
much less effort.

!
!
!
!
!

Imagine the ultimate freedom of being able to let go to let go of the

need to control
Imagine when fear is a thing of the past and the need to control is
replaced with trust
Imagine discovering a newfound freedom when mental and physical
tension is released and your breathing, as well as your voice, becomes
freer, fuller, warmer, more dynamic, and more powerful

Its not difficult to imagine how this directly translates into a freer, warmer,
more dynamic, powerful and attractive human being.

!
As you already know, your voice is much more than a physical instrument.
!
!

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Ultimately it is about freeing you, the real unique, authentic you comes ALIVE.
It is about making you freer and more confident to express,
communicate, present, and perform.

!
This is how you become more influential, attractive, and powerful.
!

This is what is needed to make the crowd go wild, and this is how you
empower every cell within.

Frankly, being able to express with confidence, power (the power to empower
others), and freedom, is likely the most rewarded skill in todays world.

This awareness that you develop also empowers you to practice effectively on
your own. This is crucial. As we said before, it is not the person who does
something the most who excels the most.

It is not the person who sings scales over and over who improves. Progress
comes from HOW you do something.

You need to know how to release restrictions and effectively build strength so
that you dont experience strain and hoarseness. You need to know what to
do on a bad day, to recover effectively from fatigue, and to prevent bad days
from happening.

And what may at first seem astonishing is that since you emit a new energy
with less restrictions, you become more attractive, powerful and, yes more
influential.

I said in the beginning that to not experience significant results

through this process would be quite unlikely.

This is true. It is as unlikely as an infant not discovering how to walk.

As you already know, you do have the opportunity to experience this process
absolutely risk-free. Im not going to push you to do so, but naturally I hope
you do give yourself permission to try it.

!
If so, you may go here to the Sing With Freedom page and give it a go:
!
www.TheSingingZone.com/sing-with-freedom
!

After all, its not without reason that it has helped 10,000s of people in 132
countries, and that the Internet is full of of success stories that speak to this.

If nothing else, I hope this report has inspired you to sing and to let go of, for
example, ideas of talent vs. non-talent.

Let me also add that its interesting that its most often the people who
consider themselves not talented who believe in the talent myth.

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Those who are exceptionally skilled at something tend to be grateful of the

certain genetic and social influences that have led them to where they are, but
they also understand why they are skilled, and they also live with a deep
desire to always be learning.

There are of course those who say something like: Ive always had this talent
to sing and it has always come naturally to me. But when I ask, how much
did you sing as a kid?, the response if often for hours a day!

It suddenly sounds very much like my example of the 5 year old who has
thrown a ball 18,000 times a year, doesnt it? Is it talent or training?

So, if you are very skilled at singing or something else, you know that it is that
open-mindedness and that willingness to learn and discover that made
you skilled in the first place.

You never succumbed to the idea of I know how to do it. You loved being
engaged in doing. Yes, the people who excel in life are those who never stop
learning. Learning, and discovering is the juice of life.

Now, no one is saying we all have the capacity (or desire) to become worldclass singers. Nor does everyone has the desire to practice a lot.

!
But heres the fun part:
!
Everyone has the capacity to improve dramatically!
!

It doesnt have to take a lot of time! (remember its not about the amount
of time you spend.)

!
Singing always becomes even more fun when you improve!
!

So whether you perform in big stadiums to 10,000 thousands of adoring fans

or you sing in a band, group, or choir or you love to sing by yourself
embrace your love of singing, expressing, and sharing your voice to the world.

If you would like me to help draw out amazing new abilities within you, I am
here for you.

!
Sing, perform and live with freedom!
!
!
Per Bristow
!
!

www.TheSingingZone.com/sing-with-freedom

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