Singer Songwriter | How to Write a Song, Make Music, Song Lyrics, Music Theory, Singing Lessons

57 | Why You Should Learn to Play a Musical Instrument as a Singer Who Wants to Write Songs

Are you a singer who wants to write songs and make your own music, but you don’t play an instrument?  Maybe you’re feeling held back by your minimal or lack of instrumental skills and musical knowledge ~ but singing & songwriting just keep calling your name.  
 
I know the idea of learning yet another new thing can sometimes feel like too much… and maybe you JUST want to sing… 
 
So in today’s episode, I want to encourage you and lay out the case for picking up an instrument and giving it a try… whether for the first time, or for the first time in a long time… brushing off the dust and giving it a fresh chance.  
 
Here are 4 reasons why you should learn a musical instrument and how to begin with ease.
 
<3 Lainey
Next Steps:
 
Watch the Free Workshop: reawakenyourvoice.com/workshop
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Email: support@reawakenyourvoice.com
Work with Lainey: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching

56 | Can't Find Time to Sing? My Method for Cultivating a Creative Singing Practice that Works for YOU

Are you struggling to find time to work on your music? 
 
In this week’s episode, we’re going to explore this elusive concept of time and how we can realistically make this whole singing / songwriting thing work in our ordinary, everyday lives.  
 
Between caring for loved ones, kids, a spouse, aging family members, a household, our work, whether that be a 9-5, freelance work, full time, part time, running a business, juggling creative projects, cooking, cleaning, staying healthy… all the things… that can often leave our creative work untouched at the end of the day.
 
That’s why I want to share with you my very simple “sprinkle and pour” method to keep you creatively nourished, so you can live a creative, fulfilling life as a singer songwriter ~ in addition to all the other titles / roles you carry.
 
<3 Lainey
Next Steps:
 
Watch the Free Workshop: reawakenyourvoice.com/workshop
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Email: support@reawakenyourvoice.com
Work with Lainey: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching

55 | 5 Lessons I Learned from Finishing a Creative Project that I'm Applying to Recording an Album of Original Songs as a Singer Songwriter

If you've ever struggled with starting, finishing, and following through with a creative project, this episode will give you 5 lessons to keep you moving through the creative process ~ start to finish ~ so you can bring your creative ideas to life as a singer, songwriter, artist, and musician.
 
Whether you’re having a hard time starting or having a hard time finishing that creative project that’s on your heart ~ I’ve been there, too, and you’re not alone.  
 
As artists, we face resistance at every turn.  We have more ideas than we know what to do with, and sometimes, it just feels so big that we don’t know where to begin.  Or there are too many possibilities, we don’t feel ready, we keep refining and perfecting our idea into oblivion… and we don’t know how to put a bow on it and call it “complete.”
 
So today, in celebration of ONE WHOLE YEAR of this Podcast (yay!), I'll be sharing with you 5 lessons I learned from following through each and every week to release a new episode into the world. 
 
These are lessons that I'll be applying to album creation ~ recording an album of original songs ~ and lessons that you, too, can apply to that creative project that's on your heart.
 
<3 Lainey
 
Mentions:
 
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Horacio Printing’s Project Journal
 
Next Steps:
 
Watch the Free Workshop: reawakenyourvoice.com/workshop
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Email Us: support@reawakenyourvoice.com
Work with Lainey: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching

54 | Bored with Tedious Vocal Warm Ups? Try This Creative Approach to Warming Up Your Singing Voice Instead.

Are you sick of tedious vocal exercises and traditional vocal drills?
 
When you’re trying to get back into the flow of singing, moving through the typical vocal warm ups can be a real barrier to entry.  You just wanna get to the fun part… but you know it will feel better and sound better if you warm up your voice first.  Besides, you want to work on improving your singing voice and you know vocal warm up exercises can help you get there.
 
So you trudge through the tedious scales and arpeggios, dragging your feet until you lose all your steam and move onto something else… if you even make it that far.  Maybe you gave up on the idea before you even started.  So you stay stuck right where you were… not singing, and instead, burying your musical gifts.
 
What if I told you that you can achieve the same results ~ growing and developing your voice capabilities ~ by just changing the approach to warming up your voice? There is a way to go about doing vocal warm up exercises that also activates your creativity and helps you develop your ARTISTIC voice at the same time… not just your physical instrument itself.
 
If you're looking for a more creative, artistic way to warm up your singing voice and find your unique sound as a singer and songwriter, here are 5 ideas to do just that.
 
<3 Lainey
 
Next Steps:
 
Watch the Free Workshop: reawakenyourvoice.com/workshop
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Email Us: support@reawakenyourvoice.com
Work with Lainey: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching

53 | Why Natural Talent Is Not What You Think It Is! The Truth About What it Takes to Make Music as a Singer and Vocalist

You probably know that you have a gift.  Perhaps you’ve been told you’re talented.  You’ve likely been praised for your singing voice.  Even if you’ve been too shy to really share your voice and so you haven’t received this kind of feedback, the fact that you’re here tells me you just innately feel a deep desire in your heart to sing… so there is a natural affinity for music and singing planted within you.  
 
But that is only the beginning of the story.  Truly to sing requires much more than natural talent.  
 
In this episode, I’m going to shed some light on the truth about natural talent as I share 3 truths about the art of singing and making music as a vocalist and musician.
 
Here’s what you need to know about your creative gifts if you really want to use your voice to make music, sing your own songs, and express yourself creatively.
<3 Lainey
 
Next Steps:
 
Watch the Free Workshop: reawakenyourvoice.com/workshop
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Email Us: support@reawakenyourvoice.com
Work with Lainey: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching

52 | Creative Dry Season? My Step-by-Step Guide to Tap into Creative Flow & Replenish Inspiration as a Singer and Artist

In the creative journey as a singer, songwriter & vocal artist, there are bound to be dry seasons of feeling depleted, empty, uninspired.  It’s almost like you’ve reached the bottom of the cup or your stream of creative energy has run dry… and you just have no motivation to sing, create, make music, write songs.
 
That’s why it’s so important to have a go-to plan for times like these so you can get back to creating, singing, making music, doing what you love. 
 
So whether it has lasted a week or a year or even a decade, these 3 steps will help move you out of that creative dry season and back into creative flow.
 
Because I know it’s hard.  I’ve found myself in this place again and again.  That’s how I have come to refine this step-by-step process ~ and that’s how I know it works.
<3 Lainey
 
Next Steps:
 
Watch the Free Workshop: reawakenyourvoice.com/workshop
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Email Us: support@reawakenyourvoice.com
Work with Lainey: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching

51 | 3 Reasons You Should Stop Comparing Yourself to Others So You Can Find Your Voice as a Singer and Songwriter

Have you ever considered what the comparison trap is stealing from you?  
 
If you’ve ever compared yourself to others as a singer / artist and come up short in your mind, then today’s episode will be the gentle nudge of tough love that you need to break free from this all-too-common creative block.  
 
I’ll be sharing with you 3 reasons to stop comparing your voice to others ~ and revealing the truth of what it’s really robbing you of as an artist.  
 
Because life is short. And the joy of creating and expressing yourself through your voice ~ as an artist, a singer, a songwriter, a performer ~ is available to you and possible for you.  
 
But first, you must let go of the comparison, the self-doubt, the judgment, the fear ~ all the creative blocks that are keeping you from living your most creative life.
 
<3 Lainey
 
Next Steps:
 
Watch the Free Workshop: reawakenyourvoice.com/workshop
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Email Us: support@reawakenyourvoice.com
Work with Lainey: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching

50 | Tired of Putting Music on the Backburner? 3 Ways to Kickstart Your Singing Practice & Find Your Voice Again

If you've been feeling disconnected from your voice and have spent some time away from music for one reason or another, this episode will help you get those creative gears moving again and reignite that desire in your heart to sing.
 
It can be so hard to dust off the cobwebs and start singing again when the distance between you and your art feels like it widens more with each passing day.  That's why I've put together 3 ways you can kickstart your singing practice and build momentum towards your creative desires and musical aspirations. 
 
So whether you are trying to pull yourself out of a creatively dry season or are ready to return to singing after some intentional time away, these ideas are sure to help you reintroduce music into your life in a way that makes you remember why you love to sing in the first place.
 
<3 Lainey
 
P.S. Help us celebrate 50 episodes of Reawaken Your Voice by leaving a written review on Apple Podcasts!  Not only does it light me up to hear from you, but it also helps other creative souls like yourself find the show and find their voice!
 
Next Steps:
 
Watch the Free Workshop: reawakenyourvoice.com/workshop
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Email Us: support@reawakenyourvoice.com
Work with Lainey: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching
 
 

49 | Songwriting as a Creative Outlet Pt. 2: What You Need When You're Getting Started

In the second part of our conversation about exploring songwriting as a creative outlet, I go deeper into what you need when you're getting started with writing your own songs.  
 
Whether you’re a writer whose strength is in the lyrics, a singer who doesn’t play an instrument (or lacks confidence in your existing instrumental skills), a musician who plays by ear and wants to find your unique voice, or you can relate to bits and pieces of all of these, I’ll break down the essentials for you so that you can just get moving.
 
I’ll give you an overview of what you need in terms of musical skills, song structure, where to begin, and how to bring your own artistic voice and style into it ~ so you can move beyond singing other people’s songs and into the creative world of writing your own music.
 
<3 Lainey
 
Related Episodes:
 
48 | Songwriting as a Creative Outlet Pt. 1: My Journey from Singing Other People's Music to Writing My Own Songs
 
P.S. I'd love to hear from you!  What do you want to hear more about on the podcast?  What questions do you have?  Email me at support@reawakenyourvoice.com and your question could be featured in a future episode!
 
Next Steps:
 
Work with Lainey: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching
Watch the Free Workshop: reawakenyourvoice.com/workshop
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Email Us: support@reawakenyourvoice.com

48 | Songwriting as a Creative Outlet Pt. 1: My Journey from Singing Other People's Music to Writing My Own Songs

Have you ever felt the desire to explore songwriting as a creative outlet? 
 
Whether you are just playing with the idea, wondering where to begin, or you've got notebooks full of songs and you're wondering what to do with this treasure trove of ideas, you're sure to find something of value in today's episode. 
 
I went on a little bit of a journey here, sharing my story of the pivot I made over a decade ago, when I stepped away from the opera profession and shifted to writing and singing my own songs... So much of a journey that I decided to break this episode into 2 parts, with part 2 going deeper into what YOU need when you're getting started with exploring songwriting as a creative outlet.  So stay tuned! 
 
In part 1, I talk about why I felt called away from the well-trodden operatic path and into the wilderness of blazing my own trail as I began writing my own music and rediscovering my voice through songwriting. 
 
I pray that hearing my story will ignite some spark of inspiration in you to follow your inner voice, follow your heart, and answer the calling that's leading you to find your own artistic voice... so you can experience the joy and freedom of expressing yourself through your voice ~ in your own words, with your own stories, your own melodies, in your own creative style.
 
<3 Lainey
 
P.S. I'd love to hear from you!  What do you want to hear more about on the podcast?  What questions do you have?  Email me at support@reawakenyourvoice.com and your question could be featured in a future episode! 
 
Next Steps:
 
Work with Lainey: reawakenyourvoice.com/coaching
Watch the Free Workshop: reawakenyourvoice.com/workshop
Visit the Website: reawakenyourvoice.com
Email Us: support@reawakenyourvoice.com