Amy Mushall
Voice Instructor.
Alexander Technique Practitioner.
Wholehearted Singer.
Are you an overachiever?
Do you strive to be perfect?
Do you try to “get it right” at any cost?
Do you get frustrated when you practice sections of music repeatedly?
Do you procrastinate learning your music because you feel insecure about reading music?
Do you hear the inner voices telling you that you’re not good enough?
If you answered yes to any of the questions...
I SEE YOU.
I KNOW YOU.
I HAVE BEEN YOU.
I am a self-proclaimed “recovering perfectionist.”
My singing story:
When I started taking voice lessons, I was SO. FREAKING. EXCITED! I LOVED SINGING! I sang for the sheer joy of it! I was excited by the challenge of learning new music, the extension I discovered in my range (who knew I could sing so high!?!) and by learning how to use my voice in a healthy way. I knew I wanted to sing for my whole life.
But something changed when I went to college…and after. What was once a joy became an expectation of perfection. I would walk into my voice lessons worried about impressing my teacher, and every lesson felt like an audition. When I sang well, I was praised for my success. But working on developing new habits brought up fears that I had let my teacher down. Over time, I grew frustrated with my singing and realized that some habits cultivated in college by a teacher who tried to get a specific sound quality from my voice resulted in a heaviness and effort I’d never experienced before.
These years of frustration led to a lot of self judgment and imposter syndrome. Despite performing regularly, I felt stuck and knew there had to be a way to sing with more efficiency. I started researching other vocal methods, discovered the Alexander Technique, and began to change my singing…and my life. And in recent years, I have found my JOY of singing again, along with a level of confidence and trust in myself that had once vanished.
Member:
Your singing story:
Knowing what to do and knowing how to do it are two very different things, aren’t they? You know you need to release, relax, engage, open up, support, and a million other directives given to you by a lifetime’s worth of voice teachers.
But the when, why, and how of doing those things is where so many of us get lost. What does it truly mean to sing better? Or to live better? And how are you supposed to figure those things out when the lower end of your voice gives out mid-performance or that old jaw pain flares up again?
The truth is–and it took me a long time to realize this–
It’s not about “fixing bad habits,” managing pain, or even achieving goals. It’s about how we achieve our goals - with mindfulness and attention to the quality of our bodies, thoughts, and overall well being.
It’s not about avoiding the pain or the “bad habit”, it’s about realizing that our body is giving us feedback. Are you listening? And do you know what to do with the information?
Whether as a hobby or a career, singing is a lifelong pursuit. Establishing a healthy mindset–and a healthy body–now will enable you to achieve your goals, eliminate the constant need to please others at the cost of your own well-being, and pace yourself for the longterm, avoiding burnout and injury.
At Your Instrumental Body, we focus on the process of physical and mental wellness so that we can use our bodies with a healthy mindset, resulting in singing with ease, performing with confidence, moving with grace, and living with poise.
Are you ready to free YOUR INSTRUMENTAL BODY?
Let’s start with a free 20-minute chat to get started!
"Your ability to be absolutely positive about and interested in each student's discoveries, experiences, and questions, and to turn those things into learning experiences for all."
Brook Graves, Singer and group class participant
"Amy Mushall is an exceptionally gifted and outstanding voice teacher and coach! She is extremely knowledgeable and experienced in a variety of music genres and applies sound vocal pedagogy combined with the Alexander technique bringing about added discoveries and amazing results. Furthermore, Amy is professional, warm, intuitive and encouraging, providing students a safe and stimulating environment in which to soar."
Carole B., Adult Student