Every Saturday from 11am to noon, I run Office Hours over on my Discord Server. This past Saturday the Office Hours landed on Halloween so we worked on identifying minor scales and chords. Check out the transcript below. Wanna skip to the Goal Setting Worksheet? Here is the word doc and the pdf versions.

All comments are mine unless otherwise noted. Participant’s comments are in italic.

My Discord server is open to ALL singers. Here’s the link: https://discord.gg/XTWHcCu Join the discussion!

[11:07 AM] I want to talk about goal setting today.January is a convenient excuse to take stock of our singing journey. The New Year invites us to come us with lots of resolutions, but I also find it helpful to hone in a specific avenue I'm on and look closely at what's going on there. So, yes, I have resolutions for exercising, diet, time with family, journaling, etc. but singing is super important to me so I'll spend more time looking at just that part of my goal setting.

[11:10 AM] With artistic endeavors we have a unique relationship with what the journey looks like and how we interact with it. Artistic journeys require continual reflection and continual drive.

[11:10 AM] Artistic journeys are paths that we are on for our entire lives.

[11:11 AM] In a broad sense, we all house a creative self. Our creative self is part of our inner lives. So, it is something we are born with - this ability to be creative - and it is something we take with us up until the moment of death - the ability to create.

[11:12 AM] I mean, that's one reason why being a human is so special and so cool!

[11:13 AM] Your relationship with your own singing is continually evolving and you are continually engaged with that.

[11:25 AM] Starting with some personal intake questions can jump start your goal setting. Try these two questions:

[11:25 AM] 1) What are 3 vocal habits or skills that I acquired in 2020?

[11:27 AM] Some example answers include: I started voice lessons, I practiced vocal exercises most days, I learned how to isolate my head and chest voice, My voice became stronger, I learned to enjoy listening to myself and accept compliments, I found out about straw phonation and I love it!

[11:27 AM] Think specific, think small, think accomplishment.

[11:28 AM] 2) What are 3 musical achievements I created/manifested in 2020?

[11:30 AM] Again, it's good to start by acknowledging your accomplishments. If we only look at goal setting for the future we are working out of a deficit mentality - i.e. what we haven't done yet. I find that we come to our best goal setting when we start with a hefty pat on our backs. Congratulate yourself with these 2 questions!

[11:30 AM] Your answers to #2 may overlap with #1. That's ok!

[11:32 AM] Some example answers include: I recorded an album, I performed live for the first time, I played at 10 open mic events, I started learning piano, I wrote a song, I jammed with friends, I learned the harmony part to a favorite song, I invested in a new microphone.

[11:32 AM] Think actions taken, think big and small, think markable.

[11:37 AM] Hopefully you've had a moment to brainstorm some answers to these 2 introductory questions.

[11:38 AM] Continue to reflect and jot down answers. I suggested listing 3 items for each, but if you've got a lot, jot them ALL down. Don't limit your self-acknowledgment! Anything and everything you did for your singing journey in 2020 is worth noting!

/@H/ Sadly, I think I lost a lot of momentum from March on. I find that I am unsure about where my comfortable range, my 'natural' voice if you will. I have restarted doing vocal exercises and that feels good. I just feel like I'm lost touch with what my voice is, what my voice sounds like…

[11:40 AM] @H that's real! Maybe for you it's just acknowledging that you sang at all in the face of surreal circumstances. The fact that you have made some notes about where your voice is at tells me that you're still in touch with it and that's huge!

[11:41 AM] Let's go ahead and introduce some questions that pertain to 2021. Cautiously optimistic though we may be as we head into continued societal precarity!

[11:42 AM] Here are 2 questions I suggest for goal setting in the coming year:

[11:42 AM] 1) What vocal habits and skills would I like to tackle in 2021?

[11:42 AM] Start with 3 and expand from there.

[11:46 AM] Some example answers include: Practicing 5 times/week, Learning 2 new songs in February, Recording myself in GarageBand or Soundtrap, Strengthening my head voice, Learning how to do growl in a rock song, Improving my Italian diction, etc.

[11:45 AM] Think actionable, think concrete, think desired outcome.

[11:46 AM] You want these goals to be things you can immediately begin to find resources for. For example, if your goal is to learn a song in Spanish - that is something you can Google or ask friend who is knowledgable.

/@H/ I would like to work on producing clear tones and hitting the notes. That and working on breath maintenance so I do not run out. I need to practice on singing in a planned manner as well, panning enunciation and diction as well as when to breathe, etc. Mostly what I've been doing is too ad hoc, without purpose or planning.

[11:48 AM] @H, These are fantastic goals! Very actionable and concrete!

[11:49 AM] 2) What musical projects or products would I like to achieve in 2021?

[11:52 AM] For question #2 some example answers include: I want to form a band, I want to write original music, I want to prepare a set list for open mic nights, I want to find out how to get gigs, I want to learn guitar, I want to learn how to scat, I want to audition for a musical, I want to do one of Molly's Student Showcases ;), I want to feel confident about my voice, I want to learn the vocal parts for some Emmylou Harris songs, etc.

[11:54 AM] There may be overlap in goal setting questions 1 and 2. That's ok!

[11:55 AM] For #2 think broadly, think boldly, think a year out.

[11:58 AM] The final question to answer is:

[11:58 AM] How can I build a support network to help me achieve my goals?

[11:59 AM] Art, creativity, cannot be done in a vacuum. Even if much art is made in solitude, it's not made in isolation. Even the most reclusive of writers and painters still read, listened, and sought out advice when necessary.

[11:59 AM] Examples of answers for this question include: find a voice teacher, post my practicing to social media for accountability to myself, reach out to friends who have similar goals and start a study group, tell my spouse/partner that I'm going to be practicing, create a space to practice that has all my favorite tools and comforts (cup of tea, nice lighting, tuner, picks, phonation straw, stereo, etc.)

/@H/ I want to write original music, I want to learn to sing while playing guitar, I want to want to do one of Molly's Student Showcases , I want to feel more confident about my voice.

[12:01PM] @H, Great start to your goal setting! Those are all fantastic things to set your path towards! I can’t wait to watch you progress in this new year full of potential! Thanks for tuning in!