What Does It Feel Like To Sing?

I’ve been singing on stages in front of people for over 20 years now.

Woah! That’s a fucking long time.

And every time I do it - I enjoy it. All the way through my body.

I realize that not a lot of people get to have this experience and I get a lot of questions about what it’s like - so I thought I’d tell you:)

When I wake up on a day where I know I’ll be singing on stage - my mind lets me know pretty much right when I open my eyes. “You’re singing today David.”

Got it. I’m singing today.

That thought is then met with a rush of excitement, or potential anxiety moving like electricity through my body. It’s at this point, right in the morning where I make an important choice. Do I take this rush of electric energy as a sign of danger and fall into worry for the rest of the day? Or do I accept the energy and excitement and open my heart?

I’ve tried the fear and worry answer. Several times. And from my experience it’s not the most helpful choice. So instead, I breathe in and accept the mantle of the day. The role of a singer/songwriter. In some ways, the role of a prophet - an energy shifter - a voice of humanity.

That may seem blown up - but if I think deeply about it - when I sing my songs - I am choosing to allow my story to be heard in a very vulnerable way in hopes that maybe my story touches on yours. Maybe the aching sounds of my melodic offering reach your heart.

Throughout the day of a show - my job is to remain open hearted. To stay on watch for any nervousness or fear that might want to enter my body and close my heart. There are days for thinking and worrying, but show days are for releasing negative thoughts only.

If you picture my body like an open river bed and my thoughts flowing as the water - it is super important for me to remain open wide enough that the water flows easily. If I see a thought I don’t like - like a fear of something going wrong at the show - or an insecurity - my job is to remove my awareness from this thought rather than zoom in on it. If I choose to zoom in on my insecurities on a show day, I begin to clog or damn the flow.

If I show up to a show damned. Then we’re all fucked:)

And what I mean by fucked is - if I have been wallowing in my fear and anxiety all day long and have clogged up the river bed of my body - the moment I open my mouth to connect with you is the moment that I unload all of that negative energy onto you.

BUT - if I have done a good job remaining open as an empty vessel - when I open my mouth and share my vulnerable melodic story with you - my open heart has the potential to open yours.

So what does it feel like to sing on stage? It really depends on how well I have taken care of myself throughout the day. It can feel like an unloading of my shit or it can feel like healing the world. It can feel like being caught in my head with all of my fear and anxiety that I have held onto throughout the day - or it can feel like I am an open river bed, a vessel that is capable of allowing the depths of the universe to rush though my body and provide energy and connection to each soul in the world.

Either way - it is an experience. And both experiences have the potential to change me and you. But goddamn, when I am open - I can’t think of a more powerful moment.

So how does reading this have the potential to help you?

Life is a show.

Each moment living and connecting with others is a chance to share your vulnerable melodic story as an exchange of energy and healing.

We’re all prophets.

We’re all energy shifters.

We’re all the voice of humanity.

It’s super important for all of us to choose be an open river bed that healing and connection can easily flow through. If you find yourself zooming in on fear and insecurity, just know that you’re damning yourself up.

And when you’re damned - we’re all fucked.

Much love!

David

P.S. If you’d like to hear me sing - May 18th - Sunset Tavern.

It’s going to be a magical heart open night. Come.

Tickets HERE.