The other day I was in the local library with Adrian, and I discovered the book, The Lost Words, by Robert MacFarlane.It's a poetic-artistic-literary response to the decision of some editor somewhere in the UK to remove a few certain words from a popular children's...
I know it may not seem that way, but we are constantly in effortless motion.Every day we are spinning around the Earth's axis at about 1,000 mph.The Earth is currently hurtling around the Sun at 67,000 mph.The Sun and Solar System are whipping through the Milky Way at...
Think back to the last time you were about to start singing something. What was the first thought that came to your mind?I hope this comes out ok.Don't do it wrong.What will they think of my voice?Is there enough ________?Am I doing all the things right?At the same...
I'm sitting in a room full of unopened packing boxes in my new home.It's been a time of rapid upheaval and change in my family's life. My back aches from lifting and my mind is cluttered (just like my new dining room).Yesterday I opened a box labeled "AM Desk" and put...
Sometimes I joke that everything I have learned about life I learned from singing. But it's so true! It has been quite the journey, though. Sometimes it was pretty tricky, sticky, and ugly. But then also wildly illuminating, crack-you-open joyful, and triumphant. The...
For a very long time, habits have been my nemesis. I have read many books on the topic, chasing the "good" ones and disdaining the "bad" ones... When we are young, we have no capacity to discern between them. And so they settle in, for better or for worse. We follow...
I know you may not talk about it, but I know you have A Thing that's been on your mind for a while. That quiet vision, that unspoken desire, that shimmering dream, that kernel of an idea, that sticky feeling that you really, truly, wholly want something. Maybe it's a...
If there is one thing I could teach you about the voice and singing, it is this: You already have everything you need. You can continue to acquire skills and knowledge, better coordination, musical experience, expanded range and breath support, etc. But that's not...
As a young girl, then a teenager (oy), then a young adult, I would never in one million years have considered myself a "rebel." I have excellent manners, listen to instructions, pay my bills on time, do my chores, and do all the Right Things you are meant to do as a...
I am taking some time away up on the coast of Maine with my family for two weeks. (Two weeks. It seems like two years!) It's such a vital reflection point, taking the space and time to remove yourself from the regular comings and goings of life and work. It seems like...
Do you know Frog and Toad? They are *wonderful* anthropomorphic children's story characters (but really, these stories are for adults). In a story titled "The Garden," Toad comes to visit Frog one day, and sees his glorious and abundant garden. My goodness! he...
It's so easy to get caught up in the little things. In life, and especially in singing. Do this. Do that. I should do this. I should do that. I didn't do this. I can't do that. They think this. They won't think that. There is a mental chatter, what I call the "ticker...
One time recently I was watching the Beatles documentary, Get Back. It's a long, arduous haul through a rocky period for the band. But there was one moment caught on camera that created a new awakening for me about the creative process. It's a scene featuring a mumbly...
One of the most exciting moments I experience as a voice coach comes when a student encounters what I call "The Wobble." It's when their voice goes all wonky as they learn something new. The Wobble happens when an old habit meets a new habit. Alas for any student who...
There is a place between your desire and its culmination. I call it the Middle. Otherwise known as in progress, in process, undergoing, unfolding, happening, rolling out, you get the idea. Years ago when I was a student, I was impatient for my voice to hurry up and...
The other day my client reminded me of one of the juiciest secrets I keep. (At least, it's not something I put on my resume!) But it's also one of the best memories I have, a reminder of something that made me feel amazing, high as a kite, and wildly happy singing on...
You endlessly compare yourself to others, breeding either an inferiority or superiority complex, setting yourself up for disappointment, and ultimately, holding yourself back from what is truly important to you.
Leadership is a term that implies some kind of role, or top-tier position, or a person stepping into the spotlight to take charge. But I believe that true leadership, if understood at the personal level, is about how we courageously step forward in our art, and in our...
What does the term greatness bring up for you? I believe we all strive to realize our best, and seek our own, personal version of greatness in our lives. But somehow, when it comes to music, art, the voice, and personal expression, we tend to relegate "greatness" to...
Have you ever experienced that inner longing that hungers to know... How am I supposed to use my voice? It creeps within our consciousness, and bubbles up every so often (or sometimes very often), because it's a really important question. But damn, the answer can seem...
When I say the word "breath," what is your first thought? For many, this whisks us away into the Badlands of Something I Should Be Better At. When I was 14 and began "formally studying" voice, I learned all the things you are supposed to learn when you take voice...
I recently hit a major parenting milestone: it was (finally!) time to crack open Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone with my little one, Adrian. 🪄 Some of my very favorite stories are centered on characters with one specific archetypal quality... Harry Potter. Luke...
It was over dinner the other night that Adrian, my darling six-year old, eagerly reminded my husband and I that we hadn't yet asked him what happened at school that day. Well, it wasn't pretty. In a nutshell, he became so frustrated with himself that he couldn't spell...
Like good days and bad days, we understand that life always changes, just like the weather. Weather is a state of external conditions that you cannot control. Rather, you adapt. But no matter what is happening outdoors, you are still the same person, right? It's the...
W R I T T E N B Y Allison Mondel Last night I was scurrying home from the grocery store, and pulled into my driveway just after dusk. As I was gathering my bags from the trunk, I turned to look up at the chilly sky. (I always look up whenever I am outside.) I spied...
W R I T T E N B Y Allison Mondel No, no, no. Not what you think. Not really, anyway. But why does singing sometimes feel so naked? Especially when you are going solo. Just you and your voice. You and your sound. You and your thoughts. (Oh, the thoughts!) You and...
I remember that time like it was yesterday: it was a frigidly cold January day, and I was equal parts Ready-To-Kill-It and Scared-To-Freaking-Death. For years I had taught singing at Washington National Cathedral, occasionally singing here and there as needed. I had...
W R I T T E N B Y Allison Mondel The purpose of the voice is to communicate. The purpose of the sacred voice is to send love into the world. That's right... love. You inhabit an instrument of love. To activate and use our voice in this love-centered way is a process...
W R I T T E N B Y Allison Mondel When I began graduate school I became instant friends with a talented singer who entered at the same time. One afternoon we were leaving class and walking across Harvard Square, headed to our favorite tea café. As we were walking,...
W R I T T E N B Y Allison Mondel "You are too sensitive." "Stop being so sensitive." "I am too sensitive." I have heard and said these statements my entire life. And for good reason: I am insanely positively heroically epically sensitive. It takes a lifetime to...
W R I T T E N B Y Allison Mondel I have a bold theory.If it holds true, it can transform your experience of singing. This simple truth can exorcise any negative thinking or fears that keep you tucked away in your mind, and stuck in that old proverbial rut.Here it...
One of my favorite movies is The Wizard of Oz. I had a mural of Oz painted on my childhood bedroom wall. I even had the theme of the decorations for my bat mitzvah reception decked in Oz technicolor. One of the most creative was a "smoky" sign made of wire and cotton...
How do you conceive of your voice? For most of us, we tend to think about one thing: how it sounds. "This is my voice! This is how it sounds. I will assess my voice on the quality of its sound." My journey of voice discovery has led me to develop quite a different...
I will never forget that time when I stalled out and was stuck in a rental car in the middle of a busy road in Limerick, Ireland. I had literally just pulled out of the rental parking lot, on my way to Kildare, driving crossways east across the country by myself. On...
I have mastered the art of "Don't let 'em see you sweat." That's easy. That's what you learn in professional training: the art of illusion. What I have not mastered is the art of Not Sweating. Have you? What do you sweat about? I sweat about, oh God, the same thing I...
For some years now I have been exploring the nature of the "sacred voice." This concept is not new, and it is certainly not mine. It is an aspect of our Self that I believe we all, at some deep level, are called to express in our lives, on this earthly plane, for some...
I'll never forget the time when this man laughed in my face when I was just about to sing. Or looked down at his desk in disappointment after I had just started to sing. Or spent 45 minutes telling me why I wasn't up for the job. And then asked his personal assistant...
I am trained as a classical musician, still working in the field and meeting the demands of the work in various ways every day. But I have long felt a disconnect from the overly technical approach to vocal training. Please do not misread this: I LOVE vocal technique....
This post could also be entitled: The most unhelpful advice your ego could ask for. Because let's be honest: we all want Great Things right now. And according to Eckhart Tolle, a remarkable spiritual teacher, the great things are simply an illusion. I recall when I...
Do you love your voice? I don't mean, is your voice good enough/lovely enough/functional enough to love. But do you love your voice inherently? I recall one time, several years ago, when I cursed God for my voice. I was mad. How could I have ended up with such a...
My experience was instantaneously reflected by the intention of my words reflecting my thoughts. When I pulled out of this precious calm center, I felt myself doubt and wobble. When I stayed present and clear, I succeeded. And when I say succeeded, I mean that I experienced ease, clarity, and joyfulness. And my singing was so much easier. I felt like my voice had wings! It could do whatever I wanted! I felt like a magus, waving my magic wand and weaving a spell, dancing with the words and the music on the page. I felt connected to Source.
The discovery and cultivation of my Sacred Voice has been an exquisite and beautiful journey that I could ever hope to take. It has morphed into an integral aspect of my vocation. As a coach, it is my privilege to lead others on their own, unique telling of this voice...
How can we stay centered on the deeper purpose of our singing?
We learn how to focus our awareness in order to focus on our purpose. Awareness heightens the senses and calms the thinking mind. It connects us with our instrument, and keeps us focused.
As Hildegard states, and as I teach in the Studio, we focus our awareness on our heart. The heart is the seat of the Sacred Voice. It is here that we are both connected to our divine source, and here that we experience that longing to praise the very same divinity.
Trust is cultivated when we set up conditions within ourselves to succeed. Not flail and flounder and fear and feel out of control. But to feel great, to sing great, to feel free of those hand-waving thoughts that are constantly questioning what is coming out of your mouth.
Because I recognize that my mistakes are borne of my fears. And when I can shed light on my fears (even teensy ones), they are transformed into feedback. Feedback that can help me change my habits and undo those tendencies that irk me the most and hold me back. Feedback that can help me heal.
In singing, I recognize that one of our greatest fears is the negative perception — and reception — of other people. This external focus can be slightly distracting for some, and absolutely debilitating for others.
"We are meant to shine as children do." - Mariann Williamson When do singers lose our joy of singing? When we do we become fearful of being heard? When do we become terrified of making mistakes? Last year I had the eye-opening experience of sitting on a panel with...
You know, for the entirety of this global crisis I could not even bring myself to say "Covid-19." It felt like saying "Voldemort." Well, obviously one can only avoid this for so long. The same goes for many realities that we have encountered, and are likely to...
I was up against a wall. Literally. My tongue was valiantly trying to poke out of my open mouth to formulate some semblance of an "ah" vowel whilst singing a downward scale. 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. The teacher was attempting to have my tongue stay politely in place when I...
I had a dream the other night that was such a transparent display of unconscious fears that I laughed out loud when I woke up. In the dream, I was trying to help out some conductors. (Oh God, this is too much!) By "helping" I mean pleasing, being pleasant, can-do,...
I decided on Valentine's Day that I would no longer be a soprano. I mean, a "Soprano," as a title on my resume. Ironic, that this decision should come to me on the Day of Love. I made a decision to let something go that made me feel no love. (I love that!) I had...
Well, it depends on which voice you mean. Is it the ego voice? Or the Sacred Voice. The "ego voice," based in your mind, is terrified of something: rejection, judgment, punishment. It craves validation and acceptance. The ego voice is fed by the External. It allows...
Ouch. For days. There was a pain lodged in my back ribs that was inescapable. I was a new mother, about six months into the ordeal, and would describe myself as what many would call a "hot mess." I felt broken. But I would not have been able to describe my situation...
About a year ago, I experienced a vision. I was half asleep, it came in the wee hours of the morning, and it was one of the most impactful moments I have ever had. I looked out from my own eyes, and I saw a matrix of lines. It was a vast, infinite grid of endless x-,...
When I first started The Sacred Voice Studio, I honestly had no idea what a Sacred Voice really was. I knew it was a something that was calling to me, a whisper of a concept that was vital and personal, but I had no conceot of what would evolve into my current understanding.
