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...
The unnatural nature of Resistance.
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...
How to define your voice.
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...
A solution to transcend worry.
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...
What is your *real* voice lesson?
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...
How to decondition bad habits
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...
How to believe in your ideas
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...
You already have everything you require.
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...
Are you a Sacred Rebel?
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...
The wisdom of Rest
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...
How to be patient
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...
Finding inner harmony with your voice
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...
Personal genius
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...
Transitions can be hard.
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...
Navigating the Messy Middle.
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...
Secrets, Feng Shui, and the Art of Letting Go
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...
Are you “the one” to do it?
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.
Leading in your own life
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...
The pursuit of greatness
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...
Your voice purpose
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...
Can we talk about your breath?
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...
Where does your voice belong?
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...
Perfectionism.
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...
Ride the ups and downs
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...
How to make beautiful sound
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...
Naked singing
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...
That time I sang for President Obama
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...
How do you (actually) use your sacred voice?
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...
Your one and only voice
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,...
Sensitivity is double-sided
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...
Limited or Limitless: what is possible?
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...
Take back control of your voice
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...
Five Ways to Improve Your Relationship with your Voice
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...
shifting gears
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...
to err is human
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...
on being capable: an essential teaching
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...
healing from voice rejection
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...
reclaiming your sacred nature
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....
great arises out of small things
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...
six ways to help you love your voice
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...
the power of mantra in our practice
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 inner journey of the singer
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...
“with heart and mouth”
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 a four-letter word
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.
replace strife with wonder
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.
what people think about you
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.
overcoming the singing squelch
"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...
singing in a pandemic?
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...
why your voice gets stuck
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...
truly, wildly self-configuring
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,...
listening to desire
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...
Where has my voice gone?
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...
Your Voice is Not Faulty
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...
Sacred Voice Pillar One: Heartcenteredness
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-,...
What is your Sacred Voice?
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.