I want you to take a minute. Think back to when you were first exposed to music. 

Now think about what you were listening to throughout middle and high school. Did your mom or dad play certain music often? Did your grandmother sing or play her favorite music when she cleaned, on Saturday mornings? Did you catch on to theme songs of your favorite shows or video games? Did you have a favorite playlist on your phone or Ipod?  

All that music you heard growing up has a huge impact on your feelings about music today! All that music you were into and emotionally connected to was wired into your brain! Literally. 

You may be wondering what this has to do with finding your own unique sound in your singing. 

The answer is EVERYTHING! 

I grew up on gospel, jazz, and r&b soul music. I was surrounded by it in all walks of life from home, school, church, and in the car. 

Today, as I have grown into a vocalist of my own. My influence comes from those genres. It carries over into how I developed my unique sound. This applies to you as well. 

So, you’re probably wondering how you actually find your sound. Here we go: 

Pull sounds, styles, and techniques from your genres that you know! 

• Listen closely to those vocalists’ and how they perform.
• Look at their personalities and their stories.
• Do any of these resonate with you more than others? 
• For my readers who haven’t had that music experience growing up, I’ve got you covered! 
  • Use this twitter list of musicians to find people and experiences that resonate with you. This list will be your starting point. Let it take you to other genres and vocalists! 

Take all you just gathered from above and start singing similar songs or using those styles in your own vocal practice.

• Take note of what feels comfortable to you.
• Can you copy any of what you hear exactly? 
• What techniques don’t sound good to you?
• What styles do you like the most or least? 
• When you feel like you’re getting a good idea of what works and what doesn’t move to the last step.

Use what you learned about your vocal preferences and boundaries to switch from mimicking styles and techniques to creating your own versions. 

• It’s time to get creative! 
• If you hear a riff or run you like try to make your own signature run. 
• If you realize you like singing soft versus belting (vice versa) experiment with vocal placement
• This part of the journey is all about you. The possibilities are endless. You have to dig deep and find as many styles and techniques to try and make your own as possible.
• The more diverse you can be the better vocalist you become.

Diversity is one of the keys to success as a vocalist. We start with what we know as you did here today. 

After you build your foundation, stepping out of your comfort zone gives you an advantage over other musicians. Do what you do well and don’t be afraid to try new concepts. 

I told you my comfort zone is gospel, jazz, and r&b soul music. As I have developed my unique sound, I was able to step into pop, classical, indie, and even country music! 

I put my unique sound into all of those genres. You will know it’s me singing just by listening before you see it’s me. How? I am identified by my signature vocal style and techniques. 

That is the goal. That should be YOUR goal. The best artists can be identified by their unique sounds before you see them physically.

Build up your sound! Make it your own, and watch how people start to identify you in your music. In time you will have your own signature sound.