Monday, June 24, 2013

Survey Results

First of all, thank you, thank you to all who replied to the survey. 95 of you took time to share your thoughts and experiences on yoga and singing. The survey traveled from around the US to China, Germany, England and Canada which is really thrilling!

A few statistics:
73% of you who responded are female.
40% of you are between 18 and 29.
76% of you are soloists and 70% are choral singers as well.
35% of you are singing at the professional level.

The type of singing you do ranges from being in a band, to professional opera singers, to indie rock songwriters and folk music performers as well as musical theater and church choir singers. This made me really happy to read as yoga works for singers of all kinds!

45% of you have gone to yoga at one time or another and 20% have never tried it.

I asked you if you thought yoga was a lifestyle, a spiritual practice, a physical practice, a mental practice, a breathing practice, or chanting (and you could pick multiple answers). The top answers were a physical practice (95%) and a breathing practice (92%). In truth, yoga has 8 limbs to it and it is all of the things I asked about, but one can implement as many as they want. Most people find, however, that what begins as a physical practice quickly turns into more and for some it goes as far as becoming a spiritual practice, though that isn't necessary to reap the rewards of yoga.

It was a relief to read that all but 4 of you know that yoga is for every body, not just those who are flexible!

60% of you would prefer to go to a yoga class and 86% of you would go to one specifically for singers.

90% of you say your physical state influences your singing a lot and 86% of you say your mental state influences your singing a lot. 77% of you exercise regularly.

The bad news is 66% of you find it stressful to juggle your singing with the rest of your life at time. Almost universally it is an issue of balance between a job that pays the bills and having time to pursue your passion - particularly, practicing. Additionally, those of you with children indicated that meeting their needs and having energy left for your own creativity is a huge challenge.

Yoga doesn't make any of those things go away, but it can help you find an ability to ride the ups and downs and meet things with a level of equanimity. One of the things that can be hardest as a creative person is finding a way to stay creative when life around you is busy and noisy. The ability to develop a mind that can be quiet gives space for your creativity to breathe and grow.

On the topic of performing 77% of you say you don't always sound as good when you perform as you do when you practice. 90% of you indicated you experience performance anxiety at some level when you perform. Your responses to symptoms were similar: physically shaking; shallow, disconnected breath; dry mouth; upset stomach; rapid heart rate; sweaty and moody. 52% of you use visualization to cope with performance anxiety.

In answer to my question about what you need beyond voice lessons to be the best singer you can be, your answers were predominated by: confidence, practice, frequent performances and a healthy lifestyle from the standpoint of the food you put in your body and the relationships you maintain.

All of this information has got my mind bubbling with possibilities for The Mindful Singer from classes to workshops to online options. Our first stop is a local workshop on using yoga to manage performance anxiety, turning that negative energy into positive, powerful energy on stage.

Thank you all again, for your responses, I hope you will continue to talk with me on line and in person as this venture grows!