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MMOV Studios Blog - "Thoughts for the Singing Artist" turned 1 this week!

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The Risk of Happiness

It's easy to be happy... isn't it? Over the past 8yrs I've worked for some excellent companies. One was a production company that produced the 2nd Broadway National Tour of Mamma Mia!. The other is a tech company that invented the iPhone. Needless to say, these companies knew what they were doing and how to maintain a happy set of employees. Durning my time with these two well oiled machines I served in different positions from ensemble member to market trainer. My pay was nothing to complain about, my treatment was excellent, and my co-workers were inspiring. What else do you want? I still remember it perfectly. I was sitting backstage during a performance reading a book while waiting to go on stage. At this time in life I was traveling the Americas, working under 30hrs a week, and on one of the highest paying contracts in the broadway circle. Every month I was flying out my future wife, eating at fancy restaurants, and staying in beautiful hotels. Life was good. But there I was, sitting in my chair waiting to go on when suddenly I looked around the theater and thought to myself, "eh?" Finding joy in what you do can be difficult. So you have two options - change what you're doing or re-inspire it. When having my "eh?" moment backstage I knew that it was time for a change. If I left, I would suddenly lose all the comforts that this career path brought me. Life could get harder, I might have to make some serious adjustments for a while. So I weighed the risks, made up my mind, and went for it... Twice. Two times I left excellent positions at two amazing companies to seek what I enjoyed. Through these ups and downs I continued to fight for what I enjoyed. Fast forward to 2010 and we are opening MMOV Studios. I feel so proud, inspired, and excited. All the hard work, the struggle, the trade-offs. I was really enjoying what I was doing. I was happy with what I was doing. The risk of happiness presents itself in lots of areas of life. From deciding where you should live, to challenging what you believe spiritually, to what you should change/re-inspire in your relationships. But the risk is always worth the happiness. Win. Remember: Seeking out happiness doesn't necessarily only benefit you. Because of your happiness discoveries you'll be a better, more positive, more confident person to be around. Your pursuit of happiness can also be a joint one. For example, you and your spouse or life partner decide that you can have a better life. In this instance you can both reap the benefits of taking the risks to being happier.

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Opening Our Minds

It can be hard to let go of old world ideas and traditions that tell us what we are or what we're "supposed" to be. There is a lot of this in the singing world. People hear us speak or sing and immediately put us in a box. In some cases this is helpful and time efficient, but in most cases it becomes an accepted limitation. The voice is so much bigger than we give it credit for. SOOOOOOO much bigger. Most singers tend to only use a fifth of their voices... thats it. So whats that mean? Well, I was deemed a bass/baritone (low male singer) when I was growing up. I could force up to some higher notes, but life was not easy or comfortable up there. If you don't know what I can do now, just go back several posts on this blog to see the videos I did to promote our studio name a couple years ago... What am I now? Low singer, high singer, bass, baritone, or tenor? Its not that I am this amazingly talented singer either. I simply was able to open my mind to the idea that there was more out there. "Maybe it's possible for me to sing those Stevie Wonder, Boyz II Men, and Queen songs I love." 

I so often hear the phrase "I can't riff, belt, sing classically, sing rock, etc." Since you're reading this, I'd like to add one word to your vocabulary to help you expand your realm of possibilities. "Yet." It wouldn't be true to say that you can riff if you actually can't. I'm not asking you to go into positive denial - just don't close the door on yourself. May I suggest this addition to your phrases - "I can't sing low" to "I can't sing low... yet." It can be a difficult mental adjustment to make for just a three letter word. It's not that you can't sing high, low, riff, belt, sing classically... it's that you may not be able to... yet. 

-Michael

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Standing Out

We spend most of our lives trying to "fit in" rather than stand out. I like to think of it as "standing in" a line, just like everyone else. Theres a funny thought that we all are the same. I think we all know how different we are from one another, but for some reason we are told to stand in the line of social mediocrity so that we don't "stand out". If we choose to celebrate our difference from each other we fear that we will be ostracized or ridiculed for our brave step to be human. The reality is that we are often praised for our unique ideas. We just have to be bold enough to share and stand by them.

When you are different, life isn't all ponies and rainbows. Welcome to being an artist! We stand out because we choose to have an opinion. Because we decide to voice what others won't. Stick to what you know, to what you've learned, and to what has changed you. What if we could change the social norm from blending in to standing out? 

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It’s simple. Wether it’s summer heat, elevation, or lots of air conditioning you’ll want to keep hydrated. This can best be accomplished by eating raw fruits and vegetables along with water. The nutrients your body absorbs from fruits and veggies helps you use the water you drink. A happy body is a happy voice.

Michael Maresca - One Voice Master Classes

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Remember these... =)

Singing isn't soooo serious. Go have some fun with it!

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Workshop Surprise

Guy: He Mr. Maresca! I just wanted to thank you in person for everything.

Michael: No no, this was my joy to jam with you all in this workshop today.

Guy: Well, more than today. You see, two years ago I attended your "Can't Sing", "Sing Smart Not Stupid", and "Eliminate Your Break" workshops. At the time, I was not a singer. It started with the "Can't Sing" workshop where I learned that it was possible for me to sing. Then u just went for it. Now, I'm the lead in my senior musical. So, thank you for everything.

Michael: Wow. Thanks for that amazing feedback - you've made my day. Just know that all I did was give you the knowledge, but you acted on it. Bravo to you Sir. Bravo!

***This is why I teach. Just go for it people! Keep winning!***

(Paraphrased conversation. One Voice workshops at the 2012 Texas Thespian Festival @ Houston Tx)