What do eyes have to do with singing? How does improving your singing have anything to do with something no where near the throat? Ah... the eyes have it.

When I first took voice lessons in college, my conservatory teacher trained me to look at a specific target when I sang. I remember how much of a difference this made when I was on the opera house stage and she had me look directly at, and sing to, the "Exit" sign over the doors at the back of the all. Who knew I could so deeply pour out my heart to a neon green glowing sign? It greatly improved my singing and my performance in that four-hundred seat theatre.

I never knew how much difference that one skill would make until I became a teacher! I used to teach kids in a tiny 5 X 11 room that the previous teacher had decorated for the kids. That was the biggest problem! She had decorated it with everything imaginable that kids like to look at, thinking it would make them feel welcome and more relaxed. Big problem for kids to have that much stuff to look at while they're trying to learn something that requires FOCUS!

I noticed that no matter what I did, I could not keep the singers focused on their singing once the song started. Then I remembered what Shirley had taught me with that exit sign, and everything changed. I had a wall full of neon signs I'd never noticed!

One of the best ways to practice singing a song is to pick a spot to focus on and stare at it. For example, pick an individual thumb tack or letter or speck on the wall in the room you are in and fix your eyes exactly on that spot. Stare at that spot for the entire time your are singing the song. This will focus your attention and knock out all of the distractions around you. It’s a great way to bring all your attention onto your singing, rather than anything else going on around you. It’s also great for preventing you from worrying about how you sound while you are singing.