Deliver With Authenticity

Thanks to technology, it’s much easier these days to record programs and watch them when you want, and one of the shows I really enjoy viewing on my own time is ‘The Voice.’ My daughters introduced me to the show and, don’t laugh, it wasn’t long before I was hooked. I’m not a connoisseur of these types of programs, but, this is one which speaks to me, especially as a communications coach. 

 Music is a universal language; however, music can only deliver its greatest impact when the artist conveys those words with authenticity. And ‘The Voice’ does an exceptional job of showcasing this. To get on the show, contestants must have good to great voices, but there’s something else the judges want to hear: how the person uses their voice to tell the story behind a song.

 Stepping out to connect with the words of a song on an emotional level, and doing it in such a way that the artist conveys vulnerability; those are the keys to getting selected to be on The Voice, surviving the battles and the knockouts in order to make it to the live shows, even becoming the winner. The judges convey the message about the importance those keys play over and over again to the contestants, and work with the artists to help them break through from the inside out. 

Those who dig in, do the work, learn how to tap into an emotional connection and deliver the words as if they were the writer telling their own story in such a way as to reel in the listener to take them along on the song’s journey.And when that happens, their performance becomes absolutely captivating.And that’s when I see effective communication reach a pinnacle. To go there means the artist took in the advice from their coach, did the work, and gave themselves permission to step into such a vulnerable place and, in doing so, discovered it’s also a place which delivers great reward.