What Do These People Have In Common?

What do these people have in common?

Reese Witherspoon

Bradley Cooper

Benjamin  Bratt

Anne Hathaway

Russell Crowe

Joaquin Phoenix

They are obviously all actors. But what makes this list special is that they all played the role of a musician in a movie….with little or no prior musical training. Yes, they had coaches and teachers that provided them with the necessary and often intense training. But, I’m all about helping EVERYONE reach for music on a regular basis, regardless of prior experience. 

One instrument most of us have easy access to is our voice. I often hear people say things like, “I can’t sing.” Well, almost everyone CAN sing. Only 3% or less of the population is actually tone deaf. 

Try this simple test. 

Sigh. 

Now try sighing from high to low. 

Next sigh from low to high. 

If you can do that. You can sing. When people say “I can’t sing” what they usually mean is that they are untrained. Anyone can improve their singing voice with training. 

When I went into my first private vocal lesson, my teacher opened up a copy of Grey’s Anatomy. And she said, “Tim, your voice is muscles, ligaments.” It behaves just like the rest of your body, so you’ve got to warm it up, stretch it out, and practice with it. 

I made this short video that demonstrates a few simple ways you can warm up in order to improve your singing. 

So, don’t believe the story that you can’t sing. You can sing and you should sing. Because active music-making is one of the best ways to lower your stress and help you focus on the present moment. 

Give it a try and then drop me a comment below and let me know how it went. 

P.S. I’ve linked to performances of the actors I mentioned below, in case you want to check out their amazing skills!

Reese Witherspoon

Bradley Cooper

Benjamin Bratt

Anne Hathaway

Russell Crowe

Joaquin Phoenix