There’s a wonderful quote attributed to comedienne Lily Tomlin in which she said, “We’re all in this alone.”
There are certainly times when we’ve all felt, currently feel, or will probably feel this way a few times down the road. But, it’s only true in the sense that you
alone control the choices you make and you direct your responses to things that are beyond your control.
Many Hands Hold Your Heart
However, many hands have played a role in helping you take a stand and walk the path you’re currently stumbling or strutting. Many points of view have factored into your focus, many encouraging voices have boosted your self-esteem, many informed thinkers have influenced your decisions and increased your knowledge, and many loving arms have helped to shape your caring, compassionate heart.
In fact, there is likely a handful, or heart full, of mentors that have prompted you to sing out, speak up, stand tall, take risks, be brave, step up, and never settle for less than success.
Master Mentors
The need for a core group of master mentors lasts a lifetime because you should never stop growing, learning, and refining the grand design of your success as a singer, singer-songwriter, singing musician, motivational speaker, spokesperson, broadcast journalist – whatever your choice for using the voice to make a difference.
Identify Existing Mentors
Take time to sit down and identify the teachers, coaches, and key influential people that have served as mentors in helping you find your voice, your walk, your stand, your place, and your dreams.
These are people that have had, and likely still have, the greatest impact to inspire and encourage in you a sense of commitment and self-discipline, along with the desire to continue to get better, become wiser, and grow stronger. The best mentors always find a way to motivate you, no matter how demanding or seemingly impossible the situation, or how inadequate or hopeless you think you are.
Affirm Influence + Impact
After identifying those people that have been and still are your mentors, make note of the key points of impact they’ve had and have on your life and career pursuits. Then, affirm each of your mentors by thanking them personally in some way.
It can be via a phone call, a text, a card or note, or a visit. Thanks can also be expressed through prayer or just by thinking positive thoughts about them. It can be expressed through dedicating a song or performance, or by writing a song or pulling together some creative tribute in their honor. Depending on your unique path, your mentors can be referenced in public speaking engagements, talent competitions, and pageants.
Honor + Remember
For those mentors that have passed on, you can also contact the friends and family members of your mentors. This can serve to affirm a sweet memory for those that miss them while possibly creating a new connection or friendship.
It’s important to honor and affirm the touch of these helping hands that have shaped your heart and have played a part in defining your desire to use your voice to inspire, entertain, enlighten, encourage, and make a difference.
Assess Deficits + Needs
It’s also important to assess your needs for personal and professional growth and improvement – and then find mentors that can help you make adjustments and improvements to achieve your full potential as a singer, speaker, actor, musical performer, singer-songwriter, competitor, singing musician – however you choose to use your voice to impact others.
Make a list of the key areas where you need direction, improvement, and greater focus. Look to your first list of mentors and see how they may help you move forward in these areas. Make note of any areas where there are clear deficits and mentoring is needed. Examples of areas to consider might be health and fitness, investment advice, marketing strategies, social networking skills, public speaking, live performance skills, acting, music lessons – indulge yourself with an “if I could have it all” approach, so that nothing is shortchanged or overlooked.
Find Mentors for Top Three Needs
Once you have your list of key areas for direction, improvement, and focus – prioritize this list of needs. Your initial goal will be to establish mentors for the top three areas of need on your list.
For each of these three areas, ask your friends, your vocal coach, and existing mentors if they know of anyone with expertise in the respective area for improvement, focus, and direction. Use the forums at SingingSuccess.TV to solicit suggestions for mentors and any additional resources for support. Check with any of Brett Manning’s certified associates that you know to see if they have any leads there.
Be yourself, open, and honest in your pursuit of finding your mentors, and stick to no more than the top three areas for focus in your initial efforts. As it is deemed appropriate and feasible, connect your mentors with each other. They may collectively come up with ideas and strategies for boosting your career, helping you make positive changes, and guiding you toward opportunities you hadn’t thought about.
Brett & Associates
When creating your list of personal mentorship, don’t forget to include Brett Manning and his certified associates. Collectively, the Singing Success program, with reinforcement through bookings with Brett’s certified associates, will play a key role in mentoring you. Each associate has a passion and love for singing that is only exceeded by their passion and love for bringing out the full potential in those they teach.
For Brett, teaching is also an extension of his relentless passion for learning, enhancing his diagnostic instincts, and building on his vast knowledge base. He and his associates are constantly engaged in research and open exploration of new concepts and approaches that further sharpen and refine already effective tools and methods that are a part of Singing Success, Mastering Mix, and other product offerings.
Insider Information
Brett and each of his certified associates bring another valuable quality to each student with their experience as performers and artists. Having worked with others in the music industry, they offer insider information that can help you develop some business savvy while strengthening and engaging the full potential of your unique voice.
Proactive Listening
The best teachers and mentors also have strong listening skills. Brett takes that skill much deeper as he helps his associates and students heighten their self-awareness and their ability to identify and address key issues that need to be worked on so that students become stronger singers, better performers, and more confident in the pursuit of all aspects of their singing success. Brett has an uncanny ability to identify problems, bad habits, and potential strengths, even by listening to someone speak for a few moments.
Diagnosis + Prescription
The diagnostic skills of Brett’s associates have been enhanced by his teaching and are further refined through their individual study and hands on experience with students.
Many of Brett Manning’s certified associates arrive at his studio with years of training, performance experience, and exposure to a variety of voice training techniques that have value. Some have been vocal coaches or teachers for several years.
So reflect on your mentors, give thanks, and reconnect. Identify key areas where mentoring is needed, and seek mentors for your top three needs for direction, improvement, and focus. And don’t forget to use the Forums at SingingSuccess.TV to affirm mentors and reinforce research and progress.
Finally, let your commitment to regular bookings with Brett’s certified associates be part of your master mentoring plan for making the most of your singing success as you tap into the maximum unique impact of the voice.