1.1.1.a A Grand Adventure
A Grand Adventure
Imagine setting sail on a grand adventure, your eyes fixed on a distant horizon brimming with potential. A single degree or two off course seems insignificant at first—it might even go unnoticed. But over time, that tiny misalignment accumulates, and before you know it, you might wash up on a deserted island, far from the fertile shores you envisioned at the outset.
How could such a small error lead to such lost opportunity? Our lives are full of journeys just like this—some ending in brilliant vistas, some in dusty wastelands—and singing is no exception. I’ve experienced both, and in most cases, the outcomes hinged on subtle misunderstandings or overlooked truths about how the voice truly works. Too many singers have been pushed off course in this same way. Even well-intentioned teachers often can’t correct the fundamental errors, because as research makes clear, they’re ignoring most of the evidence. I ignored a lot of evidence myself, and much of what I missed was in areas nobody ever trained me to look.
Shoals, Sandbars, and Fog Banks
The Bermuda Triangle is a legendary patch of ocean roughly bounded by Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico where ships and aircraft have mysteriously vanished. Folkloric stories of paranormal activity, alien abductions, and strange magnetic fields are countered with science-based evidence of natural phenomena, human error, and exaggerated reporting. Stepping into the world of voice training is not so different, with centuries of dogmatic pedagogy crashing against a rapidly increasing body of science. Sadly, the arguments between folklorists and scientists rage on as more ships sail into the fog, never to return.
Overdramatic? No. Singing is a core human function, like laughter. If three out of five people claimed they couldn’t laugh, there would be public outcry—yet when it’s singing, society barely bats an eye. Meanwhile, many young people assume a professional singing career is the logical path to expand on the joy they already get from music. Yet time and again, the pursuit of this goal fails to bring the creative fulfillment they hope for. These two distortions—the “I can’t sing” mindset and the “I must go pro” mindset—stem from deeply flawed beliefs about what singing truly is and a practical need to support a massive voice training industry. I was a cog in this wheel, but thanks to a combination of luck and failure, I got a fresh perspective. That’s what I want to share with you, starting with this course, Foundations of Voice.
I’ve witnessed how mythology, inadequate pedagogy, and misaligned incentives erode our collective sense of the voice’s innate power. My goal isn’t just to critique the system but to reclaim singing as something naturally human and widely accessible—an activity that flourished for millennia without formal instruction.
What to Expect
I’ve been crafting these courses for more than three years, but the real foundation spans the past forty—a patchwork of ideas, notes, lesson plans, worksheets, manuscripts, and countless experiences with singers from all walks of life. My original goal was straightforward: organize the information I’ve used to teach thousands of singers in a practical, affordable program. That’s all here and represents less than 20% of the material we’ve covered. The rest reflects a radical reset of my priorities, where my primary concern shifted from the presentation of the song to the well-being of the singer. Here’s what that means.
A quasi-religious commitment to the sanctity of the musical arts stands at the center of the system for training singers, and I bought into it. As my career grew, I pushed aside a growing sense that my joy rose from making music, not the music itself. The clues were there. If someone said, “Piero, what’s your favorite show?” my consistent, truthful reply was, “the one I’m working on right now.” For me, the music was just a means to an end, but I couldn’t shake the idea that singers served the song. I’ve had thrilling experiences in choirs and as a soloist, but the little songs I sing to our pets at feeding time provide constant pleasure. Singing is an evolutionary gift, not a packaged product.
Don’t get me wrong—you are allowed to love Mozart, musical theater, or Miley Cyrus. I do, and I hold no contempt for those who uphold the sanctity of the Western musical canon. However, there are several problems with the centuries-old, primarily Western, generally patriarchal, often brutal system for training musicians in which I’d been forged. On one hand, it’s responsible for many of humanity’s most exquisite artistic achievements, including every blissful artistic memory I’ve had. On the other, it accordingly prioritizes elite performance over everyday access, locks in dogmatic beliefs, and reinforces a permission structure where shame and humiliation are tools of the trade.
Perhaps things are getting better, but most of the improvements reflect larger societal trends, and frankly, the system has no incentive to change. Ferocious levels of competition can be found from middle school music festivals to Broadway shows, inspiring an endless supply of talent ready to support the status quo. The renowned therapist Terry Real’s writing on intergenerational trauma has deeply influenced my thinking on these matters:
“Family pathology rolls from generation to generation like a fire in the woods, taking down everything in its path until one person in one generation has the courage to turn and face the flames. That person brings peace to their ancestors and spares the children that follow.”
I’ve spent enough time turning the joy of singing into a nerve-jangling experience because I was more worried about pleasing dead composers than living singers. It’s time to put out that fire and devote my remaining days to celebrating singing and singers, just like you.
Course Overview and Outline
While the Singers at Play catalog offers diverse topics at your own pace, Voice Systems zeroes in on a fundamental shift in how we view singing and how we train our voices. Sure, we’ll address “quick fixes” like breath exercises or resonance tips, but those alone don’t repair the deeper navigational errors. More critical are the cultural myths, psychological barriers, and entrenched dogmas that derail so many vocal journeys.
Below is a simple, high-level outline that captures the main themes and structure of the content. It groups related ideas under clear headings, omitting most sub-points and details for brevity.
