Want To Learn How To Sing? Incubus - Drive - No Reverb!

This video made my morning. Everything about this performance is authentic. What I mean by authentic is everything sounds EXACTLY like it does in my living room - coming out of my amps - or coming out of my mouth.

A lot of people never knew they could sing - until they stepped into a studio. When recording - you dont have to sing on key all the time - your tone doesn't have to be great (Brittney Spears) and even your timing can be adjusted or the instrument you are playing can be re tracked. The finished product after "mixing" usually sounds significantly different than what you would have hear in the singing booth -or how the electric guitar would sound with no volume and no effects.

Not all of us are born able to sing like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Ray Chales or Brian McKnight - most of us would be content to master 2 octaves of our voice. When you are not prodigious and you are called to be a musician - it's very easy to become discouraged - to quit for a while - to switch instruments - to stop singing along. Its not a job - if you dont play at bars - your only motivation is enjoyment or perhaps meditation. Even as a closet musician - sometimes you find yourself in that place where you wonder if you are good enough - you compare yourself to others and become disappointed.

When I found this Incubus video - and I heard the riff start up - I knew that it was going to be a raw performance - I was terrified to hear the guys voice. When he started singing I listened for a few seconds and had to rewind it and play it again. Then I watched the whole thing in disbelief. The entire song is him REALLY singing and the band REALLY playing with no filters. This is what makes a musicians day - when you see the humanity of the performer. He hits all the notes perfectly - but it certainly doesn't sound like it does on the album - it makes him sound almost human.

We all have our unique gifts. While Brian Mcknight may make you want to quit singing because you'll never be as good as him - remember why you are singing to begin with. Many of us are embarrassed by the weaker parts of our musicianship - we close the doors and windows and sing quietly along to whatever we are playing.

As you can see in this video - singing quietly is not how you hit all the notes. Its impossible to sing if youre tense. If you are like me and your not really sure why you like to sing and play along to a song - forget about finding meaning - forget about everyone around you - your brain benefits from your musician ship. Being a musician increases your concentration and memory, math abilities,sense of time, co-ordination, creativity and your ability to relax. It also teaches you to breath, enhances your listening skills, builds discipline and exposes you to different cultures. Being a musician is a lifelong journey - continuing to play requires incredible perseverance. Professional musicians have the same self doubts because music is a unique experience that involves our senses.

If you ever feel like you suck and you need inspiration - look for live versions of songs where the artist actually sounds live.

Ryan Geddes is a writer and entreprenuer located in Toronto Canada. When he's not writing, hes helping with House&Canvas Furniture Paint.