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Natural Awakenings Naples and Fort Myers

The Beneficial Effects of Singing

Apr 01, 2015 06:37AM ● By Linda Sechrist

“The soul reveals itself through the voice.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

According to Stewart Pearce, author of The Alchemy of Voice: Transform and Enrich Your Life Through the Power of Your Voice, our true voice is an organic and deeply resonating frequency of sound deep within the body. The master of voice at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre also suggests that long before childhood ends, we slowly become disconnected from it. Reconnecting offers us transformative energy for soul inspiration and personal development. Tish Poorman, a professional vocal/performance coach whose business is built around connecting with and releasing this true voice, wholeheartedly agrees with Pearce.

“After reading a study in the Journal of Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science, which explored the possible beneficial effects of singing on the well-being of singing professionals and amateurs during a singing lesson, I knew that what I see happening in my coaching experiences has been proven by medical science.”

According to Poorman, study results reported increasing joy and elation in amateurs that had used singing lessons as a means of self-actualization, self-expression and a way of releasing emotional tensions. “Both groups noted more energy and relaxed feelings after lessons. This proves that no one has to be a professional singer to get the health benefits of singing lessons,” advises Poorman, who provided voice coaching for Lazaro Arbos, a Naples resident and sixth-place finisher in season 12 of the television game show American Idol. Poorman, who is enjoying the pinnacle of her lifelong career in the entertainment industry, also coached Casey Weston, a young Bonita Springs singer/songwriter who was one of the eight finalists on the breakout season another network singing competition, The Voice.

Poorman recalls that in 1972 her family waved goodbye to Fremont, Ohio, and moved to Florida. “In Fremont, from about the age of 5, I was loving the arts—writing songs and plays and directing and acting in backyard plays. In a community surrounded by soybean and cornfields, we were the entertainment. I even got my younger brother involved in dances I choreographed to songs such as Cherokee Nation, by Paul Revere and The Raiders,” she quips.

After Poorman’s family settled into Naples, she signed up for local talent shows, and in her high school years, enjoyed drama classes. “By age 7, when I asked my mom to buy me a wig, I already knew that I wanted to be an actress and singer when I grew up,” she notes.

Poorman’s entrepreneurial sense kicked in after high school, college and the birth of her son. To meet the many needs of her single-parent obligations, she started a residential cleaning business. “Thankfully, I ‘woke up’ on a vacation in Maine with my sister and corrected my course. When I got back to Naples, I created my first summer theatre camp for children at Cambier Park. When I look back on my life in Naples, it makes me smile to remember the many children’s camps at different Naples locations, children’s productions at various area elementary and high schools, the singing duo that I was part of, vocal coaching and after school drama programs.”

After 40 years living in downtown Naples, she now has her own music and acting studio and gives private vocal and acting lessons to children and adults, as well as conducting a theater program at Pine Ridge Middle School.

“I was blessed that my true voice needed only a gentle nudge to emerge after the age of 25. I’ve always been an artist. I was born to help others free up their inner artist. It can take some gentle persuasion, but in the end, our soul knows that it was worth it,” enthuses Poorman.

Contact Poorman at 239-571-3305 or [email protected].