The Rain in Spain …
As a voice coach, I’ve always believed that every song tells a story, and the way we communicate that story is as important as the melody itself. But it wasn’t until I had an experience with one of my students that the importance of diction truly hit home.
A few years ago, I was working with a talented young singer named Sarah. She had a beautiful voice—pure, controlled, and rich in tone. She sang with emotion and conviction, but something wasn’t landing. Despite her technical ability, her audience always seemed disengaged.
One day during a lesson, I stopped her mid-verse. She was performing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables, pouring her heart into every note.
“Sarah,” I said, “what’s the story behind this song? What are you trying to say to your audience?”
She looked at me and said, “It’s about heartbreak and loss… isn’t it?”
“Exactly,” I replied. “But if I can’t understand the words you’re singing, how will the audience connect with that heartbreak? Your voice is beautiful, but your diction is holding you back from telling the story.”
That was her lightbulb moment, and it reminded me of one of my own early experiences. Years ago, when I was performing in The Young Americans with Harvey Keitel, I had a director tell me, “Mick, the audience doesn’t care how good you sound if they can’t hear what you’re saying.” Those words stuck with me, and I’ve carried them into my teaching ever since.
Good diction isn’t about singing like you’re in a grammar lesson. It’s about clarity and connection. Each consonant, each vowel, each subtle enunciation is a bridge to your listener. Without clear diction, even the most beautiful voice can feel distant or hollow.
With Sarah, we worked tirelessly on her articulation. I taught her to imagine she was singing to someone in the back row of a theater, someone who couldn’t see her face and only had her words to understand the story. We broke down lyrics syllable by syllable, exaggerating the enunciation at first, then easing it into something natural and musical.
The next time she performed “I Dreamed a Dream,” the transformation was astounding. The audience didn’t just hear her—they felt her. Her words reached out and grabbed them, carrying the raw emotion of the song straight to their hearts.
This is why diction is so vital in singing. It’s the vehicle that carries your message. No matter how stunning your voice, if your words don’t land, the story gets lost.
So, the next time you sing, think of yourself as both a vocalist and a storyteller. Make every word count. After all, as singers, we’re not just performers—we’re communicators. And clear, thoughtful diction is what makes our message heard.
