It always makes me uncomfortable when I hear people talk about how they want to sing like this or that famous artist. Why are we in such a hurry to become someone else rather than pursuing who we truly are?

As a professional vocal coach here in Nashville, Tennessee, I meet lots of budding artists who dream of becoming the next big thing. Many of them have serious talent. However, too many of them also want to be something or someone they’re not. They’re too busy trying to fit an idea in their heads of what “the industry” is looking for. Yet so many of the truly great breakout successes only look inevitable after they’ve achieved their success. On their way to superstardom, they may well have been the furthest thing from a sure thing.

My biggest piece of advice to any singer wanting to become a star is: be yourself. Ultimately, that’s the only thing you can be. You might as well embrace your uniqueness as fully as possible and ride it to the hilt. I’ve seen plenty of would-be professional singers ignore this advice, yet I have to keep dispensing it because it’s the best advice I know: don’t try to sing like someone else; sing like yourself and explore everything that means.