Singing when you are Emotional

As some of you know, I have been going through a rough time lately with some events in my life.  Singing when you are going through an emotional time in your life is perhaps the most difficult exercise in an artist's career.  For most of us, we get involved in singing BECAUSE it allows us to release and feel emotions we cannot express in words. But if you have to perform professionally, you have a responsibility to your audience to give  a professional performance, regardless of the current circumstances of your life.

I don't pretend to have a  fix-all solution to how to sing when you are emotional.  I imagine most people cope in different ways in order to remain effective as a singer.  However, what helps me is that ultimately is that my singing is a way to help others.  People do not pay me to sing because they want me to feel good about myself, but rather to help the audience experience certain emotions - joy, sadness, you name it.  I can experience those emotions on my own during practice; but in performance mode, I am all business in trying to help the audience cope or experience joy with their lives.

DWS