MakeShift
I feel your pain Reese.  It's even worse when it's your own spouse that will tell you that your a terrible singer.  These days, I just don't do vocals when she is around. 
 
How about when some one calls your song boring on the song forums....really...is that neccessary?  I have always felt that there is always something to build on; rather than just knocking something down.
 
I have n't had a chance to respond to Robbies thread up there yet about being just fascinated with the song writing process in general, but I whole heartedly agree.  We who create have a gift that a lot of others just don't.  Where it comes from, to me, is fascinating. 

That's unfortunate, Mike.  At least my wife is very supportive of me.  she doesn't always tell me but she does believe in me and does believe I have a good voice.  she's actually jealous of it...she talked about taking voice lessons at one time and said she thought about taking lessons from the same person I did but was afraid that teacher would compare her to me and wouldn't be able to compete.  I told her it was not a competition and that I'm certain the teacher would help her bring out HER voice, not mine!
and I agree that telling someone their song is boring is very uneccessary.  while I believe we should give honest critiques, we should also not be cruel in our delivery and we should lift each other up with the things we do like as muich as the things we do not.
 

rsp@odyssey.net
Reece, I remember when you took a thrashing for your voice. I seem to remember posting and maybe PMing you about it. You had the desire and the need to do it, but you lacked confidence and it sounded like it. The technical things you've learned through instruction and training have definitely helped, but to my ears, it's the confidence you now have that's made all the difference. You've learned how to "perform" a vocal and that's the key! (no pun intended). Good for you pal!
 
To say I'm proud of you doesn't really cut it, but it's as close as I can get for someone I really can't stand. :)
 
Randy

dang Randy - you're making me tear up! 
 
and I do believe you are correct.  the technical stuff has really helped me understand which things sound better than others, but the confidence is key.  one of my mentors at my last "gig" told me and the other singer all the time to sing with confidence - even if we're on the wrong note - sing it like you're confident of it!
 
thank you Randy!  I appreciate your kind words my friend!
 

RobertB

craigb

Beagle
the point however, is that listening to others tell me that I can't sing did not deter me from singing, it made me more determined to do it!  it made me seek help and learn from those who knew I had potential and helped bring it out of me.

 
To me, that's the right attitude to take for many areas of life. 
 

Agreed. This is one of the elements of your character that I have always liked.
And I have yet to meet a Beagle that didn't proudly sing his song

 
thank you very much Craig and Bob!  I appreciate it very much!  and beagles gonna sing!
 
 

Old55
Secret Agent Man?  

nope!  It's a much bigger secret than that!  and it's not "42"!!! 

BTW - I haven't released a recording in a long time!  it's been at least 2 years, I think since I last recorded vocals for anything.
 
so, when this "secret project" gets released in the next few weeks - see if any of you hear a difference in my voice since the last time I released something!  I personally can hear a big change in the last song I released compared to the tracks I just gave to NagBap...

I really can't sing, I was the only boy that was able to get the sack from the Church choir as a kid it hadn't happened before or since, but I give it a go because I enjoy doing it and I'm not too bothered about the result.
 
You however have a good voice and you've developed the use of that voice over time.  One can do little about the physical construction of the parts that go together to make a voice sound like it does and you have a very nice rich tenor voice with a really good tone to start with.
 
Alongside that the improvements you've made to how you use that voice have been exponential since that jerk said you need to get a singer for your song.  It takes courage to put that stuff out there because you'll always get creatures like that who want to make themselves feel somewhat superior, yet the greater the musician/singer I've ever worked with is, it has always followed that they become more generous with encouragement and practical help along with the growth of their own ability.  There is in my experience a direct relationship with those two aspects within a genuine person who wants you to grow.
 
Therefore stick with those types of winners and avoid those that think they can climb higher by standing on top of other peoples aspirations. We ought all want to be the best us we can be and if that doesn't fit someone elses scale of value then it's their problem not yours.
 
Keep on truckin' you ol' dawg.

Bouy - you are a treasure and a true inspiration, my friend!  thank you!

Hey Reece , I listened to one of your songs a long time ago. It was ok I thought, certainly not the kind of thing to be attacked as bad. Lets face it, only a small percentage of the population have really good pipes...the rest of us have to really work at it to improve. The fact that you are singing on a regular basis is probably one of the best things you can do. Keep those pipes active and healthy. 
With so much talent out there now I think the bar is higher. I hear my stuff and I think ..meh...doesn't really reach out and pinch me. It works for some things better than others. I don't want to be  meh so I'll keep at it for the fun of it. I was singing with a female vocalist this past week and she took me to a different level somehow. I can't explain it, but she added some kind of energy that transferred to me.People commented afterwards. It's like in the studio it's meh, but going out with the right people and combinations takes it up a notch or two...brings out something that I didn't know I had....then it's back to the studio and...meh..the difference between feeling it and singing it is huge.
 
 

Beagle
this thread was partially done in jest as a spin on the thread "I am giving up" by david saying he was giving up singing.
 

I don't about singing, but maybe you should SERIOUSLY think about giving up on jesting, 'cause you obviously suck at it. 
 

 
Yoko's Greatest Hits.
(Just sayin'...)

Beagle
...
The problem wasn't that these people were wrong - it's that they were right and that I needed to learn how to sing.  I sang in my throat and I was off pitch often.  I've learned to control that mostly, but I'm still learning every day I sing!
 ...
 

I think that many people ONLY consider it "singing" when the voice matches the notes. I'm not sure that needs to be so, since rock music, specifically, has taught us that we don't need to match the notes, but we could use learning how to use the voice "better" so that if it is not in tune, at least, it offers a nice counter point all around.
 
This was the case with Joe Cocker and even Chappo (Roger Chapman) and even the guy from Acqua Fragile that ended up in PFM. Their voices tended to not match the note exactly, but it offered something else that is quite enjoyable and musically satisfying. Even Bryan Ferry, sometimes fits this club, and he almost slurs and speaks his words rather than "sing", although I imagine that he can do that as well. The earlier Roxy Music material would not be as good without his "acting", instead of "singing". Another example is Mr. Decamps in Ange. Or the late singer from the Italian band Banco, with his high tenor voice that most people thought was not good for rock music and yet, he had the touch that made it so special.
 
I have never thought that "anyone" could not sing. I could help Bapu use his voice if he wanted me to. At that point it is as much a matter of comfort with the music itself as it is with you being in "touch" with your voice, rather than in "tune". 
 
It was the same thing on the stage with women with higher voices, that you kinda wanted to lower it some so it would not sound like a doll, or something that would (normally) have a tendency to hurt the flow of the piece and its seriousness. You worked the wording differently and the voice is capable of that, without it having to find the "right" note. And it works.
 
Some food for thought Beagle and Bapu. It's not just the voice that makes it. It's what else is behind it, that is the main difference in my experience, and the main reason why I like so many different styles of singers and works that include "voice" rather than singing.

Moshkiae
I could help Bapu use his voice if he wanted me to. 

 
Pedro:  "Repeat after me, 'Would you like fries with that?'"
Bapu:  "Would you like fries with ... that?"
Pedro:  "Now don't be afraid to speak with confidence!  Let's try that again. 'Would you like fries with that?'"