Coming from an acting background as well as singing, one of the most practical ways to release trapped energy is through movement. If a singer or performer is finding something is emotionally blocked, it usually means something is also physically blocked. Emotions are just feelings, in motion. So I would encourage artists to get moving. While they practice singing (or acting) stretch, twist, run in place, close their eyes while rolling on the round. Allow whatever happens to happen. One might feel nothing at first, or one might feel everything. Keep experimenting. Avoid trying to sound good or pretty, just move, and see what releases. The more one frees the body, the more emotions free themselves naturally over time.

Sometimes your emotional state can influence your Physical ability, which means your physical state can help clean up Your emotions. I find that when the emotional state is a battle ground, it’s a real struggle for an artist to leave that. Turning to the physical can help! Walk, singing lying on the floor, etc. awaken and stabilize the body through exploration. Distract the mind. We can use technique and grounding bel canto exercises rather than repertoire. All expectation of a specific sound or performance is removed, and the singer is free to allow some Emotional release there.

One thing I have found helpful is to do fifteen minutes of breathing exercises every single time I practice, sing, perform or train my voice whether in a choir, with nobody, before a performance or with a vocal teacher. It helps ease the tension inside from life's stresses and it also warms up the muscles needed to sing well. It also is handy to visualise something low to the ground, when singing high, so as to counteract any nerves about hitting the pitch with extreme accuracy. Likewise, try an action such as raising your hand in solfege movements to accurately pinpoint the correct melody pattern. ( Teacher training recommended, courses exist I believe ). Also, you must must be confident and self assured & most importantly believe in you!

To help a singer break through, I would use Holistic Music Therapy based on his/her ethnicity and social-cultural background. Because emotional obstacles mostly caused by negative experience.

It is possible to overthink a note so much that you miss it. Hitting a difficult high note can play with your head. You start to think, “what if I crack?”, “what if I don’t get up to the note?” “What if nothing comes out at all?” Fear can affect your performance, BUT this doesn’t change your range. Recognize that your range doesn’t change because you are nervous or have anxiety. If that note is in your range then you CAN hit it. How do you know if it’s in your range? Preparation is key. Choose material that is good for your range and practice til you are confident. Use breathing and exercises to help control your fear. And Visualize the outcome that you want to achieve.

As a singing teacher and Alexander Technique practitioner, I find working through the emotions - with the lyric - in an embodied and physical way really helps to stay grounded and is a great way to overcome any potential tension and strain in the voice. ‘Grounding’ establishes a ‘core’ sense of self that allows great fluidity and emotional expression from a ‘solid base’. An holistic approach means a ‘connected’, open and free body will also release and optimise the entire vocal mechanism and therefore the whole voice. More specifically, working in detail with embodied vowel sounds can be extremely effective.

Here is a situation where mindfulness techniques can be incorporated into a lesson. Help the student learn how to relax, release anxiety, draw into the present moment. Suggest vocal as well as physical exercises that can be helpful anytime or anyplace.

I have found that nervousness can sometimes lead to involuntary restriction of the vocal chords, causing the vocalist to attempt to push their “head” register (or falsetto register depending on your persuasion of vocal pedagogy) into pitches far beyond their typical usage. Nervousness can cause the singer to avoid using their “chest” or “belt” register. This nervousness can be due to environmental factors (ie. the setting is small or intimate so the singer holds back for fear of being too loud) or social factors (small audiences tend to invoke a quieter performance.) I think the best way to overcome this is by building self-confidence. Your audience wants to hear you, and they understand that dynamic volume is part of a strong performance!