Chely Wright Quotes

I think I don't sing as hard as I used to sing. I used to kind of hit the accelerator a lot back in my youth, but now it's just being able to control it, and not work it so hard and use more of an emotional or sub textual kind of approach to singing.

I treat my vocals as an instrument.

People often ask me how I developed my vocal sound, and the answer usually disappoints them: 'It's just the way I sound when I sing.'

I could read music and sing all the right notes at the right time. And over time, I literally found my voice, found a way to make sound.

I just wanted to show people - maybe I'm wrong - that I can still really sing. I can sing better than I ever have before. My intonation is way better, my timing, my phrasing - there's a lot more expression; I feel it's a more lived-in, soulful voice.

Because everything about the voice interests me, I felt it would be fascinating to learn a completely different style of singing.

With The Fugees initially, and even with 'Miseducation', it was very hip-hop - always a singing over beats. I don't think people have really heard me sing out. So if I do record again, perhaps it will have an expanded context. Where people can hear a bit more.

I think the voice is an underrated instrument these days and it's easy to make up for lack of ability with effects. I think sometimes people are more wowed with effects than core craftsmanship. Strong voices are not as common as they used to be.

I want to sing like Aretha Franklin. Before her I wanted the technical ability of Ella Fitzgerald.

I've never been into the typical R&B voice, with runs and bluesy sounding words. That doesn't suit me.

It took me five years to realize what I could do with my voice. No Auto-Tune - cut all that off.

I am still working on developing my voice. I am, I know, better as a coloratura singer than I was. It's a matter of strong breath control and yet making it sound as though it is the easiest thing in the world.

For singers, our singing voice is our natural voice, not the speaking.

There are situations when, in your singing, in your interpretation of songs, for instance, when you want a straight tone. And I have to work really hard at getting a straight tone... That's sort of like if you have curly hair, you have curly hair.

I always try to get to the point where I can do different things with my voice.

As I am a lyrical singer, I really have to work hard. I'm still really training on a daily basis on my vocals. Because of the lyrical training, it never really ends.

I don't push my voice; I try to keep a good technique, a natural way of singing, to sing from the breath, which is the main thing.

I think I've learned a lot on the vocal side of things.

I knew that I could sing when I was young. I would listen to a lot of jazz; I'm a big jazz fan. When I first got to high school and studied musical theater, I could sing. But I added certain things to my voice, and I realized after graduating high school that this is the kind of voice I had. It's not very nimble, but it's heavy.

As singers, we're always taught to sing forward and place everything in the front of our resonating chambers. Donna Summer always sang in that space and had it naturally. Her muscle memory, the way she was built - she was a natural singer.

There are some sounds that English singers find quite difficult to manipulate.

Thousands of kids and parents come up to us and say, How do we get better as a singer?

You have to get to know your voice and its strengths and play on those. It took me quite a long time.

I don't believe in singing lessons. You can sing or you can't.

The better voice doesn't mean being a better singer.