Some people can sing, and some people can’t. A beautiful voice is a gift and you either have one or you don’t. At least, that’s always been the prevailing wisdom. However, like many pieces of prevailing wisdom, it may not be correct. According to NBC News, an estimated 10–30% of people believe they “can’t sing” because they have difficulty carrying a tune. However, further research cited by CNET shows that only a minuscule 2% of the population physically lacks the skills needed to perform a song well. These individuals may not have the required control over their vocal cords, or may have difficulty hearing pitch accurately. Everyone else simply lacks the training and practice. Learn how to sing A woman who goes by Jeska fm on social media recently took to YouTube to show her own proof that it’s possible to learn how to sing. Becoming even a half-decent singer can take years of practice. Photo credit: Canva In a video titled “MY SINGING TRANSFORMATION: no autotune or reverb, just real progress,” Jeska begins with a few words of inspiration: “I just wanted to start this off by saying that I’m only making this video because I wish I had seen something like this when I was a little girl who wanted to sing. It might have changed the entire course of my life. If you’re someone who dreams of being able to sing but just doesn’t think it’s possible for you, this video is for you.” Jeska explains that she did choir in high school and learned a few fundamentals. But while she never thought she was a bad singer per se, she didn’t believe she had the talent to sing the way she wanted to as a songwriter. “There were things about my voice that I hated,” Jeska says. However, the one thing she had going for her was a refusal to give up. She begins the transformation video by showing clips of her early attempts dating back to 2016. Even in 2021, when she was just beginning to train and practice her vocals intentionally, her singing is flat and lacks power and consistency. Her voice strains to produce volume and hit high notes, and it regularly cracks during attempts at vocal runs. Jeska explains how she spent years working with teachers, doing self-instruction and exercises, and practicing and performing. The final clip of her performing five years later is almost unrecognizable. The power, accuracy, and clarity are all improved several times over. All Jeska’s hard work had paid off, and she was far better positioned to perform her own music and pursue singing in other ways. The full transformation has to be heard to be appreciated: So many kids grow up dreaming of becoming singers or musicians However, we as humans tend to drastically underestimate how much time and work it takes to succeed. The “planning fallacy” is a psychological concept that suggests people often have an overly optimistic view of what it will take to complete a task. In practice, it’s one thing to pick up a guitar and realize just how difficult it is to maneuver your fingers with the accuracy and speed required. But when it comes to the original instrument—our voice—many people assume that if they have talent, it will present itself naturally. “Singing’s actually very different, as everyone can produce a sound,” researcher Sean Hutchins tells The Guardian. “Even if people don’t learn the technique behind how to sing, you use your voice for the purpose of speech so everyone’s reasonably adept at controlling it. The key thing which separates good singers from bad isn’t so much natural talent but getting the training to use it in the right way.” He also adds that the limiting belief people develop when their first attempts aren’t magically perfect—“I can’t sing”—causes many to give up on their dream. Hutchins says the worst singers he’s studied are often the ones least likely to practice. “My main takeaway from this whole singing journey is that it’s never too late to pursue your interests,” Jeska says at the end of her video. “You never know how far you’ll go.” She’s also brutally honest about how much work it really takes to perfect your vocal control. For most people, it takes years. The idea that someone can become a brilliant professional singer overnight with no training and little practice is mostly false. But so is the idea that none of us is capable of honing at least a karaoke-worthy voice, and maybe far more than that. The post Woman shares amazing 5-year singing transformation and obliterates the concept of ‘I can’t sing’ appeared first on Upworthy.