One of my 11-year-old students walked into her lesson todayâclearly frustrated.
When I asked what was up, she let it all out:
“My friends donât think singing is a sport. They think you just open your mouth and sing. They donât get it.”
She was right to be frustrated. Because they donât get it.
They donât see the HOURS of training, the dedication to breath control, the precision, the full-body coordination, the mental focus, or the emotional vulnerability it takes to sing well. To sing beautifully. To make something lookâand soundâeffortless.
Singing is absolutely a sport.
In fact, itâs one of the most underappreciated athletic and artistic disciplines out there.
Letâs break it down.
đ˝ Singing = Athleticism + Artistry
Unlike traditional athletes who are praised for looking powerful and physically intense, singers are trained to make it all look easy.
Thatâs the paradox: the more work you do, the less work you should look like youâre doing.
But behind every âeffortlessâ performance is serious trainingâmental, physical, emotional, musical and artistic.
đââď¸ The Breath Work of a Swimmer
Singers donât just breathe. They train their breath.
Like swimmers, singers must learn how to take in quick, deep, efficient breaths and control their exhale to support long, sustained phrases.
Your diaphragm, intercostals, and core must work together seamlessly.
Good breath support is what powers the soundâjust like oxygen powers a swimmerâs stroke, speed, and stamina.
đ§ââď¸ The Body Awareness of a Yogi
Singing is not just a voice activityâitâs a whole-body experience.
Like yoga, singing demands postural alignment, core engagement, and tension release.
Singers develop extraordinary body awareness and coordinationâfeeling and adjusting internal muscle movements most people arenât even aware of.
Every note begins in the body, not just the vocal folds.
đ¤¸ââď¸ The Coordination of a Gymnast
Singing is a high-level coordination task.
Every sound requires precise control of multiple muscle groups: diaphragm, tongue, jaw, soft palate, larynx, vocal folds, facial muscles, abdominal musclesâand more.
Singers constantly make tiny, rapid adjustments to pitch, dynamics, resonance, and diction, often mid-note.
Like gymnasts, singers train for consistency, precision, and grace under pressure.
đââď¸ The Stamina of a Marathon Runner
A singer in performance is an endurance athlete.
Maintaining vocal strength, emotional connection, and physical posture for an entire recital, musical, or rehearsal requires serious stamina.
Singers condition their voices for repetition, resilience, and recoveryâday in and day out.
Itâs not just about making it through a song; itâs about singing beautifully and in the moment the entire time.
âˇď¸ The Agility of a Figure Skater
Have you ever heard someone riff, run, or glide effortlessly through a tricky vocal passage?
Thatâs vocal agilityâlike skating through intricate patterns on ice.
Singers train for speed, clarity, and flexibility, all while keeping the sound connected, aligned and expressive.
It may sound playful, but it requires tremendous muscular control and accuracy.
đĽ The Power of a Boxer
Singing requires both finesse and force.
When itâs time to project or deliver emotionally charged vocals, singers call on explosive energy, just like a boxer delivering a punch.
This vocal strength comes from proper breath support, resonant placement, and full-body connectionânever from strain or force.
đ§ The Focus of a Golfer
Singers arenât just thinking about sound. Theyâre managing a dozen internal and external processes at once.
Like golfers, singers must control their nerves, visualize success, and make minute technical adjustments without overthinking.
Singing is a delicate dance between conscious control and intuitive trust.
đ§ââď¸ The Mental Grit of a Rock Climber
Singing takes courage and commitment.
Performances require you to be vulnerable, exposed, and emotionally openâin front of others.
Vocal progress isnât always linear. It takes resilience, trust, and inner strength to push through vocal plateaus or performance anxiety.
Like climbers, singers take calculated risks every time they step on stage.
đ¤ The Confidence of a Keynote Speaker
To sing is to speak your truthâout loud and in public.
Singers must command attention, communicate emotion, and stand fully present under the lights.
Itâs not just about what you say (or sing), itâs about how you deliver itâwith courage and clarity and conviction.
đŞ Singing Is Hard WorkâAnd It’s Worth Every Minute
To all our Donais Studios singersâyoung and seasoned, recreational and professionalâwe see you.
We see the time you spend:
Warming up when no oneâs listening.
Learning the score while others are outside playing.
Practicing breath control and vowel placement.
Memorizing lyrics and polishing storytelling.
Managing nerves and rising with confidence to share your voice.
You are an artist. You are an athlete. You are amazing.
So the next time someone says,
âSinging isnât a sport,â
just smileâbecause theyâre right about one thing:
You do make it look easy.
But you and I both know how much work it takes to do that. đ
Keep Training, Keep Shining
At Donais Studios, we train like athletes, study like scholars, and express like artists. Thatâs what makes singing such a beautiful and powerful pursuit.
So wear your hard work with pride. Keep showing up for your voice. And rememberâŚ
⨠Singing is a sport.
⨠Singing is an art.
⨠And singing is a superpower.
Keep singing,
~Andrea âthe athletic artistâ Donais