This September, I stepped back into the classroom after 14 years away from school education.
The changes have been eye-opening.
When I first began teaching in 2004, students craved consistency. They loved routine. They found comfort in familiarity. If we sang a favourite song or played a beloved musical game, they would ask to repeat it again… and again… and again.
Repetition felt safe.
Predictable.
Grounding.
Consistency was not boring — it was reassuring.
Fast forward to today, and I am seeing something very different.
Students now gravitate toward what is new, fresh, exciting, and novel. They light up when introduced to a brand-new activity. They are energized by change. And often, once an activity has been experienced, they are ready to move on.
This shift has fascinated me. It has stretched me as an educator in the best possible way. I am deeply committed to teaching the student in front of me — responding to their needs, their interests, and the world they are growing up in.
But this cultural shift raises an important question for those of us in the arts.
Because in music — and especially in singing — repetition is not optional.
It is essential.
The Repetition Paradox
To improve as a singer, you must repeat.
You repeat vocal exercises.
You repeat tricky rhythms.
You repeat vowel modifications.
You repeat sections of a song that don’t yet feel secure.
Practice, by definition, is repetition.
And yet, in many other areas of a child’s life, repetition feels more exciting. Think about sports. An athlete will run drills over and over again — shooting baskets, practicing footwork, refining a swing. The difference? Drills are often fast-paced, goal-oriented, and visibly connected to game performance.
In singing, independent practice can feel quieter. Slower. Less externally stimulating.
So how do we resolve this dissonance?
How do we honour the neurological and cultural shift toward novelty while still protecting the sacred role of repetition in mastery?
Repetition Is Not the Enemy — Stagnation Is
The solution is not to eliminate repetition.
The solution is to reframe it.
Repetition does not have to mean “doing the same thing in the same way.”
Instead, repetition can become a process of discovery.
Every time we revisit a song, we can ask:
- What detail did I miss last time?
- What emotion can I deepen?
- What technical element can I refine?
- What story choice can I strengthen?
Suddenly, the song is not “the same.” It is EVOLVING.
At Donais Studios, we teach our singers that each run-through is an experiment. An exploration. An opportunity to ignite, discover, and share The Artist Within in a new way.
Making Practice Feel New (Even When It Isn’t)
Here are a few ways we can bring novelty into repetition:
- Change the Focus
One day, focus only on rhythm.
Another day, focus only on breath flow.
Another, on storytelling and facial expression.
The song stays the same. The lens changes.
- Add Constraints
Sing the phrase on a lip trill.
Whisper the text dramatically.
Conduct yourself while singing.
Record and evaluate one section.
Constraints create challenge — and challenge creates engagement.
- Track Micro-Wins
Instead of aiming to “sing the whole song perfectly,” choose one measurable goal:
- Clean consonants in the second verse.
- Sustain long phrases without gasping.
- Memorize one difficult section.
Small wins build momentum.
- Connect to Purpose
Athletes repeat drills because they know it prepares them for the game.
Singers must clearly connect practice to performance.
Every repetition is building stamina. Confidence. Freedom.
When singers understand the why, repetition becomes empowering.
Familiarity Builds Confidence
There is another important truth we cannot ignore:
Familiarity builds confidence.
When a song moves from unfamiliar to familiar, something powerful happens. The brain relaxes. The body softens. Expression becomes freer. Artistry emerges.
Repetition is what allows technique to become instinctive.
And instinct is what allows artistry to shine.
If we constantly chase “new,” we risk staying on the surface of many things — instead of diving deeply into a few.
Mastery requires depth.
A Cultural Invitation
This generation is creative, curious, and beautifully responsive to stimulation. That is a gift.
Our role as educators and parents is not to fight that — but to guide it.
We can teach our singers that repetition is not regression.
It is refinement.
It is how good becomes excellent.
How excellent becomes effortless.
How effortlessness becomes art.
If we reframe practice as an evolving exploration rather than a static task, we bridge the gap between novelty and mastery.
And when that shift happens?
Repetition no longer feels like “doing it again.”
It feels like becoming more of who you are meant to be.
And that is where the magic lives.
Keep singing,
xo Andrea “refining with repetition” Donais