How to hold back emotions when singing

NinaST

Hi everyone.
I know it might be a weird question to ask, since usually people have trouble adding emotions to a song. But my grandmother recently passed away and I want to sing "songbird" from Fleetwood Mac on her funeral. Only one problem: I always cry whenever I'm singing this song. Even during practice. I chose a song that isn't too hard to sing, even when having breath support issues. But even then it's hard to get through this song.
I think that one way to cope with this is to overrehearse this song until it become tedious.
Is there another way to cope with this?

Klaus_T

sorry to hear about your loss.
what you said, doing it very often, will help. another thing might be, try to imagine that you want to do it for your grandmother, and/or the audience, and see it as a "service" to them. so the idea is not so much to hold the emotions back, but funnel them into something positive for everyone's enjoyment, and a gift to them

NinaST

Thanks!
The second thing might make me more emotional I think, but I can practice it on my parents, perhaps. See what will happen if I sing it to them.

PhMarne

Hi, sorry for your loss.

What you intend to do is extremely difficult and I would recommend you to give up if the test with your parents does not work well.

Even Ken Tamplin himself declares he sometimes doesn't manage to achieve it in somewhat happier situations (his daughter's marriage)...

Yours sincerely,

Philippe

NinaST

Thanks!
In the end I didn't sing at the funeral, because no one could learn the piano score in time. (There are plenty of musicians in my family actually.) But I am planning to record it at home. At least I'm going to be less emotional this way.