Cecile McLorin Salvant Quotes

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

To sing along with Stevie Wonder, you had to make your voice do things it was not accustomed to doing.

That's one thing you hear in my voice today. I could yodel from one octave to another octave. It always fascinated me.

Exene taught me how to bend my notes when I sing. That's her style. And I learned that from her.

I had a hole in my voice. It's an area in the voice where it's air. It's just - there's no - it's just very airy. And my classical teachers were just so frustrated with me because I would have these deep, low notes that were really strong, and the higher register was strong, but right in that middle area, it was really hard. It was like a passage. And many singers go through this and work it out. But I realized in jazz, I could just take advantage of that and take advantage of having a voice that was very different in different areas.

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

I think singing comes most naturally for me. Because it's part of your body - it's a natural thing. You can practice all you want but it's part of your body.

I truly wish I could sing.

Singing is incredibly physical.

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.

I love hard singing.

I thought everybody had falsetto. And since I wasn't a schooled singer who studied with anybody, I just thought anybody who had a voice could do anything they wanted with their voice.

Anything that I can do with my voice that's good, I'll try to do.

You have to contort your body in a certain way to hit a low note. When you're on film, you can't. So you do, in a sense, get to hide behind your voice, which is nice.

I don't over-sing anymore, which I used to suffer from terribly because I couldn't hear myself.

I use my voice as an instrument.

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

The human voice is the most beautiful instrument of all, but it is the most difficult to play.

There is nothing more boring than doing singing exercises.

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

I don't sing operatically, and I sing very intimately, but I still do the scales, and I think in terms of intonation and making sure that I'm hitting the notes right on the head... and having it appear quite effortless.

To be honest, I think I have a nice voice. A good voice... and I loved recording.

I treat my vocals as an instrument.

I know that composers know my voice type and what songs will suit me. I have been able to mould my voice according to the nature of the song given to me, be it rock, pop or jazz.

Everything I'd taught myself about screaming is basically a big no-no for singing. Your posture, your airflow - you're just pushing all the air out. When you start out, you're fast, heavy and loud but you're hiding behind it in a way. When you stop screaming, that's when it gets hard.