Singing Competitions and the Pursuit of Perfect Pitch

As we watch television shows like American Idol, many wonder if they have the natural ability to sing and develop the "perfect pitch". In fact, voice coaches across the United States report a significant increase in the number of individuals seeking voice lessons in response to these singing competitions, believing they simply need a little nurturing to cultivate what Mother Nature already gave them.

If you are a person who believes you have the "perfect pitch", let's first explore what that term exactly means. In the brain of gifted individuals, there is usually a marked increase size and synaptic neuron activity associated with the area of the brain in which that gift is present. For individuals who feel they have the "perfect pitch", with an innate ability to sing, it is the temporal lobe, found in the upper quadrant sides of the head behind the ears, that is found to be normally larger than that of the general population. To go one step further, the temporal lobe of your left brain may be larger than that of the right, if you possess this biological quality of "perfect pitch".

If you feel you have the natural ability for "perfect pitch", as you consider voice lessons and coaching, remember that even if you believe you possess the "perfect pitch", you must cultivate and nurture that ability so as to create a beautiful singing voice. As we have seen on many American Idol episodes, not only are there individuals who fail to nurture what they were born with but they, quite simply, may not have been born with the biological quality in the first place.

"Perfect pitch", therefore, is not usually a skill you can simply create. So, if you watch reality television shows and singing competitions, regularly, with hopes and dreams of one day becomes a famous singer, it is important to first assess if you even have the innate skill of "perfect pitch". To do this, make an appointment with a voice or singing coach who can, objectively, assess your singing ability. Even without proper nurturing and coaching, the biological possession of "perfect pitch" can usually be detected in an individual with singing potential.