Name: Will Liverman
Nationality: American
Occupation: Singer
Current Release: Will Liverman's new album The Dunbar/Moore Sessions (Complete Collection) is out via Lexicon Classics.

If you enjoyed this Will Liverman interview and would like to know more about his music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram, and Facebook.



When did you first consciously start getting interested in singing? What was your first performance as a singer on stage or in the studio and what was the experience like?

I got into singing as a kid at the age of four or five singing in the gospel choir. Classical singing started in high school when I got accepted into the Governors School for the Arts program in Norfolk, VA.

My very first performance as a classical singer was singing in the chorus of Handel’s Messiah.

If you're also playing other instruments, how does the expressive potential of these compare to your own voice?

Piano/keyboard is the only instrument where I feel confident in my ability to play. I played violin in middle school but gave it up because it was too much practicing. I never could play the vibrato on the strings.

Playing other instruments and comparing it expressively to my own voice is so different for a lot of reasons. Mainly, with the voice it’s the most emotionally direct instrument because it’s a human instrument. Whereas the piano has so much expressive power and range.

There’s so much more to add, but both instruments together make for a great duo.  

Singing is an integral part of all cultures, and traditions. Which of these do you draw from – and why?

I would say I’m rooted in Black American tradition because of my gospel roots and I draw the most from that.

What were some of the main challenges in your development as a singer/vocalist? Which practices, exercises, or teachers were most helpful in reaching your goals – were there also “harmful” ones?

Some of the main challenges in my earlier development would be understanding style and musicality. I had so many wonderful teachers and they would all get after me and say, “Say something with the music!. I don’t think I quite understood what that meant then until I got older.

I feel like it’s a life long type of skill that can always grow. When you spend so much time trying to get the basics and the fundamentals, it’s easy to lose sight of what the music is saying and how you’re supposed to deliver it. My life experiences have shaped my musicality more than anything.

What are the things you hear in a voice when listening to a vocalist? What moves you in the voices of other singers?

Every voice is so unique and different. It’s one of the amazing things about a human instrument. I’ve always loved warm and rich instruments.

Most importantly, I love artists that take the music off of the page and lead with the soul. It can stop time.

How would you describe the physical sensation of singing? [Where do you feel the voice, do you have a visual sensation/representation, is there a sense of release or tension etc …]

There’s a lot going on with the physical sensations of singing. It can be challenging to play an instrument you can’t see or touch.

I try to think about staying relaxed mentally for starters. If I’m more or less mentally relaxed, then my body can loosen up. Loose may not be the right term but I’m basically trying to do everything I can to get out of the way to let my voice be as free as possible.

I’m always trying to find a consistency with my breath support as well.

We have a speaking voice and a singing voice. Do these feel like they are natural extensions of each other, ends on a spectrum or different in kind?

The speaking and singing voice are both coming from the same vocal folds. For instance, my mom has a speaking voice and a yelling voice but it’s still her voice.

I think singing is just a matter of how you engage your breath support plus the addition of musical pitches.

How do you see the relationship between harmony, rhythm and melody? Do you feel that honing your sense of rhythm and groove has an effect on your singing skills?

Rhythm is everything for me. Rhythm and groove absolutely affect the singing.

You have to have an internal sense of rhythm and groove. Otherwise, you have a bunch of notes with no style.

A tray of chicken with no seasoning. Not good!

What are the potentials and limits of your voice? How much of your vocal performance can and do you want to control?

Beyond range limitations that just about every vocalist has - unless you’re Bobby McFerrin - I would say that stamina is something I’m mindful of.

I’m always highly aware of vocal overuse. You have to treat the roles you sing with care. Don’t overload. We only get two vocal folds and you have to be smart in managing them well to build a long career.

As a singer, it is possible to whisper at the audience, scream at the audience, reveal deep secrets or confront them with uncomfortable truths. Tell me about the sense of freedom that singing allows you to express yourself and how you perceive and build the relation with the audience.

The freedom of singing and the audience engagement depends on what’s being programmed.

In a general sense when we pick repertoire for our classical programming, are we thinking about the audience at all? I think we need to be thinking about them a lot more. We need a bit more of a “show biz” mentality in the classical field. Too often there’s a bit of a distance between the programming and the audience.

There are so many things nowadays that we have to compete with for people’s attention. We have to keep pushing ourselves to find new ways to engage while not sacrificing the art itself. I don’t have the answers.

I'd love to know more about the vocal performances for The Dunbar/Moore Sessions, please, and the qualities of your voice that you wanted to bring to the fore.  

It was a joy working with all of the world class artists for my latest release. Everyone brought something so unique and wonderful to each song. These artists can cross the line between classical and other styles beautifully and those are the things I wanted to explore in this art song project.

For my own singing, I wanted to also show the range of style in art song. The possibilities are endless and it was so much fun exploring.