Singing is a form of musical self-expression in which vowels are sustained more than in regular speech. The voice is also used over a greater pitch range (highs and lows), dynamic range (loud and soft) and various qualities of tone, or vocal colours, are used in order to express ideas and emotions.

Ideally, the musical expression of the composer is combines with the artistic ability of the singer to create a unique experience for both the singer and the listener.

Some performances are more moving than others depending on the amount of sympathy that develops between the singer and the listener; in a good performance, time can be suspended as the singer takes the audience on a musical journey in which something fresh or new is shared or discovered – this is usually something intangible like passion, vulnerability, humanness, something comical or even a display of pure technical ability. It is important that the singer makes the audience feel safe at all times. The more safe they feel, the more sympathetic they will be to the performance and the artist.