Many musicians and actors feel the pressure of the spotlight as they age, however Shania Twain feels that shouldn’t be the case.
As she approaches her 50th birthday, she shares about what it means to be a woman, an artist, and a role-model for younger musicians.
“I don’t think anybody can decide what’s best for you,” she tells Maclean’s magazine.
“I think being aware of the consequences of what you are doing is smart. If you can’t live with the consequences of whatever [your performance] brings, then re-think it.
“Art is a platform where self-expression should not be limited. There will be consquences if you do something that is socially unacceptable or inappropriate by certain people, but you just have to live with it,” Twain continues.
“Should art be controlled? It would be painful if we started to overregulate self-expression — especially when it has to do with age.
“I’m here to inspire,” she adds. “There is no age limit to that.”
Twain does however admit that it takes a little more work to stay in shape the older you get.
“I’m not 25. I don’t have the body that I had anymore. I want to love where I’m going, but it’s a challenge. It’s an adjustment, so I understand women my age and what they are going through,” she says.
“Now I have to work five days a week. Now I have to watch what I eat. Thankfully, I have performing — it has become part of my workout … If I was at an office job, I’d have to go the gym three hours a day to make up for that.”
Another physical challenge the Ontario native has had to deal with is her dysphonia, a disorder that can cause her vocal cords to seize up when speaking or singing. Twain has found a way to tackle the issue with the help of careful set planning.
“I’m concerned with the order of the songs. I had to be very intelligent on how I pace myself — it was all about tonality,” she says.
“When I need to refocus the voice, I have to have just the right song. It’s very technical — with dysphonia, it’s about resetting the voice. It’s like dancing; there are certain starting positions to each piece of choreography.”
