Correction, Colin, you DON'T have "a long way to go yet!"

Singing is NOT that difficult when you know HOW to do it. It's all in the "breathing." I'm sure your teacher has told you that already.

When you yawn, THAT is correct breathing, from the bottom of the lungs. Babies "sing" naturally because they haven't learned how to develop (mental) "blockages" yet.

I spent years, unnecessary years, looking for the magic formula to learn to sing. Then one day I realized what my teacher had been telling me for years. That it's all about breath control, and when the sound rides on the breath, it resonates all over the facial cavities.

Of course, that's simplifying the whole process. But that's the basics of it. You're NOT trying to sing opera......that DOES take years, but pop singing is about breathing, resonating and STYLE (interpretation)!

One more thing, work like the Devil to develop your abdominal muscles. That is what supports the breath. Not only that, you'll feel healthier and stronger all around when that area gets developed.

Above all....don't view it as "difficult!" If you do, it's going to become "difficult!" I can't tell you the number of times I looked at a piece of sheet music and thought...."this is going to be difficult." When I learned to change my mental attitude to "this is going to be a piece of cake".....it became "a piece of cake!"

Wish I was this wise at the beginning of my career and not at the end of it!

P.S. "stage posture" is a whole new animal.....to be approached in a different way. One of my suggestions is to get into your "head" so deeply that as you "feel" the music, the hand movements happen by themselves. Also, it DOES need to be practiced. I suggest you just throw caution to the wind, get yourself in a solitary place where no one can see you, and EXAGGERATE your hand and body movements.......make them as silly and as crazy as possible. Then when it counts on stage, you'll be used to flailing away!

Mark