All too often we make the mistake in repetition. We’re told to go home and practise. We put on the vocal CD, or we open up our piano book, and we do what we were told to…or do we? So often the journey to improvement lies in the subleties. For instance, getting that “cry” to … Read more
It is easiest to sing when you have mastered the art of listening. Listening and mimicing sounds go hand-in-hand. In fact, that’s how we learned to talk…we copied what we heard. It is easiest if the singer has developed this art at a young age. That’s why I always encourage my piano students to sing the rhythm or … Read more
As a singer, we all seem to want to know what is the difference between head voice and falcetto. Do we really need to know exactly when it switches from one to the other? I have had numerous singers ask me this question, so this is how I try to explain it. The difference between head … Read more
OMGosh, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard a singer say something like, “I usually sing in the key of G,” or “I usually sing best in the key of D.” I cringe when I hear this because the singer doesn’t really understand the full extent of what they are saying. As … Read more
I can still remember having trouble pronouncing the word “larynx” when I first started SLS training. Even though I had studied the voice for years, other teachers hardly ever talked about that funny little bump in the middle of my throat. Once I started studying Speech Level Singing and other modern vocal techniques, the larynx was one … Read more
Did you hear about Betty Buckley’s recent rant about Randy Jackson of American Idol? She states on twitter, “I just have to say this: I am sick & tired of Randy Jackson bashing what they think is Broadway singing!” You can read her full commentary here http://broadwayworld.com/article/Twitter-Watch-Betty-Buckley-Sick-Tired-of-Broadway-Critique-on-AMERICAN-IDOL-20120202_page1. Way to go Betty! There is no doubt she is … Read more
Learning to sing better isn’t rocket science. However, difficulty can arise when a singer wants to sound like someone else. You know what I mean. Singers may want to sound like Josh Groban, Charlotte Church, Christine Aguilera, Steven Perry, Barbra Streisand….the list goes on. We all have our favourite voices that we try to emulate. All … Read more
I vocalized with my new app today driving into church. Have you tried the VocalizeU app yet!? It’s fabulous and FREE! Singers, you may be thinking…wow, that’s all I need, the VocalizeU app, and I’ll get all the exercises I need to learn how to sing better! Right? No, that’s wrong. Here lies the problem. Singers, … Read more
The body is an unique instrument and these are unique times. The voice can make soft, loud, breathy, scratchy, raspy, whiney, yelly, low, screechy, shouty, deep, high, thick, shallow…..sounds. That’s right. We can make almost any sound we want. There’s no right or wrong. Only safe. Think of a ventriliquist. He can make some amazing … Read more
OK, so I haven’t literally “been on the road” with a band. Most nights I was actually able to crawl into my own bed around 3 or 4 am. I had worked tirelessly for years at three and four-night weekend gigs, most of them requiring significant travelling before and after…anywhere from 1/2 hour to two hours each … Read more