While I was studying SLS I had some interesting experiences while actually singing songs. Before I explain, let me say that mixed voice and balancing the voice is the best way to gain control over your abilities to do other coordinations. It’s your baseline. It’s the place where you return when you get out of … Read more
All singers really want to bridge and connect. For those of you studying speech level singing, bridging and connecting is simply another way of describing mixing. No matter what method you are studying, this concept is universal. A singer who isn`t bridging and connecting is either yodeling (flipping), pulling chest, or singing in falcetto.
For those of you familiar with speech level singing exercises, the nasty “nay” sound is probably all-too-familiar. This is a sound that many singers do wrong. The goal here is to feel the resonance behind the cheek bone and nasal area, not in the mouth or at the back of the throat. In Estill Voice … Read more
One of my goals is to share with you the similarities and differences with Speech Level Singing and Estill Voice Technique. They are both great voice methods, and there is something to be learned from both. In its’ simplest form, SLS is one recipe among the many Estill Voice Technique possibilities. I love SLS because … Read more
I’ve heard it said that “mix” is dead. I beg to differ. In my world mix is alive and well. The term “mix” stems from the speech level singing technique. It’s not some new-found idea for learning how to sing, it’s simply a way of describing balance of resonance when you sing. Singing in the … Read more
Speech Level Singing has been given a bit of a bad rap when it comes to the position of the larynx. Let’s review. First of all, our larynx has a default position when we speak. Everyone is different. My larynx rises ever-so-slightly when I speak. I just happen to have a slightly “twangy” speaking voice. I can … Read more
There is a delicate balancing act happening in your body while you sing. Your breathing pattern is responding to how you just spent your last breath. This happens automatically and we don’t really need to think about it. Or do we? Speech Level Singing takes the emphasis off of breathing technique, and puts it at the … Read more
I’ve recently returned from an Estill Voice Workshop, and what a truly eye-opening experience it was. So interesting to see and hear singers learning how to belt and make sounds that others would consider “extreme” and damaging. Yes, that’s what we were doing…..experimenting with our voice in a safe and controlled manner. What is most … Read more
So, why do I write a blog? I write a blog to help singers everywhere learn as much as possible about their own voice. As most of you know, I have studied SLS for the last few years, and prior to that had many years of training with Bel Canto technique. I have recently attended an Estill Voice Technique Workshop and have … Read more
Times have changed, and they are going to continue to change for singers. This is a great thing! Singers now have a choice! Gone are the days when there was one, and only one, way to train the voice. There was traditional voice training, and there was traditional voice training! You could go to university … Read more