I attended a level 1 training conference with Jeanie Lovetri last summer. I felt very aligned with her philosophy on how to teach singing. I learned a lot, and was reminded about how important our body and mind is when we sing. The ability to sing with freedom from tension in the body, is the ability … Read more
Speech level singing can get a bad rap these days. For me, having my first lesson with a SLS instructor over 10 years ago, was true validation. Two main things happened for me: 1. I finally had a coach who was working my entire range at one time. Two and a half octave scales, going … Read more
Many singers are told and believe a breathy voice is harmful. This isn’t necessarily true. Bottom line, too much of any one thing can be harmful. But having the control over a breathy voice can be a great thing. You need lots of breath to belt and to sing long phrases. The key is the … Read more
The simplest way to explain twang, is to say that the cords do a remarkable thing when they are aligned correctly. They will stretch and thin because the larynx is tilting. There is a “funnel” created which is like having an extra resonating chamber in your throat. Your voice will “pop”! You can achieve volume … Read more
Do you ever wonder how your favorite singers on American Idol got to be so darned good? (I’m referring to the singers in the finals, of course!). How can people possibly sing like that? Well, let me tell you one of the secrets that is not really a secret! These singers are singing every day: … Read more
One of the best “ah-ha” moments about my voice came to me the summer I had a quaint little gig in the bar area of a classy restaurant. It was a quiet room that only sat about 6 people at the bar, and had six tables in a room approximately 20′ X 20′. I had … Read more
So, you are mixing. You have control of your larynx (not too high, not too low), and you are accessing the edges of your cords everyday through exercise, and getting good closure throughout your range. What’s next? Build up of the voice to the next level is not effortless. In fact, the next level happens … Read more
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
Nasality and twang are not the same thing. They may, indeed, seem or sound similar, but they are definitely not the same. Nasality is the sound we hear when a singer has his nasal port open. Is this good or bad? Well, I guess that depends on what kind of sound you want to make … Read more
Do you know what is meant by the term sing-song-like voice? You know, the talking voice that flows up and down in pitch throughout each sentence. Great speakers and presenters usually have this, and so do actors. The freedom of a sing-song-like speaking voice is usually prominent in people who are confident and interesting and/or … Read more