Blog

Working on Songs Apr 09, 2023

When we work on songs, it's easy to get overwhelmed without realizing that we're getting overwhelmed. Even the simplest of tunes is far more complex than the scales that we sing in our vocalizations. In order to have our vocalizations help our songs the most, we do well to create vocal exercises...

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Prioritize Your Artistry Mar 14, 2023

Being a musician, or an artist of any discipline means prioritizing your artistry. I think that one of the most important skills we learn to support this idea is that of saying 'no', in a kindly fashion, of course!

Let's be clear, I'm not talking about being a meanie bean here. There are...

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Evaluate, Adjust, Try Again Jan 22, 2023

Evaluate, adjust, try again.

Three thoughts for the new year, though not specifically related to new year activities!

January is nearly done, but the year has just begun. According to self-reported statistics, most new year resolutions have by this point failed, but I reiterate, the year has only...

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Holiday Season Guide to Keeping Your Voice Healthy Dec 13, 2022

I just got done saying how busy a time of year this is, so allow me to dispense with the formalities and cut to the chase:

Here's some thoughts to keep your voice in shape during the holidays and any time that you're really busy:

1. Less is more. If you only have a few minutes, take them. A...

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A Season of Gratitude Nov 23, 2022

There's an old saying that I think about a lot in my teaching and music making. I didn't come up with it, and I'm not sure who did, but it goes:

We teach best what we most need to learn.

It's simple and straightforward, and consequently can be applied in many ways.

As a teacher, I get to work...

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Vocal Health During the Winter Months Nov 03, 2022

Prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to our voices. Here are some friendly reminders and thoughts as the northern hemisphere heads into cold and flu season.

Wash Your Hands Frequently

I know, right. Didn't we just hear this, yet it's true for vocalists all the time. I might add to...

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Two Tips to Level Up Your Singing Oct 19, 2022

Simply put, separate the subjective from the objective in your practice and performances.

The unspoken third tip is to be very specific.

What does this mean?

Subjective elements are matters of opinion. Some folks will love Bob Dylan's voice. Some will not. Both are correct, as far as their own...

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Vowel Alignment Sep 11, 2022

I've said it before, but something this important bears repeating.

Vowels Phonate.

They are what 'carry the tune', the actual notes that we sing. Focusing on them makes it possible for us to sculpt our phrases in the many ways that we hear them sung.

Part of focusing on the vowels is also...

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Want to Beat Stage Fright? Aug 26, 2022

Beating stage fright is one of the most individual practices I regularly teach. The process varies from person to person because the roots of it are sunk into our individual life experiences. This is where two terms are important.

Performance Anxiety

That is the term that is more commonly used...

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How to Sound Better Singing Aug 14, 2022

Vowels phonate.

This is by definition:

1 to provide (a sound source, and hence the pitch) for a given voiced continuant or vowel, through rapid, periodic glottal action.

2 to vocalize

Vowels are literally what carry the tune when we sing. Yes, we need consonants in order to understand what...

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These Three Things Will Kill Your Voice Jul 29, 2022

But thankfully, we can manage them, or at least aspects of them.

1. Sleep/Fatigue

I often refer to this as an insidious effect. I, for one, did not used to think about it very much, and mostly discounted feeling tired as just being an excuse. The more we learn about sleep the more we seem to find...

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The Key to Success Jul 11, 2022

When you quit, you really have lost at that point.

Facing defeats, real or perceived, can be hard though. It can seem as if that audition, or that part was THE ONLY PART EVER!!!! Having not gotten it, one might think that they've come to the end of the road. From one perspective, you have. That...

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