You Deserve To Be Heard!
Over the weekend, NPR did a show about voice problems and the challenges that singers face. Since I work with people who use their voices a lot, professional singers and non-professional alike, I know how difficult it can be to keep things in perspective. Listen to NPR's show: The Surgery That Saves Silenced Voices** ** ©2011 NPR When we love to sing and when our living or our sense of pleasure or well-being depends on singing, it can feel like death to develop swollen vocal … [Read more...]
- Fearless Voice Power - Most people tell me privately that they would love to be able to sing without fear, on pitch, without a hoarse throat or a nasal sound. But often they don't believe they can actually fulfill that private desire and therefore they don't want to even try or are too afraid to even try. But they keep privately wishing it were true. Somewhere in their early years, the message they got from parents, teachers, siblings or friends, convinced them that they were tone … [Read more...]
Stellar Jays regularly flock around my patio, searching for peanuts. One of them loves to perch on the top of a privacy wall that butts up against my home. There, she peers through the sliding glass door to command my attention and makes SURE I know she is there waiting for peanuts. I love this bird because she has what I call a fearless voice inside of her. She is not afraid to use her voice, her body language and her personality to get my attention. And guess what? She always gets … [Read more...]
You have a voice inside of you that deserves to be heard. Last night this was driven home to me again when I went to a wonderful party at the home of one of my students. She and her husband do the most amazing thing and have been doing it for many years. They invite people over to their house for a potluck - they are vegetarians, so this potluck was vegetarian - and everyone who comes to the party gets up and performs something. Each person knows that the party is for this purpose, so … [Read more...]
I am discovering that there is a large group of people who want to know more about vocal techniques that will help them do the kind of sing screaming that is used in heavy rock music. If you are part of this group of people, the main thing I want to communicate to you is that learning how to simplify all the various terminology that you might learn from the Singing Success (SS) or the Complete Vocal Academy (CVT) programs, for example, will help you discover how to keep what I call your … [Read more...]
Yup, that's all I can say. I practice near a big rock on a wonderful mountain and here is my lesson from that fantastic place! Just do this thing and get your voice going. NO FEAR PEOPLE! … [Read more...]
If you work on the Dog Pant exercise, you will improve your breathing for singing very quickly. … [Read more...]
Dogs understand things simply. They get hot and they pant. They run hard and they pant. They get excited and they pant. Simple. Probably the most easy way you can learn to use your diaphragm well is to do the Dog Pant breathing exercise. Here's the easy thing to remember about how this works: Breath In = Diaphragm and belly go out Breath Out = Diaphragm and belly go in Another important thing to remember is to keep your shoulders relaxed as you breath in. Watch yourself in a mirror … [Read more...]
A healthy mind has an easy breath. ~ Author Unknown Here is how you do the Slow Leaky Tire breathing to improve your singing voice. Shake out your shoulders, jaw and cheeks Relax your shoulder so they don't go up when you breath in Take a deep breath and remember to make sure your shoulders don't go up as you inhale Shape your lips like a fish Slowly let your breath out with an "sssss" sound, as though it is a golden thread going through your top front teeth Do this as long as you can … [Read more...]
"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive. - Robert Louis Stevenson Travel time is an EXCELLENT time to improve your breath control and your health all at once. Whether you're traveling in your car to and from your job, waiting in an airport getting ready to take a vacation or travel from city to city for business purposes, taking a power walk around your neighborhood, walking to the store or from class to class on campus, or from your kitchen to your bedroom, you can use this … [Read more...]
