Scooping a note is a style thing. It’s like salt, though… a little goes a long way and a lot can hurt you in many ways! First: Why do we scoop notes? For style purposes. Certain genres are by nature ‘scoopier’ than others. To help reach a note. Yep. Admit it. How to tell you… Read More » about Vocal Scooping- How To Get This Style Trick Right
All Things Vocal Blog & Podcast
Songwriter Vocal Strain: Hazards of Singing While Writing Songs
Unless the song is an instrumental, the act of songwriting requires a lot of singing during the creative process. Many times your passion for the piece will take you the extremes of your vocal range. If you are a songwriter or co-writer who creates melody lines, you may have experienced vocal fatigue while writing. It’s… Read More » about Songwriter Vocal Strain: Hazards of Singing While Writing Songs
Why Eye Language Matters To Your Voice
As vocal coach, one of the quickest ways I can improve someone’s voice is to get the person using eye language when they speak or sing. Here’s why: Your eyes, eyebrows, eyepads all communicate messages. Actors learn this early… especially film and TV acting with closeups. Consider how masterful actors like Meryl Streep, Anthony Hopkins,… Read More » about Why Eye Language Matters To Your Voice
3 Big Reasons You Should Never Trust A Vocal Coach…
…until that coach proves their training actually works for YOUR voice! It is very sad to me when a vocalist comes in to me for the first time with a voice that’s been hurt, fatigued or limited in the very act of taking lessons, doing vocal exercises, trying to improve. To put it bluntly,… Read More » about 3 Big Reasons You Should Never Trust A Vocal Coach…
Speaking Voice Mistakes = Talking Trouble!
Have you assessed your speaking voice lately? Hmm… you could be missing one of the most important tools you have to impact your world… your ability to talk! Here’s how I define a successful speaking voice: It communicates clearly, creates the desired response in the listener (at an emotional, not just surface, level) and you… Read More » about Speaking Voice Mistakes = Talking Trouble!
Quieting Your Mind for Performance Focus
Our minds are interesting entities. When performing as singers and speakers, there are lots of things vying for our mind’s attention… the feel of our outfit, the temperature in the room, the size of the audience, the blinding spotlight, the missing spotlight, that label rep/old boyfriend/girlfriend/cute thing watching, the phone call right before the show… Read More » about Quieting Your Mind for Performance Focus
Work-For-Hire Jingle Singing
My staff singers’ group in the 70’s! (I’m second from the right) I got a couple of great questions this week from a recording artist/stage performer about doing work-for-hire as a singer. This artist has been getting a lot of calls to do jingles. He asks: If I sign a ‘work -for-hire’ agreement, does… Read More » about Work-For-Hire Jingle Singing
How To Start The Day – from PCG Nasville’s Bernard Porter
I love working with people who really care about making other people’s lives better – especially when those people are music makers. That’s one of the many reasons I love working with Bernard Porter and his artist development company PCG Nashville. I’d like to thank him for sharing his thoughts in his guest post. I… Read More » about How To Start The Day – from PCG Nasville’s Bernard Porter
Vocal Tone: How To Change It
This will be the first in a two-part series This is the second of a two part series This will be the first in a two-part series This will be the first in a two-part series As promised, this is my second blog post on ‘Vocal Tone’. It’s one thing to know how you want… Read More » about Vocal Tone: How To Change It
Vocal Tone: What It Is, Why We Change It
This will be the first in a two-part series What is vocal tone? It is the quality and characteristics of the sound you create with your voice. What does vocal tone do? It communicates messages. The vocal tone you use can radically change the meaning (message) of the words coming out of your mouth! Take for… Read More » about Vocal Tone: What It Is, Why We Change It