Well, actually singers can learn lots of things from master musicians, but I want to highlight this one today: The secret of the light-just-right touch. Great musicians know that pressure matters, for instance… When drummers hit drums too hard, they lose tone from their drums. They end up sounding oddly smaller with more attack than… Read More » about What Singers Can Learn From Master Musicians
All Things Vocal Blog & Podcast
Raising Pitch: The Inner Smile vs The Grimace
The very first professional vocal technique I learned was from the leader of my first staff jingle singing group. His name was Dick Gregory, a kind person and experienced singer. Jingle singing requires surgically accurate precision in everything… pitch, tone, phrasing, rhythm, entrances and cutoffs. Hired on because I could do most of these things… Read More » about Raising Pitch: The Inner Smile vs The Grimace
Headphones and Cue Boxes
Hey all… I’m doing a series of videos giving tips from my vocal training course “Singing In The Studio”. This one deals with how to wear headphones and gives a special tip on a cue box setting you should know about. Enjoy!
Spring: Pre-Production Time!
I know it’s just the end of January, but spring will be upon us before we know it. Pre-production time is NOW for spring recording projects. Meetings with producer prospective production teams, songwriting and song-gathering, as well as physical, mental and financial wellness activities. If, that is, you want this to be the artistically best… Read More » about Spring: Pre-Production Time!
Finding Your Voice: Vocal Uniqueness
When it comes to finding your own vocal uniqueness, you have to create your own vocal art. Very much like painting your own picture or writing your own novel, you take the color palate and alphabet of other vocal masters and create your own vocal work of art. It’s a process; most people start by… Read More » about Finding Your Voice: Vocal Uniqueness
Singers, Speakers: Three Worst Vocal Habits
The three worst things you can do when singing or speaking are: Tightening your ribcage Tightening your throat Communicating to more than one heart (hint: it’s the heart to whom your lyric or words are directed. The bad news: most people get these areas wrong habitually, The good news: changing them can make an instant… Read More » about Singers, Speakers: Three Worst Vocal Habits
Finding Your Voice: Matching Voices
People sing for different reasons, all are valid. Karaoke singing, cover band singing, choir singing, background studio singing… all these involve the singer needing to sound like someone else, or blend with other voices. To do this very well, vocal techniques need to be finely honed to adjust and match tone, rhythm, diction inflection, cutoffs… Read More » about Finding Your Voice: Matching Voices
Song Critiques: Can Too Many Cooks Spoil Song?
Working with singers who are also songwriters, I am frequently asked what I think about song critiques. Here is what I tell them: Critiques of songs can either help the writer turn a mediocre tune into hit song… or they can absolutely kill the song, derail and shut down the voice of the writer. Where… Read More » about Song Critiques: Can Too Many Cooks Spoil Song?
Singing In The Studio? You’ll Like This
Dear blog friends… I usually reserve “All Things Vocal” blog for giving you actionable articles on the voice. In future I’ll be adding video and audio to some of my posts. However, I’ve decided to do something rare and announce the new price on my multimedia professional guide “Singing In The Studio” first on this… Read More » about Singing In The Studio? You’ll Like This
Digging Deep for Songwriting Gold
Real songwriting, like real singing, is not for the squeamish. Got a great question about the sometimes perilous activity of digging deep for songwriting gold from a very dear friend. He is a singer/songwriter who is also an Army veteran of the recent Middle East wars. I have noticed a bit of a trend with… Read More » about Digging Deep for Songwriting Gold