What does a singer need in the vocal booth? More than just eye-friendly recording studio design. The voice is a picky, sensitive thing. If you want to record it, here are 7 things it wants: Lighting – It wants mood lighting, OK? Twilight dimmed to pitch black – experiment to find the lighting that makes… Read More » about The Vocal Booth: 7 Tips To Make The Recording Space Singer-Friendly
All Things Vocal Blog & Podcast
Singing At The Piano? 7 Tips For Keyboard and Voice Synergy
As a singer who frequently plays keyboard instruments, and a vocal coach who works with a lot of piano players, there are things I’ve had to learn about the most efficient ways of accomplishing this musical multitasking. Depending on how you do it, playing keys can either help or hurt your singing. Here are 7… Read More » about Singing At The Piano? 7 Tips For Keyboard and Voice Synergy
Stage Fright Ambush: How To Prevent or Defuse A Sudden Attack Of Nerves
Have you ever had a strange, unexpected attack of stage fright you couldn’t understand? There are two prime causes for uncharacteristic stage fright, numbness or nervousness sucker-punching a performer. 1. Unfamiliar Venue When you haven’t played a type of venue in a while, you may experience a guarding reflex triggered by your primal fight or… Read More » about Stage Fright Ambush: How To Prevent or Defuse A Sudden Attack Of Nerves
Breathing For The Voice: The Counterintuitive Secret
The real secret to having enough breath for your voice: Don’t Think About It! I had lots of problems when I first started going to my vocal coach, Gerald Arthur. He had to tackle my guarding, my inflexibility, my mix imbalance, my range limitations. When I asked him what he thought were my breath problems… Read More » about Breathing For The Voice: The Counterintuitive Secret
Singing and Speaking Loud Without Vocal Strain: The Double Secret
To sing or speak at a loud volume without straining your voice, you must put two things together: Form and Strength. FORM: You must know how to use your voice as efficiently as possible, with the least effort necessary. And you must know this BEFORE trying to increase your volume, so that singing loud is… Read More » about Singing and Speaking Loud Without Vocal Strain: The Double Secret
Vocal Warm Ups: Two Vital Reasons To Do Them
I believe there are two reasons to warm up your voice. To coordinate your body/mind/voice… practicing and developing the muscle memory that enables the basic vocal technique triangle of breath/throat/communication synergy. To give your voice a physical workout… get blood flowing through the tissues, interstitial fluid pumped out, and muscle stamina increased. To accomplish these… Read More » about Vocal Warm Ups: Two Vital Reasons To Do Them
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
You fall from the top of the world. What went wrong? Maybe nothing. I recently performed in Las Vegas, which was a blast, and here’s what I came away with: great memories with my husband, my clients and friends, and… Perspective on why I sing. I told this story to a vocal student/friend and she… Read More » about Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
Vocal Strain – Top 15 Causes
You have come to an old post… please click here to find the 2023 updated one on Vocal Strain. Thanks!
Singing In Heels (not just for the girls)
I had to wear heels last week to sing in Vegas and I have to tell you that I don’t spend nearly as much time in those pedi-torture devices as I used to. It was actually fun to be back in ’em, but I had to use my secret to make it work for me… Read More » about Singing In Heels (not just for the girls)
Problems Singing Phrases: Uncontrolled Beginnings and Dropped Ends
We all too often focus on the high or long or otherwise difficult notes of a phrase. But the secret to getting the hard stuff right is often how we begin and end the whole phrase containing the hard stuff. Without getting the beginnings and ends right, we will not communicate the message within the… Read More » about Problems Singing Phrases: Uncontrolled Beginnings and Dropped Ends