I got an email in this week asking about help with diaphragmatic breathing. The question itself is dangerous. Here’s the question: Hi Judy, I am coming to visit the states for a week (I live in London)… I have an eleven hour flight and I thought it would be perfect to practice on strengthening my… Read More » about Diaphragmatic breathing.. a dangerous thought
Vocal Technique
Singers: Wipe that smile out of your voice…
…unless you’re singing a smiling song! A hallmark of a master vocal stylist – whatever the genre – is that the emotional color of the tone of voice chosen matches what the heck the lyric is saying. Can you imagine Bonny Raitt singing “I Can’t Make You Love Me” with a big smile on her… Read More » about Singers: Wipe that smile out of your voice…
Breath for the long notes
Long notes can be challenging to hold, and to hold in tune and with resonance instead of just being eeked out. I had an interesting question emailed to me about breath for long notes and got permission to share his question and my answer here for your benefit, too. Andrew’s question: My name is Andrew… Read More » about Breath for the long notes
3 Parts to singing breath
I got a new student in who complained of not having enough breath. Sounds like a simple fix… she just needs to breathe in deeper, right? Not. It’s more complicated than that. The truth is, you can be quite compromised in the lung area you have available, from respiratory diseases and scar tissue, and STILL… Read More » about 3 Parts to singing breath
For Strainfree Vocal Power… watch where you squeeze!
Ever heard the phrase, “sing your butt off”?Well, that’s what works, and that is the source of the “Power” I suggest for your voice in Power, Path & Performance vocal training. Funny story.. I got turned down for a voice teaching position at a university once. They didn’t like it when I mentioned the apparently… Read More » about For Strainfree Vocal Power… watch where you squeeze!
Head voice… how it affects contemporary singing
Earlier in my career, before I knew what I know now, I used to do a little trick to find out if I was going to be in good voice for the day. As soon as I woke up, before I even opened my eyes, I would make a few little sounds climbing up into… Read More » about Head voice… how it affects contemporary singing
Tips to better breathing for the voice
Can’t seem to get enough breath for singing or speaking? Run out of breath too soon to complete your phrases? Here are some tips from my Power, Path & Performance vocal training: Change your posture! Sing or speak at the wall with your head and heel against the wall. Because your ribcage is wider at… Read More » about Tips to better breathing for the voice
Kim Rushing’s comment on correcting forward head posture
Thanks to Kim Rushing for the following comment: “I can’t find the comment link so here is my comment [on my recent blogpost]… Great info! Many of us have “forward head posture”, especially those of us who do the following: work at a computer, read a lot, are future focused, play piano (i learned that… Read More » about Kim Rushing’s comment on correcting forward head posture
Ways to mend a pesky vocal break – part 3
OK, this will be Part 3 in this series of posts on vocal breaks. If you haven’t read them yet, check out Part 1 and Part 2. I’m going to wrap this subject up by letting you in on one of the core secrets of my teaching method. Before I developed the concepts of Power,… Read More » about Ways to mend a pesky vocal break – part 3
Ways to mend a pesky vocal break – part 2
This is a continuation of my post series on the subject of vocal breaks. I had a great question emailed (thanks, Nav!) to me today about the jaw’s function in singing. Oddly enough, incorrect jaw actions are among the things that will cause and/or exacerbate a vocal break. Vocal register breaks, as indicated in my… Read More » about Ways to mend a pesky vocal break – part 2