I did something this week that surprised even me; I signed up for dance class. With my performance background, it may not appear to be too far a stretch 🙂 … but this choice had nothing to do with resumes, backgrounds, or to-do lists… and everything to do with heart. And like with most tender ideas, it began with an intense tug-of-war as all of my inner critics gathered to tell me they thought…
Let’s choose to be real – not perfect! Here’s a look at how the music industry is faking it and steps you can take to support your singing and the singers you care about!
Crave vocal freedom? … Discover a new sense of vocal space. Once you bring awareness to the space you are creating in your posture, breath, resonators, and articulators, experiment creating the space BEFORE you sing the note. Every note is set up in the moment before the note is sung.
Don’t miss this podcast interview with singer, director, and instructor Doug Nagel. He shares valuable performing and career tools to help you create the thriving singer’s life you deserve!Â
Creating a yawning space while singing has long been a part of vocal pedagogy. Today let’s learn the benefits of this natural and simple yawn action and see what big pay-offs it has for your voice.Â
Change Your Singing By Changing Your Perspective  In my voice studio, I often use words like play, experiment, feel, and imagine. I incorporate untraditional movements into the lesson time; the goal being to override vocal muscle-memory and allow a space for the student to see their potential in a new light. This […]
Imagine being 68 years-old, singing and playing music you love to sold out crowds across the globe… this is the life of Dave Mason, Hall of Fame inductee and singer/song writer/ guitarist of the 60’s band Traffic. This week,I was lucky enough to see his Denver concert and meet him back-stage. Here are 6 things Dave Mason does to keep his voice youthful, plus a vocal exercise to use elements of your natural speaking voice to help you sing with ease.
Do you struggle with a breathy tone, laryngal fatigue, or vocal placement that feels too far back?
Then this “kÉ™niiiii” vocal warm-up is your “ninja” move to master… it is quick, focused, and gets the job done!
Does a bird, teetering on his branch, think about how his voice may be criticized, judged, or analyzed?  Does he get nervous or tense hoping he will please those that hear him? Does he wonder if his voice would be beautiful? Nope. A bird’s voice is conjured from pure instinct… divine genetics… a melodic destiny… and so is yours.
– Does your voice sound or feel breathy? Use the Zzz-uuuu-iii warm-up.
  – Do you feel you placement is too far back? Try the Zzz-uuuu-iii warm-up.
 – Do you want to get your air moving while gently waking-up your voice? Use the Zzz-uuuu-iiii warm-up.