ARE YOUR SINGING LESSONS WORKING?
Occasionally a student walks in my studio and asks “Can you help me improve my voice? Will these lessons really help me?” The answer is absolutely! Over the past 20+ years, I have only worked with one person that had a very difficult time with pitch. He did improve, but it was a long process. I’ve had parents tell me they are amazed at the improvement in their child’s voice since they began singing lessons. Taking piano lessons is completely different because you can see the progress with the music that is being played.
I’ve used video as an excellent tool to help students improve their vocal technique. The methods I use help the client to see their progress as well help them understand the issues. With piano you see the improvement because the songs gradually get more and more difficult; with voice it is a little more abstract and less concrete. I like to note a singers vocal range in the beginning, so we have a track record of the increase in vocal range.
With other techniques like breath support and diaphragm, it’s a little harder to gauge, but you can hear the difference in the singer’s voice. It’s like day and night with control, versatility, and vocal power. Recording a client’s progress is an amazing way to show their improvement over time. If you look on my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/mmostrove you can follow a person’s progress. I don’t post the first videos, but once they get to a certain point (with their permission) I will post videos. I have attached a link of Audrey Diaz at age 7 (videos from 2013) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HPxpWrG12s
I had been working with her for more than six months on pitch, timing, range, breath and some other areas. Fast forward to 2019, a live stage performance where she is singing “My Boy.” Now she has her own unique style. If you listen to Billie Eilish sing “My Boy” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVUmSgzgOqs now listen to Audrey sing “My Boy” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJGoLVqKGVQ . She is able to sing any song and make it her own. She began with a one and a-half vocal range and now sings over three-octave.
If you are taking voice lessons or working with a vocal coach and you are putting serious time and energy into improving your voice, consider this: breath control, increasing your range, quality of sound and vocal control are an ongoing process, which can be compared to physical growth. It’s barely noticeable while it is happening. Always be aware that improvement takes time, which is often unnoticed by you. So try recording yourself in your voice lesson, work on the song for a month and record it again. I have attached a video of Audrey Diaz learning how to work with a microphone as she sings “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”!
JOKE FOR THE DAY:
Definition of a gentleman: Someone who can play the bagpipes, but doesn’t.
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