Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio

Vibrato is a musical effect from an instrument or a voice. It is a technique used to add expression to a piece of music. Vibrato is the rhythmic pulsation, vibration and moving a pitch (note) slightly. An instrument or voice will move on and off the note bending the pitch. String and wind instruments can mimic the vocal function. You can create vibrato with a string instrument (like the violin) with your finger rolling back and forth on the string.…

Every singer wants to be able to belt out those high notes. Belting is a term that refers to singing notes in the head register with the power of your chest register. It is a loud and commanding way to sing. Belting out the high notes is essentially singing the high notes with a strong and powerful sound. Belting is not the same thing as yelling, yelling comes from the throat. Healthy belting has an edge to it and gets…

Developing a coordinated and strong mixed voice is important for any great singer. A strong mixed voice helps eliminate the transition from chest to head voice. We will discuss what is a mixed voice and what does it feel like? It’s best described as maintaining a strong chest voice on higher pitches. What is a mixed voice? Aretha Franklin, Beyonce and Christina Aguilera all have full chest voice and they continue that vocal sound into the higher pitches. They all…

Most women naturally gravitate to the middle to head voice when they sing. For men, it’s a much more difficult process. The countertenor is a male singer that sings as high as a soprano. It is actually the rarest type of voice. When a singer is singing in their head voice it is described as vibration felt in the upper half of your face. Finding your head voice will take some exploration. Think of a siren (from an ambulance) making…

Everyone knows that speaking in a lower tone can be more commanding with an overall acceptance and likeability. A fundamental skill of singing is the ability to effectively sing with your chest voice. It’s more of a challenge for women to singing with their chest voice than men. Most women speak in their middle to head register, whereas men use their chest voice when they speak. The ability to sing with your chest voice is just as important as hitting…

There are five traits that every great singer possesses. These traits have to be developed over time. There is no singer who has all five traits from the beginning. It takes time and practice to become a great vocalist. The first trait every great vocalist has is singing with chest voice. They call it the chest voice because singers will notice that the chest cavity will vibrate when singing in the lower range. The second trait is singing with the…

Let’s look at creating a song from a different view point. Deadmau5 is a Canadian music producer who approaches creativity in a completely different way. He does not hear a tune in his head, have a dream, nor does he feel something and then starts writing a song. He does not write an intro, verse and chorus in linear structure. He approaches creating a song in a very different way. He begins his process on the computer figuring out the…

Many people have said to me they can’t sing, or that they have no musical ability.  The reality is that they simply have had limited exposure to music, particularly when they were young. When comments are made to a child “you are tone deaf” or “you can’t sing” leaving a lasting impression on their young mind and these thoughts stay in their subconscious. The same is true for piano, maybe you started taking lessons at a young age and the teacher…

A marathon runner always stretches and warms up before running a race. A singer should always warm up before singing, whether it’s practice or performance. It’s the best way to start singing on any level. Practice is a healthy way to improve your voice without any pressure. Practice does not mean perfection, it’s working through trouble areas and improving technique little by little, day by day. Daily practice sessions, whether it’s 15 minutes or 2 hours builds stamina, just like…

How do you find the weak areas in your voice? The perfect solution is to record yourself. You don’t need a professional recording from a studio, just use voice memo or whatever your phone uses to record; computers also have a way to record your voice as you sing. As you listen to yourself, you need to analyze your voice, as if you were listening to someone else. Don’t go down a critical path, think of yourself as a judge…