Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio

When a singer uses proper technique while singing, there will be no straining. Using proper vocal technique involves breath & diaphragm support, maintaining good posture, using resonance and articulating clearly. Breath/Diaphragm Support: There is an important connection between breath control (which involves diaphragm support) and a great singer. As a singer inhales, the diaphragm flattens, filling the lungs with air. When exhaling, the muscles in the larynx allows the vocal cords to come together. This action interrupts a large volume…

There are very few singers that sing naturally and have complete control of their voice. Often a singer will sing freely without paying attention to what they  sound like. To create a polished and professional sound, it’s all in the controlled details and adding emphasis at the beginning of a note, word or phrase. There is a gap between the two vocal cords (folds), which is called the glottis. The vocal cords open and close like a curtain. The ligaments…

There are many muscles used when you sing. The diaphragm, core (abdominal) muscles, muscles in the larynx, pharynx, oral cavity and intercostal muscles. The intercostal muscles are internal and external around the ribcage. All of these muscles work together when you release (exhale) air in a controlled stream. All of these muscles should be engaged as you exhale. When you engage these breath supportive muscles while singing, it helps avoid stress and tension in the throat. As air fills the…

The music industry is always changing and evolving. The crossover of different genres of music and multi-social media platform capabilities for launching new songs. Technology in the music field is always advancing with better equipment and creating different music platforms. 2023 is no different with so many streaming platforms and the power of technology continuously shapes the future of the music industry. International collaborations with popular artists have become a global powerhouse. One of the biggest changes is how music…

You can damage your vocal cords in many ways. During the winter months it’s important to keep your voice in tip top shape. The fluctuation in temperature and cold weather will bring about vocal challenges. Irritation or inflammation will prevent your vocal cords from closing properly. When this happens, you will not be able to hit those high notes and your voice will not sound its best. Here are three tips to keep your voice in shape during the winter…

Every singer has experienced a shift or break in their voice while singing. Moving from one register to another can be challenging. As you move up and down your singing range, it is important to transition through these areas with ease. There are usually two natural transition points. There is the primo passaggio (chest to middle register) and secondo passaggio (middle to head register). Here are a few ways to erase your voice breaks. The first exercise is to make…

Always memorize your song lyrics if you are a singer or performing soloist in front of a large audience. It’s unprofessional for an artists get up in front an audience in a large auditorium and read off of a lyric sheet. If it’s a casual engagement that’s different. You would never see Lady Gaga or Ariana Grande get up on stage with lyric sheets. Memorizing the lyrics has some wonderful benefits. Singing is a learned skill and it the same…

Many people think that falsetto and singing in your head voice is the same thing, but that is not true. You may be resonating in the head voice, but the sound is quite different. Falsetto produces a breathy characteristic to the higher notes. The head voice produces a richer and balanced sound. When you sing in falsetto you produce a breathy lighter version of the high notes. Falsetto is a way of singing fluty, hollow and light. You can hear…

In a song each line of the lyric sung should point toward a conclusion. Most lines in a verse and pre-chorus should point toward the hook. The hook should summarize the meaning of the song. A good hook is the high point of a well-crafted song. It should be the capstone of the melody and lyric. The hook is normally the title of a song. A good song has tension in the verses. The hook should evoke a curiosity or…

The emotion in lyrics need to be supported by the emotion in the melody. The melody of a song is made up of rhythm and pitch. There are different elements you can add to the melody to give it emotion. How do you do that? There are different rhythmic elements you can add. For instance, rest spaces, holding long note, short notes, staying on the beat or adding off the beat notes. You can combine these elements with wide or…