Explore the Michelle Ostrove Blog

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PERFORMING WITH ENERGY!

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | August 31, 2023

It’s important to have a presence on stage which lets the audience know that you are confident. The emotion and the energy you create in a performance is done with your body language and inner energy. Energy is created by transforming the way you feel and think about your performance, in that very moment. You need to recognize how you really feel before and during a performance. What is going through your mind? Just close your eyes, take a slow…

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SINGING WITH FEELING

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | August 29, 2023

Trying to capture the emotions of a song comes easily to some singers, but some it’s a struggle. If you are the type of person who does not show much emotion and you’ve learned to stop feeling emotions, this will not be easy for you. You need to care about the meaning of what you are singing. If you cannot connect to the song, the audience will not connect with you. Choose the right songs and make sure the songs…

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FINDING YOUR VOCAL RANGE

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | August 24, 2023

Every singer should know their vocal range and their voice type. Finding your vocal range is done with a piano or keyboard. A professional vocal coach can help you find your range as well. Here is how you can find your vocal range.  You can start with Middle C, which is the fourth C. If you start all the way to the left of the piano and count four C’s in, that is middle C. Now start slowly going down…

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HOW TO GET A BRIGHTER VOCAL SOUND

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | August 22, 2023

How do you get a brighter vocal sound? What is a bright singing voice. Children’s voices are natural higher and brighter than adults. Sopranos and tenors tend to have brighter voices than altos and basses. Many professional singers rely on the sound engineer to brighten their vocals by cutting lower frequencies and boosting high-frequencies. But there is a way to make any voice naturally brighter!  You can make your voice brighter by the shape of your mouth. If you smile…

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HOW TO MAKE YOUR SINGING STAND OUT

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | August 17, 2023

Do you want to get the most out of your singing voice? Are you trying to make your voice stand out from the rest? Using emphasis when you start a song is called a hard onset, which is starting on a strong, solid note. This does not necessarily mean loud, it’s just a strong, solid note for the first word and phrase. It is also used throughout the song; you need emphasis at the beginning of words and sometimes it’s…

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WHAT IS A VOCAL ONSET?

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | August 15, 2023

A vocal onset is how you begin singing a note or a phrase. First of all, it’s important to make sure you have breath and diaphragm support. This is imperative to create a great vocal onset. How you initiate pitch effects the quality of your vocal sound. There are four types of vocal onset: 1. Coordinated (or balanced onset) which produces an easy and balanced sound that is not constricted or forced.  2. The aspirate onset which is also known…

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GUIDE FOR SONGWRITING

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | August 8, 2023

Songwriting should be a creative and enjoyable process. It is a personal expression of yourself and there are no set-in-stone rules. You need six guidelines for songwriting such as: inspiration, a theme, structure, lyrics, melody, hook you’ve got the basics down. 1. Always look for inspiration in whatever you do to create a song. Inspiration can come from an experience, emotions you are feeling, or just observing someone else’s experience. You find inspiration in books, nature, another song, tv or…

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HOW TO SING WITH POWER!

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | August 3, 2023

How do you create a powerful singing voice no matter what register you are in? If done correctly, it’s all done through breath and diaphragm support. Understanding how it works and what it feels like are key. How would you naturally increase the power in your singing voice? It’s exactly the same as increasing power in your speaking voice. As you inhale, your breath pressure comes under the vocal folds causing the vocal folds to vibrate. If there is a…

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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SINGER & ARTIST

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | August 1, 2023

The roll of singer and the roll of an artist are different career paths. Each role is just as important and well respected, but there are distinct differences and here’s why. An artist has a unique and distinct sound when they sing. Whenever they sing any song, you will recognize their voice immediately. A singer will mold the sound of their voice to the song or genre and basically copy the original artist who recorded the song. An artist focuses…

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UNDERSTANDING THE MIXED VOICE

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | July 27, 2023

One of the keys to moving from one register to another smoothly is to avoid pushing or pulling up or down. Your chest register overlaps with your middle register and you head register overlaps with your middle register. This mixed voice is a combination of chest and head voice, creating a smooth transitions from one register to another. When singing with a mixed voice you are balancing air pressure and airflow. By using a mixed voice, you will not have…

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