Explore the Michelle Ostrove Blog
To create an image as an artist can be a difficult task for some people. To help simplify it for you, let’s start with a vision board. A vision board is a power tool for manifesting what you want in your life. Do you want to be a singer, songwriting, pianist, perform with your own band? Or do you want to be a solo artist with your guitar? The vision board will help you pinpoint the steps you need to…
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Every athlete warms up before a game to avoid strain or injury; it’s no different with the voice. The best way to relax and loosen up your vocal cords is to warm up the voice before singing, always warm up!! Using the diaphragm and breath support can release vocal cord tension. Singing from the throat will cause major vocal cord tension. It’s all about controlling the release of air when you sing. You control the release of air with the…
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Branding who you are as an artist is all about self-discovery, you have to know who you are as a singer, songwriter and musician. What is your story? What do you want to say to the world? How do you want the world to see you? What are your values? What kind of music makes you happy? So many questions you need to dig deep inside and find the answers to move forward on your journey. You need to know…
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In music every note can be identified by letter name, the first seven letters of the alphabet: A – B – C – D – E – F – G; it’s that simple. There are 8 C’s on a piano, so from one C to the next highest C is called an octave. These notes are used universally so musicians can communicate with each other. To understand what each note sound like, we are going to start with C and…
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An artist creates his or her own musical style, a sound all their own, they found their voice! To be an artist you must start molding your own sound. To find your own voice, start with writing down five of your favorite singers (artists). Next to the name write down the qualities you like the most in the artist’s voice. For instance, Christina Aguilera is known for her impressive runs, riffs and range. The powerful mixed voice as well as…
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Harmony is the sound of two or more notes being played simultaneously. You can play the harmonies on a piano, other instruments and sing harmonies. The notes used in harmony create a harmonious relationship in a pleasurable sounding way. It is a simultaneous combination of notes creating melodious music. Think of an orchestra, each instrumental section is playing different notes. The strings, brass, and woodwinds all play something different, but they compliment each other. When the individual instruments are heard…
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Music is created with rhythm, tempo and timing. One of the first things you see in music notation is the time signature, which tells you how many beats are contained in each measure. Timing is everything for a singer, pianist and musician. To sing or play like a pro you must have the ability to “keep time” accurately and to synchronize with other instruments or singer. Always keep a steady tempo, it’s the easiest way to tell an amateur from…
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There are many ways to write a song, it’s not just one format. Some artists like to write alone, while others collaborate. Sometimes it can start with a melody or a poem that you wrote. Today we are going to dive into writing a song that starts with a riff. If you are a musician this is a great way to write a song. You can build a song from just a riff. What is a riff? It is a…
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Vocal control is impossible without proper breath control. It’s all in the exhale, your body already knows and automatically inhales without thinking it. You don’t have to ask yourself, should I take a big breath or a quick little breath? Your body instinctually inhales the air it needs without a though it. It’s all in the exhale and controlling the exhale in a slow steady stream! Breath, air pressure and diaphragm support which are the key for controlling your voice.…
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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.…
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