Explore the Michelle Ostrove Blog

A sharp symbol (#) looks like a pound sign or a hash tag, and it raises the pitch (note) a half step. The parallel lines should be slanted a little. Let’s say you are playing middle C (white key) and needed to play C#, you would play the black key to the right of the white key. A sharp note is an alteration of the natural note. It raises the note a half step higher (or semitone higher) than the…

THE VIDEO ATTACHED IS A CBS SEGMENT FILMED ABOUT ME AND A NEW BUSINESS I STARTED IN LOS ANGELES (CHATSWORTH). The attached video just aired on CBS, the TV Show is called Destination LA and they filmed a segment about me and a business I started in Los Angeles (Chatsworth). The new school is called Rock Cellar Music School created for artist development. We have two very talented artists teaching songwriting: Lois Blausch, 3X Grammy Nominated songwriter with her own…

A flat symbol (b) looks like a lower case B and it lowers the pitch (note) a half step. Let’s say you are playing D (white key) and needed to play Db (D flat), you would play the black key to the left of the white key. A flat note is an alteration of the natural note. It lowers the note a half step (or semitone lower) than the natural note that appears on the line or space of the…

One of the most important qualities a singer or pianist can possess is confidence! The more you perform the more your confidence will grow. This is a key issue for your development if you want to be a performing artist. Being confident is nothing more than believing in yourself, confidence comes from within. You need to push through the self-doubt and replace it with positive and confident thoughts. To build confidence as a singer it is important to warm up…

What makes one voice sound different from another? If you ever sang in a school or church choir, you know there are different categories or types singers (bass, tenor, alto and soprano). I will discuss three ways to classify six of the voice types, even though the Fach System (a German voice classification) has 29 different categories, which are mostly used for opera and classical styles of singing. We will discuss the 6 that pertain to pop, country, rock, jazz,…

To have a great voice you have to pay your dues and work hard. There is a technique called “vocal fry”, which is a healthy husk (growl) or raspy sound you can produce in your voice. The vocal fry is the lowest register of your voice. It is considered a vocal onset, which we discussed in the previous blog “How To Put A Spark In Your Singing Voice”. How to create that sound takes time and needs to be done…

Learning to read music, sight reading, is important for any good piano player and singer. To be a professional as a vocalist or musician, it is almost a must to read music, but there are a some who do not. Developing a good ear is crucial for creativity and a lot of fun too! Personally, I think it’s important to develop both, playing by ear and reading music. There are very creative people who play an instrument completely by ear…

The music business can be cruel, blunt, and harsh. It’s a business and you cannot take the opinions of others personally. Whether it’s the way you sing, or the song you wrote, or how you play the piano, just because they say something negative “does not make it true”! If you read a review or hear a comment and it’s completely false let it go; don’t take it personally. Think of it as a review or comment for someone else.…

The aspirate onset is the soft vocal onset; it is the breathy singing voice like Marilyn Monroe. This is a fancy way of saying that you start with an “h” sound. The aspirate vocal onset happens when the vocal folds (cords) come together after the airflow has started to pass through. Let’s do a little exercise, if you sing “Hey Jude” from the Beatles song; start with Hey, notice the vocal folds (cords) opening as you sing the H and…

Technique is a skillful way of executing a song, whether it is singing or playing the piano. Technique deals with the concept of tone, musicality and expression in your performance. It is the ability to exert optimal control of the piano or your singing voice. Improving your technique entails practicing exercises that strengthen your muscular sensitivity and agility. Proper vocal technique allows singers to produce a warm, rich sound that is conducive to achieving a good vocal performance. Your posture,…