Explore the Michelle Ostrove Blog

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What is Music Theory?

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | November 3, 2021

It is important for singers and pianist (musicians) to understand music in general. Music theory helps you to understand timing, understand rhythm and logically understand the makeup of song. You need to know how to understand the language your band members are speaking. Understanding music theory will help you play any instrument. It is the study of music, examining all of the components that are used in writing a piece of music. It is the compilation of methods and concepts…

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STOP YOUR VOICE FROM CHANGING WHEN YOU’RE NERVOUS

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | November 3, 2021

Nervous when singing can cause a noticeable change in your voice tone. A shaky voice will convey nervousness which can be a big issue. A nervous vocal sound when you are singing or speaking in public will disappoint the audience. Conveying nervousness in your voice tone or body language can reduce your chances of success in anything that you do. It’s important to convey confidence when you sing. Try to concentrating on positive thoughts, not messing up, your goal is…

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HOW TO ACHIEVE MUSICAL MASTERY

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | November 3, 2021

It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or if you’ve been singing and playing piano (any instrument) for years; it’s always about your mindset and desire for continuous learning. You might have great musical abilities, but the most successful people in the industry know there is always room for improvement. Every great singer or pianist has a desire to master their craft. In the beginning you are like a sponge wanting to understand and learn everything you can. But…

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WHAT IS VIBRATO?

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | November 3, 2021

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/or bending a pitch (note). Vibrato can happen very naturally with a singer. If it doesn’t happen naturally, it can be a learned technique. There are 2 ways to hold a note, with vibrato or holding the note solid without vibrato. Very skilled and experienced singers will alternate between the…

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HOW MUSIC MAKES YOU SMARTER!!

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | November 3, 2021

Scientists have been researching how music impacts the brain for years. When you learn how to sing or play new songs on the piano (or any instrument) there are many benefits to the brain. The research has been exploring how music affects brain function, human behavior, reducing stress, reducing pain, helps symptoms of depression, cognitive skills, motor skills, spatial-temporal learning, and neurogenesis (brain produces neurons). For all of my science geeks, the results can be seen on an MRI, the…

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HOW TO SHAPE YOUR VOWEL SOUNDS WHEN SINGING

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | November 3, 2021

When you sing, if your vowel sounds are poor then everything else vocally will just sound mediocre. Articulation is when you sing your vowel sounds clearly and correctly; forming them into a well-crafted sound. It is also true for piano, playing the notes with articulation creates a clean and professional performance. The art of articulation is the formation of clear and distinct sounds, clarity in playing piano or singing successive notes. Have you every noticed how the British singers always…

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HOW TO GET A RECORD DEAL

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | November 3, 2021

Here are some tips on how to submit a demo to the record label and create the best chance of getting signed. Select the songs you’re the most proud of to send to the record company. Let your friends listen to the songs you’ve chosen and get their feedback. If you choose the tracks you love and they like them, the A&R Representative will ask to hear more of your songs. You will need to upload your chosen songs to…

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LEARNING HOW TO COUNT IN MUSIC

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | November 3, 2021

Every singer and pianist must know how to count in music; knowing when to start and stop in a song, it’s all about rhythms and timing. The time signature at the beginning of a song will tell you how to count. For instance, If the time signature is 4/4 (the two numbers are written like a fraction), you will count 1,2,3,4 repeatedly. The Waltz rhythm is 3/4 time signature and you would count 1,2,3 over and over. The time signature’s…

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BASIC ELEMENTS OF MUSIC

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | November 3, 2021

When putting a song together you need some basic elements. An Artist will have their own unique way of expressing the song and the way they want to structure the song. But these are the basic important elements in music for song: 1. The melody, it is the single most important part of a song. This is what the artist would sing or Carlos Santana would play on his guitar! 2. The harmony is when 2 (or more) people sing…

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WHAT IS THE GRAND STAFF?

By Michelle Ostrove Vocal & Piano Studio | November 3, 2021

The picture you see attached is the grand staff. A staff consists of five lines and four spaces. So you can see from the picture there are two staffs joined together (by a brace, the straight line and the curvy line that looks like a sideways mustache). By joining the two staffs together (treble staff & bass staff) you form the grand staff The top staff is called the treble staff and the symbol you see on the left side…

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