Explore the Michelle Ostrove Blog

Trying to define your own style or image as an artist can be intimidating, but it’s less scary if you have some simple steps to guide you along the way. There are a few things you can do to help create the image you feel inside. Finding your own personal artistic look takes time, thought and research. You need to know what clothing items work for you and which items meet the criteria. The first step is to look into…

You should think of music as a language all it’s own. Let’s look at the letters C and K in the English language; they have different letter names but can sound exactly the same (cat and kick). The word enharmonic in music has the same concept. An enharmonic is two pitches (tones) that sound exactly the same but the note name is different. Pitches such as F# (F sharp) and Gb (G flat) are written differently in music notation but…

If you desire to sing beautifully, you need to work on some basic vocal exercises that will give you a well-rounded singing voice. There are many ways to build flexibility and develop stamina to tackle difficult songs. All of this happens through daily practice! Let’s look at some of the ways you can build your vocal technique. Learning how to sing many different scales, major, minor and harmonic minor scales really help with versatility. A singer can use these scales…

Every singer strives to sing with control and power in their voice, very few start out that way. I have come across just a few that start naturally with that power. It takes time and work to achieve those goals. Where does the power come from? It’s not yelling; the power comes from the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a thin muscle that sits at the base of your chest and above your abdomen; it’s in between your tummy and your…

Did you know that singing and playing piano are good for you on many levels. Every singer and pianist have one thing in common, you need to be in tune and play or sing the correct notes. Learning to consistently sing on pitch playing the correct notes on the piano is an is an important first step. Learning to sing or play an instrument can benefit your body in many ways. There are many perks for any singer or musician,…

If you want to develop good technique as a singer or pianist, learning how to play or sing scales is key! What is a scale? A scale is a sequence of related notes moving up or down the piano, like a ladder. Each scale begins on its key note (let’s use middle C) and goes up the piano C, D, E, F, G, A, B, to the next highest C. The major and minor scales consists of 8 notes, which…

The summer months are filled with fun and outdoors activities, it’s important to be conscientious of the weather and environment to keep you voice in tip-top shape. Hot weather can create many problems stemming from dehydration. It’s vital to keep yourself hydrated to prevent a dry throat and vocal cords. Your throat and mouth need the lubrication to sing. A dry throat will really impact your tone, so drink plenty of water, coconut water and grapes; all three help with…

A time signature tells you how to count in the song. For instance, if you’ve ever been to a basketball game and they play the song “We Will Rock You”, I’m sure you’ve clapped to the beat or stomped your feet 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4. The time signature is 4/4 for that song and the top number (4) represents the number of beats per measure or what you would count in each measure 1,2,3,4 over and over. The time signature consist…

A tie and a slur can be somewhat confusing to a beginner. They look exactly the same, but have completely different functions. I have attached a picture of a tie, which is the curved line underneath the two notes. So how do you tell them apart? A tie is a curved line that connects two notes that are the same (two middle C’s), which means they are on the same line or space. The two notes connected by a tie…

Learning to sing in head register may be one of the most important things you can learn as a singer. Singing in the head register will help you expand your vocal range and hit those high notes! So, what is your head voice and how do you access it? The head voice is an old school Italian term used to describe notes in the top part of the vocal range. The Italian singers called it head voice because they noticed…