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Occasionally a student walks in my studio and asks “Can you help me improve my voice? Will these lessons really help me?” The answer is absolutely! Over the past 20+ years, I have only worked with one person that had a very difficult time with pitch. He did improve, but it was a long process. I’ve had parents tell me they are amazed at the improvement in their child’s voice since they began singing lessons. Taking piano lessons is completely…

Harsh dry winds wreak havoc with a singers voice during the winter months. Spending time out in the cold weather doesn’t help. Low humidity decreases the fluidity of mucus and causes the vocal chords to dry out. This can easily create cracking and hoarseness in a voice. Overuse of the voice, such as prolonged intense singing or shouting at a rally, can also strain the vocal folds (cords). What causes vocal fold (cord) injury? 1. Singing loudly with poor technique…

Presentation is extremely important! You’ve heard the saying “Dress to impress”, it’s very true; how you present yourself matters. First impressions leave lasting memories. When a singer comes out on the stage, that confidence, swagger, attitude and presentation of ones self creates the mood for the audience. Stand tall (imagine a string being pulled up from the top of your head), shoulders back and down, and don’t fidget!! Now it’s time for your runway model walk (just kidding, but not).…

What are chords? Common chords are three notes that are played at the same time (block chord) or simultaneously (broken chord). Three notes are often described as required to define a chord. There are partial chords and four note chords (see blog 12/19/20 Four-Note Chords), but for simplicity we will discuss the common chord, which is three notes. Any chord can be inverted, arranged in a different order called an inversion. What is an inversion? Webster’s Dictionary defines it as…

Every singer strives to sing with control and power in their voice, very few start out that way. I have come across a few singers that start naturally with power at a young age, but It normally takes time and work to achieve power and control in your voice. Where does the power come from? It’s not yelling; the power comes from the diaphragm and breath support. You need to sing from the diaphragm (your check cavity) in every register:…

Whether you’re backstage at a competition or watching Youtube videos, it seems you can’t get away from seeing people warm up their voice by singing through a straw. But what does this actually do for your voice? The application of singing through a straw is a helpful semi-occluded (the mouth is partially closed) vocal tract exercise. This works by partially blocking the air coming out of your mouth as you vocalize, creating resistance in the vocal tract. This then sends…

The vocal folds (cords) are composed of two folds of mucous membrane extended (horizontally) across the larynx. In order to create the vibration in the vocal folds, a singer will first inhale, this process opens the glottis (space between the vocal folds) and separate the vocal folds, filling up the lungs with air. If you hold your breath, the vocal folds are together (closing the glottis) and the vocal folds separate with the release of air. The vocal folds are…

There has been scientific proof that singing is good for you on many levels. It improves your mental health and strengthens your memory. When you sing, your vocal cords, muscles in the neck and rib cage area are getting a work out. The small muscles in the neck and head are responsible for creating sound, as well as vocal cords. It’s important to express your passion with your whole body because singing is physical. Try bending your knees and engage…

What are the early signs? Children are full of potential and when they are given the right set of circumstance their talent will blossom. Does your child constantly sing or try to play a keyboard or piano whenever they can? Do you think your child has real talent? If the child (or yourself) seems to spend a lot of time singing or playing on the keyboard, connecting to music in general and wants to sing for whomever will listen. That…

Do you want to vastly improve your singing? There are some important and necessary steps to take. Let’s look at the basics first: 1. You should always warm up your voice before singing. 2. Get rid of any tension, you need to stay relaxed. 3. Choose songs that have meaning to you; you need to be able to feel the song and express your emotions when you sing a song (see blog 8/18/20 “Music Is Shorthand for Emotion”). 4. Stay…