Monthly Archives: August 2011

You know you’re a professional when…..

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In no particular order………..
1. You are able to sing when you are not in perfect condition…such as having a viral cold.
2. You are good without having to work very hard at it.
3. You can express yourself with good pitch, diction, volume control and phrasing.
4. You can speak with other singers and musicians about “the lingo”. You can refer to keys, passages, beat, rhythm, tempo, and more.
5. You can perform at your best in any venue regardless of size, location, audience or conditions.
6. You know how to practise and rehearse to be ready.
7. You can roll with the punches. In other words, you are able to adapt to less-than-perfect conditions such as a guitar being out of tune, or a monitor feeding back.
8. You know how to work with, and respect other musicians. You are prompt, well-rehearsed, and ready to go. You know how to dress appropriately, provide your own equipment and have music details ready for accompanying musicians.
9. You do not waste other people’s/musicians/singers time.
10. You get asked back.

That’s just the top ten that came to mind in the last 10 minutes…………I’m sure there are more….just write them in the comment box if you think of any.

Broadway and kids….

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The singing world is in a revolution. Frankly, the entire world is in a revolution….but definitely so is the “art” and function of singing.

What I want to discuss is the child’s voice on Broadway. Think about it. You usually hear one of two things:
1) The child sings in his/her lower register (chest voice) and has to yell and strain to reach notes above his/her first bridge (around A, B flat, and higher).
2) The child sings in his/her high register (head voice) and has very little power in his/her sound….especially in the lower register.

What’s missing? The MIDDLE voice….the “mixed” voice!

Some teachers get it right, and students are able to ascend nicely through their bridge with a powerful “mixed” sound. Other students learn it on their own! They are simply aware of the sound they want, and how to do it without strain and constriction (shouting). These are naturally talented kids, and quite often it’s not the teacher who taught them how to do this!

The typical traditional voice lesson strengthens the head voice in a way that does not match the chest voice. This can give the singer a beautiful, technically correct sound in their high register, but does not teach them how to connect with the power and strength of their chest voice. This approach is perfect for singers who want to sing classical music and sing in choirs, but not so great for young singers who want to sing on Broadway.

If a student wants to learn how to “belt” so they can sing musical theatre, the teacher usually does one of two things:
1) tells them that belting will damage their voice and should not be done, or
2) trains their chest voice register alone without knowing how to negotiate the bridge into the head voice. This creates a “shouty” loud voice at the top of their chest register, and quite often sounds strained, constricted, and even hurts!

Does any of this ring true for your child? If so, please leave a comment. I would love to hear about your experience. Susie

Overcoming stage fright……..

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We all get stage fright to some degree or another. At least, we should if we have an average-size ego!

As a child I was hugely frightened to sing and perform in front of people. It took years to overcome this, but I did. I still get nervous at times. Actually it’s more of an excited feeling. My knees and hands no longer shake!

Overcoming stage fright isn’t easy, but it’s possible. If you love to sing, then singing just for yourself is only half the experience. Singing for others can fill you will joy, meaning, and confidence. Here’s what I recommend.

First and foremost, practise and get good at your craft. Be proud of your voice and skill.

Second, find opportunities that are small but numerous. Singing at church, for example, is a great way to start. So is going to karaoke bars. Singing in front of your voice teacher is a huge step as well. My mother always said, “each performance is like putting a penny into your bank of confidence.” She was so right (aren’t they always!)

I was lucky to have many many opportunities to perform and sing as a child and again as a teenager. My public school was emmersed in performing arts with a wonderful music teacher who always nutured me.

Now, I offer opportunities to all my students to perform in front of others as frequently as possible. Not only do we perform for each other, but we go to nursing homes and hospitals. Sometimes we put on little shows for charities and fund-raisers. Students get the opportunity to conquer their fears many times throughout the year, both on piano and singing.

The bottom line is you have to just do it. Do it over, and over, and over. It does get easier. Your performances will get better and better, as you conquer your fears.

Do you still get nervous? What has helped you? Let me know by leaving a comment. Thanks. Susan

Wasting away at university…………

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A 17-year-old student of mine is applying to music at three universities. His family has decided that a degree is best at achieving employment in the real world.

I think this is unfortunate, and a possible waste of four years of his life. He has expressed no desire to teach music. He is a performer, a guitar rock musician. He writes and sings rock music.

This young man has now stopped taking SLS instruction to prepare for a Grade 9 vocal exam with another teacher. He is learning to sing classical in German, French, and Italian. He is having no trouble converting, because he is a natural. He gets it. This training, of course, is a prerequisite to university entry.

This young man will soak up everything at university. He is very intelligent.

What I’m concerned about is what he is not going to learn while away at university. He is not going to learn the latest blues and jazz riffs, or improvization on guitar, which he could get from private instruction with a great guitarist. He is not going to learn proper and safe technique to make “rock” sounds with his voice which he could get from private instruction. He is not going to enhance skills that can help him get a job in today’s music industry as a rock musician.

A better choice, I feel, would have been a college that teaches everything needed to succeed in today’s music business, along with private instruction for guitar and voice. These colleges are hard to find, but they do exist. There he could learn song writing, record engineering, music production, law, management….the list goes on. A topnotch college teaches all these things with the latest technology. There I said it……the ever-so-important word to succeed in today’s music business!! Technology! This would be a great addition to his already-natural talent.

This is just my two-cents worth. However, he will make a great school music teacher someday, and receive the pension, health benefits and dental benefits that go along with all that. The lucky ones here are his yet-to-be students!! I just hope he doesn’t regret his career choice.

Let the Retraining Begin……..

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This post is for adult singers who have had traditional singing lessons at one time or another. This probably accounts for almost everyone who has ever had a singing lesson! Including me.

Think back to why you wanted to take singing lessons. Did you have a specific goal for your voice in mind? Or, did you leave the direction of your vocal training up to your teacher? Well, of course, you did. We trust our teachers. I know I did! If you studied at a college or university then you were probably taught by elite professors and teachers with an expertise in traditional vocal training.

Now the question is……what are you doing with your voice now? Are you teaching? Many graduates go on to teach singing as a profession. Are you performing for a living? If so, congratulations! Where are you performing? Broadway? Classical concerts? Fabulous! Way to go! You are living your dream!

It can be assumed that if you chose a secondary education in vocal training, then one or your goals must indeed be to have a profession as a singer. Did you know what kind of singer you wanted to be? There are many kinds….classical singers, jazz singers, Broadway singers, R & B singers, rock singers, country singers, folk singers. Have I missed any? Do you know where you want to work? Do you know the kind of voice you need to have to get that work?

Most students study voice because they simply love to sing! Sing anything! They don’t just like to sing classical music, they like to sing all kinds of music.

As a young student, most don’t realize that the training they are getting may not set them up adequately to work in the profession of their dreams.

To get work on Broadway, singers now need to know how to belt. Does your teacher know how to belt? I don’t mean yell or shout. I mean actually “belt” with a balance of chest register and head register at a loud volume.

To get work in R & B, singers now need to know how to do riffs and runs, easily through their entire vocal range.

To get work in jazz, singers need to understand how to make smooth, silky vocal tones with deep sultry phrasing and easy vowel transitions.

To get work in rock or country music, singers need to know how to produce their trademark sound with a balanced mix of chest register and head register, and the right amount of twang.

I am currently working with two female students in their 30’s who had traditional vocal training in their early 20’s. We are working on retraining their voice so they can make the sounds they want to make. It’s not easy as they try to undo some of the things they have been taught in the past. They both have two things in common. They both use too much head voice, and too much air. This is a common trait with classical training, and detrimental for singers who want to sing other styles.

I hope this post has been informative. Simply said, teaching the voice is in the middle of a transformation, or at least I hope it is. Susie