Author Archives: Susan McAllister-Bee

It starts with balance….

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It starts with balance. My job as your coach is to help free your voice so you can achieve a sound that is crisp and clear, with no random weak spots from the bottom to the top of your range with ease. No voice is the same, and the process can be very different for each singer. I help you find “YOUR” voice.
A good coach should be able to tell you your strengths, weaknesses, and show and explain the exercises needed to improve your singing. These exercises must be done correctly and frequently to achieve the desired result.
There is no instant pill to better singing. Knowledge and practise will make the journey enjoyable and rewarding.

How do they do it?

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That’s always the question? How do they do it?

The masters of rock and pop singing? Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden. Steven Tyler, and more, how do they do it?

They are masters, indeed! Some may say it’s genetics, but vocal experts will say that there are a few key issues going on here.

First, the cry. This is a essential. A primal sound that is key to helping everyone sing better. It is more apparent in some styles, but it is a basic concept in helping the vocal cords come together and stay together for a duration in the higher voice.

Second, the twang. This is essential as well, in every form of singing. It is more apparent in some styles than others, but it is there. In Speech Level Singing, we experience this with “nay, nay, nay”. As I understand it, this, and the cry, will tilt the larynx, and change the vocal tract, and allow you “to mix” your lower chest tones with your higher tones”. If done without constriction for external factors (such as throat constriction, or false cord constriction) then the voice can resonate well and exhibit a loud, strong mix quality to the voice.
Do you have questions about the “cry” and “twang” of the voice? Please let me know. Susie Q.

Pavarotti soothes pain from video clip…

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I just watched a video clip that I wish I never opened. I’m vocalizing now (well sort of, at the same time as I’m writing). Specifically I’m lip-rolling to Pavarotti…..he’s loud. It is soothing me, relaxing me after an exhausting weekend at a conference…specifically after watching a horrible video on line. It’s late and I need to go to bed.

Pavarotti and vocalizing is slowly calming me. Slowly, considering the stress I feel since finishing the video. Why the hell did I watch that. Damn you Eric Arseneau!

No, I don’t want you to watch the clip. I definitely don’t recommend it. How can anyone in their right mind record such hatred.

The future of education…where are we going?

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I wanted to go to university when I graduated from high school but my family didn’t have the money. All my friends were going to university, and I truly felt “less than them” because I had to go to college … it was affordable.

Twenty-five years and tons of experience later, I’m actually content that I didn’t go to unversity.

I have a special friend, bless her heart, who was a professional student for what seemed like forever. She studied psychology and sociology for years. She is now finally working full-time as an office administrator making a reasonable salary, but still owing thousands and thousands in student loans.

I talk about this because I have two children age 10 and 13, and I wonder what their future is going to be. I honestly have to say that I have little in the way of savings for their education. You see, I am self-employed, divorced, and not in a position to put a lot of money away for their education. This is not the best scenerio, but it is the unfortunate truth.

But, is it really unfortunate?

I’m not worried. I don’t feel the post-secondary education system is an automatic set-up for a job when they graduate. Instead, I believe they need to learn how to “fit it” with the ever-changing ways of today’s world.

I cannot predict the future, but I have this strange feeling that universities are not going to be the number one choice of education for families of the next generation. What do you think?

Which is it? Technique or Style?

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I want to address what Speech Level Singing is and what it is not. SLS is a vocal technique that balances and connects the voice from the low notes to the high notes. It is a superb technique that sets singers up to sing in any style they choose safely and efficiently. It is not a technique that teaches the singer how to sing rock, or pop, or gospel, etc. Style and technique are two very different things.
Students in my studio work on style in the song after vocalizing. This is the ideal time to work on the vocal timbre and sounds such as shouting or belting. Shouting and belting is NOT a part of SLS technique….it is a style choice that the SINGER makes.

Why Can’t I Sing In Tune?

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There are basically two reasons why a singer can’t duplicate the pitch that he hears?

Firstly, the singer has an “ear” problem. The singer cannot duplicate the sound he is hearing because he does not know if he is on pitch. He has not (typically) practised this from a young age and has developed no point of reference. The singer has not imitated sounds requiring the vocal cords and pharynx to adjust to different pitches. The singer cannot associate the pitch he hears with the coordination that his vocal cords need to make to duplicate the sound. This problem can be fixed with “ear training” exercises, and methods such as Kodaly and solfege.

Secondly, a “technical” problem. Usually this is evident with singers who sing louder as they ascend in pitch .The singer knows it is the wrong pitch but doesn’t have the control to fix it. This is especially evident in singers with the inability to decrease volume at a high pitch. This problem can be decreased with the help of a good singing teacher.

Are you willing to let go?

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Singing is such a “freeing” sensation. Quite the opposite of how a lot of people sing, however. The ability to “release” or “let go” can be a difficult concept for some singers to grasp. Our instinct might be to “grab on” and “control” those notes to make them louder and more powerful. This “idea” can be quite limiting for a singer. Instead, the ability to “allow” your voice to just sit on the pitch as it moves around, should be every singer’s dream.

We’ve come a long way in 150 years…..

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The industrial revolution is over. The idea that you will simply get a job in a factory when you are finished high school, or go to college/university and have a job waiting for you when you finish in no longer the reality. There is a new trend, a much different trend, a technological trend. It is up to us as parents and adults, to guide our children and teach them to make choices that will allow them to prosper in the years to come.

The education system cannot keep up with the growing and ever-changing demands of employment shifts. It is up to us as adults and parents to realize our kids need more than school can offer.

Building confidence and leadership skills in a child is challenging but worthwhile. I know, I have two children, age 10 and 13. These two qualities, I believe, are so very important for their success in the future. I try to share as much about the world and how it operates as I can.

The more we equip our children with tools to succeed in today’s world, the easier it will be for them to find employment in the future. Subjects like math (music), science, language, communication, and computer technology are vital subjects. Acquiring leadership responsibilities as they grow older will increase their confidence and ability to adjust to sudden changes like job loss or job changes.

A new revolution is underway. Employment opportunities do not exist like they use to. I don’t have a crystal ball to know exactly when things will settle………but it might not be for a long, long time. Our children are the future. We need to help them adjust, and roll with the punches.

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