Singers who can hear the fine nuances of other singers’ voices can usually sing better themselves. If you don’t feel like you know what to look for, or you don’t feel like you have a good ear, don’t worry. You can learn to listen better. Then you can use other singers’ examples to make yourself […]
“Secret” is such an abused marketing term that I hesitate to even use it. But it’s accurate, because until you figure out how to use your voice easily and correctly, it may seem impossible to sing the way you want to sing. It’s like there’s an obstacle in front of you with no way past […]
I’ve been sick, moving from one house to another, and gigging a lot lately. I apologize for letting last week week go by without a newsletter. This past Saturday, I completely lost my voice at a gig. I have rehearsal on Wednesday and another gig on Friday, so I need to get my voice back […]
I just returned last week from a trip to Spain, the UK and Germany to meet up with some musical collaborators (ok, and I admit, also to go to the beach and get some sun). Here are some tips that occurred to share with you while I was traveling, to help you take advantage of […]
This week: Seven tips for practicing for a gig – especially for the first gig with a new band. 1. Dress in actual gig clothing. If you are planning on wearing anything other than street clothes (or clothes you haven’t worn at a gig before), run through your set wearing the clothes and shoes […]
What if you could take the leap from good to great? Rather than toiling along the road slowly, hoping that some day, eventually, you’ll be great? Well, I believe the only way to get from good to great IS a leap, rather than a one-step-at-a-time process. It’s a decision. A realization, rather than an accretion […]
This week’s newsletter was written by Panos Kolias. I have seen this question written in several forums. I have been asked this question several times, and had to ask the question of myself too. If you are asking that question, you have probably already decided that you want to change your life and follow a […]
Many open mic nights, jam sessions, and karaoke opportunities take place in bars, where students under 21 can’t usually enter (in the US, anyway). Consequently, several of my students were wondering how to get stage experience when they are too young to enter establishments where they could perform. The idea of coffee-shop style open mic […]
One of my students, singer-songwriter Jaden Carlson, is playing at the Desert Rocks Music Festival this weekend. She’s very comfortable on stage whether talking or singing, but she wanted her song introductions to connect with her audience more powerfully. So in our last couple of lessons we worked on her song introductions. The things we worked […]
When you sing any given pitch, you are producing sound not just on that pitch, but also different overtones as well. That’s one reason why your voice sounds like a voice, not a pure computer-beep sine wave. Think about what happens if you change the EQ settings on your mixer or your stereo. Even though […]
