Want to be a professional musician? 10 things that make it easier.

Go for it!  Here’s the thing.  If it’s what you want to do with your life, do it.  You literally have nothing to lose. It may take a lot of time to hone your skills, figure out what you want to do in music, and learn how the business works.  You’ll probably spend a bunch of money on gear and classes and going to hear bands.  But that’s an investment.  Your parents will...

What a GREAT teacher/student fit feels like

It has been a decade since I’ve had a voice lesson.  A decade since I’ve had that first lesson where you warm up a bunch beforehand, are a little nervous, prepare a voice lesson folder, meet a new teacher and have no idea if you are going to click with then.   A decade since I have put my voice into someone else’s hands. It’s a scary thing to do and but exciting when it’s...

Be Bold & Get out of Your Head

I’ve been reading a lot of Brene Brown recently.  If you aren’t familiar with her books, they are fantastic.  She is a researcher in the field of psychology.  Most of her research deals with shame and vulnerability.  Two very debilitating feelings.  My two favorite books of hers are “Daring Greatly” and “Gifts of Imperfection.” The reason I think these two are so...

Using Vibration to Help Your Singing

Recently, I attended a workshop about using external vibration to encourage the vocal cords.  The technique is called the Vibrant Voice technique and it’s by a professor from the University of Alberta, Canada named David Ley.  It’s an interesting concept and has been around for a really long time but 50 years ago we didn’t have handheld vibration devices. The concept is pretty simple. ...

Upcoming iBook Release: Vocal & Ear Training Series

I am so, so excited. I’ve been working on a Voice and Ear training project for over a year. This project is truly a labor of love.  Many of my students want to train their ear and often there is not enough time to accomplish everything (technique, music theory, songs, and ear training) in an hour voice lesson.  I have looked and looked for something to recommend to my students but have not been...