Do you love your voice?

As a singer and teacher, this is a big deal to me.   It is an aural stamp of you as a person.  Your voice is the instrument that expresses your thoughts and feelings.  It connects you with people and plays a critical role in your relationship to others. It is a BIG deal. I was recently in a lesson and one my students was very honest with me about how much he dislikes his singing (and speaking)...

Keeping Your Holiday Voice Healthy

The holiday season is great for musicians.  There are a lots of gigs to be had and it is crucial that your voice stays healthy.  As soon as Thanksgiving hits, I do these things to try to healthy. Drink 100 ounces minimum a day of water. Take 2-3 grams of Vitamin C a day. Only sing when warming up, rehearsing, or gigging. When gigging, I don’t sing over talking, noise, or other music. Limit my...

Everyone Blows It

I am writing this because…yes, I blew a performance recently.  I was hired by a contractor who hasn’t heard me sing besides my demo. To get hired for this concert was a pretty big deal.  There were several other vocal contractors there, as well as the best session singers in LA.  She even asked me to do a solo.  I so wanted to nail it. I was like “YAY.”  Rehearsal went well. ...

Vocal Damage: Nodes or other….

This past weekend, I went to a fantastic master class hosted by Reena Gupta, MD, FACS. She is the director of the Division of Voice and Laryngology at the Osborne Head and Neck Institute.  Click the link to check her out.  She did a few sessions on vocal damage, including scoping a few people to check out their vocal cords. When talking about nodules, Dr. Gupta said 90% of the time they are...

An Old Dog Trying New Tricks

Over the last decade, I’ve studied voice and taken lesson from eight teachers.  With teachers, I took years and other just a few.  Every teacher has had their own unique way of explaining vocal production and breathing. They have all used different metaphors and examples.   One thing that remains consistent is that most teachers are trying to communicate the same thing.  Healthy vocal technique...