How Do I Know Where to Breathe? As a teacher, I often observe students struggling with where to breathe within the phrasing of a song. This can be further complicated when a student is unable to identify where the artist they are listening to is breathing. Not being able to hear the breath in recordings…
What Is Improvisation? Improvisation, vocally speaking, is when a singer creates on-the-spot. Although most people associate improv with jazz scatting, we hear it all the time in many styles of music. Singers can use improvisation to convey emotion and make a song their own. This is a major skill that depends heavily on a singer’s musicianship…
Sing for Yourself Do you want to be a successful singer? Do you want to sing in front of thousands of people? Do you want to have their recognition and admiration? Or maybe you just want to sing those high notes so you can finally duet with your favorite singer on Smule? Or even better,…
Healthy Speaking for Singers Whether a professional singer, aspiring professional, or hobbyist, as much as we all love to sing, on any given day, we usually talk much more! Even if we diligently develop our singing technique, inefficient speaking habits can impact the function of the voice. Here are a few tips to support healthy…
To Articulate or Not to Articulate? Why is articulation important? As a singer, you want to communicate something to your audience, and you also want your audience to actually know what that message is. The “Mary Poppins” exercise helps to enunciate your words better. AUTHOR: AMI GENT
Singing Lessons For Children (Part 2) Your child has shown an interest in singing, and you’re wondering if you should sign them up for lessons. You probably have many questions and concerns about what voice lessons would look like for children. Singing lessons for kids 5 and over, although structured, will have a bit of…
Singing Lessons For Children (Part 1) If your child has shown an interest in music, is picking up melodies of songs from the radio, YouTube, TikTok or their favorite TV shows or is asking about lessons, it’s important to take the time to explore their fascination. Is it singing they are really interested in, or…
Why Should I Sing? If you enjoy singing, then you have your answer: you should sing, because it makes you happy! But singing has many more benefits, so here are a few more reasons that will hopefully motivate you to sing more often. Singing relieves stress! If you sing or do vocal exercises by yourself,…
Using Drones to “Fine Tune” Your Intonation A musical drone does not play a melody of its own. Instead, its continuous note or chord serves as a support and focus for both the melody and harmony produced by another instrument or singer. This note or chord is typically based on the tonic note (1st scale…
Don’t Compare Yourself to Others I asked my voice students to make singing goals this year. One of the questions I asked them was, “What will you do less of in 2021?” I was very surprised when I received this same answer from so many students – “I will stop comparing my voice to others.”…