Before we talk about todays subjects we would like to draw your attention to an amazing opportunity in California for any aspiring artists. A unique weekend at the VocalizeU Winter Retreat is something to consider if you want to take your singing and writing to the next level by working with the best vocal coaches and industry experts in the world. It’s held in the beautiful mountains of California and is a life changing experience. Check out the event here for more info:
www.thenakedvocalist.com/retreat
Another piece of great news is that we worked with a guy called Doyle Letson on Skype last week. He got in touch with us to talk about technique and we thought it would be a great opportunity to work with someone to help improve their singing through some very simple techniques. Doyle fortunately was very keen too so we hooked up!
Listen to the podcast for Doyles recordings, but we singled out a recording of him singing Sunday Morning by Maroon 5. Based on that recording we gave Doyle several things to do:
a) Work on head voice using sounds like WEE or WOH
b) Work on the bridge of his voice, creating freedom using the word ONE, and replacing lyrics with that word to experience better comfort and resonance.
We’ll keep you updated with his progress!
Todays questions are common in the teaching room and have the possibility of being endlessly discussed, but as always we try our flippin’ best to keep it under an hour for y’all.
Firstly we look at a question from a listener about inconsistent voice troubles. Essentially he felt that his voice didn’t feel or work the same from day to day, which is something that we have all felt over and over again. We explore the possibilities of lifestyle and how that can be a factor depending on how many social occasions you might have been to that weekend, and if you’re diet is slipping into the take-away hole. This all affects the body, and the body is the housing for your voice. We discuss technique and preparing the voice as that also plays a huge role in a reliable voice.
Second up is a question regarding singing lessons and what to expect if you’re new to them. Well, there’s a lot to go through but we cover the lesson format and what to expect from a teacher, and sometimes what not to expect. Importantly, expect to approach tricky stuff and tackle things that will put you out of your comfort zone. Expect to make mistakes. Expect to receive constructive criticism and be prepared to offer up your problems without fear or judgement.
Lastly we talk through practice methods and how often to exercise or sing. This is so different for everyone! If you want to be THE BEST then you may need to practice more than your average singer. If you end up learning something new then you may practice a little more than you did last week to get it just right. If your voice experiences functional problems and muscular issues then practice needs to be tailored to the problem to be most effective.
A beauty that we whipped out for the YouTube entry was Natalie Weiss – Breaking Down The Riffs 3. An amazing little video where Natalie, who is a very experienced and beautiful musical theatre singer herself, breaks down some complex riffs for a wiling student.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcFrq9XRZVY
Naked Web Monkey
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