All Things Vocal Blog & Podcast by Judy Rodman

Training & insights for stage and studio singers, speakers, vocal coaches and producers from professional vocal coach and author of "Power, Path & Performance" vocal training method. Download All Things Vocal podcast on your fav app!

Monday, May 22, 2023

Singers & Musicians: Get Fit, Not Hurt! (Angela McCuiston Interview)

 

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Getting physically injured can temporarily stop or permanently end a music career. My guest Angela McCuiston, founder of 'Music Strong', has developed a specialty career in fitness training and rehabilitation exercises for music makers of all kinds. Listen to this interview to hear Angela and I discuss some vital fitness strategies that can improve muscle balance, endurance and strength. A musician herself, Angela understands the stresses of our vocations and the stakes involved! - LINKS - Find Angela at: Find me at:

Topics we discussed:

  • Angela's own playing-related injury episodes that eventually led through frustration to creating 'Music Strong', where she helps musicians get fit for more strength and endurance, and get targeted remedial exercises for muscle imbalances and injuries.
  • My vocal cord injury leading to my work with injured voices.
  • Angela's integration of multiple protocols of healing, including Alexander Technique, Barbara Conable's body mapping, Eva Amsler's dynamic integration
  • Some key physical issues of guitarists and pianists that she works with.
  • The importance of muscle balance - including the muscles working the singer's chest and head registers.
  • What older music makers should look for in a personal trainer.
  • Angela tells us about the programs she offers through 'Music Strong', such as her personal workout sessions, instrument-specific fitness training, her 'Covid Comeback' program, and her proposed 'Music Strong Wellness Center.
  • The highly effective free exercises Angela offers on her Youtube channel
  • And more!

More About Angela:

Angela McCuiston is a NASM-CPT, CES, SFS and CETI-CES (Certified Personal Trainer and Corrective Exercise Specialist, Senior Fitness Specialist and Cancer Exercise Specialist). She is the owner of Music Strong, a business that specializes in personal fitness training for musicians.

Her studies include Alexander Technique, Barbara Conable's Body Mapping, and Eva Amsler's Dynamic Integration as well as Neurokinetic Therapy.  

Winner of the 2007 NFA Piccolo Master class, Angela received her Master of Music in Flute Performance from Florida State University and her Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from Tennessee Technological University. Angela is Assistant Principal/Piccolo of Sinfonia Gulf Coast of Destin, Nashville Philharmonic, Columbus Symphony and Nashville Flute Choir. Joining the military soon after 9/11 she recently recently transferred to the 313th Army Band in Huntsville, AL, after
completing a 16-year tenure in the 129th Army Band in Nashville, TN. In addition to her solo performances, she has performed with such celebrities as Kristen Chenowith, Pink Martini, Jamie Bernstein, Morgan James, Chris Mann, Nancy Griffith and Mary Wilson of the Supremes.

Recently she was sought out by the Old Guard, Army Fife and Drum Corps as a special consultant to prevent playing related injuries. She has been sought out for numerous other positions including becoming a provider for MusiCares (A musician’s wellness division of The Recording Academy: the Grammy’s) and completing her 4-year appointment as Chair of the National Flute Association Performance Health Committee.  In August 2020, Angela also joined the faculty at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN as professor of flute.

In February 2019 she published her first book: The Musician’s Essential Exercises, and recorded over 20 instrument specific workouts available for download. She also offers a comprehensive workout program she calls 'The Covid Comeback' for musicians coming off a long hiatus from playing.

Most recently, she has transitioned her focus into building a musician’s wellness center in Nashville, TN. The center seeks to be the first of its kind, bridging the gap between traditional and holistic medicine, offering comprehensive and concierge wellness care for musicians.
 

What About YOU?

What experience do you have with playing- or singing- related injuries? What helped you? What mysteries remain?

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posted by Judy Rodman @ 7:02 PM   1 Comments

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Singing On The Road? 12 Tips For The Voice On Tour

The road can be a dream come true, or a vocal nightmare!

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Singing on the road can be one of the greatest joys of having a voice. It can also be filled with unexpected events which you have to learn to roll with. However… vocal issues can mostly be avoided if you know how. In fact, when you consistently use good technique and strategy, you can end up with your voice stronger and less fatigued as the tour goes on! Many of the artists I’m working with, including the stunning Hall Sisters are gearing up for big summer tour season. Lots of consecutive day shows, some long ones. They know that taking care of the voice for the Olympic event-level vocal performance needed for every show is crucial. Here’s some advice I give for protecting and growing your vocal stamina on the road:

1. Bring Food 

...with you when you travel that gives you energy and doesn't exacerbate phlegm or acid reflux, just in case the backstage fare is not good. Especially if you travel by bus, bring salads, fruit, protein snacks. hummus, whatever works for you. Eat what gives you stamina but not heartburn and doesn't bog your digestion down before performance. Here's more about what to eat before you sing.

2. Bring Extra Water 

Be sure to drink enough water on non-performance days, too. Consider bringing little cans of pineapple juice in your luggage to you always have some on hand to dilute with water and bring onstage. Another remedy you might try is cayenne pepper on anything you eat or drink. I have several more solutions in my 9-page ebook ‘Vocal Health Tips’ – get that free download from my website if you haven’t yet. Herbal teas can be soothing, but steer clear of dehydrating drinks like black tea. If you drink alcohol, do it after your performance, not before, and for best vocal results, limit it altogether while on tour. 

Stop smoking. Yep. That means you. Yer welcome. Here's a book that helped me do it years ago: The Easy Way To Stop Smoking (Amazon - paid link) https://amzn.to/411cxpy 

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

3. Steam Your Throat 

...with showers or hot baths as you get ready for your gigs, and also when you get into your hotel room from the dry-air vehicle or drive or flight. Consider bringing portable humidifiers, especially in super-dry climates you’re not acclimated to. That includes Las Vegas!

4. Get Quality Sleep

Sleep is as important as food and hydration for the voice. When singing on the road, sometimes it's difficult to get the zzz's in: you sleep on the bus, arrive at the hotel in the middle of the night, have to get to soundcheck... but talk this out with your road manager before you leave and plan the time to get quality sleep. You may need a sleep aid like melatonin, Sleepytime Tea or whatever healthy thing works for you. Talk to your doctor about a non-habit forming, safe sleep remedy recommendation.

5. Do Physical Workouts

15 – 30 min short workouts on gig days to warm and limber you up for performance and keep your core toned for singing. Do physical stretches to ease tension, and when short on time, try Tabata high intensity workouts. You can put a Tabata Timer app on your phone. Consider bringing workout DVDs and any physical workout bands, ropes, etc you could use in your hotel room or on a bus. If your budget allows, consider taking a personal trainer on the road with you.

6. Do Not Neglect To Do Vocal Warmups ! 

Also, after your longer gigs especially, take 10 min to cool down after your gig. This can make all the difference in how your voice feels the next day! What’s the difference in a vocal warmup and a cool down? A cool down is generally a shorter vocal exercise routine and incorporates more of your head voice register to ‘re-lift’ your voice, which in non-formal genre performance has been using more of your chest register.

7. Limit Talking

...and when you DO talk, pull your words. When with the public and signing autographs, do more listening and smiling than talking. If at all possible, try to schedule media interviews for AFTER your shows instead of before. Discuss this with your management or whoever schedules these things in advance.

8. Center Yourself 

10 minutes before your gig, try to find a quiet corner and don’t interact with anyone. Just center yourself, mentally send your presence out to occupy the venue. Prepare yourself by imagining the first verse you’re about to sing on your first song. Ignore distractions like an Olympic athlete preparing to ‘bring it’.

9. Get Monitors Right

Make sure you have enough vocal level so you don't have to push those strong notes during performance.

10. Wear Both In-Ears

If you wear in-ear monitors (iem’s), wear BOTH, not just one, to save your hearing! Before performing with in-ears, try to schedule time to work with a sound engineer to get used to wearing them, and to know what to ask for in your monitor mix.

11. Do After-Show Snapshots

As you warm down, take a quick inventory... how does your voice feel? It should feel better than when you began the show. If not, try to figure out why. Remember that no matter where you are, can always schedule a vocal lesson or consultation with me on Zoom or in a phonecall. You can even warm up with me backstage or in your dressing room.

12. Have a BLAST! 

You're taking care of your voice so you can ditch the worry!

Have other tips or strategies from your road singing experiences? Please share in the comments! 

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posted by Judy Rodman @ 6:17 PM   5 Comments

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Successful Music Career Secrets - Vinnie Potestivo Interview

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For this post, I interviewed Vinnie Potestivo - a man who has guided successful careeer strategies of not just stars of the music universe but also TV shows and major corporations. He himself has won an Emmy. He is extremely generous in sharing advice, behind-the-scenes stories and just general wisdom for creatives who want to grow (and protect) careers.  

Video Timestamps:

  • 00:00 Introduction to Vinnie Postivo
  • 04:05 Vinnie takes us into his first stint at MTV... asking Whitney Houston a question.
  • 04:39 Vinnie explains the mistake of saying 'let me know how I can help you' and what he said instead that started his successful career at MTV, as well as opening doors for others.
  • 08:51 What used to be successful that's no longer working for music careers: Waiting. Why you shouldn't.
  • 11:18 The bottleneck of music industry past that's been broken.
  • 12:52 The importance of user experience now. Beyonce's career-making collaboration deals.
  • 14:07 The importance of owning and combining your audience.
  • 15:20 How Mandy Moore stepped into her own authority, and why that's important to be successful now.
  • 16:44 How audio capability is changing things
  • 18:56 AI and the ChatGPT factor.
  • 20:25 An acting exercise I give my vocal students.
  • 21:09 Why a music label deal now could be best negotiated as a joint venture.
  • 23:07 The Presence factor's impact on an artist's career.
  • 24:03 Stories from Vinnie's talent development work.
  • 27:01 The SNL performance mistake that sabotaged Ashley Simpson's career.
  • 30:21 The need for crisis training. Some funny examples from musical theater gone wrong.
  • 39:50 How Vinnie is turning podcasting into shows.
  • 40:08 How SMS marketing works for music careers, and the importance of fragmenting your email list.
  • 44:30 Seth Godin insights we both find valuable for music artists.
  • 45:57 Where to find Vinnie, his podcast and his service

More about Vinnie:

Vinnie Potestivo is an industry-leading talent and media development strategist widely known for launching celebrity brands & media properties that continue to influence modern pop culture. He is Founder of VPE, VPEtalent, the Verified Podcast Eschange and the Discovery to Downloads Mastermind.

With over 25 yrs experience, Vinnie and his teams have become well-trusted connectors who sell, develop, produce, launch, distribute and amplify talent brands such Mandy Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Simpson, Tyrese Gibson, Lauren Conrad, Diane von Furstenberg, , Danielle Fishel, Kristin Cavallari, Kelly Osbourne, TJ Lavin, journalists including SuChin Pak and the list goes on and on.

Formerly cofounder of MTV’s Talent Development & Original programming department, he has gone on to cast or produce original television series including reality TV shows like Punk’d, the Osbournes, The Challenge, Wild n Out, Real Housewives of New Jersey and many more. He’s worked with brands including Macy’s, Samsung, Nikon, MajorLeagueBaseball.

And...

If you enjoyed this interview, check out another post I did on this subject:
How to (Really) Make It In Music

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posted by Judy Rodman @ 12:48 AM   0 Comments

Monday, March 27, 2023

Choose Your Vocal Genre Strategically! (Vocal Style for Your Goals)


???Don't even let me get started on sub- and combined genres!!

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Choosing the vocal style you should sing can be difficult if you are a new singer and have no idea what genre you should try. It's also difficult if you're a veteran singer who can sing just about any style you want, and are confused about what style is best for you. In this blogpost, I'm going to give you some help to make that choice strategically. 

First, consider your vocal goals - what do you want to do with your voice?

1. Do you want to gain vocal skill, or to snap out of vocal boredom? Try singing songs in genres that are new to you.

  • When you get out of the comfort zone of singing styles you're familiar with, you can expand your voice's skill set in several ways, such as wider vocal range, new vocal licks and embellishments, more precision and control, different tone colors, phrasing choices and rhythmic feel. 
  • Exploring styles you've never sung can help you see if you're missing another type of music you would love and could do well. Or you may find some new vocal stying you could integrate into the genre you normally sing, breathing more life, nuance and uniqueness into your singing.

2. Do you want to perform in situations that require you sing multiple genres well? Choose to get very good at singing all of the ones you'll need.

  • If you want to get work as a studio session or road tour singer, you don't want to limit yourself to one choice of genre. A nickname for this type of vocal career is 'stunt singer'. You could be hired to sing on many different styles of music, and with radically different kinds of singers. If this is your goal, the more genres you can sing well, the better. You might want to get some training and/or spend quality time listening to the masters of each genre you want to ace.
  • It can help to be able to cross genres if you want to compete in talent awards shows. They want you to show extreme vocal ability, often requiring a lot more showy technique than would be authentic for the normal genre of the song. Or a contestant could excel by beginning their performance in one genre and ending in quite another, such as when Christina Ramos began a stunning performance of a classical song and suddenly morphed into the rock classic 'Highway to Hell', getting her awarded the golden buzzer on Spain's Got Talent.
  • You might want to be known for extreme, genre-crossing vocal ability, such as the artist Pia Toscano who placed 10th in 2011 American idol. I saw her being featured in an Andrea Bocelli concert where she began with a stunning performance of the soulful 'I'm Feelin Good', then joined Bocelli for a beautiful classical duet. 
  • You might want to be able to sing formal genres such as choir music or classical art songs, then be able to change musical languages and do popular genre songs.
  • You might just want to sing some great karaoke, where you can jump styles of songs and have a lot of fun impressing your audience! 
I'd still recommend you learn to sing each genre skillfully, authentically and without strain.

3. Do you need to zero in on your artistic definition?

For the best chance of success, a music artist should launch their public career with a clearly defined  musical style. This is a major part of what's known as artist branding. So if you're an artist, choosing a genre that best defines you becomes vitally important. Yes, an established artist can change or explore other genres and reinvent themselves successfully, but for new artists it's best to choose one main genre in which to create, perform, market and promote music. 

Why?
Though music is not sold in nearly as many brick and morter physical stores, the digital stores and awards shows are sorted into separate categories of music. So in a practical sense, settling on one genre helps you find and develop a fanbase that will discover and support you with tickets, streams and votes!

When you're ready to drill down:

Again, don't rush the process. It may not take you long, or you could experiment with singing several styles of music for a couple of years. Then when you feel ready, sit in a quiet space where you can focus and ask yourself these questions. You might consider running these questions by a trusted advisor or coach who knows you well:
  1. What does my voice love?
  2. What does my heart love?
  3. What do I want to learn?
  4. What's commercial?
Let's dig into each one:
  • What does my voice love? 
What style of music does your voice feel best singing? This includes such style factors as vocal licks, runs, scoops, rhythmic phrasing pocket, typical melodic complexity and vocal ranges of songs in the genre. Consider what is the most natural for your vocal ability, which includes "nature" (the size, density and other characteristics of your physical instrument) and "nurture" (the current level of vocal technique and stamina that you've developed).
  •  What does my heart love? 
When you sing or hear music that moves you, what genre or style is it? When something genuinely moves you, you can make a safe bet it will have a passionate audience who it would also move, and who could comprise your fanbase.
  • What do I want to learn?
What do I want to do with my voice that I don't know how to do now? Do I want to learn to sing classical music, authentically deliver folk or country, develop some r&b riffs, find the vocal control to sing jazz or bluegrass, learn to articulate differently for or from musical theater or gospel? Do I want to power my voice for rock or wide-range pop country songs, or experiment with the rhythmic pocket and rhymes of hip-hop?
  • What's commercial?
What kinds of music are selling? What is successful on radio and in venues I'd like to play? Where can music purchasing and ticket-buying audiences for a particular style be found? What groups of people am I already engaged with? What interests, sports or hobbies do I have that connect me with people who might be interested in my music or with organizations that hold events or sponsor entertainment?

Then combine these questions: 
  1. What genre is selling and has good fanbases that...
  2. my voice can confidently sing or that I want to learn to confidently sing and... 
  3. that satisfies and moves my heart and delivers the messages I want to share.
This is the best way to pursue the business of music. Your priority is on the music, not the business; you let the music drive the business. To do this, don't over-think it. But don't limit yourself if all it would take to have the vocal ability for what your heart wants to sing and that people want to hear would be some training and experimentation. Take the time to do that!

Case Studies of genre-choice outliers:

  • Rejecting Genre Limitation: Eva Cassidy Story: 
For a great example of music driving the business, discover the amazing story of Eva Cassidy. She chose not to limit the genres she sang; instead to perform the music that satisfied her own heart. In her case, no label would sign her because they couldn't define her. However, Eva had dedicated and passionate fans and the way she sang every song- her voice itself - became her artist brand. By all accounts from those who knew her, she was more than satisfied during her lifetime with her choice to keep her voice aligned with her heart. Then after cancer took her life, she became a music legend. Her music lives on in demo and live performances that have been sold in over 4 million albums and have been placed in many movie soundtracks. I would say she chose well!

  • Combining Genres: Julia Loewen Story: 
If you look at the Wikapedia page for music genres, you'll see a virtual TON of catagories and subcatagories, and you'll notice that many are genre combinations. Julia Loewen's story illustrates this. Julia is a classical music teacher and vocalist in Eastern Canada whose CDs have been distributed in over 120 countries.. She shares a dramatic personal story of trauma and healing, and many years ago, she felt the need to expand her reach. She enlisted Kayla Morrison to help her with her dream, and Kayla contacted me. I suggested a cross-genre approach, combining her vocal skill, heart and messaging into a style we termed 'Celtic Christian Rock'. I cowrote the songs with Julia and Kayla and was honored to produce the album, using top session players in Nashville including Sam Levine who played authentic Celtic instruments. This inter-genre project, titled "Into The Light" successfully extended her audience for the messages she wanted to share, now including her ministry to prison inmates.

  • Crossing Genres: Songs that jump styles:
If you’re a songwriter, your dream scenario is for one of your songs to be successful in wildly different genres. For instance, the song “I Swear”, written by Frank Myers and Gary Baker, was a hit country single for John Michael Montgomery and also a hit pop/r&b single for the band ‘All-4-One’. The song written by Dolly Parton ,‘I Will Always Love You’, was a hit country single for Dolly and an R&B hit by Whitney Houston. The genre is determined by the singer’s vocal style and recording production choices. If you’re a singer, it can be a successful strategy to take a hit song and change its genre to fit your voice and your audience!

  • Shifting Genres: My Story: 
Mastering genres and changing them drove the music business for me. As a child I learned to sing country, folk, and gospel with my amateur family band. As a teenager I added a love of rock and pop. At 17, I started session work at a local studio in Jacksonville, Florida. I also took a course in classical music in Jacksonville University, learning some Italian Art songs which became instrumental in recovering my voice from endotracheal tube damage. Continuing my studio singing in Memphis, Tennessee I found myself immersed in R&B music, which to this day is one of biggest influences on my voice. I also joined a top-40 cover band, singing songs of such diverse artists as Carol King, Karen Carpenter, Chaka Khan, Grace Slick, Tina Turner, the 5th Dimension and Brazil 66 singers. I also sang backgrounds for R&B artists at Hi Records, country artists at Lyn Lou Studio, and on black gospel music recorded in many small studios. Then I moved to Nashville, continued my session singing on records which included many traditional country stars, a few rock sessions and even some international pop sessions. It was important that I could sing just about any genre you put before me.

But then came the record deal and I had to drill down. My country artist career covered some songs that were considered progressive country at the time, flavored by all those other genres of my early career. After that season ended, I did another record, this time with my husband, that we catagorized as Americana. Full circle... that catagory allowed us to combine genres for the music that our hearts wanted to make!

Bottom line:

So as you see, strategically choosing your vocal genre to sing is both important and also something that may change over time. My advice is to start by deciding what you want and need to do with your voice. Once you zero in on that, then you can choose the musical genre or style that will help you reach your artistic goals. When your vocal goals change, your vocal genre choice can, too!

Need Help?

If you'd like some help getting your voice to do what your heart loves, hit me up for a vocal lesson or get a Power, Path & Performance vocal training course. I'd love to help you do it! Please leave me a comment... I'd love to know your thoughts!

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posted by Judy Rodman @ 7:17 PM   7 Comments

Monday, January 16, 2023

Interview With Gena Thurston - PT For Voice

 

Gena joined me from 'the room where it happens'

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Other than an anesthesiologist wielding an endotracheal tube, I’ve never let anyone touch my throat, inside OR out, until I met my guest today. Listen in to my interview with vocal tension’s worst foe: physical therapist Gena Thurston! 

Things we talked about

  • Why a vocalist might want to work with a physical therapist
  • How Gena developed her unique, multifaceted approach to treating patients
  • How it was to work with the cast of Hamilton 
  • Working with muscle tension dysphonia
  • The tricky subject of powering the voice from the pelvic floor without overdoing it
  • Back muscles, singing in heels (thanks for those questions, Mark Thress:)
  • Specific exercises she demonstrates on her Instagram feed
  • Why, when and how to book an appointment with Gena

About Gena

Gena Thurston is a PT (physical therapist), DPT (doctor of physical therapy), CIDN (certification in dry needling) professional who works with a unique mix of orthopedic manual therapy, myofascial release, dry needling, manual-resisted exercise, cupping and vocal massage.

She works with a wide variety of patients and ailments, but has a special interest in singers and musicians with vocal tension. Having worked extensively with Broadway singers including the cast of Hamilton, Nashville is very fortunate that she now practices as part of Steve Kravitz Physical Therapy. 

Gena's links:

posted by Judy Rodman @ 12:01 AM   2 Comments

Friday, January 6, 2023

12 Vocal Resolutions To Rock the New Year -Updated


NOTE: The audio player should appear below, if not, please click on the title of this post and go online to hear. 
Available also on iTunes , Google Play, TuneIn Radio, Android apps

 

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WHEW, We made it to 2023! I hereby challenge you to make this the best year ever for your voice! Here are some ideas to help you begin this January with intention and openness for opportunities to come for you and the people you can touch.

I know a lot of folks are down on the idea of resolutions, saying they don't work. In my experience, it's all in the way you resolve yourself! Consider the word 'resolute'. If you are resolute, then you absolutely intend and expect to do something... you don't just muse about attempting it someday! Among the many things you might want to make new year resolutions about, please include your voice! Here are my 12 suggestions:

1. Resolve to assess the state of your voice. 

All change starts with awareness. On a previous post, I suggested that you figure out your next most important thing for your voice, and start working on that. You can do this many ways... record and assess your voice yourself, ask friends with ears you trust what they hear in your performance, ask yourself how your voice feels when you sing (and right afterwards), attend a workshop or other event where you can showcase your voice and get an informed opinion, or in vocal lessons. If you think you might have vocal damage, go to an ENT fellowship trained specializing in voice. However you do it... get a baseline of the current condition of your voice. And while you're at it, assess the state of your overall health because your body IS your instrument!

2. Resolve to do something about your weakest vocal area.

Becoming aware is only the first step. Now you have to do something about what you've discovered. If your pitch sucks, do pitch practice. If your feel for rhythm is lacking, take drum or dance lessons. If your voice gets tired or strained, find out the fixes for the causes of your vocal cord abuse. If you have breath, tight throat or communication issues, find out what to practice, and then... get on a practice schedule!

3. Resolve to warm up and warm down your voice

OK can I tell you how nuts it is to perform on a cold voice? Try running an engine without oil. That's how nuts. Make a decision to warm up correctly, even if it's for 5 or 10 minutes, and that goes for in-between sets, too! Then do cool down exercises (light, shorter versions of warm ups) after long performances. Just as with muscle effort in athletics, your vocal apparatus needs the cool down to recover more quickly from strenuous use.

4. Resolve to address your speaking voice.

Frequently when a trashed voice comes in to train with me, I find that one of the core causes of the strain is from talking! You use the same little cords to speak that you sing with. Let that sink in. If talking tires you, change your technique. Yes, it will take concentration at first to correct life-long habits, but every speaking voice I've worked with will tell you it's worth it. And if you really want to go the distance, investigate voiceover careers! Fyi, I have the ultimate training course now available at www.SpeakingVoiceTechnique.com. 

5. Resolve to get out of your comfort zone.

Your voice needs fresh fire to stay alive, present and growing. Even if you never do the song in public, learn something with lower or higher range (don't push, just pull strongly to challenge your voice without strain), learn a cover song in another genre, or write a song with a new co-writer!

6. Resolve to improve something you already do well.

No matter where you are in the vocal ability continuum, you can improve. Ask yourself deeply: what would you like to be able to do that you can't do now? Could you be less numb and more authentic when you sing or speak? Could your pitch accuracy be even better? Want even more control for vocal licks, volume, tone, whatever? Do you want to sing as well in the studio as you do live, or vice versa? Want to try another musical genre? Oh yes, you can.

7. Resolve to study some masters of your genre.

You may even be a master of your genre, but that doesn't mean you can't learn from other voices. Immerse yourself to study the vocal nuances of some singer or speaker you highly respect. Stick your headphones on and listen deeply. Practice to add what you hear and like to your own artistic vocabulary.

8. Resolve to set goals for your vocal performances.

What would you like to do with your voice? Where would you like to sing next year? What protocols would you need to follow for the pandemic era? Would you like to record something? Would you like to give a speech at some event? (Yes, the era of venue closings WILL end!) Would you like to sing to a loved one or at someone's wedding? Do better at songwriter rounds? Would you like to pursue a serious vocal career? or be more successful at growing the one you have? Write it down. You won't necessarily know the final outcome of your efforts, but your focused intentions can create attitudes which cause actions that lead to results... and sometimes create surprises you never would have imagined!

9. Resolve to have and nourish a small circle of trusted friends.

An artistic temperament is often rather reclusive, shy or lone-wolf-ish. But even the most creative spirit needs community. Each of us need a small circle of positivity, wisdom, encouragement and mutual accountability. It can keep us safe in times of failure AND success, growing and creating, and making a difference out there. A prosperous journey only takes place fully in connection with others. If you don't have this inner circle... resolve to find one! If you do... call, message, go see them or kiss them good morning regularly this year! And yes, you can have great brainstorming chats online... I do every week!

10. Resolve to take better care of yourself physically, mentally and spiritually

Yep. All this has to do with your voice. Do take care of your vocal health (signup for my free vocal health report if you haven't yet). If you haven't yet... STOP SMOKING! Eat healthier (a whole new set of resolutions, eh?), commit to more physical exercise, back off sources of stress, connect spiritually in more regular devotional times. Your life, your voice and your messages will show it.

11. Resolve to sing fearlessly.

No matter how 'good' or 'bad' you think your voice is, your voice is valid and your messages matter. Sing. Speak. Use your voice fearlessly to make the world a better place! And when you start to do well out there, read over my post on Responsibilities of Successful Voices.

12. Resolve to be a better listener.

Don't forget that your ears are as important as your vocal cords. Empowering other voices truly can change the world. Make a point to listen more closely to someone else. Right now ask yourself: who is the quietest voice that you know? Perhaps start there ... make time and lend them your ear like it means something to you. It will.

Need help?

If you want some professional help with your singing &/or speaking voice... contact me for vocal lessons, or invest in a Power, Path & Performance course or Speaking Voice Technique to study on your own.
Meanwhile... Happy New Year!!

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posted by Judy Rodman @ 5:30 AM   9 Comments

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

A Great Vocal Exercise For Smoothing Vocal Glitches

 

Today's post is a VIDEO vocal exercise demonstration! Yes, it's on my podcast as well, but I thought you might like to watch this one if you can.

Quite often I find it's the weird vocal exercise that works the best. My colleague vocal coach Mark Thress shared this scale with me (thank you, Mark!) and I 'morphed it' beyond recognition into this vocal glitch fix. This is the exercise I talked about in my previous post 'How I Lost My Voice (So You Don't Have To)' I promised I'd demonstrate it and I finally got around to it. 

Just be careful... correct form is everything in exercises and it's certainly true of this one. Please notice it's veeeeerrrrrrryyyy stretchy; if you don't take your time and do this in slow motion it won't do your voice nearly as much good.

Please leave a comment and let me know how you experience it! And of course, let me know if you'd like to book a lesson for personalized help. And if you know anyone else who you think could benefit, pass this on. Thank you!

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posted by Judy Rodman @ 1:06 AM   4 Comments