T-Shirt Voice Lessons

This episode brings us back to our core as singers and even as people. To me, this episode is important and I ask you to stop and listen. Break away from the world of distractions, and let's look at how singing shows us who we really are.

I am going to give you a secret. I have never given this secret out to a public audience before. It is a powerful secret but one that will not sound powerful when you're hear it the first time. All you have to do is what I'm telling you in this podcast and experience it and then you'll understand how powerful this little five minute instruction will be. Once you perform this exercise, you will dramatically improve your confidence on stage. It's short; it's simple; and it's powerful

In this episode we will talk about the fundamentals of posture. It is on the surface a boring topic but it is incredibly powerful to a singer, public speaker, actor, or athlete. Today you'll even get a chance to work on your own posture through a guided exercise, some thing I rarely do in these podcasts. So take advantage of it. I hope it serves you well.

Today let's take a moment to pause and ask ourselves a question of why we sing. Why do you like singing at South and what do we like about performing as a singer? In this podcast will dive into this topic with some examples and I hope that you get to re-discover your own whyfor singing and performing.

What does it mean to be a singer in today's world? It means that you need to get out there and perform. The world needs you. At this time in our history more than any other, this beautiful creature that sings called a human being needs to unfold and show its true beauty. This podcast is about getting you out there performing. It's motivational and it's a little in your face.

Many of us over complicate the breath and how to breathe and how to use it in singing. This short episode keep things simple and direct.

As a singer you can develop yourself very slowly are very fast. The more intensely focused you are, the faster you will develop. But it's not just about the speed it's about the depth. Intense focus gives you incredible depth of development and understanding. This podcast is all about how to have the intense focus that you need. It's about the importance of intense focus. And it's about how intense focus gives you the ability to compress time.

In this episode I will tell you about the greatest music class that I have ever taken. It is the secret behind sports coaches that force their team to not only listen to the coach but also listen to the coach coaching others. There is so much value to learning from others that it only takes one or two sessions in a group setting for almost any activity to know how quickly you can learn. On so many levels your acceleration happens. And this podcast we will talk all about this and you will learn with my greatest music class was.

Today let's work on identifying your unique style. If you're an actor or sing in music theater you do this all the time every time you play a role. But I want you to try to do this intentionally with yourself. In this episode we are going to break down a specific process on finding your style. Whether you want to be a flamboyant persona or H authentic self out there this podcast will give you the steps on how to pick your path. It will also help you to find your way as a performer and that's a very important starting point.I hope you enjoy this one and I highly recommend that you stay to the very end because I have an Important announcement.

The other day I was at my son's baseball practice and I noticed quite a few things that apply to the way I teach voice and the way I think everyone should practice voice. This episode is going to talk about a nerdy sounding topic: processes and principles. As a singer you must have a clear dividing line in your understanding of processes that you follow to help you to sing and the principles that you keep in mind to make that happen. Knowing this can dramatically reduce any stress related to off notes or struggle areas etc. It can also help you greatly in how you practice every day and what you do and what you think of. This is an important episode so I trust that you will get benefits from it and listen to the whole thing.

This very short episode as a follow-up to the don't quit episode. In this one we are talking about how it's better to have steady progress and grow like an oak tree without battling or fighting and really without much resistance. When we grow this way resistance is steady just like our progress. When we continually stop and start we have a growth that's marked by more massive resistance and more intense pushback. Sometimes we have to do either or both but let's learn to opt for steady

March is the time of year when New Year's resolutions start to fade away because the resistance of life has pushed on us. Whether you want to be a singer, public speaker, actor, anything else in life this is the time to double down and push forward. But we're not pushing forward in an aggressive sense. We're pushing forward with a sense of eagerness and alacrity and fun. This episode is about how to re-orient ourselves so that we are successful.

Rap is a style of singing. It is important to treat rap the same way you treat singing. If you are a rapper, respect yourself as a vocal artist. It's time for you to sing with power and drive and phrasing and all the things that singers do. This episode will tell you about how to take care of your voice, how to open up the voice so that it has the right resonance and how to find your style without compromising yourself.

Our discussion of singing opera will also involve talking about singing and concepts of singing and concepts of opera singing. It's a wonderful art form, and it's important that we start to have more connection to our true nature when we sing it so that more people will appreciate this beautiful art form. I hope you enjoy this one if you are an opera singer or want to be an opera singer or if you just would like to appreciate opera more.

While my music theater is not quite a style, there is a specific approach on how to sing it. Musically there are many styles in music theater, but there are some main principles to follow for all music theater. Remember, the goal of music theater is for a character to present a message, to tell their story, and to develop in the course of the show. In many modern musicals, There is a mini story inside of the song itself. In the end there are both musical and phrasing things that need to be done and there are also expression things that need to be done. We will talk about it all in this episode!

Continuing our series on styles of music, today we are talking about how to sing Pop music. This is a style that requires a unique combination of singer forward mentality, specific vocal color that matches your persona, and extreme expressiveness. In this particular style of Music, we are actually going to spend quite a bit of time on style itself and establishing a persona because so much of pop requires that. In this podcast we will talk about things that you almost never hear from voice teachers. These are secrets generally reserved as conversations between a talent manager and their client or a music producer in their client. Other aspects are particular to the voice and how to approach pop music vocally so that it meets all the elements that audiences want.

This episode in our series of music styles is all about country music! There are several unique things about country music and in this podcast we are going to talk about how your voice will best fit this style. Country music is very lyric forward and people listen to country music because they want to know the message that you're trying to sing about. To many people, country music sounds like a very natural style of music and it doesn't have a lot of vocal affectation.And country music singing can fit a wide range of voice types. I will talk about some of the problem areas that people sometimes have in country music and some of the ways you can open your voice without losing your great country sound.

This episode is the first of a series on how to sing in different genre of music. Today we are starting with rock music because that's where I started, so it's an appropriate place to start. We will learn how to sing in the style, what to watch out for, and how to find your place.

What do you do if you have to sing when you are sick? In this podcast, we will address how to continue practicing and how to handle performances when your voice is not at its best. We will also talk about what types of sickness Requires vocal rest and which ones we can sing through with some awareness. This is a longer podcast but it has a lot of good information that I'm sure you'll benefit from. This is a continuation of our discussion “Face the Weather Face the Music” (episode 14)

Performers, I know a secret about you. You easily get fixated on things. These fixations can cause distractions and can cause you to get sidetracked and can cause you to lose your relationships and so much more. Fixations can stop you from succeeding. Fixations can stop you from getting an audition. They can cause you to treat people badly. It's time to lose the fixations and, instead, to start concentrating, aware of where you are and who you are and where you are going but fixated on nothing

How often have you heard singers and public speakers complain about the weather or about a cold or being sick? Do you do this? It's time to find the mental and physical tools to help you face weather and sickness with boldness and power. Face the weather and your sickness and face the music like a powerfu, resilient performer

How to project the voice naturally is the main topic of this podcast. Everyone's your projector voice at all times. It doesn't have to be loud doesn't have to be forced in fact if you're doing it correctly it is not forest it is not loud. This is a simple short lesson and one that's very important to singing and speaking. This particular lesson is of a special benefit to use public speakers

Your voice is your voice. But you can also add texture to your voice what some call colour. Today, let's talk about this important subject and how we differentiate between our specific type of vocal tone that we have naturally from the tone that we put on for different purposes and singing.

I have an analogy that I use with almost all of my students.. Is the analogy of all of the good and beautiful things about your voice being flowers and all the things that you don't want being weeds. It's a simple approach but it is absolutely fundamental to developing a great voice that sounds like you, only richer and more powerful. And this special episode I reveal a secret to my vocal teaching. But I feel that at this time in the world when we need our beautiful voices, it's time to let the secret out. This is a subtle but powerful technique. If you use it well all the bad notes and difficult sections of your voice will go away and will no longer bother you even during the process of fixing them.

Continuing with our day one idea from the last podcast, today it's time to center ourselves to our goal. If you have the dream it is proof that you are supposed to pursue it. Other people don't have those dreams. In this podcast we will discuss how to move from being someone who fantasizes to someone who pursues their dreams.

The singers out there are the want to be singers who say someday I will be a singer, today is not that one day but today is day one. I will give credit where credit is due to this concept what would you need to know is how to start your day one as a singer. We are all singers as human beings. We are born that way. If you are an experienced singer let today be a new day one for you. Let's go over a way to restart your vocal development and your journey with your own voice and your own success in the world. Let's find a day one today and by applying it to singing we will get benefit after benefit for our lives

To continue yesterday‘s podcast, and this podcast I will talk about the ways that we can establish daily discipline without it feeling like discipline. As performers we love variety and thought of a regiment of discipline program doesn't sound very good to most of us. So I will show you ways to create discipline that feeds your natural tendency towards variety and fun and spontaneity. At the same time you will truly be disciplined but it will not be in the sense that most people think. This is an important one so I hope you enjoy it

When singing in public speaking and acting you need a little bit of the dumb jock's released and relaxed approach and a little bit of a Shaolin monk's highly disciplined and focused approach. This applies to showing up to practice every day and it also applies to how you practice. In this episode we will talk about that and I will also give you a fun bonus on how to achieve the discipline of practicing every day. It's not what do you think.

Why are good singers often the most self conscious? In this interview we will discuss how this happens and touch on what we can do to attempt to fix it. We will talk about the big question of why we would ever be self conscious about something that is perfectly natural

Articulation can be a powerful thing for speakers and singers to develop. Bad articulation make speakers sound annoying or less engaging. It makes singers go off pitch. It makes singing and speaking difficult. In this podcast I will go over the fundamentals of articulation that will make your speaking voice pleasant and help your singing voice become more resonant and centered on pitch.

How would you like to be able to stand for 14 hours without discomfort and without getting tired or without feeling you have to sit down? This can be done, and I have done it many times. I do it on a regular basis. I rarely feel the need to sit down. You can do this too through a very simple alignment technique. I will walk you through the entire process from the tip of your toes to the top of your head. This is a powerful lesson. As you learn to master this, you will receive health benefits, more energy, and greater presence. You will benefit specific skills in the areas of public speaking, acting, athletics, karate, yoga, singing, leadership, and many many areas.

What is the most important physical quality that you need as a singer or public speaker? Is it breath control? Is it breath capacity? Is it articulation? Is it musicianship, artistry, tone of voice, what is it? In this episode we are going to identify the number one most important physical vocal quality that you must establish as a singer or public speaker.

Discipline is not motivation. Motivation is emotional and discipline is showing up whether you want to or not. I give Jaco Willink credit on this distinction, and I think it's an extremely important distinction to know the difference between motivation and discipline. Singers are especially prone to thinking that they need motivation to practice or to sing because I think in general we are emotional people and we like a lot of variety in our lives. Coming from my understanding of us singer/ performer types, I will help you learn a few ways to establish the discipline of practicing every day. Just that one discipline to practice 15 minutes a day minimum will extend itself to your whole life and make you a disciplined person. You can do it. This is a short episode, but I hope you get a lot out of it.

It's time to get back and show the world our best nature as the beautiful creature that sings.

What does it mean to be “connected” to a song? It's part emotions, part your sense of style, sometimes it's a little bit intellectual, but for the most part it is a feeling that there's something special between you and the music. And this podcast we will talk about that connection and examples of different music genres that you might be connected to. We will talk about how to find a sense of connection when you sing a song. This is an important one because we must all sing from a place of connectedness and emotion.

It seems that no matter what the event or the venue, singing on a Sunday is a unique thing. Even a theatrical show on a Sunday has a different feel. The audience is a little more subdued and the overall feel is more mellow. Church performances on a Sunday are their own special thing. In this episode we will talk about Sunday performing options for you as a singer but then also discuss how we can use this type of performing as a way to help us to connect deeper to our music versus being too much of a “performer.”

It seems like every singer wants learn to sing high notes and to expand the range up. Higher seems better and everyone wants to get there. Well in this episode I'm going to give you two important secrets to getting your high notes and having them come out on pitch and feeling great. Once you do these things you can master your high notes.

Sound waves have a regular pattern. Music is a combination of these regular patterns. Even music that is a regular has a type of pattern. Sometimes in our lives we tend to have a regular patterns. In this podcast I will argue that our irregular patterns and a regular frequencies of activity and focus cause mental, physical, financial, and relationship issues for us. By establishing our own music of life, I think that all of us can achieve health, wealth success, great family relations, and great personal relations. We are departing a little from singing, but I trust that you will find it valuable.

This is a two-part episode, one part inspirational and one part technical. I'm going to tell you a story about a singer that was offended by advice. We're going to talk about becoming teachable as a singer. And then we're going to give you a great fundamental. It's a simple one that you can work on and one that could have instant effects for both speaking and singing.

Besides musicianship, endurance, stamina, fortitude, and so many other personal attributes there is one that stands out the most. Listen to this episode where I will reveal the most important attribute that every performer must have to become a great performer.

In my work with singers, I have identified two main types of singers and maybe a third that's a bit of an offshoot from the second group. It's two approaches to performing and to music and the singing itself. Identifying which of these groups that you were in even if it's a combination can help you greatly on where singing fits into your life. This can help you to decide what kind of persona you want on stage, what types of music to sing, and even whether or not you really want to be a performing singer versus someone who does some other work involving the voice. This is a big one, so I suggest paying close attention and really digging in deep and seeing what type of performer you are.

Being humble and giving your absolute 100% all on stage are not contradictory. Many performers think that you have to have a big ego to be a big performer. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this episode I'm going to talk about the balance between being humble and being an intense performer who gives your audiences everything you have.

I recommend to all singers they perform every single week 1-2 times minimum. But how can you get all this performance practice and if you're not a regular performer? Well this episode we will talk about that and get your mind rolling on a bunch of different options that you have and some pathways to success as a performer.

How do you become a singer? By doing singing every day. This is a special message to singers and to anyone who wants to become something and get success in life.

So many singers are “technique-averse.” They seem to be afraid that learning vocal techniques could make them sound weird or not like themselves. I Blame voice teachers partly, for making singers do strange things to get sound or to reach a note or break a transition. In this episode I will talk about why you need technique and how to supplement your learning so that you can learn “technique” without being worried that it will make you sound unlike yourself.

We are living in a unique world right now, but places are opening up and it's time for us to bring our voices to the world. As singers, we now have a duty to uplift the world around us. It's time to sing for free, to say yes to gigs that you may not even have said yes to before, to perform at places that don't typically have performers. You don't compromise your paid gigs but at the same time you will commit to these free gigs as if they were the most important to your career. Singers must sing. In this episode we will break down the professional requirements that singers need to have. We will talk about the benefits of performing every single week. This is our year, singers, so let's do this for the world!

In this episode I'm going to show you how you can have an amazing audition and get ready for it in only five days. Even better is that if you follow this process you will have greater confidence going into your audition. It has worked with many performers including myself and I'm very excited to share it with you.

It's time to sound like you. If you've been working on your voice for any length of time, there's a good chance that you've lost some of your special unique qualities as a singer. There's an equally good chance that you even developed some artificial sounds in your voice. Today we're going to talk about some examples of how those artificial sounds can creep in the voice and some strategies to get rid of them. And my hope is that you will have some tools that will help you keep your unique sound.

Transition areas and brakes and flips to lighter voices Are things that many singers deal with. In this episode we're going to talk about how to address those transition areas in a way that connects us back to our real voice that we are meant to sing with.

Many singers obsess about high notes. Some singers even think that higher is better and that they have to get higher and higher. In this episode we're going to break down some of those myths about singing and talk about how we can develop our own voices and bring out the high notes within our own ranges in a way that is full and doesn't involve tricks and strange flips and mutations. It's an important subject to many singers and I hope you enjoy!

Many singers have a desire to seeing with a powerful and amazing voice. They want to be able to belt an amazing high note at the climax point of the song. In this episode I will talk about some of the problems with the way most people approach belting. And I will Also talk about the strange effect that belting and the desire to belt, can have on you as a professional performer