Posts Tagged ‘performance training’

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SERIOUS SINGERS NEED TO STAY IN THE GAME

Monday, April 30th, 2012

DALLAS WORKSHOP May 12th

There are only a few seats left for the May 12th Vocal Coach Workshop in Plano TX.  This small-group, personal training format (max of 15 people) will be taught via live, interactive audio/video from our Nashville studio.  This is a completely interactive, powerful and economical way ($75) to get great teaching and personal feedback on your voice.  There are also private coaching times available that afternoon. To sign up visit the VOICE KITCHEN  voicekitchen.com or call Jill at 469-383-8885.

SERIOUS SINGERS NEED TO STAY IN THE GAME

THE NON-SINGING PART OF YOUR LIFE EFFECTS YOUR SINGING

Serious singers need to “stay in the game” even in non-singing times.  The way you live your daily life heavily impacts your singing voice. Many singers are very surprised at how little they consider their voices during non-singing times. But if you’re a real singer, one who is looking for the most from your instrument you will keep your head in the game all day, every day.  Why? Because all parts of your life are intertwined.

A Sobering Truth

Most serious students-in-training are very focused during their lessons, practices, rehearsals and performances.  But, the minute they leave the training environment they pay little attention to posture, vocal tone quality and speaking diction.

The other area of abuse is the lack of attention and discipline in the areas of eating, exercise and rest.  High school and college age singers in particular seem to live life to the fullest and try and squeeze in some vocal disciplines “as needed.”  And guest what? If you’re a casual singer there is nothing wrong with that.  You can’t focus on all things all the time.  But know that the way you schedule and use your time shows your real priorities.  If you are set on making your voice the best, most consistent instrument it can be, you need to put in the work and pay the price.

Put In the Work

The mental and physical work required to become an excellent singer are substantial.  You not only have to develop the voice, you have to become more knowledgable in the things of music.

Pay The Price

Developing any skill to the point of excellence requires sacrifice in the areas of time, energy and often, finances.  Many times it’s not inconvenient or easy.  This is true for academics, sports and, not surprisingly, singing.  That’s just the way most things work.

Start Where You’re Planted

Begin, by taking full advantage of the people and situations around you.  If you’re in school that means get in every singing group you can, whether school or church to develop your ear and musical disciplines.  Even if that’s not the style you are heading for it can still help lay the foundations of ear training, tone, blend and the mechanics of posture, breathing and diction. If you’re a bit older look for local community college classes or personal training.  Larger churches may have Fine Arts departments with training available. You might be surprised at the level of teaching available in your community.

Other Options

Somewhere along the way you may want to invest in training materials from Vocal Coach. For many, this may even be where you start, but I wanted to make sure your eyes were open to all the options available to you.

 Need Feedback Along The Way?

Throughout the process, whether working on foundations or getting a song ready for performance or recording Vocal Coach is here with our Online two-way coaching.  Check the web site for details.

 Summary: Get In The Game and Stay In The Game.

Don’t just think about.  Don’t just dream about it. If you really, really want to sing in public, and do it well then do the work.  Pay the price.  Make the sacrifice.  Get the training.  Then carry what you’re learning into your daily life.

 

If you have questions for vocal coach Chris Beatty just email moc.hcaoclacovnull@sirhc

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Posted in From The Heart of Chris Beatty, Singing and Voice Lessons, Uncategorized, Vocal Training & Practice Helps | No Comments »

SPRING TRAINING FOR SINGERS

Thursday, April 12th, 2012


They're not waving. They're stretching!

NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU ARE, YOU NEED ONGOING TRAINING & COACHING

Having just returned from yet another month of Major League Baseball Spring Training in FL I am again reminded of this: We all need on-going training, no matter how good we are.  In fact, it was the big name superstars that were the first on the field before every game with their trainers.  And these guys were already partially warmed up and in extremely good shape.

We, singers need to take our craft just as seriously.  We need to stop being satisfied with just acceptable singing and push to be all we can be.  Singing up to your potential is more satisfying in every way.  Plus, it makes you more valuable to those you sing with and those who hear you. That being said, consider these training opportunities:

GOOD TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

ANOTHER DALLAS AREA WORKSHOP MAY 12, 2012 9:00-Noon

Due to the success of our last Online Video Workshop at the Voice Kitchen in Plano TX we’re doing it again! I’ll be live in our Brentwood TN studio connected to the Voice Kitchen video studio. This class is limited to the first 15 who sign up and is a great way to get small group training at an exceptional price.  There are also two slots remaining for 30 minute one-on-one sessions that afternoon.

To sign up go to voicekitchen.com or call Jill at 469-383-8885.

VOCAL COACH PACKAGES – Physical product or Download.

If you’ve visited the Vocal Coach Online Store Recently you know we are constantly offering new packages and bundles and special pricing.  Being able to master the foundations in the convenience of your own home, when it works for you is just part of what Vocal Coach is all about. You can download Vocal Coach training CD’s in a matter of minutes and be on your way to better singing.

FACE-TO-FACE PERSONAL TRAINING

Online training is getting more and more popular.  It allows us (you and me) to see and hear each other without anyone having to drive or fly anywhere.  You’re at home; I’m in my studio. If you have Internet and a webcam on your computer you’re good to go!  Check out details by clicking here

Hope to see you soon in an Online session.

Chris

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Posted in Singing and Voice Lessons, Singing Exercises, Uncategorized, Vocal Coach Workshops, Vocal Training & Practice Helps | No Comments »

CAN YOU TEACH ME TO SING?

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Every few weeks I get asked that question so I thought I’d respond to it here. 

Singing is one of the most fulfilling ways to express yourself, and most people have some or all of the necessary starting tools.  But, can anyone be taught to sing?   To help you get in the right mindset, ask yourself this question:  “Can anyone be an outstanding cook, songwriter or athlete?”  Let’s consider those first, then singing.

Can anyone be a great cook?  Not if you have problems with your sense of smell or taste.  Knowledge of how foods go together can be learned, but the “smell” and “taste” also need to be present in great cooks.
What about songwriting? Can it be taught?  Yes, but there are some foundations that can make the difference between a casual writer and one who develops and creates amazing songs. I’m a great example.  I know music theory, love to use words and have a very musical ear, so I have a lot going for me. One of my songs is on dozens of CD’s and several more are published. However, I don’t do what serious songwriters do: Spend hours writing and co-writing songs.  It’s not priority for me, and until it is I won’t be a good, consistent songwriter.
Playing sports is a whole other subject.  To play any kind of ball well, you have to be in reasonably good shape, practice regularly (not once a month) and actually know and understand the rules of the game. Being a fan and being a player are completely different.

NOW, WHAT ABOUT SINGING?  Here are the elements that need to be working well and working together in order for you to sing with good quality, accuracy and consistency.

  • THE DESIRE AND WILLINGNESS to open your mouth in front of others and sing.  Seem obvious?  I  work with some singers who have enormous desire and passion but are literally terrified to sing in public, which is rather limiting.  Why this fear?  They don’t know what will come out under real-life  pressure.
  • THE MECHANICS of posture, breathing, tone and expression are all part of what makes a singer effective.  If any of those areas are weak, you will lose quality and consistency.
  • A MUSICAL EAR (ear, brain, larynx connection) is a must.  Without it you won’t have good pitch center (be on the right note), dynamics (loud, soft) and phrasing (what you “do” with the phrase). With decent training, someone with reasonable pitch accuracy can usually develop a good musical ear, but it takes time.
  • THE DESIRE TO COMMUNICATE A MESSAGE is what separates those who just “sing” from those who “CONNECT” with the audience, which is the ultimate goal.  That means analyzing the message (lyrics and musical style) and coming up with a game plan that includes expression, gestures, meaningful dynamics, phrasing and more.  It’s a real effort, that when done well comes off as easy and natural. That’s what allows the listener to relax and take it in, rather than nervously wondering if you will hit the high notes.

Now, it’s time to list your strengths as well as the areas that need some work.    Then, make the time to get the tools necessary to turn those weaknesses into strengths.  It may be one of the most satisfying things you ever do.

If you need guidance regarding which tools will serve you best explore the vocalcoach.com web site or email me at moc.hcaoclacovnull@sirhc We are here to help you be your best and get the most enjoyment out of singing possible.

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Posted in From The Heart of Chris Beatty, Singing and Voice Lessons, Soloist, Songwriting, Teaching Teens To Sing, The Senior Voice, Uncategorized | No Comments »

“I WANT A VOCAL COACH, NOT MORE CD’S!”

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

REMINDER OF DALLAS VOCAL COACH WORKSHOP

HAS YOUR VOICE HAD A TUNE-UP LATLEY?

There are still a few openings left for the Saturday, November 12th Vocal Coach Workshop in Dallas. It will be held at the “Voice Kitchen” video studio and limited to 15 students. I will be teaching “live” from my studio in TN and we’ll all see and hear each other throughout.  9:00-Noon Nov 12th. This is a great value.  Just click here for more info or to sign up.

 “I WANT A VOCAL COACH, NOT MORE CD’s!”

I totally get that statement.  Regular, personal training from a skilled and experienced teacher/coach is the ideal.  BUT, in real life that means living near one of those teachers who is probably going to charge a good bit, and they deserve it.

I HONESTLY BELIEVE you can get the “information” and “personal feedback”  you need by using a combination of affordable methods.

TO START WITH, you really can learn (or be reminded of) much of the fundamentals through carefully structured CD’s. (There has to be a reason we’ve sold over 1 million of them.)

TO CONTINUE learning you will, at some point, want feedback and interaction from a teacher, or coach. In my case I am both voice teacher (technique) and coach (expression, interpretation, staging etc.). Because we live in the Internet Age you can literally be interacting with a teacher fom a desktop, laptop, iPad or even iPhone with full audio and video.  If you’re in the Dallas areas you can start with the Nov small class. Or just schedule an ONLINE SESSION with me on our site.  All you need is an Internet connection and a web cam and mic which are part of most computers or very inexpensive to add.

SUMMARY: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT ALL TO BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE.  You can download a training CD in 5 minutes from our VOCAL COACH STORE at vocalcoach.com where you can also schedule an online session.  And, don’t forget the free tips and other free resources our site, or email me at moc.hcaoclacovnull@sirhc.

Hope to hear from you or see you soon Online.

Chris

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Posted in From the Coach, Singing and Voice Lessons, Vocal Coach Workshops | No Comments »

ARE YOUR VOCAL FOUNDATIONS CRACKED?

Sunday, September 18th, 2011

DO YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE BATTLES WITH YOUR VOICE?  

  1. A tired voice that aches and feels fatigued?
  2. Running out of breath and having to grab air at awkward places in the song?
  3. Having to push and sometimes practically yell the big, high notes?
  4. Losing the low register after you’ve been singing high notes?
  5. Not really being sure of the sound that’s going to come out until you’re actually singing?

TRY THESE TIPS TO FIX THE ABOVE FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES:

  1. A tired voice is often due to a combination of speaking incorrectly during the day and not warming up before, and cooling down after singing.
  2. Poor breath management is common and can undermine everything you do vocally. Here’s a link on our blog site that will get you on track. Just click here, and go to Ten Steps for Better Breathing, or visit Free Resources at vocalcoach.com.
  3. Pushing for high notes means you haven’t discovered how to ALLOW your voice to move into the higher register. By first fine-tuning your posture and breathing (see #2) and then working with our Complete Tone and Complete Expanding Your Range CD’s you can learn the joy of soaring throughout your range with a consistent tone quality. When you stop over-driving the voice and start releasing it’s freedom both you, and the listener will be happier.
  4. Where did my low notes go? We’ve all been there: The solid low notes that we started the song with are suddenly . . . GONE.  It’s only 5 minutes later, but we’ve been cranking the high notes for much of that time. That means the vocal folds are “set and positioned” for higher notes (higher frequencies). So, how do we get them to relax those settings and replace them with “low note settings?”  First, make sure you always warm-up and vocalize throughout your range.  Always come back down to your lower speaking register.  Make the low notes part of your goal in warming up.  Too often the singer’s goal is the high notes. “If I can just get those I’ll be fine.” Actually, maintaining the low notes makes the higher notes more connected and easier to sing. So, plan your warm-ups to include, and always return to your lower notes. Our Daily Workouts and Ultimate Choir Warm-Ups do a great job and will help you do that. Downloads are just minutes away.
  5. Knowing what you will sound like before you sing is one of the joys of regular vocal training. Nothing replaces muscle memory and experience.  Taking the time, and investing the resources and effort to make your voice it’s best is a worthwhile goal.

REMEMBER:  FIND THE PROBLEM.  FIX THE FOUNDATIONS.  ENJOY SINGING MORE. WE’RE HERE TO HELP.

Hope this helps you on your journey.

Let me know if you have specific questions. Just email me at: moc.hcaoclacovnull@sirhc and put “Question” in the subject.

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Posted in Breathing, Expanding Your Range, Performance, Posture, Voice Fatigue and Strain | No Comments »

DISTANCE LEARNING FROM VOCAL COACH

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

VOCAL COACHING USING LONG OR SHORT DISTANCE LEARNING IS CONVENIENT, LESS EXPENSIVE AND REALLY GETS THE JOB DONE!

What a fun time we live in when it comes to distance learning.  Some of our students travel half way across the country for one-on-one, in person coaching in our Brentwood TN studio.  Many, however, are traveling only a few feet to their laptops, desktops or iPads. The really amazing thing about live, distance learning is how affordable, yet powerful it is. I see and hear you; you see and hear me.  That combination can accomplish a lot in a short time at a very minimal cost.

Here are some examples from the last month that I know you will enjoy hearing about:

  1. A singer-songwriter and physician from the East Coast needed help preparing for a recording project.  We worked through diction and tone exercises as well as interpretation and phrasing.  We got the job done using Skype, and now he’s ordered our Singer Series to continue the process.
  2. A singer-songwriter and United Nations delegate had some serious vocal challenges that we got a handle on in just a few hours in our Brentwood studio.  Finding the free, natural tone quality and establishing efficient breathing (actually using less breath) were on our agenda.
  3. A teen worship leader needed direction to free up his maturing voice.  He got more comfortable with the mechanics of singing and started to experience a more free transition between registers.  All this with webcams and the free program Skype.
  4. A twenty-something worship leader and church soloist asked for  coaching to help him “own” a particular song. After discussing the real message of the song we used such tools as lip-syncing, exaggerating diction and stabilizing posture to bring out the best vocal sound. Inspiration plus thorough preparation is always the best combination.
  5. In a few weeks I’ll be working with a touring artist who just had throat surgery.  He and is having a challenging recovery and needs a little help making sure he is using the instrument the right way.  This is just one of the many instances where the right coaching can help save a voice and a career.
  6. One of our students (who is a well-known singer) just called while on tour.  He was having a difficult time getting over some vocal issues.  Because we are on the same page as  teacher and student we were able to accomplish much just over the phone.

There is nothing more satisfying and rewarding to me than watching singers overcome obstacles and be all they can be in every way. I’ve been seeing this for many years and it never stops touching my heart. That’s what Vocal Coach is all about.

Is it YOUR TIME for some personal training?

If you have questions about Vocal Coach Distance Learning or any of our Vocal Coach products please let me know in one of the following ways:

Hope to hear from you soon, and maybe even see you.
Chris Beatty

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Posted in Choir Directors, Duets to Groups, From The Heart of Chris Beatty, Singing and Voice Lessons, Soloist, Teaching Teens To Sing, Uncategorized | No Comments »

HOW DO I FIX MY UNSTABLE VOICE?

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Question from Blog reader:

Chris, I am having a voice problem and need your input.  I’ve been using your training CD’s for a few years now and they have helped me a lot.  But, here’s my problem: When I first start a song I feel short of breath.  My voice feels unstable.  After a few words it gets better, but I still have a problem with my voice breaking or quivering. It’s not solid, or stable. Is this a throat problem, breathing or ???  Your comments would be greatly appreciated.

Vocal Coach Answer:

When a voice is unstable, wavering, tentative or breaks and quivers there are several possible causes.  Here are some likely ones and some solutions

1.  Anxiety. When you are mentally or emotionally unsure about what is going to come out when you open your mouth it can interfere with breathing, posture, diction, tone, expression . . . everything.  The solution will be found in being more mechanically solid than you are anxious.  In other words, having such secure technique in the posture, breathing, tone and diction that nothing can interfere. Solid muscle memory, of right techniques will be your friend every time.

2.  Posture. If your posture is bent or broken it will interfere with breathing, tone and self-confidence and how the listener perceives your confidence. By lifting your arms straight up over your head you will discover your balanced posture.  As you slowly bring your arms back down be sure to maintain the upright alignment. The shoulders should be completely relaxed, not pulled up or back.  The feeling is one of being “athletically alert,” with a comfortably upright chest. Feel like you have a long back of neck and a shorter front of the neck. The head is back, over the shoulders, with the eyes looking straight ahead.  Don’t let the chin lift for high notes or fall for low notes.  Keep the head position neutral. Once you can sing your songs comfortably in this position you can look anywhere you want.  Just don’t move the head to help you hit a note; it won’t.

3.  Breathing. Securing good breath management will help you sing through the nervous times.  The muscles will just continue to get you the right amount of breath.  Not too much; not too little.  Good breathing starts with good posture. A good first exercise is to get on your back, on the floor and feel what parts of the body are naturally engaged when you breathe in, and out. Then start sipping the breath in through an imaginary straw, and out on a SSSSSSS sound. After you have memorized where the breathing is naturally felt, stand, check your posture and repeat the exercise with a still chest and ribs.

4.  Tone. Getting your posture and breathing more secure opens the possibility for your best vocal sound, or tone quality. The physical sensations of good tone are a relaxed throat, and lots of buzzing resonance (harmonics and overtones) vibrating through the face, mouth, sinuses and nasal passages.  These are all sensations that you can physically feel, memorize and reproduce. A gentle hum will begin the sensation. Adding a chewing motion to the humming will keep the face and jaw more relaxed.  And, don’t be afraid of all the vibrating you feel in the face.  That’s a good sign, and means you are allowing the voice to work and not forcing it. These are aspects of your vocal sound you can “feel,” and that means you can reproduce them using muscle memory.

5.  Diction. Another important area is diction, pronunciation or enunciation.  It just means that the listener gets the message, not just the music. The other bonus of clear diction is this: As your own ears hear clear words coming out they tell the brain to tell the larynx to just relax and keep giving the pitch. If, on the other hand, your ears hear mumbled words they often tell the brain, and the brain (for some unknown reason) gets the larynx involved. That just leads to useless tension in the throat since the larynx can’t help diction.  So, when in doubt, over-pronounce a bit so that even the least attentive listener hears your message.

So, there you have it. A systematic approach, to freeing up an unstable voice by paying attention to your POSTURE, BREATHING, TONE and DICTION.  Needless to say, there’s a lot more to be said on all these topics.  If you want to go deeper, with principles and exercises just go to the main site at vocalcoach.com and look for the Vocal Coach Singer package, or individual subjects by title.

If you have thoughts or comments leave them in the space below.  Thanks.

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Posted in Ask the Coach, Breathing, Choir Directors, Diction, Duets to Groups, From the Coach, Performance, Posture, Singing Subjects, Tone, Voice Fatigue and Strain, Worship Team | 3 Comments »

Vocal Coach Says: “YOU ARE THE MESSAGE” Part 1: The Vocal Side

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Vocal Coach Says “YOU ARE THE MESSAGE!”

Part 1: The Vocal Side

As Vocal Coach moves to our new BLOG format I wanted to feature a previous article that addresses a key to being a successful singer.  When you sing there needs to be a coordinated effort between a number of parts of your presentation.  If not the distractions and filters between you and the listener can completely block your message from getting through.

CONSIDER THESE KEY ELEMENTS AND HOW YOU NEED TO PREPARE:

The Sound/Tone Quality

Think about it.  Does the message invite a full rich, vibrant tone quality or a softer, almost airy sound?  Is it a declaration or conversation?  Are you testifying or asking questions? You need to answer this question then practice the various possibilities.  If you can’t think of any, try listening to accomplished singers and imitate what they do for various kinds of songs.  Then, begin in integrate some of these qualities into your own vocal sound. A caution: I said integrate, not copy.  You still need to be you, just with more possibilities of sound.

Treatment of Diction

If you’re singing a hymn or English art song, the way you pronounce the words will be handled differently than in a worship song, or a contemporary/pop style of song. If I’m singing, “My Jesus, I Love Thee,” I’ll treat the words differently than when I sing the Broadway song, “To Dream The Impossible Dream.” If I don’t, I will be putting up walls between myself, and my audience. Again, listen to the pros, imitate and play with the different options. Build some choices into your diction options.  It’s the only way to keep things real and really communicate with the listener.

Phrasing & Expression

Going back to the earlier example of the difference between “My Jesus, I Love Thee,” and “To Dream The Impossible Dream,” let’s consider phrasing and other tools of expression.  To begin with, most hymns will have built-in phrases that invite breathing at certain places.  And, though you may make things more interesting by stretching that a bit, you are still at least partially limited unless you are doing a real pop arrangement.

With other songs, however, you have more options as to where you might breath, pause, or bring attention to a word with more or less volume or a dramatic and sometime sudden change of tone quality.  The options are many and best learned by listening to those who do it best, then imitating them to feel and hear you and your voice doing it.  That’s how a singer builds a repertoire of creative options.  If you have never heard and felt yourself do it, you are not likely to draw on that option any time soon, even when it would be the perfect solution.

Summary: Get inspired by those who do it well in the same way you get inspired by watching an excellent, experienced athlete.  Observe, analyze, imitate and integrate.  And, remember throughout that to do this safely you must maintain the foundations of posture, breathing, tone, diction and expression.  It’s a lot of work . . . with a lot of rewards.

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Singers! Help Your Listener Be Vulnerable To The Message

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Singers! Help Your Listener Be Vulnerable To The Message

If An Audience Is Going To Receive Youre Message

If an audiend is going to receive your message they need to be comfortable with you.  That means they need to be vulnerable, mentally available and ready to hear what you have to share.

The Areas You CAN Control

Anything you can do to help them believe you is worth doing.  This can be done in the way you promote yourself, the way you look and the way you sing your message.  Those are all areas you can control.

The Areas You CAN’T Control

There are other areas that you may, or may not be able to anticipate, and this means you need to be ready to make things right in real-time.

* If the listeners are tired, it’s your job to revive them.  This may mean adding a song that gets them up on their feet, singing, clapping and getting some much needed oxygen.  Once they’re mentally and physically refreshed you can get to your message.
* If they’re distracted, your job is to get them focused . . . on you and your message. This may take a bit of personal story telling that engages then personally.  Do your homework and know what your audience it likely to be interested in. Using name/stories from their community, sports teams etc. will draw them into what you are sharing.  Remember: It’s about them, not you.
* If technical issues are getting between your message and the heart of the listener you need to do something about it. If they’re cringing or leaving because the sound level is too high, or look like they’re hearing more track/band than words do what it takes to change things. When in doubt ask the audience between songs. “Is the sound a little loud?” or “Are you hearing more instruments that vocals?” Then, in your most friendly tone ask the sound person to lower the accompaniment, or overall sound level.  Better to offend one sound person than several hundred in the audience. You can also have a trusted ear seated on the isle in the middle of the house who can go back and suggest some changes to the sound person. (This, of course, should be pre-arranged to avoid an awkward moment.)

Summary

Your job isn’t just to get up there, sing your songs and then sit down. You are responsible for successfully communicating your message. Do what is necessary to get that done well.

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