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  • TMV World Team
    Many teachers use the term "vocal weight", but without a clear definition the student is often left confused about this concept or aspect of the voice. So what the heck is "vocal weight" exactly and how does it affect singing?
    Well, I'll tell you. Vocal weight is defined as "too much thicker vocal fold mass used too high in pitch often involving taking one register higher than it is designed to function in pitch" Very technical sounding isn't it? But what the heck does all that mean?
    In order to achieve "balance" in your registers you're going to have to get rid of that weight as you go higher in pitch. My goal in this post is to define the problems associated with too much vocal weight and offer healthy and corrective solutions, so that you don't struggle in the higher ranges. Sounds like fun right?
    Now don't get me wrong, vocal weight doesn't always have to be negative. Lower voiced singers need to learn to add vocal weight when moving down toward the middle register in order to gain a fullness of tone in that range of their voice. That being said, they still have to drop it as they move higher. Taking too much vocal weight higher in pitch is never healthy for the voice.
    The results of excessive vocal weight are many and can include:
    a loss of access to higher notes a choking feeling when sustaining higher notes tuning problems imbalance in registration a general lack of vocal freedom All of these issues are common complaints of many singers I encounter while teaching and the solutions can be multi-faceted, requiring the use of several problem-solving skills. Dragging vocal weight upward is usually due to a lack or improper employment of head voice as the singer moves up in pitch. It's like dragging an anchor into your upper range.
    Healthy negotiation of the registers is a result of employing the finer or thinner edges of the folds in combination with an open pharyngeal or "acoustic" space. Whew - that was a mouthful. It gets less technical as I go on - I promise!
    How do you know if you are dragging that anchor? You'll know when the registers are out of balance because your voice feels tense, either from overly light (disconnected) technique or the overly heavy approach (depressed larynx).
    Using too much vocal weight can result in the following vocal problems:
    flattening of pitch difficulty going into upper ranges without pushing too much breath pressure. vowel distortion, caused by tongue tension inability to sing high and softly spread or throaty tones at specific pitches breath management issues (lack of correct vocal fold approximation) vibrato problems (often a overly fast vibrato or wobbly sound) general tongue tension or retraction of the tongue inability to sing a smooth (legato) line due to abrupt changes in breath flow over darkening of the voice or over lightening of the voice forward thrust of the jaw general over singing due to lack of resonance So how do we fix all that? Stay tuned for part two.
    This essay first published December 22, 2008 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008.

  • TMV World Team
    Journal of Voice: Predicted Singers Vocal Fold Lengths and Voice Classification A Study of X-Ray Morphological Measures
    This is the first of, what I hope, will become a regular blog feature should these be of interest to the community. I shall pick a piece of research relevant to singers from a peer reviewed scientific journal and break it down into easily understandable information that will hopefully be of interest.
    Please note that these are not thorough critical analysis but are intended to provide an overview of some relevant literature with the aim of stimulating community enthusiasm in the science behind singing.
    This month's entry comes from the Journal of Voice. This study claims to show that there are consistent anatomical laryngeal differences between singers of different voice classifications, which are of relevance to pitch range and timbre of the voice.
    This may initially seem very obvious. However, it is very difficult to prove due to the difficulties in collecting any consistent data. For example, every pitch with involve different lengths of vocal cords and vocal cords when open are longer than when closed. These are just 2 of the many possible variables that affect vocal fold length. However, the most difficult problem is actually in the collection of data. The position of the vocal folds makes actually getting any data very difficult. People have tried using scopes, ultrasound and even lasers. This study makes use of xrays films.
    What type of study is this?
    This study was a retrospective analysis. This means that certain data had already been collected and the authors decided to use this to draw a conclusion to their question.
    What did they aim to find?
    The authors aimed to find out whether there were consistent anatomical differences between singers of different voice classification.
    What did they find?
    They found that the lengths of the vocal folds were statistically significantly correlated to vocal classification. Subjects with longer vocal folds were more likely to be basses and those with shorter folds more likely to be soprano.
    Problems
    This study does have a significant number of problems. It is very difficult to measure vocal fold length on an x-ray. Indeed, of the 132 cases they had, they were only able to make estimates of vocal fold length in 29 individuals, clearly not enough to draw conclusions from. The authors recognized this and therefore used other anatomical landmarks to estimate vocal fold length. In other words, they measured the distance between 2 fixed points that they expected were correlated to vocal fold length, such as the width of the windpipe below the vocal folds. This, however, as a soft structure, can presumably vary in size even when measured in identical individuals. Whilst this may have been an acceptable compromise given the difficulties, it is clear that in order to make a firm conclusion, absolute lengths of vocal cords would be required. The authors did use the accurate data they had for the 29 individuals and plot these against the estimated lengths using their own anatomical landmarks. It would appear that the landmarks they were using to estimate vocal fold length and actual length are correlated. They therefore identified the problem and took steps to increase reliability of the data. However, despite this, making use of a magnetic resonance scanner would have given more reliable measurements but that was beyond the scope of the study and is not without its own limitations.
    A further problem with this study is that the larynx obviously takes different positions when under different stresses. Whilst it was stated that these films were taken whilst not phonating, it is unclear as to whether the subjects were doing anything that may have altered laryngeal positioning such as raising or tilting. However, it is unlikely given that the same procedure should have been followed for all films.
    Another problem arrives with the vocal classification which could be considered subjective. All students whose vocal classification had changed were not included in the study, however it was not made clear if more than one teacher had identified students vocal fach. In the scientific world, not stating this information means it was carried out. Whilst this may seem pedantic, it wouldn't surprise me if classification opinions differed between some instructors.
    What are the implications?
    Whilst vocal fold length and classification appear to be correlated, vocal classification should not be made based on vocal fold length due to measurement problems and the number of other variables that affect vocal fach.
    Why would this happen?
    Longer fold lengths should allow for a greater amount of airflow than shorter folds given the same note. This should allow for, when singers singing the same note, the individual with longer folds to be able to produce a stronger note.
    Conclusion
    Despite its problems, this study does add to our knowledge of vocal physiology. Measurement problems were adequately dealt with given the scope of this research. It does appear to show that longer vocal folds equates to a deeper vocal fach. However, it does not take into account other variables in vocal fach, such as the connective tissue and manipulations of the supraglottic (area above the vocal folds) tract which would alter the formant frequencies. The study did acknowledge this but it failed to address these issues and therefore this paper did not to fully answer it's initial question. This is a major flaw. Furthermore, it failed to even acknowledge vocal fold mass as a contributor to vocal fach.
    Despite this paper not actually answering it's question, this research does add to evidence suggesting vocal fold lengths may influence vocal fach.
    Reference:
    F Roers, D Murbe, J Sundberg. Predicted Singers Vocal Fold Lengths and Voice Classification A Study of X-Ray Morphological Measures. Journal of Voice. Volume 23. Issue 4. p.408-413.

  • TMV World Team
    This was a 'breathing trick' I learned from one of my 'voice teachers' many years ago! This 'exercise' will 'teach you' the 'correct way' to do "diaphragmatic breathing."
    I want to stress right off that this is not the only one but in my opinion the best one to start with to get the idea.
    OK, First find a nice big fat telephone book, or something equal in weight like a heavy 'book.'
    Lay down on the floor and place the 'telephone book' right below the bottom of your rib cage in a 'horizontal position' across your stomach.
    Now take a 'deep breath' in and as you do watch how the 'telephone book' "raises up!"
    Now let the air out quickly and watch how the 'telephone book' drops down!
    You can try taking a 'deep breath' in first through your 'nose' and then letting it out through your mouth and then through your mouth and again letting it out through your mouth, either way.
    After getting the 'idea' of how to do it and seeing how the 'telephone book' goes 'up and down' with each inhale and exhale you will take it a step further.
    Now, take in a 'deep breath' through your mouth or nose but this time I want you to "Hold the air in and 'control it' by blowing it out in a very 'slow and steady, hissing sound," like letting the air out of a balloon.
    This 'exercise' will 'teach' you not only to learn how to do 'diaphragmatic breathing' but also how to 'control' your 'breath' so that you don't run out of 'air' before the end of a 'phrase' unless you want to for your own 'creative technique.'
    I warn you this 'exercise' can be very 'boring' and probably 'hurt' a bit until your 'muscles' get strengthened up just like any other exercise. But you have to keep on doing it until you can do it naturally without effort 'standing up!'
    "Good luck," and much success in your endeavor.

  • TMV World Team
    Your voice is your instrument. Take care of it. Protect it. Would you let airline baggage handlers throw your guitar around without a hard shell case? You can't walk into a rock shop and buy a flight case for your vocal cords, but there are a number of things to consider when talking about vocal health. When you consider how thin a membrane a vocal cord is, you'll realize how fragile an instrument it is.
    Don't overtax your voice, even if you're young and can recover more quickly than people in their 40s and 50s. Many vocalists have had to take serious time off from performing because they strained their voices. The more you take your singing seriously, the more it becomes necessary to pay more attention to rest, sleep, nutrition, and hydration. Here are some important tips:
    FILL UP ON WATER
    Vocal cords are made up of two strips of muscle and need a moist atmosphere to remain supple, which results in optimal vibrations. This means drinking about a half-gallon of room temperature water each day NO ICE WATER! The dry winter months are a real problem when you're trying to keep your throat moist. One simple thing you can do is fill a sink with hot tap water, cover your head with a towel, lean over the sink and breathe deeply for five to ten minutes. Or, take a hot shower and breathe in as much steamy air as you can.
    SAY NO TO A CUPPA JOE
    The caffeine in coffee, tea, and various soft drinks is a diuretic, which also dries the vocal cords and aggravates stomach reflux. Avoid caffeinated beverages before you need to sing since this reflux causes mucus in the throat, making it feel like your vocal cords are covered. If you need a steaming hot beverage, try non-caffeinated tea with a bit of honey.
    DITCH THE DAIRY
    Avoid milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, or any type of dairy product since this produces phlegm and hinders your vocal cords' ability to ripple and produce a clear sound. Milk or cream added to coffee is a double no-no.
    LOSE THE BOOZE
    Alcohol also has a drying effect, causes reflux, and dilates blood vessels that can alter vocal fold function. Some serious singers will avoid alcohol consumption for up to a month prior to a concert. If you sing for three hours, three days a week and want a drink, I'd recommend having one the day after your three days are up, and maybe the next day, but NEVER before or during a singing engagement. The natural high of singing itself is the best performing enhancing drug. And the audience will appreciate the fact that you're in control.
    AVOID SPICE IT'S NOT SO NICE
    Put down the nacho chips smothered in salsa or the chicken vindaloo. Spicy foods also aggravate reflux in singers, which causes swollen vocal cords, excessive throat clearing, and a feeling that there is a lump in the throat. Speaking of clearing your throat, don't. A gentle cough should be enough to clear extra mucus. If not, have a sip or two of water, then cough.
    SKIP THE SMOKES
    This should be a no-brainer, but smoking and being surrounded by cigarette smoke irritates the respiratory tract, giving you a raspy voice predisposed to injury. The smoke impairs the mucosal wave, so in many singers, not all, range is decreased as is the quality of the voice, unless you like sounding like Joe Cocker. It also impairs lung function, which weakens support for the voice causing singers to compensate and strain throat muscles.
    RELAX, JUST DO IT
    Vocal naps, or simply avoiding talking for 20 minutes, will keep you from overstraining your voice before a concert or performance. If you're driving home from work or a gig, instead of singing along with the radio, just listen.
    COME ON DOWN
    There is so much emphasis on warming up, that few people realize it's equally important to warm down your voice after a performance. Voice doctors recommend five to 10 minutes of warming down after a robust concert where you push the envelope with your voice. To get the volume and pitch of your voice down to normal range, make a yawning motion with your mouth and sing "ahhh-ummm" from a high to low note.
    SOOTHE YOUR INNER SONGBIRD
    Slippery Elm throat lozenges work great to soothe the throat and don't contain any irritants that would aggravate the larynx. Used by opera singers, Thayers Slippery Elm lozenges can be found at local health and natural food stores, Vitamin Shoppes, and GNCs.
    KNOW YOUR VENUE
    If possible, visit the performance space before a concert to familiarize yourself with the settings and other factors you may not be able to control. Check the acoustics and sound system, temperature, where the bathroom is, and make sure water is available. Look out for unexpected irritants like smoke, stage fog, freshly painted sets, ammonia on floors, and other hazards that not only injure voices, but make the performance difficult if they are unanticipated.
    ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS WITH VOICE DOCTORS
    Ask your physician for a referral to a voice specialist or ENT, and have your vocal cords checked regularly. If you're traveling for concerts, look into the availability of specialists in the places you're performing.
    Besides avoiding irritants like caffeine, smoke, alcohol, and spicy foods, the best way to keep your voice healthy and strong is to live a healthy lifestyle. Getting the proper amount of sleep, eating a balanced diet, exercising, and drinking lots of water will keep vocal cords supple so they sound loud and clear when you need them the most.

  • TMV World Team

    Taming Tongue Tension

    By TMV World Team, in Articles,

    A question about tongue tension was asked in the forum of The Modern Vocalist recently. I thought I'd share my answer and elaborate on it with those of you who haven't seen that particular forum discussion, because it is a very common problem. Tongue tension equals soft palate tension, equals throat tension. Tongue tension happens when you use the wrong end of the tongue too much! The tongue is said by some to be the strongest muscle in the body for its size. It is literally connected by the hyoid bone to the top of your larynx. Tensing the root of your tongue raises the larynx uncomfortably. NOT GOOD. You need to be able to keep the mighty base (or root) of the tongue relaxed while you use the tip and front sides of the tongue to articulate. Some things I suggest that have helped my students loosen tongue tension:
    Wake up the face and do tongue tanglers, trying for clarity and not allowing the voice to "fall into the gravel" at the ends of phrases. Act like you are speaking to deaf people; make your lyric show in your face. This gets it out of the back of the throat and stiff jaw. Speak or sing with the jaw moving in sort of a slight chewing motion. Tongue tension and jaw stiffness go together. Put your knuckle in between your molars (not the front of your mouth) and sing. It will sound weird, like trying to speak with the dentist's hand in your mouth, but your jaw and tongue will experience having to relax. Sing only on the vowels for a while, again allowing the back of the mouth and throat to fall open. This is harder than you think. You have to concentrate on not forming consonants. Then allow yourself to slightly let the consonants sneak back in, but keeping the back of the tongue feeling the same and letting the jaw relax flexibly. Put two fingers under your chin. You are feeling the base of your tongue. Speak or sing, telling yourself not to tense there (bunch the muscle up). DO NOT OVER-WORK the tongue in specific vocal exercises. Sometimes I find that exercises designed to stretch out and loosen the tongue can have the opposite effect. If you do these, be sure and note how they actually affect your tongue root's ability to relax. By the way... some people can do tongue trills and some people can do lip trills and some people can do both. Just like rolling the tongue, forming French or German syllables, for some people it is easy and some hard, because there is a learning curve that makes it easier in childhood, and I believe, subtle muscle coordination differences in people. It doesn't matter if you can do these things or not. The main thing is to get your articulation out of the back of your throat. There is more than one way to accomplish this goal. This essay first published October 11, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008.

  • TMV World Team
    I had the pleasure of attending a conference on Spasmodic Dysphonia (known as SD) sponsored by the Vanderbilt Voice Center this week. Attendees included voice specialists and teachers as well as sufferers of SD who had traveled long distances to get fresh information about their mysterious and frustrating voice disorder. Instead of being a dry, boring medical recitation, it was fun, full of kindness and caring... and vitally illuminating. This will be the first post in a three-part series on this disorder with information gleaned from the doctors, speech pathologists and speakers with SD at this event. These experts included Charlie Womble, NSDA Board Director, Jennifer Muckala, M.A. CCC-SLP, C. Gailyn Garrett, M.D. (Medical director at Vanderbilt Voice Center), Fenna Phibbs, M.D., Amy Zeller, Ms. CCC-SLP, Brienne Ruel, Gwen Sims-Davis, Jill Van Vliet and several NSDA support group members who have SD. First, dear vocalists: before you self-diagnosis and scare yourself, let me state this firmly: In all probability, you don't have this! But if you did -- or knew someone who did  you would want it to be properly diagnosed and to be pointed toward something that could actually help instead of frustrate. Secondly, dear fellow voice teachers and specialists here on TMV: If you have any information and/or experience with treating SD, please share by commenting. Ongoing research is desperately needed and has yet to yield a cure. What is Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD)? SD is a voice disorder that is part of a family of neurological disorders called dystonias. Dystonias cause muscles to contract and spasm involuntarily. There are five forms and combinations SD can take:
    Adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD), which is by far the most common, is where the adductor vocal muscles (thyroarytenoid or TA muscles) are too active and spasm frequently on voiced speech sounds like vowels in the words "eat, back, in, I, olives, nest". The voice has a strained, strangled sound. Abductor spasmodic dysphonia (AbSD) occurs where the adductor vocal muscles (crycothyoid or CT muscles) are too active and spasm on voiceless speech sounds like "f, K, c, t, h, th." The voice is very breathy and the person feels short of breath when they talk. It is also often accompanied by chronic constriction: grabbing and holding of the vocal folds. Mixed spasmodic dysphonia presents both the symptoms of AdSD and AbSD. SD with tremor includes a tremor in the voice. In this case, the SD problem is compounded and accompanied by a separate disorder a tremor. The voice will have a rhythmic fluctuation, when sounding vowels, if a tremor is present. And lastly, SD may be mixed with -- or misdiagnosed as -- muscle tension dysphonia (MTD). This sometimes happens when a person with AdSD tries to control their vocal folds, holding them too tight and causing a chronic tension to occur. MTD, unlike SD, is functionally based and can be cured by modifying behavior (vocal re-training). SD is maddenly consistently inconsistent, which means that it doesn't necessarily happen all the time, or happen in the same way. Sometimes you can fake it out for a while by speaking in a pitch or accent you don't normally use. One of the panel members with SD demonstrated in a hilarious Swiss accent that she could speak without spasm when she did this. A speech therapist expert in this field said that this would only be a temporary fix; if the person began speaking the new way all the time, the spasm would return. The speakers at this conference were unanimous in saying that SD is NOT a psychological disorder. It is a neurological one. What's the difference? A psychological disorder can be treated by learning different thought patterns. A neurological one is physiological: re-training treatment can mask symptoms, but is limited in what is possible. It's like an uncontrollable muscle twitch. There is something wrong in the wiring of the brain itself, which manifests in the end-organ, in this case, the larynx. It can, however, be exacerbated by stress, so there is a psychological component to it. Posts to come: What causes SD? How is SD diagnosed? What are the treatments for SD? What can a vocal coach do to help? This essay first published July 9, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008.

  • TMV World Team
    For my last post in this series on Spasmodic Dysphonia, I will report on treatment options and currently available, controversial alternative viewpoints and will offer my thoughts as a vocal coach. What Are the Treatments for Spasmodic Dysphonia? The first thing we need to know is that medical treatments available now will only manage symptoms in true SD cases. That is the major diagnostic difference between SD and MTD (Muscle Tension Dysphonia) disorders; MTD cases can be cured by re-training vocal habits and eliminating physical and psychological tension. Please note: MTD cases are much more common than SD. Medical options pretty much boil down to two things: Botox and surgery. First of all, several experimental surgical treatments involving such things as paralyzing nerves and splitting the thyroid cartilage to make more room for vocal cord stretch have been found to be ineffective. These surgeries also cannot be reversed, and are now not recommended. One surgery reporting better success is called "selective laryngeal denervation-reinnervation"(SLAD/R), which is suggested for some with the AdSD type of Spasmodic Dysphonia. Patient response has been reported to be 85 - 90% positive, with life-long results of improved vocal function instead of eventual re-occurring symptoms, as has happened with other surgeries. What has been reported to be more than 90% effective for SD patients is Botulinum toxin (BTX or Botox) injections, which involve injecting a very small amount of the toxin directly into the overactive vocal muscles. It weakens these muscles so that spasms are diminished and the speaking voice is improved. Patients experience best results more often having one side at a time injected instead of hitting the whole set of overactive spasming muscles. The drawback to Botox therapy is that it is only temporarily effective and must usually be repeated every three to six months. It is important to find a doctor who is skilled in delivering this injection because a needle must be inserted into the vocal muscle affected, frankly a tricky spot to hit. The treatment is expensive and can be painful, but is the method of choice by most SD sufferers at this point because surgery is considered a last resort. Alternative and Supportive Treatments I would be remiss in my three-part series look at SD not to tell you that there are also reports of this disorder being overcome with vocal and breathing therapies and re-training. This website discusses these alternatives, reporting that many vocal coaches including Roger Love and Gary Catona report success treating SD patients with vocal training. Another such viewpoint comes from Connie Pike, CCC-SLP. A quote from Connie's website:
    I have come to view SD as a mindbody disorder; not psychological or neurological, but both. I believe we cannot separate the mind and body functions, including the function of the brain... The track record for voice therapy is a poor one. I believe this is because speech therapists are not properly trained to administer voice rehabilitation with the intensity and the holistic nature that SD therapy requires. The emotional piece of SD is huge and there are breakdowns not just in voice production, but in breathing, voice image and more. The feeling of proper voice production is lost in a case of SD and must be rediscovered.
    Chiropractic, Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais Method are treatments that can provide symptomatic help in certain cases. A breathing technique is also discussed here.
    My Thoughts for Vocal Coaches The medical professionals I heard and spoke to at the Nashville symposium last week all say that much about Spasmodic Dysphonia remains a mystery. They wanted me to know as a vocal coach that if I run into a frustrating case I can't cure with my vocal training, I should send them to get evaluated for vocal damage or Spasmodic Dysphonia, which of course I have done and will continue to do. They also affirmed that patients with SD can, especially if they have mild to moderate severity of the disorder, be helped to a limited degree with vocal therapy and retraining. However, an SD sufferer was the person who invited me to the symposium, because she had been so frustrated by seeking help from drama and vocal coaches with no positive results. She quite rightly wanted to get the word out about SD to vocal coaches so they would know to recommend medical evaluations instead of continuing ineffective training, if they suspect this condition in a student. Could alternative treatments cut out the need for Botox injections? Are the above websites just selling false hope to suffering people? I don't have the personal experience to form an opinion. Vanderbilt Voice Clinic suggests this website for the most accurate information on Spasmodic Dysphonia. My course of action:
    If a student comes to me with signs of Spasmodic Dysphonia, I will not tell them I think they have it, because I know you can talk someone into manifesting a disorder just because they believe it. I will try using the training that so far has helped everyone I work with, at the first lesson. If I cannot get quick results moving in the right direction with vocal improvement, I will suggest a medical evaluation from experts in the voice such as Vanderbit Voice Center to rule out physical vocal damage, or conditions such as Spasmodic Dysphonia that might require medical intervention. If Spasmodic Dysphonia is diagnosed, I will consult with the medical professionals concerning any vocal training that I could try which could mask or better the symptoms of the particular client. I will keep up on the research into Spasmodic Dysphonia, which I believe is vitally important for all vocal coaches everywhere. May a cure be found -- and soon -- for all sufferers of Spasmodic Dysphonia. This essay first published July 9, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008.

  • TMV World Team
    I received a very interesting comment about over-trained singers at my page here on The Modern Vocalist.com:
    "What I strive for:  no two voices are the same. It's that unique strong signature characteristic that separates people who can sing from people who become icons in music. Take Sting for example, not the greatest vocalist, but there's no mistaking that aged husky whimper of his. Technique is important for power and control, but I find that there are too many people sounding too trained. I believe that one should incorporate one's personality into one's sound as much as possible in order to go about creating that strong iconic signature sound that no one else can recreate. Take Chino from Deftones-that guy can't sing a note- but the Deftones wouldn't be anything without him. Same goes for Trent Reznor from Nine inch Nails. I think it's a fine balance between a trained and untrained voice that needs to be found."
    - Timothy Ian David Lester This is, in fact, why some people think you can know too much about music or voice. They feel that too much musical knowledge can cause a musician or singer to over-think and turn their art... artificial. Actually, sometimes they are right, but only because they are not being taught well, in my humble opinion. The first thing we vocal coaches should do is to interview our new student and find out what his or her vocal and musical goals really are. Do they need to sing classical songs to get into (or through) college with a major in voice? Do they want to sing what they are writing: R&B, country, pop, jazz, hip-hop, alternative? We must know so we don't guide them into a style that is not where their heart is. Yes, people can learn to sing both classical and popular genres, but sometimes the jump can be hard. It's like learning to speak different languages very fluently. Yes, you can do it but it takes time, careful and accurate coaching and exposure to the masters of the musical genres you want to sing to perform multiple genres well. If you want to sing in more than two or three genres (like pro session singers must), this is what I call "stunt singing". Does your student really want to be jack-of-all trades, or do they want to be a master of one? I believe we need to do exactly what Timothy is suggesting: help our clients find their uniqueness. This is what really sets the heart free, and sometimes gives a vocalist a career as a recording and performing artist. It really takes experimentation, a feeling of safety to try new ways of using the voice and feedback from someone with great intuition about how an audience would react to what they are hearing. We want an audience's immediate reaction to be: "Wow what a song, what a delivery of that song!" Not, "Wow, I wonder who this artist's vocal coach is and what method they use?" My favorite artists actually play with their voices, sometimes "de-supporting" for a weak, sensual or sad sound. But when it's time for business, they ramp up all the vocal wisdom they ever learned and deliver such controlled power that we are mesmerized with their song. They scream, use breathy or husky sounds on purpose, but -- and here's the rub -- they NEVER hurt either the listener's ear or their voice. It's like an aural (instead of an optical) illusion. And it comes from being -- you guessed it -- very well trained. A good example is the masterful performance of a great actor. If they are doing what they should, you never even detect the slightest whiff of "acting", do you? But you can bet your bottom dollar that they used top dollar acting teachers to get to the level they are at in their craft. According to her biography, Janis Joplin planned every "impromptu" scream she did. A singer who is serious should be trained by an insightful and wise vocal coach who will train them so well you don't hear "vocal training" when they sing. You hear a song that elicits from you an emotional response.  Period. This essay first published August 4, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com  the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008.

  • TMV World Team

    A Cure for Anxiety

    By TMV World Team, in Articles,

    More often than people realize, psychological distress is caused by some combination of lack of meaning, lack of social engagement, and lack of spirituality. These and other existential issues aren't often discussed in Western therapies (or in performance and voice coaching), but that doesn't make them any less real. Also not discussed in Western therapies are the concepts of duality and non-attachment, social service as a means of transcending self-absorption, and the importance of mindfulness, meditation and yoga. We come from a culture that insists that to resolve our mental health problems, we need to focus on them -- and ourselves -- more. How do I feel? What do I need? What am I missing? The answers are out there, if we're willing to listen, and looking in the right place. Recently, for me that place has been Eastern Philosophy, including Asia's two more prominent forms of psychotherapy, Morita and Naikan, both of which purport to offer complete psychological cure from fear, psychosomatic pain, perfectionism, anxiety and neurosis. How do they do this? In the case of Naikan, the resolution of these issues comes from asking and answering three simple questions about the people in your life. These questions are:
    What did that person do for me? What did I do for that person in return? What trouble and inconvenience did I cause that person? As you probably noticed, not one of the questions is about ME. Both Naikan and Morita believe that relief from anxiety and malaise comes not from asking "what's in it for me" and "what have I not been given" but rather "what have I not given?" It would be easy to dismiss Naikan as some Zen, optimistic ideal if it hadn't been proven in a series of studies to be as effective, if not more than, our own Western psychotherapies. Which means -- get this -- that the roots of anxiety may in fact be culturally created and empowered. Rather than an innate and inflexible response in all people to a host of performance, life and family circumstances, anxiety may in fact be caused in large part by our conscious preference for self-focus, self-obsession and self-absorption. This is a hard pill to swallow -- on a number of levels -- for us Westerners: one that many people can't or don't want to stomach. The idea that all psychological unease can be resolved by an increase in gratitude and a decrease in victimhood is uncomfortable. It takes away our right to pout, our right to dwell on our fears and insecurities both on and off the stage. The next time you take a yoga class, go for a walk or sit before the majesty of the setting sun, consider quieting the litany of thoughts running through your head: your to-do list, your drama, your issues, your pain, and ask... first about your mother, then about your father... next about your siblings, then about your children... then about your friends, your colleagues and your partner:
    What did that person do for me? What did I do for that person in return? What trouble and inconvenience did I cause that person? Similarly, the next time you get on stage to perform, quiet the pervasive fear and ME-based mantras, What will they think of me? How do I sound? How did I do? And ask yourself before your first note, How can I share? What can I give? How can I help to touch the souls and hearts of the people that have come here today? You don't have to be a believer in Naikan or Eastern Philosophy to feel the precious shift in both your performance and life. This essay first published November 3, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008.

  • TMV World Team

    Talent

    By TMV World Team, in Articles,

    A few weeks ago I talked about the power of 'The Moment's that crucial crossroads in our lives when we're given the reins of opportunity to turn right or left, to rise or fall… those choices that looking back, meant everything. Most of us have had these moments in our professional and personal lives. But I believe that they're also there waiting in a place you might never expect in the formation of talent. Of course, there's no conclusive proof of what makes a musical genius. The debate goes back and forth between some combination of genetics, environment, brain chemistry and practice (10,000 hours of it, according to Malcolm Gladwell). In fact, the only thing experts do agree on is that they're uncertain. I certainly don't claim to have any definitive answers, either. But I would like to share what I've observed in my own practice over the past 13 years: commonalities that have led me to an exciting conclusion about the moment that perhaps -- talent is born. In my experience, brilliant musicians today -- singers and instrumentalists that speak the musical language fluently, intuitively, effortlessly and naturally -- all had initial language-less, non-technical and generally teacher-less experiences. In other words, they approached music's door, and -- finding it open -- walked in silently and usually alone, sat down and made themselves comfortable. In that space, immersed inside of music's house, they observed and played without inhibition, rules or criticism from self or others, and developed their ability as an extension of their soul's own language. Certainly, many of these musicians went on to study technique and to read music, but it wasn't part of their initial experience or engagement. Conversely, I've observed that those who began the study of an instrument or the voice with technical instruction, or as an individual, intellectual pursuit, seemed to master only two rather than three dimensions of proficiency. Yes, they can read music. Yes, they can play songs. But they're not fluent. It doesn't come as naturally to them. They always have to think about it, the way someone who studied French or Spanish in school has to think about and translate from one language into the other before being able to connect. For those scoffing at the idea that how we learn music might be as important as inherent talent, take a look at countries and cultures -- Ireland, African-American churches, the Native American tradition -- that teach and celebrate music as an uninhibited practice. It is astounding and inspiring to observe that most -- if not all -- bravely, comfortably and fluently speak the language of music with powerful, beautiful voices. This is not a function of a greater amount of inherent talent per capita, but rather, a difference in approach toward music and creative pursuits. The initial engagement -- if it wants to demonstrate as inherent rather than practiced, or show a natural ability rather than a learned one-- must bypass the technical, language-oriented, left brain and engage directly and immediately with the creative, right-brain emotional centers. The aforementioned cultures go right to these emotional centers. Our current teaching model turns sharply to the left. None of us can go back and change the way we experienced our initial musical, artistic engagements. But what we can do is to use this wisdom to our advantage as we walk into the world and approach learning, particularly things of a creative nature. Abandon language, judgment, and a sense of time. Ignore the temptation to name and perfect things. When the moment comes, sit in the house of your creative pursuit, make yourself at home, listen and play. This essay first published August 10, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008. To read more from Jennifer, visit http://jenniferhamady.blogspot.com/.

  • TMV World Team
    I've been having a wonderful conversation with my friend and colleague Kate Sawert about confidence and competition. The struggle to both attain and maintain the former and the dual-edge sword of motivation and isolation that the latter bears. In sitting down today to share some of what we've learned and discovered together, I was struck by the overlap of many ideas I've had for future blogs, as well as themes from my past ones. The topics vary, but a fundamental issue binds them together. That issue is scarcity-based thinking: a mentality that says there's a limited amount of time, money and love to go around. A belief that there's a restricted amount of opportunity, talent, success and power in the world and that life is a game of chasing, rather than creating, of reacting rather than enacting. A mindset and that there is no such thing as too good to be true-- that indeed something's always gotta give. In my studio, this way of thinking presents itself in what I call the either/or mentality. The choice that seems to be made between concentration and joy; consciously understanding and intuitively knowing; technique and abandon and between thinking and singing. I see musical geniuses refusing to attempt to develop their technical minds for fear of somehow detracting from their creative gifts. Conservatory-trained singers clinging to their technical understanding of music, rather than considering that an entirely new way of experiencing and sharing that sacred language might exist. This scarcity dance is not only performed by singers and musicians, but by all of us. It's in the water. It's our second National Anthem, and we start drinking the Kool-Aid and singing along when we're very young: Are you a real man, or a pansy? Are you going to be spiritually or financially fulfilled? Are you a professional or an artist? Are you successful or a dreamer? What one thing are you? For women, the choice we're asked to make at a very early age is whether we're smart or pretty. Logically, we know, as we get older that we can be both. Intellectually, we're aware of the mind-tricks of the media and society. Publicly, we encourage each other to be both, demand recognition of both, and adore both in ourselves. But in our quiet moments, in the center of our beings, most of us are still stuck clinging to the one that we chose long ago to root our confidence, while aching for, and envying in others, the one we're certain we lack. A corporate client and I were exploring this issue a couple of weeks ago. A beautiful, feminine, classy woman, she had worked her way up the ranks and taken over the top role in her firm. She had done this all while raising a family, going to graduate school, starting a charitable organization, sitting on five corporate boards and happily and meaningfully partnering with her husband of 25 years. Still, she struggles with simultaneously wanting to enjoy her sensuality and femininity, and feeling guilty for what have always been and continue to be constant hindrances in the workplace. Struggles with the opposing desires of wanting to be sexy and feminine, and respected, admired and needed. We can put a person on the moon. We can create symphonies of the most beautiful music. We can cure disease, graft skin, clone animals why have we yet to cure the world and ourselves of the ridiculous notion of scarcity? Contrary to the fear-filled, power-hoarding voices that tell us we need to divide and conquer the best of what we are, the world -- and we -- are temples of abundance that only find peace in a state of balance. We are yin and yang, dark and light. Without one, the entire system falls. Imagine it. Women feeling smart and sexy, demanding respect for both aspects of themselves from themselves and others. Men as comfortable with their emotional sides as their masculinity, and the educational and cultural systems finally holding accountable the schoolyard bullies and those that raise them. Young adults, who seek economic and spiritual enlightenment, who become artists in any and every profession. Being technically flawless and vocally liberated. That would be one giant leap for mankind. This essay first published April 28, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008.  To read more from Jennifer,visit: http://www.jenniferhamady.com/.



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