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Robert Lunte

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Everything posted by Robert Lunte

  1. I can assure you , by the vast majority... when done properly... it is considered to be amazing, is what bands want, is what is required for an entire genre' of music, is what 80% of my clients are looking for, feels good, sounds killer, gets you the job, also helps a lot with bridging for some people, sells records, gives you range and makes you feel like a super-human, laser shootin, face meltin vocal metal thunder Goblet... :cool:
  2. Centre... There are many different , healthy ways to train a voice... it comes back to the genre' and what the artist wants to do mostly... it also depends greatly on the voice teacher's foundation and what they were taught. Some techniques are great for country singers, jazzy lounge singers and people that dwell in their chest voice with dispositions of conservatism... but if you want strong, powerful and convincing head tones, raging range and the ability to sing interesting distortion effects, ect... you have to take your training to another level... thats when you will need to explore some more advanced laryngeal configurations. I really like your passion and interest in this topic... what I would advise is that you move away from thinking one thing is better then the other just because someone said so. Voice pedagogy is not about seeking the truth in one method... its seeking the truth in exploring all and taking what you need to apply to your art. we can go on and on and on with the twang, lifted larynx arguments, etc... but any ideas that tilted or lifted configs. are unhealthy is wrong. Its been proven for some time now that twang configurations are not only healthy but a normal thing for the human voice... and I teach it very successfully every weekend... lets all get with the program. If your efforts to twang hurt you, your not doing it right. If your constrictors are activated and not isolated, your not doing it right... I could teach you how in about 20 minutes... Its is not easy for some people, others can pick it up quickly. Great discussion.
  3. Lame... Ive experimented a lot with teas... and have concluded the best out there is CELESTIAL SEASONS - MINT WIZARD. Hands down, the best tea for singers!!! :P
  4. Brings up an interesting point... after training singers for some time now, Im see the vocalise in two genre's. Workouts that which you train on (typically your traditional stuff most of us are familiar with and less musical, more "chop" oriented. The objective being, to train muscle strength and coordination) and Coaching Excercises (a vocal workout that is more musical, has an appealing melody to it and is used to coach dynamics and interpretation). My Pillars 2.0 edition to be released in 2009 will feature an additional 8 new Coaching excercises with very appealing musical motiffs that "swing" and move you to work on "feel" and dynamics... this with the original David Kyle 11 and 9 more new workouts that I invented for advanced bridging & connecting... totaling about 28 vocal workouts with video tutorials.
  5. Brilliant... one of the best discussions on any vocal forum in the world at this time, Im sure of it.
  6. The singing voice and the speaking voice are two different things. I could pontificate a book on this, but just consider the physiology, acoustics and how it sounds...
  7. Your statement that twang engages the constrictor muscles is erroneous. We train completely isolated intrinsic contractions every week at TVS and if it triggered the constrictors in the least bit, I would not be teaching it nor would it be a success. To state that "twang is the poor mans" laryngopharynx narrowing is or is the easy but less desirable... " is unqualified, opinionated and patently makes no sense. Before you make such statements, please train it, learn to do it and speak from first hand experience.... and learning to twang is anything, but "easy" for some people... :mad:
  8. Great discussion! I think this discussion is one of the most important we could be having. "twang" vs "pharyngeal"... well, I tend to agree with Martin, I think its probably the same thing, but to be truthful I believe we are very much on the cutting edge of the definitions here and few people could really tell you the difference if there is... maybe Steve Fraser could chime in here? "center" I have to correct you on the twang, you do NOT get any activation of the constrictors or "swallowing muscles"... if that was happening I wouldnt be training it. We achieve complete isolation at TVS with twang, when performed properly. Brett is a great teacher, but I do not think that "twang" & "Pharyngeal" is his forte' or his historical reference... although I heard that the SS language is beginning to now finally open up to configurations that are not always "balanced"... I think in large part, due to the twang discussions that were first seeded at other forums and continuing here at TMV. We pioneered the discussions on pharyngeal and twang singing on these forums...
  9. Mine... 8 ^ ) I dont think you should study Classical if thats not your thing, that could cause a lot of problems and confusion because the training is very different then contemporary pedagogy. Honestly, my system has been recieved very well... but so has Jaime's and Jame's ... any system you invest in, your going to learn something and get some growth out of it.
  10. Youth is WASTED on the young!!! Id rather be in my thirties and know what Im doing then in my 20s wasting time...
  11. Great, beyondtenor and Martin goin at it on the topic of "twang", its a perfect storm... great topic.. and always drives a lot of posts.
  12. James, your a great rock vocalist, but that fact I have known for two years already. I have a "James Lugo" folder in my private shuffle... these tunes are more of the same. Here's my take on it fellas... James perhaps the labels wont throw great gobs of investment at your project unfortunately for stupid reasons around age, (when bands like velvet revolver, DT, Queensryche, etc... keep rockin???)... but in the world of electronic / web marketing and downloads you can sell your music and you can do large regional shows. In my book, thats a success. I mean lets get real... is it really about being a rock star like we all dreamed of when we were 15 years old? What is a "rock star" anyways...? I believe the definition of "rock star" is anyone that is making original music, recording, publishing and performing it... at what level of distribution that happens makes no difference. The best way to explain it is... being a "rock star" is a life style that centers around musicians that are active, writing, recording and publishing... if a gifted painter is painting original works but never achieves great commercial success for the paintings, does that mean he/she is not a great painter/artist? "Rock Star" is earned by your work ethic and ability to produce original art and your passion as an artist. It is NOT defined by commercial success... in my book. Any of my students that are in bands, writing original music, making recordings, performing it and moving on to the next project is a "Rock Star". The other thing that is very important that I have held in high esteem for James is that, like myself, he is a voice coach that leads by example. He puts himself out there in the public eye and doesnt ask his students to do things that he is not prepared to do himself. He isnt afraid to take a risk of someone not liking his singing... In my book, the best leaders are those that lead from the FRONT! Alessandro, Shaun Williamson, Olivier Tronquet, Darrison, Judy Rodman, Jeannie Deva, Dena Murray, Brett Manning, did I miss any? There are others... are all voice teachers that are also active artists. One final point on this... just because your the the leader on voice training in your studio, it does not necessarily mean that the artist/teacher has to have the best recordings or vocal chops. Was King Arthur the best with the sword? Not really, Lancelot was... but King Arthur was the inspiration and held the wisdom of the round table... having said that, you do have to have some measure of talent and chops... I make this point within boundaries of reason. I still would not want to go toe to toe with King Arthur in the champion ring... One of the things that really gets me "bent" is arguing with other people that pontificate on "this" and on "that" and they dont sing ??? :/ ??? , or we dont have any evidence of it... and cant perform the very things they are claiming to be an expert at ... This drives me up the wall. At The Vocalist Studio, I am really big on making sure that I remain active as an artist as much as my time permits so no one can ever look at me and question my integrity and ability to carry a tune... I am a voice coach for peets sake, I had better damn well be able to sing decent and show something for it. In conclusion, I would share a fox hole with James Lugo any day, he is the real deal. There is a tune on my "Robert Lunte & The Vocalist Studio" page that I think is a good example for people to listen to... it features classic rock distortions/rasp, chesty belts, a high G6 adducted scream ( I think its a G6 ) and an inhale extreme distortion... filled with gobs of tricks. Its titled, "Bowed In Disgrace", check it out. :cool: Hope this helps...
  13. Rest... and actually trying not to speak if possible. How do you do that? You try to only ask people close ended questions "yes or no"... I know that seems extreme, but if you want to give your vocal folds a rest, you can drastically reduce your speaking.
  14. Video lessons and working with DVDs works... a visual is very powerful. Obviously not as strong as being there in person... thats why my internet lessons are $20 less then in person.
  15. Hello James... and thanks. I think this is a great idea... lets listen to Jame's killer vocals and provide some feedback ... I have a tune on my profile page called "Bowed In Disgrace" that offers a lot of tricks; belts, bridging, distortion, G5 (I think its a G) adducted head tone scream and a killer inhale extreme scream... Also, in regards to TMV, this is EVERYONE's new site, not just mine... this is the way a vocal community should be and Im asking each of you to please tell your friends, badge your web sites with the red badge/logo and let people know about The Modern Vocalist. James: please upload your tunage, embed some videos and post some blogs... people would love to hear from you and TMV offers a more diverse group so there are a lot of people here that should know more about you.
  16. Agreed, I can tell you from first hand, front line experience training it about 20 hours a week... some people can do it easier, more intuitively then others. However I must be clear... anyone can learn to do it! The difference between those that have a gift for it and those that dont is about 90 days of concentrated, serious training... learning to twang or working with "tilted" laryngeal configurations is the trick... you have to find a teacher that understands how to train it. In regards to the comment about Rob Halford's voice and other comments Ive read about Geoff Tate, etc... look folks, it doesnt matter how famous you are or how talented you are... everyone will lose track of coordination and response if they dont keep up with some vocal training... even the "greats" need to keep in shape... in fact, they need to train more then anyone else.
  17. A very interesting debate and topic and Im so glad to see you all discussing it! Im still learning about it, but in practical application, I am getting amazing results with my clients by working on twang for bridging and more importantly, getting connectivity in the head voice... twang is a falsetto killer in the head voice. Anyone that would like to learn how to do it, just look me up for internet lessons and we'll definately get something accomplished... Where is Martin and Beyond, they have some good stuff on this topic... ?
  18. Software? Get real lessons with a reputable voice teacher and if you cant afford that, then at least purchase a training system from a reputable author/producer of vocal training systems. Dont just buy a book... buy a system that gives you workouts and video tutorials.
  19. Ive heard of such products and i could be wrong, but most of these are kinda lame are they not? Why dont you purchase a DVD or book training system from one of the instructors on this web site? Such as; myself, Dena, Jeannie, Judy, and there are others...
  20. Interesting, but... what are you talking about? Im not sure its clear to me... I will say that the speaking voice definately can fatigue the singing voice.
  21. Hi Matt... Twang is referring to a certain vocal mode that represents both laryngeal configuration & the resulting tonality that that laryngeal configuration produces. Training people to twang can be very helpful for some singers to bridge their passagio. Even more compelling is how well it can assist in getting full vocal fold closure or "adduction" in the head voice. Simply put, an good strong twang in the head voice can eliminate falsetto and replace that tone with something that sounds full or more "chesty". Now I am way over simplifying here and missing some points, but rather attempting to cut to the chase for you. The understanding of the physiology of twang and how it helps singers bridge and connect is one of the most important advancements in my voice pedagogy. I cant emphasize enough how significant it is in getting singers, particularly contemporary singers with extreme singing requirements, to the next level. Here is the best explanation of twang I have seen: Twang itself occurs due to narrowing the epilarynx (area above the vocal folds) via constriction of the aryepiglottic sphincter, or fold as it is referred to on the diagram. This occurs due to part of the oblique arytenoid muscles contracting (sometimes described as the separate muscle aryepiglotticus). Epiglottal tilting along with increased adduction of the vocal folds (oblique arytenoid muscles are part of the interarytenoid muscle group which adduct the vocal folds) results. This narrowing creates an extra resonator leading to clustering of the third, fourth, and fifth formants and a higher amplitude of the vowel spectra at around 3.0 kHz and this is the characteristic 'singer's formant' or squillo that has been described here. Some people describe this as a bright brassy sound. Using twang leads to the volume being perceived as louder for 2 reasons. Firstly, the increased vocal fold adduction, when coupled with increased breath pressure, leads to increased amplitude of the sound and therefore an increase in the volume percieved by the individual. Secondly, the extra spectral boost corresponds with the resonant frequency of the external auditory meatus (the bit between the external and middle ear) making the perveived volume louder. The important thing is how to apply all this in the process of voice pedagogy and finding a teacher that can teach it to you... thats hard to find.
  22. Agreed Darrison... Falsetto and Head voice are two different things. However Falsetto can be used as a tool develop full tones in the head voice... primarily by using Falsetto to learn the placement, or where that head tone "sits"... once you have the registration/placement situation worked out you can then begin to focus on tools such as strengthening the AES "twanger" to assist in focal fold closure in the head voice. Mind you, not all singers need to work out the AES, others do.. it depends on the anatomy. The point is, through strength training, you can build fullness in the head voice and the Falsetto is part of the work flow to learning how to do it... but it can not just suddenly turn into a full tone by singing in the Falsetto endless scales... thats silly. It requires some advanced tutoring around setting up your larynx properly... again, for some people.
  23. A very important topic... PK, you can train to sing with a lowered larynx, a balanced larynx or a "tilted" larygeal configuration. Much of it depends on your genre', the kind of overtones you want to create and your own anatomy or what you are inclined to do... we call that the "attractor state". Most things in vocal pedagogy are just not "black or white" because your dealing with such diversity in applications. An opera singer has a much different application and value-set then a metal singer or pop singer. I would like to coat-tail on Steve's eloquent response by saying that if/when you work on "lifted" or "tilted" laryngeal positions, when done properly, it has nothing to do with engaging the extrinsic constrictor muscles, to Steve's point. Red veins popping out in the neck and stuff like that are not what any voice expert advocates. Allow me to clarify another point from my personal experience as a voice coach. Training people to "twang" or sling with some tilted configs. is NOT necessarily done so because of the overtones... its a tool that is used to help some people learn to bridge and get vocal fold closure in the head voice, independent of the overtones this configuration may create. As a voice teacher, I want to train people to bridge and connect FIRST... then we go back and work on the formant and round out the sound if necessary.. this final step is very contingent on the individual voice. Generally speaking, it is widely considered that a lowered larynx creates more space in the pharanx and thus enriches the darker overtones... so Opera singers benefit from this... tilted larynx configs amplify the overtones, assist in bridging the passagio (for some people) and greatly improve vocal fold closure in the head voice... so contemporary, rock & metal singers benefit from this. My personal opinion is that the pursuit of "balanced" larynx configs. in every and all applications, such as SS, leave you in a kind of purgatory... some people can get some bridging with it, others cant (they need more "tools" not offered by SS) and full tones in the head voice can be "flutey-hoots" with not enough edge to them. That might be fine if your an adult contemporary singer, but if your a rock, theater, or metal singer, it leaves you short changed. It boils down to your anatomy and your genre', that which will dictate how much of any of these configurations you should be focusing on. Now then, since your my student... although interesting, this is not your biggest objective in your training right now... what you need PK is to focus on your respiration and physical attitude when you sing. We have you relatively lined up well now, your not singing from the "bottom up" anymore... now its time to let loose some support, get athletic and let it rip... no shy singing this Saturday.
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