Daniel Kay

Hi Marcus, Firstly, nice job! I like the drive of the track - takes me back to the 80's & 90's (which for my mind is not a bad thing!) A couple of thoughts for your consideration: 1. Your articulation is occassionly slurred which in turn leads to a tighter sound than necessary. I wonder whether you can try to use your jaw less in the articulation of your lyric and encourage the tongue to work harder. Try singing the song through (at least a verse/chorus) with your little finger placed between your upper and lower teeth. As you sing don't let the jaw drop away from the finger. Yes, this interferes with the articulation, but can you notice how the voice is a little freer? Now try to re-create the same sensations and tongue activity without the finger between the teeth. It will take some practice - but you should see improvement in your articulation and tension managment (jaw & extrinsic laryngeal muscles) over time. 2. There are a few times where you slur to the notes. Is this done on purpose (stylistic choice) or are you searching for the note? If the latter - learn to trust that the note is there! Also, perhaps some focus on how your onsets (the way your sound initiates at the level of the vocal folds) are being generated would be helpful. I.e. Be careful not to 'over pressurise' the note. Ensure that there is the right amount of 'sub-glottal' pressure (air pressure directly underneath the vocal folds) for the note being sung. Too much and you will over blow the note; too little and the note will feel lacking in tone and substance. Anyways, I hope this is helpful - keep up with your singing! DK :)

Hey Joe, Firstly, I like the quality of the audio that you are catching - well done! Regarding your vocals, I think you would be advantaged by a couple of things: 1. Try to sit forward on the chair - towards the edge. At the moment you are sitting in your hips, which will ultimately restrict breath management and cause your larynx to do all the work. 2. Have you ever tried singing along with backing tracks? I know this can be a bit 'karaoke hall' but for the purpose of your vocal development, I think it might be helpful to place the guitar to the side for a bit and allow your mind to focus on the voice. Then once you feel that the voice is starting to develop on that piece, reintroduce the guitar. Singing and playing together is a complex skill - never underestimate the difficulty! I hope these thoughts help! DK :)