TMV World Team

Vocal Health Care with Eucalyptus Oil Using essential oils to care for the voice can be extremely helpful for any voice professional. Essential oils work with the body to help heal whatever issue the body is dealing with. There are oils for almost any ailment a voice professional deals with. One difficult and pressing issue that happens to almost everyone, including voice professionals, is the issue of clogged sinuses. We may go to sleep feeling fine and the next morning wake up with a completely clogged sinus passage. If you have a performance, rehearsal or presentation that day, you need to open your sinuses quickly and safely using a clearing agent that will not affect your voice adversely as prescription medications and over the counter drugs can do. Eucalyptus oil is an excellent way to do this. Vocal Health Care Tool If you wake up in the morning with a clogged sinus passage and need a very powerful agent to clear out your sinuses, here is a way to immediately clear out your sinuses and stay clear for your presentation or performance. This is what you will need before you begin: 1) 1 bottle of quality Eucalyptus oil. 2) 2 Q-tips 3) A warm shower Turn on your shower to a heat you can handle without it being to hot on your skin. Put a number of towels at the bottom of the door so the steam from the shower does not escape under the door. Just steaming alone is excellent and essential for proper vocal health care and when your vocal apparatus is under siege; however, this procedure will speed healing even more. Before you get into the shower, take each Q-tip and dip it in the Eucalyptus oil making sure it is covered completely and soaked. Put the Eucalyptus oil and Q-tips on a clean towel or tissue on the counter next to the shower or somewhere close so you can reach them from the shower. Before you get into the shower, spill a few drops of Eucalyptus oil on the floor of the shower. Be careful how much you use; if you use too much, the oil may burn your feet, so just a few drops. Get into the shower and breathe deeply and slowly allowing the mixture to fill your lungs. Take a few minutes to let the steam and mix of Eucalyptus oil begin opening up your sinus passages. After you have begun to allow the steam open you up, take one oil-soaked Q-tip and insert it into one nostril. Very gently and slowly, slide the Q-tip up into your sinus passage, making sure it goes all the way up into your sinus passage as far as it can go. Next, slowly and even more gently twist and turn the Q-tip so it coats your entire sinus passage. Now slowly pull the Q-tip out as you feel the openness in your sinus cavity and the energy of the oil working. Take the other oil soaked Q-tip and do the same thing to your other sinus passage. Within 30 seconds (or sooner) you will probably begin to sneeze longer and stronger than you ever have before! This is the clearing power of the oil and your sinus passages expelling all the mucus and bacteria that has been clogging you up. In addition, the oil will slide down into the back of your throat opening, cleaning, and clearing out any mucus or bacteria. If you are a voice professional, someone who uses their voice to make a living, this clearing is something I recommend you do every couple of weeks. It is another tool in the tool box of your own personal vocal health care regimen.

As a professional voice coach with solid voice training, I often check out the other voice coaches that are spouting how they can open your voice almost overnight. This should be your first red flag. Anyone, who understands the singing voice as an instrument, understands the mechanics of development and it does not happen overnight. Most of the body parts that contribute to the vocal instrument are muscles, including the vocal cords. Do you go to the gym and lift 100 lbs. more than you did the day before with some innovative technique or does it take a few weeks to stretch and build the muscle to accomplish this goal? The same can be said about the voice. Immediate results is their way of hooking you and reeling you in to their net. There are some key factors you MUST ask yourself when selecting a voice coach: Are they simply singers who have had no reputable training themselves passing on to you their bad habits and unsupported claims of how to improve your voice? Do they talk a lot about free singing or do they comment on more specific vocal techniques like nasal singing, controlling vibrato, phrasing, breathing correctly, ear training, and enunciation skills? Do they use the same training to develop the classical voice versus the pop singer or theatre voice? In other words, do they teach it all? Do they promise immediate results increasing your vocal range? Do they speak about their techniques in detail or are they vague and ambiguous? Do they have any formal training or experience with voice therapy or speech pathology? This is the screening process you must strictly adhere to when selecting a vocal coach. Your vocal cords are a sensitive and delicate instrument that must be used with care in an effort to avoid vocal strain, vocal ailments, and even long-term damage. I have witnessed individuals promote themselves as voice coaches and teachers who are completely inept. Choose wisely.

Oil of Oregano and Vocal Health Care Oil of oregano is one of natures most potent and powerful healing substances on the planet. It has been tested against a variety of infections and has been found to exert a high degree of anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial actions. It is also one of the most important tools a voice professional can have in their vocal health tool box. In his book, The Cure is in the Cupboard: How to use Oregano for Better Health, Dr. Cass Ingram, one of the world’s foremost experts on the healing and curative powers of Oil Of Oregano, describes the unlimited uses for this amazing oil. The main and most effective use is as an outstanding agent for respiratory illness, lung problems and expelling mucus from the lungs (which usually results in mucus on the vocal cords). These are major issues that we as voice professionals always need to be on top of. If we are having difficulty with our lungs and breathing or have mucus in our chest and throat, we are in big trouble. Our breathing needs to be open, full, and free of any debris or obstruction. Vocal Health Care Tool I use Oil of oregano when I feel ANY type of cough, scratchy throat or weakness in my body, or any other sign of possible illness creeping into my system. The oil itself is very, very powerful and extremely potent. In his book, Dr. Ingram directs to put 1 or 2 drops into juice and drink it down. This is okay for those who can tolerate the intensity of the oil. However, another way to use it is to put it into an empty pill capsule and swallow it. Empty capsules can be found at any health food store or pharmacy. When pouring the oil into the capsule, be very careful not to get any on your hands or the outside of the capsule. It is very powerful and can slightly burn your skin if you have open cuts. And it will do the same to your throat if it is on the outside of the capsule, so be very aware when preparing it for use. Mucus and Lung Troubles If you are hit with respiratory problems, you may want to begin using the oil immediately a couple of times a day. The antibiotic-like effects of the oil are incredible, and the oil does not destroy the good bacteria in your gut like antibiotics do. Instead, it helps the body use its own healing powers, and less energy is used toward fighting the adverse effects of the antibiotics. I sometimes mix a few drops with honey, lemon, water and a spoonful of olive oil to cut the taste and the burn. I use this as a gargle if I am in really deep trouble and need to sing soon. I can feel the healing begin almost immediately. Remember, never use more than 1 or 2 drops when applying the oil to your throat directly, and always be sure to check with your doctor or health practitioner first before adding or changing any medications or herbs into your diet. I do not usually endorse or pitch any particular brand of product on my blog. However, when it comes to some formulas or manufacturers, one needs to be very careful as to what they use. Such is the case with Oil of Oregano. The most reliable and extensively tested and researched product on the market today is Wild Oregano P73. It is a bit pricey for the amount you buy, but it goes a long way, and you don't need to use much when administering it. As always, I wish you the best on your quest for Superior Vocal Health.

Is that a fact?! Commonly held, but mistaken, ideas about how to sing better When it comes to singing, how many of us cross-check what we have been taught, or what we have read, or worked out for ourselves? How much are we seduced by factoids ("something which becomes accepted as fact, although it may not be true" OED)? The problem is that people assume the truth of a factoid partly because they have heard it repeated so often, and the information appear to be reliable and accurate. And where should we go to get the right information? Many singers, teachers and choral directors believe they know what they are doing. The ideas they received seem to have worked for them, more or less, and seemed to come from reliable sources (other singers, teachers choral directors etc). The problem is that we don't know when we don't know what we are talking about. Some of the ideas passed on about singing have no basis either in physiology (anatomical function or the brain science of learning and skill acquisition), acoustics, or psychology. Why do these tips and techniques work? First, not all of them do, we just think they do. Second, if our singing gets better or easier, we assume it is because of the intervention; it might be that we accidentally unknowingly do something else at the same time that actually makes the difference; or the confidence we gain from believing we are doing the right thing makes us relax, and it's the relaxation that improves the singing. All technique needs to contribute to either a) effective abdominal support in breathing, free movement of the larynx where vocal cord vibration and pitch changing takes place, c) optimisation of resonators for vocal tone and clear articulation, or d) a clear, focussed mind partnered with emotional and spiritual intelligence. Here are 7 factoids from the world of singing. Every one of us has probably heard a singer, choral director or singing teacher present at least one, if not all, of these as a fact and piece of good advice. How does each of these factoids enhance or undermine the four elements of singing described at the start of this paragraph? 1. Warm up with scales and tongue twisters Vocalising before the body is ready is the fastest way to tire the voice, and contribute to singers developing bad habits. If our voice feels stiff or unresponsive, breathy or weak toned, lacking in power, or unable to reach the higher ranges, then clearly our core posture is out of good alignment; probably the jaw and tongue are tight as well. We are not accessing proper abdominal breath support, the larynx (voice box) is pulled out of its symmetrical, free floating position in the neck so that the vibratory mechanism is compromised, and the resonators are compressed or distorted. Making sounds does not make these problems go away; it simply leads to our putting an unhealthy load onto our vocal cords and associated muscles. Tongue twisters for many people introduce even more tension into face, tongue and jaw, which, in most people, translates into reducing efficiency of the resonators, and stiffening muscles attaching to the larynx. A choir's collective enunciation may sound clearer, but the overall tone and expressive range are severely compromised. Tip: My golden rule for myself is centre the mind and emotions first, warm up and align the body second, and the voice will look after itself. Singing should be the last step in the warm up, not the first. 2. Take a big in-breath For most people, taking in a big breath inevitably means raising the shoulders, which both constricts ribs and lung capacity, and locks muscles that connect into the neck and larynx. Also, the air we use when singing comes out more slowly than when we are not vocalising at all. If we have more air inside us, then there is also more stale air and carbon dioxide waiting to get out of the body. If that stale air stays in too long, it puts our body under great stress, many muscles stiffen up, and we become anxious. Tip: Place hands gently on the side of the neck to check that it stays soft when inhaling and singing. 3. Push out / in / up with the diaphragm If we could do any of these, it would be an extraordinary scientific breakthrough. First, the diaphragm cannot push out or in, as it can only move up or down. Second, it cannot pushupwards. When we breathe in, the diaphragm (two horizontal dome shaped muscle masses) contracts downwards. The vacuum created in the lungs above it draws air in. When our bodies are at rest, and not vocalising, the diaphragm springs back upwards by itself as soon as we stop contracting the muscle for inhalation, like a rubber band when we let go of stretching it, enabling air to leave the body. So, to repeat the point, the diaphragm cannot push upwards at all. When we sing, the diaphragm does not rise immediately, but continues to contract downwards, preventing the air from leaving the lungs too quickly, while the abdominal muscles below squeeze the abdomen; this is important for regulating the flow of air and the pressures needed for vocalisation, and extended sounds or phrases. Tip: To feel how the abdominal muscles engage, exhale through firmly pursed lips or blow vigorously down a straw. 4. Spit out the words / consonants and open your mouth wide Spitting words out can lead to tongue tension and / or jaw tension. Muscles from these areas attach to the vibratory mechanism of the larynx (via the hyoid bone above it), and also stiffen muscles inside the mouth that need to be flexible for shaping the resonating cavity. This means that while the consonants might have percussive force, the resonators become smaller or clogged by the tongue, and the action of the vocal cords is also impaired. We end up with lots of consonants and not much vocal tone or musical line. Widening the mouth aperture (i.e. at the front) can help the emission of sound in terms of the intensity the listener perceives, or the tonal colour. However, if we widen our mouths by pushing the mandible (lower jaw) forwards, we tend to tighten the muscles underneath the jaw and inhibit the freedom of the hyoid and larynx. Attempting to spit out the words or consonants, and make the mouth wide would bring so much violent activity to the muscles that the resonators and larynx would be sent into chaos. Tip: To correct the jaw pushing forwards, practise short melodies on a vowel sound with the bottom lip curled gently back over the bottom teeth. Most vowels and consonants can be enunciated clearly with very little or no jaw movement (otherwise ventriloquists would be out of a job!). 5. Smiling stops you singing flat The pitch of a note is governed by the speed at which the vocal cords vibrate, which depends on their length, thickness and degree of tension. It is possible in a miniscule wayto influence the internal actions of the larynx (and therefore vocal cords) by massive tension on the external muscles attaching to it. However, such excessive tensions would hamper the larynx and resonators in so many other ways, the effort would not be worth it. For some people smiling is associated with raising the soft palate, which can help increase the number and intensity of higher harmonics or ring in the sound (enhancing what is referred to in acoustics as the singer's formant), which can lead some people to believe mistakenly that the pitch itself has altered. My best guess is that producing a manic and desperate grin (or raising the eyebrows) is more about the psychology of trying to lift the pitch than gaining any actual mechanical or acoustic advantage for the voice. Tip: Good tuning is almost always a natural outcome of good voice production, and is rarely a listening issue. Tuning therefore improves the more we understand and master our vocal instrument. 6. Sing quietly (or whisper) to save your voice To be able to sing quietly is a great skill to have. We can all do it to a certain extent, but not necessarily well. Many find their voices wobbling, coming and going, the air running out, or the sound being breathy, weak, or lacking a clear core. Tongue, jaw, neck or shoulders are tightened, the vocal cords are pressed against each other, the breath support is diminished. Singing quietly or marking before a performance can therefore be counter-productive, as we simply tire the voice out anyway, or become anxious through feeling our voice getting worse. Whispering often has similar characteristics of inefficient vocal production. Tip: Saving the voice is better achieved by a) a few hours silence, intelligent vocal practice and gentle rehabilitation exercises, c) meditation and centring techniques, d) singing out, but with good technique and self awareness. 7. Throat lozenges help your voice If our throat is sore, or the sound of our voice is not clean or clear, we need to know why. Are the vocal cords swollen through misuse or infection? Are the vocal cords dry, or covered with sticky or excessive mucus? Are the tonsils swollen? Is the soft palate swollen from infection? Throat lozenges can mask sensation; it's not a good idea for a singer to prevent themselves feeling what is going on internally, as they can do further damage and not even know it. Some pills and potions inhibit mucus production, drying us out not good news, given that the vocal cords must always retain a thin mucosal layer. Tip: If the cords are swollen, don't sing. Give them time to recover. Hydrate and avoid steps that risk drying out the cords or preventing them from retaining their mucosal layer. Check whether the throat discomfort arises from vocally abusive techniques or lifestyle. Don't mask sensation sensation is our friend! Trust me, I'm a what? The singing world is full of mis-information. I don't think that any of it is spread with any malicious intent. Nevertheless harm is done. Time, energy and money are wasted in trying to put into practice techniques that do nothing to help free, expressive, healthy vocalisation. And in many cases, harm is done by people stressing their vocal cords, and developing a neurosis and lack of confidence in their singing because they find it difficult to sing even though they are faithfully doing what they have been told. They assume there is something wrong with them, rather than with the information. Being an excellent singer doesn't guarantee that our conceptual model of the voice is correct; some singers are good despite their conceptual model. And some singers are good despite their teachers! So, please don't take my word for any of this. What I have written here does not constitute advice. Readers of this article are wholly and solely responsible for their own decisions, actions, and all outcomes, loss or damage resulting from the use of any of these ideas. Perhaps I have unwittingly simply produced more factoids. Each reader will have to check for themselves and make up their own mind. After all, I don't know what I don't know. And please, if you think I've got it wrong, let me know! Alexander Massey http://www.OxfordSingingLessons.co.uk - there are many articles, resources and videos here http://www.YouTube.com/voicewisdom © 17 Dec 2009

Out of tune, out of breath, losing your voice... We've all been there before at some time, and we often have no idea when we're there. I'm talking about being out of tune. I've known some perfectly in-tune singers who will have an out of tune stage performance now and then. I, myself, have had an out of tune song or two now and then. What often happens is you can't hear yourself in the monitors, because the mix is done incorrectly. Make sure you speak up during the sound check so you can get a clear mix in your monitors. Also be sure your body is relaxed and you're breathing. And also importantly, you're listening to yourself and your accompaniment. A consequence of when you can't hear yourself and you're singing louder and trying to adjust your body to be louder, (especially in Rock n Roll) is when you sing too hard and blow your vocal chords out. They heal in a day or two, but his can damage your chords permanently. If you're singing in a healthy way, your voice will become stronger every time you sing, and you won't lose your voice or feel any pain or discomfort. Sometimes discomfort can be something as little as a tickle in your throat, but other times you won't notice your sound isn't as pure when you're straining to be louder, to hear yourself, and you won't feel the discomfort until an entire set list later. To avoid this, turn up your monitors, and relax your body. Make sure you aren't straining when you sing. Constantly remind yourself to let go of your neck muscles, your soft palette, and your tongue, in addition to any excess body stress. Here's a warm-up to help you sound your best before each show. Gently chew your jaw and let out a relaxed sigh, and slowly siren downward, lightly, on "yahhhhhyayayayaaaa" with a numb, relaxed tongue. Sigh through your note ranges, in a light, not-trying-to-be-loud-or-sexy kind of tone. Much like a little boy. Make sure you're breathing in a relaxed manner, and you're filling your diaphragm up without your shoulders rising. It's good to randomly sigh different parts of your range throughout the day. Bend over and hang your torso from your hips, letting go of every muscle from the waist up. breathe in, laugh if you want, sigh. Shake it all out. Wind upwards, one vertebrate at a time. Once you're relaxed and balanced, sigh again. Focus on relaxation, above anything else, when you're going to sing. Relaxation is the key for any talented vocalist to succeed. Take the time to meditate before your shows. Take some time to stop caring about what anyone thinks but you. Take some time to accept and love yourself. Treat yourself to something good. When you're performing in front of people, don't think about the people, focus on your comfort, and ensuring you and the audience, can share this comfort. If the audience is uncomfortable with you at first, tell them a joke to get them to relax. If you relax first, and keep up the relaxation, the audience will relax and remain in their seats. If you're tense, the audience will reflect your tension. Audiences are mirrors. I hope this article was helpful to you! I know I certainly have good nights and bad nights, though less bad nights these days. Best wishes, Mer Sal Lead vocalist, The Symbols

The more exposed I am to other vocalists, coaches and teachers, the less I feel beautiful singing can be taught. That's not to say good singing techniques shouldn't be employed. All musicians should learn proper breathing, phrasing and expression. I stress these elements even in my piano studio and correlate them to singing & speaking. But more and more I believe the voice that's pleasing to hear, full of resonance and tonal interest, is simply a gift. It's the product of a configuration of anatomy...the instrument God has given you. The same piece well-learned sounds better on an in-tune Steinway concert grand than on an old Wurlitzer spinet. The player is the same but the instrument is superior. I just watched a clip of Pavarotti demonstrating how to hit those high notes without straining--but he couldn't explain it! I wonder these days how much vocal pedagogy is perpetuated out of fear that beautiful singing might be exposed as genetically-based.

Vocal Health Tool for Energy- Ashwagandha Root Fatigue can be one of the most difficult and dangerous issues to deal with for a voice professional especially because singing tired is extremely difficult mentally and can have detrimental effects on the voice physically. When we are tired we may have the tendency to push more on our vocal cords and not use our full support system as we do when we are full of good quality energy. This can end up in inflammation of the cords, vocal thrush and possibly laryngitis, hoarseness and possibly nodes. Not to mention the "muscle memory" we are establishing when we sing tired often. We need to provide our body and thus, our voice with quality sources of energy that will not overload us or have a negative effect on our throat, voice and vocal mechanism. Ashwaganda Root may be an excellent choice for this issue. Ashwaganda Root as a Vocal Health Tool Аshwagandha has been used for centuries for those suffering from fatigue, stress, low immune system issues and over all low energy. It is often referred to as the "Ayurvedic Ginseng." It is used for the same issues as Ginseng but is is not "heating or Yang" in it's stimulation like Ginseng. It is more subtle in it's effect on the body. Ashwagandha is an excellent choice for voice professionals and maintaining proper vocal health because of it's ability to replenish the entire system. This is especially important for those voice professionals who are performing or presenting full time and on the road. This herb is excellent for helping with burn out due to excessive use of energy and poor diet and high stress levels. Sound familiar! Heavy amounts of singing or speaking as a voice professional is what we do. It is part of the job description. It is almost as if we are always singing with a tired voice or body. This can be very dangerous and if done to much over time without proper support from a healthy energized body, we may find ourselves losing our most precious gift, our voice. Restoring Vocal Health Ashwagandha is also a great choice for those who are currently experiencing a burn out or downturn in energy levels and feel it in their singing or speaking. It provides us with additional life force to help us adapt to the stress we are constantly dealing with enabling us to sing with a more balanced energy and strength. Along with a strong alkaline diet, lots of quality liquids, and a good solid technique, Ashwaganda is a fabulous choice for helping to deal with the demands put on a professional singer or speaker especially one who is on the road and performing on a regular basis. I take Ashwaganda daily as a part of my vocal health regimen. It can be taken in capsule form, as an extract, or even as a tea. However, the extract generally contains the highest amount of herb and is most concentrated in addition to being digested and absorbed most efficiently. Please remember to check with your doctor, herbalist or health care provider before changing any medications or adding herbs or supplements to your diet. This is extremely important as every one is different and may react differently when taking certain herbs and supplements or medications. As always, I wish you the best on your quest for Superior Vocal Health.

Hi all, I have been teaching for about 2 and a half years now, but still lack confidence in a lot of things. I teach part time as I currently have to work full time in a Council job to pay my mortgage. I think a lot of the things I worry about are just lack of experience but I wanted your opinion on two things..... Firstly, how do you choose material for your students? Do you choose it or do they? Does this depend on what the student is doing it for (fun, performance etc)? How often do you change songs? Is it only when you have gotten everything out of the song that you would change it, or do you leave something to think about and come back to it at a later date? So many questions, but sometimes I feel like I know nothing about this whole teaching thing! The second issue I have is with one student in particular....she claims to want to be a performer. She is 15 and has been coming to me for a couple of years. She was on fortnightly lessons until recently and I spoke to her mother and said that she wasn't improving as much as I'd like so I suggested shorter weekly lessons. She still isn't improving however much I try! She looks totally bored throughout the whole lesson. I have spoken to her about it and asked whether her mother is the one who wants her to do this and whether in fact she would prefer a different career in the future. She claims that she really wants this. Problem is, I think she thinks that Daddy will be able to pay for her to get a glittering job at the end of paying for a performer college...I have tried to explain to her that it is a very tough business and that she needs to have the passion and drive to do it. She claims to have this and although she has a pretty voice, she is still struggling to pick up the basics of support. As I am not the most confident of people, I have wondered whether it is me that is the problem, but I do think it is more her attitude that is the problem. She never has an opinion on a song choice and if I try to help her with stories about the business or talk to her about West End news, she seemingly has zero interest. Obviously, if she had come to me and said she wants to learn to sing for fun this wouldn't be so much of an issue, but as she wants this to be her livelihood in the future, I really struggle not to lose my temper with her and tell her to pull her socks up! I tried to give her some 'fun' research based homework but she "forgot it" for four weeks so then I gave up asking! Rant over...anyone got any ideas? (and please be gentle!) xx

Foods to sleep by for Vocal Health Getting enough sleep is one of the most important things a voice professional needs. When we get the proper amount of sleep, at least 7 hours, our body is refreshed, strong and full of energy. The strength, power, clarity and focus of our voice is very dependent on our body. If we feel weak and depleted then our voice will more than likely sound the same way. A good nights sleep is crucial for quality vocal health. While exercise and mental clarity are definitely important for a good nights sleep, diet is equally important. Vocal Health and Eating before sleeping The body needs to rest while sleeping. If we eat up to three hours before sleeping, then our digestive system is working very hard digesting our meal, taking energy that should be storing up as we sleep. This energy is also needed to restore and heal whatever our body and voice is going through even if it is just basic repair from the days normal activities. In addition to, and even more important is the effect of eating before sleeping on the voice. Eating before sleeping is one of the most common reasons voice professionals have GERD, also known as acid reflux. Many times because of eating before sleeping and lying down while digesting, food is not able to digest properly and excess acid from the stomach can move up into the throat and sit on the vocal cords causing a myriad of problems ranging from waking up with mucus on the cords to inflammation and even vocal cord deterioration. Eating the wrong foods before sleeping can also lead to a difficult nights sleep due to the effects on the brain. Sugars, white flour, processed foods, dyes, fried foods, glutens and carbohydrates all effect the brain negatively not allowing it to slow down and rest while sleeping. Tryptophan for Vocal Health It is important for voice professionals to know what to eat before they sleep to get a good nights sleep. One amino acid that is very useful in helping the body to slow down and rest peacefully is tryptophan. Tryptophan helps to combat depression, stabilize moods, and insomnia. It also helps to alleviate stress, is good for migraine headaches, and aids in weight control by reducing appetite. If you must eat within three hours of going to sleep, try eating smaller amounts of food and eating foods with high levels of tryptophan. Some excellent sources of foods containing tryptophan and have a low potential to create mucus include: Alaskan salmon Asparagus Baked potatoes with their skin Beans Brown rice Chicken breast Cod Eggs Halibut Hazelnuts Hummus Kelp Lentils Meats Nuts ( sprouted not roasted ) Quinoa Seaweed Sesame seeds Shrimp Snapper Soy protien Spinach Spirulina Tuna Turkey Winter Squash Certainly this list is not all inclusive and there may be some foods that do not digest well in one person and are okay for another. Each person needs to know what works for them and their vocal regimen. As a voice professional your vocal health must be one of the top priorities in your life. Get the right amount of sleep and eat properly to insure your voice delivers for you when you need it to. As always, I wish you the best on your quest for Superior Vocal Health David Aaron Katz

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Melodic Revolution Records as a label is always evolving, more or less a progressive rock and classic rock label MRR has always strived to introduce the music listener and fan to the best in new and up and coming independent music. With that in mind we are once again moving forward with this very principle in mind. Melodic Revolution Records is very proud to announce 2 very talented recording artists to our family tree of bands and musician. Please help me by welcoming Alyshen and J-Zohar to our family with on album each in hand and a new release on the way. Now available through MRR Alyshen, The Revolution of Me & J-Zohar, Premonition I See Ya is the first single to be released to radio from Alyshen's upcoming album. It continues the upward evolution of Alyshen's vision of a global sound. Looking inside the composition, it's easy to see why I See Ya will follow in the footsteps of other successful songs from Alyshen. I See Ya is a bass-pumping, synth-laden, eclectic electronic experience. It encompasses a retro-rock style with a trendy euro-pop base. All of this diversity is beneath Alyshen's perfectly pitched vocals. With its hooky melody and crafty lyrical phrasing, I See Ya, is a track worth a look deep inside. J-Zohar's Touch of a Mice is the first single from J-Zohar's upcoming release, New Born. The composition is an aggressive - yet sentimental - mix of highly intoxicating trance and rock. We tagged it trock. It highlights J-Zohar's vocal prowess in a creative collision with the songwriting talents of Alyshen. The result is a fast-moving, dynamic composition. The song itself is a dichotomy. Its high-speed chorus is juxtaposed perfectly against the slowed time signature changes in the verses. In New Born J-Zohar has delivered once again. With her production skills, perfect pitch and highly addictive trock, Touch of a Mice is one infestation your ears will love. Links to Alyshen http://www.alyshen.com http://www.melodicrevolution.com/profile/Alyshen http://www.reverbnation.com/alyshen http://www.myspace.com/alyshen http://www.youtube.com/thealyshen http://www.twitter.com/alyshen http://www.itunes.com/alyshen http://www.last.fm/music/alyshen Links to J-Zohar http://www.j-zohar.com http://www.melodicrevolution.com/profile/JZohar http://www.reverbnation.com/jzohar http://www.myspace.com/jzohar http://www.twitter.com/jzoharmusic http://www.last.fm/music/jzohar http://www.itunes.com/j-zohar http://www.meermusic.com/jzohar

For the last several years I have been teaching about how fear and resistance in the body over time can cause vocal injury. How so? Almost anytime we feel fear our body will instinctively tense up. This tensing is a set up for incorrect use of the diaphragm and all of it's surrounding musculature because instead of engaging this support mechanism with natural action, the body is reflexively contracting inward in order to push the air up and get the sound out much like catching a football. The wrong kind of resistance in the body (a squeezed and tense neck and body) then becomes like a wall that nothing can get past. It causes discomfort and difficulty when trying to get through those sections of a song you are so earnestly trying to 'get'. Recently I had a very valuable experience with regard to this issue. I would like to share it with you since I have been able to apply it to singing and the quest to have your voice be all it can be. 6 weeks ago, I fell into a concealed ditch. I fractured my pelvis in 3 places and my foot in 2. I spent one week in the hospital and 3 weeks in Re-hab. I was scared to death. I couldn't imagine ever walking again without feeling pain just as singers fear they won't get their voices back or be able to sing well again after years of vocal abuse and the possibility of having had surgery. Early on in this process, as I tried to learn how to walk with this injury, I realized I was afraid of the pain and afraid of causing even more injury to myself. As soon as I recognized it I felt my body tense up and as long as my body continued to reflexively resist, I couldn't move. If I continued to allow it, it would slowly become a habit and continue to impair my ability to walk as I once did. With this awareness, every time I had physical therapy I decided it was best if I acknowledged this problem out loud whenever I felt it. I then would take a deep breath in, let it go, and begin again. What I was doing was training my body not to let instinct take over just because it was so hard to move. As a result, within 7 weeks I was completely healed. As we all have found, most every teacher has a different approach as to how to get the diaphragm to engage properly. I am of the belief that even though we all may have developed different ways of going after this, that we are all trying to teach the same things. For the student singer, it may be just a matter of finding the right teacher, the right fit, and the technique that works best. However, if you are still having difficulty with any section of your voice, no matter what you try to do to remedy it, chances are that your body is relying on instinct. Then, sometimes, unbeknownst to you, it has become an automatic reflex, a bad habit. You've found a way manipulate your voice even if you know it's wrong. And, you know it's wrong because it either doesn't feel right or it's not the sound you were hoping to achieve. Sometimes the teacher can offer a fairly easy remedy to apply while singing the song. But most of the time, the singer finds that every time he/she gets to that section, the same thing keeps happening and it feels like a no-win situation. Other times it can be so frustrating that you start believing it. You can usually pinpoint the problem: improper airflow, squeezing, pushing, etc. But you just can't figure out how to stop it. This is where my new awareness might come in handy. It is not an easy fix when dealing with a habit that is hard to break. So when practicing difficult sections of songs, I now have the singer stop at the point where he/she is having difficulty and consciously try to identify the problem by turning inward to his/her body. If they can't, I will ask them to take the song back the couple of phrases that led up to the trouble spot. This time, I will also ask that they pay special attention. Then, again, I will have them try to identify where in the body they feel it tensed up. If the singer keeps encountering the same problem, I have them repeat this process until they 'get it'. The effort is in the simple acknowledgement, and nothing more. Rather, once you begin going over the song its entirety to see what you have retained, or for the sheer fun of singing, I suggest you only apply the techniques you've learned how to do from your teacher. This is just another approach to try when nothing else is working. If you can't straighten it out after working at it a few times, all it means is that you still haven't created a new muscle sense memory. The new habit has not learned to replace the old yet.

It is important when a student begins to undergo vocal training to be diligent. Either way, take a course should not result in the release and say: - "I'll wait for next week to continue working" I have the case of a new student who made me think. In the fourth class, I wondered why she did not remember what I had taught him. I deduced following questions she did not work between classes to implement automation that I made him ask in previous lessons. She is a student, brilliant with 18 medium, it is sporty, medals back home, she is diligent, but in this song ... and another story. She took guitar lessons it has stopped because you had to work between classes. Everything comes if and only if it has the means to also experiment between classes to put in place the right mechanisms and thus progress.

Vocal Health Tool--Respiratory Enhancer - Astragalus Root Many times, singing powerfully, clear and open can often come down to how good the breath is flowing, especially as it relates to the lungs and their capacity. I have noticed that in my own singing when I have that rare occasion where my lungs have some mucus swimming around and I am hacking a bit, my ability to breathe deeply and fully is hindered. We need our lungs to be clear and free of debris so we can fully expand and allow our breath to flow and support the sound. Chinese medicine has been using Astragalus Root, or Huang Qi, for thousands of years just for this purpose. Vocal Health Tool--Lung Support Astragalus root can be taken orally in capsule form or as a tea. It is also referred to as "The Great Protector." One of its most beneficial uses is to warm and tone, helping the body to adapt to external influences, especially the cold. Astragalus has also been used in the treatment and prevention of viral colds and flu, bronchitis and cardiovascular problem. As singers, we have to be very conscious of these issues as we are going about our daily lives. Another important reason Astragalus is excellent for the Voice Professional is that it has shown to strengthen the lungs, especially where they are chronically weak and there is a shortness of breath, and it aids in the recovery of any illness or injury requiring long-term immune system support--two major pluses when we are battling some sort of respiratory issue and still need to go out and get the job done. Vocal Health Tool- Mucus Buster We can also use Astragalus root as a quality vocal health tool for keeping the lungs and chest free of mucus. Astragalus helps by invigorating the immune response. While working hard and on the road, we can attract all kinds of viruses and bacteria to us. Taking Astragalus can seriously help your respiratory tract to stay free of mucus and wide open, allowing you to sing stronger and longer. Because it is such a versatile herb, it is often combined with other herbs that can enhance your healing even more. Vocal Health Tool- Energy and Immune Booster Because we are always needing extra energy to sing and perform, quality vocal health is priority number one. If our immune system is low then we are always fighting, and the energy we could be using towards singing goes to keeping us healthy and supporting a lacking or weakened immune system. Astragalus has been shown to dramatically enhance ones recovery from exhaustion, illness and even surgery. It has been shown to revitalize white blood cells, stimulating the natural production of natural antibodies and natural interferon which your body uses to fight diseases. Sounds good to me if I have a couple of weeks of work singing with very little break in between. Also sounds good if I need the extra energy and support. When used with proper supervision from a health care practitioner, Astragalus has not been found to be toxic or produce any damaging side effects to the body or voice. Always check with your health practitioner before adding or changing medications or supplements. The information in this post and on this blog is intended to be used only for informational purposes. Be smart, safe and investigate. As always, I wish you the best on your quest for Superior Vocal Health.

Vocal Health Tool for Dry Mouth Singing, speaking, teaching and even day to day use of the voice can be very difficult when the voice, throat and nasal passages become dry. Even more so if you live in warm, dry climates and are going indoors and outdoors dealing with air conditioning units that can spew out dust and other debris. Maintaining vocal health in these conditions can be very difficult. As voice professionals who rely on our voices to deliver and perform at the drop of a hat, it is extremely important that we keep our throats and cords moist at all times. Lack of adequate moisture can seriously affect the production of sound and possibly cause vocal cord damage. When it comes to keeping the voice and throat moist, I suggest you go with natures best--Xylitol. Vocal Health Tool - Throat Saver with Xylitol One of the core ingredients in the Throat Saver formula from Superior Vocal Health is Xylitol. Xylitol is one of the newer natural sugar sweeteners on the market today. It is a white crystalline sugar found in many fruits and vegetables like berries, plums, lettuce and mushrooms. Not only is it an excellent sweetener with 40% fewer calories than white refined sugar, it also has fabulous properties that fight and break down bacteria. This is an excellent benefit for singers and voice professionals to help keep the throat and cords healthy and free of bacteria. In addition, it is nontoxic and can be used all day long with no side effects. According to an article in Amazing Wellness magazine, researchers at the University of Iowa found that Xylitol helps to pull fluid into the nasal airways and throat when applied to each of those areas. Xylitol "helps to moisturize and thin the mucus cilia in the nasal passageway....Xylitol also reduces the number of bacteria that adhere to the nasal passage, and when used regularly hydrated nasal (and throat) passages and help flush out airborne pollutants that could trigger asthma and allergies." The same can be said for the throat and vocal cords when the spray is applied on a regular basis. All of this is great news for the voice professional. Keeping the throat and nasal passageways clean of bacteria, moist and flowing is a wonderful thing. Especially knowing you are using an all natural supplement that has no negative side effects. Throat Saver formula is an outstanding way to use Xylitol safely and effectively as a vocal health tool that you can take with you and use whenever needed. Keeping yourself in top vocal form is always connected to your vocal health. Using the best and most effective natural agents in your vocal health care regimen can make all the difference in the world when it comes to singing your best. As always, I wish you the best on your quest for Superior Vocal Health. David Aaron Katz

Mandalaband have strong roots in the Symphonic Rock music scene. They first arrived in the late 70's with two releases on Chrysalis Records which have been re-issued on Legend Records (2010) as a 2 CD set called Resurrection. Fast forward 30 + years (2009) when Mandalaband return with their best work to date: BC ANCESTORS, which featured four of the principal musicians from that original era who are still very much a part of the new Mandalaband project: ASHLEY MULFORD (Guitars - Mandalaband I, Sad Cafe) WOOLLY WOLSTENHOLME (Mellotron & Keyboards - Mandalaband II, Barclay James Harvest, John Lee's BJH & Maestoso) KIM TURNER (Drums & Percussion - Mandalaband II & Maestoso) and DAVID ROHL (Writer, Engineer, Producer and Keyboards). The third incarnation of the band Included TROY DONOCKLEY (Uilleann Pipes, Whistles & Guitars - Iona & the Bad Shepherds) JOSE MANUEL MEDINA (Keyboards - Last Knight) MARC ATKINSON (Vocals - Gabriel & Riversea) GEOFFREY RICHARDSON (Violin, Viola, Flute, Clarinet & guitars - Caravan, The Penguin Cafe Orchestra & the Murray Head band) CRAIG FLETCHER (Bass Guitar - Maestoso, BJH & John Lee's BJH) and BARBARA & BRIONY MACANAS (Vocals - Limehouse & Afriko). It is 2011 and Mandalaband return with the second concept album: AD SANGREAL, after four years in the making, and following on from the widely acclaimed BC ANCESTORS CD. Whilst BC focused on the pre-Christian era of ancient Egypt, Israel and Mesopotamia, AD takes the first one thousand years of early Christianity as its theme specifically the legend of the Holy Grail or Sangreal. But this is not the famous Arthurian tale with which we are all familiar. This is the true story of the cup of the Last Supper, as handed down to us from within the little-known Romano-Spanish traditions a small red agate vessel which, over the centuries, journeyed from Jerusalem to Glastonbury, then to Rome, and on to the kingdom of Aragon in Spain, before finally finding its rest in the cathedral of Valencia where the Sangreal remains to this day. All the extraordinary events, heroes and villains involved in that epic journey are revealed in the lyrics of AD SANGREAL a story told in majestic ballads, stirring melodies and a complex tapestry of weaving rhythms a story of emperors, kings, caliphs, warriors, crusaders, knights and saints. Epic in every sense of that word, AD SANGREAL consists of 14 tracks, many of which are spectacular anthems. In addition there is a very special bonus track, featuring Woolly Wolstenholme (of BJH and Maestoso) as lead vocalist on Mandalaband's rendition of the classic Barclay James Harvest song Galadriel. The CD also includes a 32-page booklet and sees the return of Ed Unitsky contributing the beautiful artwork. Track Listing: 1. A Bloodline Born (Medina/Rohl) 2. Magdalena (Medina/Rohl) 3. Palatium Britannicum (Mulford/Rohl) 4. England's Heart and Soul (Rohl) 5. Sancto Laurent (Mulford/Rohl) 6. Flight to Osca (Mulford/Rohl) 7. Visigoths (Rohl) 8. Saracens (Medina/Rohl) 9. Al-Andalus (Rohl) 10. Unholy Orders (Mulford/Rohl) 11. The Kingdom of Aragon (Medina/Rohl/Spear) 12. Holy Orders (Rohl/Turner) 13. Le Perche Val (Mulford/Rohl) 14. Anfortas Rex (Rohl) 15. Galadriel [bonus Track] (Lees) Total running time 76 minutes. Engineered and Produced by David Rohl. US Release Date July 25th 2011 UK Release Date July 11th 2011 For more information: Mandalaband Melodic Revolution Records

Almost every singer, speaker, actor or fellow clergy with whom I have worked, has on more than one occasion had to perform with a tired or over-used voice, some level of mucus and low energy. It seems to be part of our job description. Whether it's an audition, presentation, performance or sermon, we need to be in top vocal form. However, life's responsibilities simply don't disappear when we need to be on. For a myriad of reasons, our voice may be ragged and tired and our bodies may be lacking the energy needed to bring the voice up and out of our bodies with a full confident sound. So I would like to suggest some outstanding natural alternatives for proper vocal health care, to refined sugar, caffeine, and drugs that I, for one, have been using for many years. These alternatives will energize your voice, mind, and body naturally. They work almost immediately, help to restore and remove mucus from the cords and throat and best of all, have no side effects. Over-used, tired throat, and vocal cords There are a number of herbs that can provide instant relief for the tired throat and vocal cords. These may be used in extract form (liquid) as a gargle or as a tea. I prefer to gargle because the herbs go directly into the throat and coat the muscles and vocal cords, as well as removing unwanted mucus and debris providing me with immediate relief. Teas tend to pass through the throat more quickly and contact to the affected area is not as dramatic. In addition, the herbal content in most tea bags is considerably less than that in an extract. Also, for general vocal health care, the heat in the throat can be an effective healing agent, thereby relaxing the inflamed area. If you do purchase these herbs as teas, drink them hot with some honey. Adding lemon can be helpful but too much citrus can dry the throat and cords, so be careful as to the amount you use. A good one time squeeze one time should suffice. The following herbal combination is one of the best remedies I have known. It is a combination of the herbal extracts Ginger, Cayenne, Slippery Elm, Turmeric and Sage. Each of these herbs has exceptional properties that help with swelling, inflammation and pain. This combination has also been used successfully for laryngitis and hoarseness. Each individual herb can be found at any health food store but use the non alcohol brands. The alcohol content in certain extracts is usually quite high and can dry the throat and vocal cords, not to mention affecting brain focus. Making a solution to gargle is very easy. Simply follow the steps below: Fill a cup with 2 oz. of warm water Add 10 drops of each extract to the water Mix in a half a tablespoon of honey Gargle three times every two hours until you have to sing or present Be sure to allow it to go as far down into your throat as possible Gargle one last time just minutes before singing. Try not to swallow the mixture. Swallowing small amounts will not harm you in any way except that it may make you a bit nauseous Vocal Health Care and Energy Without adequate energy, all of the above mentioned remedies can be of little or no value. The best form of energy we have is in the food we eat. Your nutritional decisions at times like these will determine your overall effectiveness as a performer. Do not take proper nutrition for granted. In cases like these you need the most effective and powerful fuel you can get. Below you may find some excellent foods that provide outstanding energy without creating mucus in the throat or making you feel bloated, nervous, or groggy. 1. Gogi Berries Dried fruits---for example, mangos are loaded with potassium. Pineapple contains Bromelain which helps to heal inflammation. 3. Nuts: sunflower seeds, almonds (sprouted) and pumpkin seeds 4. Hard-boiled eggs 5. Beans and lentils 6. Sprouts 7. Broccoli, asparagus, spinach 8. Brown rice 9. Watermelon 10. Freshly squeezed vegetable juice Being a Cantor, teacher, nutritional consultant, and singer, I understand the extraordinary demands put on the Voice Professional. Our craft is a complete mental, physical, and spiritual one. We need to take care of ourselves and many times we need additional support. Getting it from the right sources is key. You have the choice to decide how you will take care of your voice. Choosing wisely and effectively will ensure a joyous and successful career. As always I wish you the best on your quest for Superior Vocal Health. FREE FOR ALL FRIDAYS!!! Win free products from Superior Vocal Health every Friday just by "liking" our Facebook page.

The modern singer is a vocal athlete. Dancers and elite sports professionals know the importance of preparing the body correctly for performance. Vocalists need to be the same way! Just like the skeletal muscles should be systematically stretched before demanding usage, so should the muscles of the larynx that are involved in phonation. The principle of veisel dilation is the same- blood needs to nourish the muscles with oxygen to increase flexibility and decrease the chance of injury. DON'T SKIMP ON YOUR VOCAL WARMUP!!!! A singer should NEVER go into a lengthy rehearsal, recording session, or performance without a thorough warmup. It should last somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes to make sure that all the musculature is properly coordinated, with the head and chest registers easily connected and the full range engaged. Physical stretches are also helpful as are stretches for the tongue. I begin the vocal warmup with glissandi, or slides, either on a hum, 'oo', lip trill, or tongue trill. Either starting lightly in head voice and descending or sliding up easily from chest voice work well. The first scales will be on sounds that serve to stretch out the voice- lip trills, tongue trill, and the 'ng' sound. I use the octave and a half pattern and then into the mixed octave scale. These exercise sounds allow for a very effective warmup over a wide range without undue pressure and unwanted muscular interference. And they can be revisited throughout the day to keep the voice fresh. Now we move on to the dumb or crying sounds. These exercise syllables will help you balance good cord closure with efficient air flow- not too much, not too little. Use syllables such as 'mum', 'goog', 'bub', or 'wun' with a slightly exaggerated goofy sound. This will keep the swallowing muscles from pulling the larynx up and constricting the throat. Then change the sound from the dumber approach to more of a whimper or cry, bringing the larynx to a more natural, neutral position. This is not supposed to be a pretty sound. Its job is to deactivate those overactive swallowing muscles that interfere with easy tone production. Then, the ugly but invaluable pharyngeal sounds are employed. They were referred to as 'the witch's voice' in times past and that's exactly how you should sound!! No sounding pretty here!! With a bratty, witchy tone, we will use the syllables 'nay' and 'naa'. These sounds will allow again greater air flow and a produce a tone that is deceptively powerful but actually quite easy to make- no strain needed. The exercise allows a very easy, effiecient connection of the chest and head registers, creating the much needed middle voice or 'the mix' that is so important for most modern vocal styles. Remember, the goal is not prettiness. The ugliness in the exercises is helping to build a solid technique, so enjoy the chance to sound like a looney as you build a killer voice!! Once you have gotten through this portion of the warmup, you may move onto exercises that work on agility, sustains, and dynamics, but only after the voice feels loose and the cord closure is well coordinated with the breath. This is a map of the basics of the daily warmup. It will vary according to many factors, such as energy level, time of day, amount of sleep, the size of the voice, and many others. But this is a general approach that we will use as the core of regimen. It is very imporant to find a knowledgeable voice teacher to help you develop the proper routine for your voice and its unique demands. Remember, you are a vocal athlete and you must train with that idea in mind.

A common problem for vocalists is the rising of the larynx, or voice box, which houses the vocal cords. For the most part, your larynx should not move up much when singing higher. The vocal folds stretch and thin to create higher notes and that's most efficiently done if the larynx stays more neutral or slightly lowered for classical singing. When it rises, the lifter muscles responsible for moving it for swallowing purposes are engaged. This is not very efficient for most singing and can lead to fatigue and other unwanted problems. When practicing, monitor the voice box by lightly placing a finger over the larynx and pay attention to any tendency of it to move too much when ascending. To combat a rising voice box, add a pouty or dumb approach to your sound. Use syllables such as 'mum', 'goog', 'bub', or 'wun' with a slightly exaggerated goofy sound. This will keep the swallowing muscles from pulling the larynx up and constricting the throat. So here goes!! Using 'goog', we will phonate on the following pattern. Make sure it is produced with a Bullwinkle or Rocky Balboa dopey sound or as if saying 'duh'. goog goog goog goog goog goog goog goog goog goog 1 3 5 8 8 8 8 5 3 1 This is not supposed to be a pretty sound. Its job is to deactivate those overactive swallowing muscles that interfere with easy tone production. Remember to keep a finger placed lightly on your larynx and you should notice it staying down even as the pitch rises. It may also helpful to do the exercise with your fist lightly on the chin to make sure your jaw stays loose. One you get the hang of it, you can move on these patterns: 1 3 5 1(next octave) 3 5 4 2 7(in original octave) 5 4 2 1 1 5 3 8 5 3 1 This is an extremely effective exercise......and its silliness makes it fun!!!

There is still alot of debate in vocal teaching circles concerning the healthiness of belting. Even finding a consistent definition is tricky. It's a sound that is often identified with Broadway or gospel singing. It is a big, loud, powerful sound that can be quite stirring. The potential problem with pure belting is that the chest voice range is pushed higher than is optimal, which can make a singer hyperfunctional. In my opinion, it is better to develop a strong mix or middle voice that can can be leaned into for more power. One exercise that can help in that area is the pharyngeal voice or 'witch's voice. The use of this device dates back to the baroque period and the training of the castrati. This ugly, bratty sound helps to bridge the chest into the middle area easily without pushing or straining. Use the sounds 'nay', 'naa', & 'waa' in your practice. As you ascend the scale, don't get intentionally louder- the pharyngeal resonance will give a sense of more power without your help! Just keep the sound ugly without strain. Be sure not to jam the sound into your nose. It works wonders without taxing the voice. A great scale pattern to start with is the octave arpeggio with the top note repeated: nay- nay-nay-nay-nay-nay-nay-nay-nay-nay 1 3 5 8 8 8 8 5 3 1 The repeat of the top note give the muscles a greater opportunity to remember the proper response. From here, you can add the octave & a half pattern as well as the mixed octave scale. These two amp up the challenge by covering more range more quickly.

Many singers can sing like an angel, but have horrible breathing technique, if any. Correct breathing is a basic principle that is often absent in a performance, and that is tragic. If one learns to breathe correctly, they have to ability to greatly improve sound and also expand stamina and range. Also, breathing and relaxation go together like a hand and glove when done the right way. What is "A Singers Breath"? A singers breath is a term that I coined to make this type of breathing distinct from the shallow breathing that we do in everyday living. When a singer takes a breath to sing a note, it should be very calculated and technique driven. When I was growing up, I was always told to "sing from you diaphram", but correct breathing is so much more than that. Your diaphram is only one of the muscles involved with singing. In acutallity, your entire abdomen should be engaged when you sing, not just "the diaphram", as many people think. How to breathe Shallow breathing is the only thing essential for maintaining life. It is what we do everyday without any thought. It involves part abdominal muscles, part chest muscles. However, when a singer is performing, they must learn to think differntly about how to take a breath, and how to let that breath out. A short excersise: Stand upright and when you breathe in, fill your abdomen with air (Your abdomen shoud look and fill up like you are blowing up a balloon). Do this as slowly as possible. When you have completely filled your abdomen with air, slowly blow the air out. Maintain as much control as you can using your muscles in the abdomen, and no other muscles. Your objective is to take in as much air as you can, but you don't want to involve your chest muscles at all when taking in the breath. When letting the breath out (which is what happens when you sing), you want to be as controlled as possible, using only your abdominal muscles to allow air to seep out (Imagine that you are letting the air out of the balloon that you just blew up while pinching the entrance of it. Only allowing the air to leak out, not flow out). The focus is filling with air the right way by isolation of the abdominal muscles(breathing in), and exhaling with a strong and controlled motion(Singing with control). Do this repeatedly by counting to ten while you slowly fill your abdomen with air, and also when you are letting the air out. If you look into a mirror, there should somewhat of a butterfly motion going on only in your abdominal area. The rest of your body should be as relaxed as possible. If you have been breathing incorrectly for years, this is something that takes work, but don't be discouraged. You must retrain yourself to correct something that you have been doing for a long period of time. That is where a Professional Vocal Coach comes into play. If you are a serious singer, seek one. You will only get better at your art if you do! I hope that this will at least start you on a quest to become the best singer that you can be. Angelia Williams Professioal Vocal Coach "Where Voices are Developed"

As I previously mentioned, the tongue is often a source of unwanted tensions for singers. It is important to be aware of the engagement of the hyoid or digastric muscles at the base of the tongue, near the chin. Just the awareness of their activity helps in loosening their grip. Place both thumbs under your chin and sing an ascending passage. If you feel pressure from the tongue pushing downward, those muscles are getting in the way of efficient tone production. Also, if when watching yourself in a mirror you notice your tongue pulling backward in your mouth, it is being disruptive to good singing. WE DON'T WANT THAT!!!!! I like to start my warmup time with some tongue stretches before I actually vocalize. This routine I learned from Nate Waller, who was my speech pathologist when I was preparing for vocal fold surgery. Since then, they have become a regular part of my daily regimen. So here goes: 1) Stick the tongue out of the mouth pointing upward. Hold for 3-4 seconds and release. Repeat 3 times. 2) Stick the tongue out pointing downward for 3-4 seconds then release. Repeat 3 times. 3) Stick the tongue out to the each side of the mouth for 3 repetitions, holding for 4 seconds each time. 4) With the tip of the tongue behind the lower front teeth, extend the body of the tongue forward and out . Hold for 4 seconds. Repeat 4 times. Make this a regular part of the vocal warmup process. You will be so very glad you did!! I like to monitor the activilty of the muscles under the chin throughout my practice time. If I feel that my production of sound is getting more difficult, I place the thumbs under the chin to check for tightening of those evil tongue muscles. Often, that is the source of the imbalance. If you're like me and had a lot of problems in this area early on, you must remain vigilant in self-monitoring.

Reaching those High Notes w/ Ease Of all the things singers worry about and train for hitting high notes is usually at the top of the list. Many singers have misconceptions on singing high notes. Here are a few of them. Remember forcing more air does not make the pitch higher. Many uninformed singers assume more air = higher pitch. These are people who push. Consequently they lack relaxed harmonic overtones (upper head resonance) and their voice sounds very shouty. More like someone screaming at a game. Again some people use pushing to add volume. True you need more pressure to get louder. But, you only need so much. There comes a point where you need resonance and a relaxed voice to do the rest of the amplifying. Plus no matter how strong you are you can only push so much for loudness. Singers who don't know how to get loud with the proper pressure and resonance quickly go hoarse and lose their voice. Loudness comes from resonance and your voice being open and relaxed against the correct pressure. You have to find the right balance. So forcing for power will actually cut off your range and you will never reach that high note. The more relaxed you are the higher your voice can go. Another common misconception is that you can work on just hitting high notes and every note under that will be easy to hit and have nice quality of tone. If you do this at best you will be able to hit some high notes and that's it. At the worst you will tire out your voice very quickly and lose it. A singer needs to work their entire range. Working the low end of your range brings depth of tone to your high end and working your high end brings in harmonic overtones to your low end. If you listen to singers who have a very wide natural range closely, you will notice that on the low end of their range it is very full and rich and relaxed with no hint of a ceiling. A different singer who only knew how to sing in that low end would sound as if they had a definite ceiling and maybe even reaching to try to get the resonance just for the low pitches. So, if you only want to sing low because you like creed, or pearl jam still work on your high end it will make your low end that much better. "If you are a bass, a man or have a naturally low voice you can't hit high notes." Not true, you just need to learn to get into your head voice. Someone with a low bass voice usually has long thick cords. So, to get them to stretch and zip takes more training, there is more there to train. Very low bass singers usually take more time to get over their bridge. Bass singers have longer cords and the possibility of a wider range. Where as a person with a higher voice has shorter cords and a naturally higher range and will find it easier to blend and make it over the bridge. But the person with the shorter cords will never be able to sing as low as a bass and have that depth in their tonality. So, you can see there are advantages to both. Another misconception is trying to keep the same feel/resonant quality on super high notes that you have on bass notes or a very thick chesty mid tone. Singing super high notes is a much lighter resonant feeling. When singing really high notes most of the resonance is felt up through the head like a very strong hum. Learning the Attack of the Mask makes singing high powerful notes a breeze.

Lately in the news, popping up here and there, I'm noticing canceled concerts due to cold and chest infection and singers on vocal rest recovering from nodules. his posted on Adele's site this past week: WOLVERHAMPTON WOVERSHOWS POSTPONED It is with regret that due to continuing problems with a serious cold and chest infection, Adele has to postpone her shows this weekend in Wolverhampton on Saturday Sept 10th and Sunday Sept 11th. Her doctors have insisted she recovers fully before returning to the tour. The shows will be rescheduled at the earliest opportunity and all original tickets will remain valid. Refunds will be available from the point of purchase. Sincerest apologies for any inconvenience caused. This on Twitter last week: Christina Perri my vocal chords are healed + perfect!!!!!! yay!!!!!!! (thank you everyone for your prayers + wishes! we did it!!!) ahhhh!!! It's actually challenging to stay in good vocal shape on tour. Amidst the grueling non-stop schedule, dehydration from air travel, lack of nutrition from fast food chains (there's very little green food on tour except for iceberg lettuce and that is FAR from green), the crazy media blitz's, photo op's, publicity, etc. Singer Adele has postponed her tour now for the 2nd time and Jar of Hearts Christina Perri is just off 2 weeks of vocal rest to successfully shrink her nodules. Hopefully these singers will figure out how to prevent further damage, stay healthy and continue to escape the knife (not something you ever want to do your voice will never be the same again). Add to your vocal fatigue, the stress from cancelling a concert, let alone a tour is overwhelming. A trail of people are suddenly affected: tour managers, roadies, musicians, venue, venue employees people instantly out of a job, the cost is enormous, the venue cancellation alone costs a fortune. And then there's the stress of disappointing your fans. It's not something you want to have happen, on top of the fact that your recovery time can be a month or two and in some cases even longer. That's a long time in the life of an entertainer. I find that even most managers and record exec's and even the majority of vocal coaches, don't know about what I am going to reveal here in this article. I am always surprised by that I guess it's the if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it attitude. However, with the voice, it's too vulnerable an instrument to NOT be preventative with. Because once it's damaged, a singer is down for the count and often for too long. Why take the chance? But the truth is, not only can you recover from most any situation sometimes within two days if you know what you're doing, preventative care helps you avoid problems all together. Just by understanding how to take care and stock up with the right natural prescriptions in your medicine satchel and acting at the first sign of anything and you'll stay in the safe zone. I've done it a gazillion times myself with my own voice (yes, I've been my own guinea pig) and with thousands of singers over the past few decades. And now I teach to all of my singers exactly what do to in a myriad of situations and how to diagnose symptoms. Last year one of my well-known artists left me a message in a panic. He was performing at a music conference and was on his way to LA for his first appearance ever on network TV (the Ellen Show) in just two days and he was losing his voice by the minute. He texted me feverishly, terrified he would have no voice by the time he got there what was he going to do?? I mean who wants to botch the Ellen Show?? He was beside himself with anxiety and was ready for anything. What followed next was a trip to Whole Foods (usually the only place that has everything) with a detailed shopping list. I sent him the instructions, which basically included along the lines of water-boarding, a vegan diet, massage and acupuncture (works wonders for vocal problems), a lot of down-dog and swallowing a mega load of supplements and herbs every 2 hours. Luckily, he had also just been at my studio in New York and I had given him some of my Chinese herbs to take on the road just in case (harder to find). Well, not only did he get his voice back, but he sounded amazing (you couldn't tell there was any vocal problem at all) and he looked so chill up there under the lights, I was sure it was from sheer relief! We were both thrilled, thank goodness for natural remedies, knowing how to use them and a handful of tricks up my sleeve. He would not have made it without them. The good news is, vocal problems and burnout are all preventable and fixable if you are willing to do the work and follow instructions. The body is an amazing healing machine when you know the right fuel and elixirs to feed it. I have helped countless singers recover from problems as well as avoid the knife altogether. This is usually behind closed door stuff, but I wanted you, my faithful readers, to be armed with this info, so you can sing your heart out and know there's a way to do it without wearing out and losing out! The Vocal Road Warrior Formula First off, I just want to point out the beauty of the word Healthy. Heal-thy. That amazing healing machine thing again Heal-thy Body: hydration, diet, nutrition, massage, natural remedies Heal-thy Voice: hydration (I can never say this word enough), sleep (at least 7-8 hrs), vocal technique: warm ups & cool downs Heal-thy Self: positive attitude, visualization, stress management, gratitude The Whole Foods Vitamins & Herbs Shopping list: Soloray powdered Crystalline Vitamin C (non-ascorbic, won't cause reflux) 1 tsp every 2 hours (in a shot of juice) until you are better (except for nighttime) Bronchial Soothe (stops coughing immediately Coughing shreds your vocal cords) Hydrochloric acid (little known natural cure for reflux, seems counter-intuitive, but when you have reflux your body doesn't make enough good acid hydrochloric) Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, Oral demulcent sore throat syrup you can find in Chinatown (if you can't find this, Loquat Syrup will do) Organic carrots, celery, apple, parsley, ginger for juice (Juice 3x a day) Oregano oil (pure essential oil) Use topically on throat 3x day Oregano tea (great for vocal loss) Raw creamed honey (the best throat balm in the world) Vocal Eze throat Spray (www.travelwellness.com) Best natural spray on the market! Use 6-7 x a day for moisture and vocal health Tiger balm, Use topically on throat 3x a day (keep throat wrapped with a light silk scarf) Sore Throat/Hoarseness homeopathic remedy (Roxalia) by Boiron use 3-4x a day for three days Over the years I have come to specialize in holistic care of the voice and fixing vocal problems mainly because of my interest in alternative care as a solution for chronic problems and my knowledge of the vocal instrument. I will say that there is so much more to it than I can go into in this one article. Vocal problems can arise from many different sources that I didn't even touch on here. And of course nothing is more important if you are having problems than getting a diagnosis with a professional ENT (voice doctor) and getting treatment. But hopefully, I've given you a good head start here, enough to set things right quickly. For more information on keeping your voice healthy and preventing damage, experience my Singers Gift Warm ups and Cool Downs and do it right from the start!

This week, while singing some Nightwish, I was sitting in front of my computer and I wasn't very focused on what I was doing. Then suddenly, I pronounced a word differently and I ended up forcing my abdominal sangle (I hope you will understand, with my bad english haha!) without really paying attention to it. My sound changed and it wasn't a little ''head voice'' anymore, it became very big and loud. I was shocked. And that is my simple and short story about discovering how to use that muscle and switch my little voice to a huge operatic voice haha (I still need a lot of practice thought, but I am very proud of that step) So I was wondering, how did all of you discover how to sing, or sing with power? I would like to know if I am on the right track with all of this. Did it happen in a second? Or with a lot of practice? Thank you!