TMV World Team

Having an attitude of gratitude creates ripples of positive vibrations in your life and not only changes you, but changes the air around you. Every time I do this, I notice there is an effect that gratitude has it boomerangs right back to you. I call it the Gratitude Effect. I wonder why I don't do it more. So I started to do it more, that is. Louise Hay (creator of Hay House, positive affirmations and positive thinking for our generation) says to start off your day with Gratitude. She says that when you first open your eyes, have gratitude for your bed (be sure to have a comfy bed so you're not fibbing!) If you don't have a comfortable bed, then say I look forward to getting a more comfortable bed very soon And then at the first look at the mirror (as you brush your teeth), instead of analyzing your face, Louise says to look deep into your eyes and tell yourself how fabulous you are and that you love you very, very, very much (and mean it.) It may sound cheesy but after you do it for a week or so, it's surprising you actually start to feel better. Louise says that's because you are sending a message deep into your subconscious brain, which then believes it. Here's why a positive mindset is so important for your career in music because deeper unconscious feelings can actually screw things up for you. One of my students was friends with a very famous artist/singer. She didn't realize it on the surface, but underneath she was envious of her friend. And, even though she was excited for her, every time she was around her, it reminded her that she wasn't where she wanted to be. More and more, my student felt less and less around her friend, so much so that eventually she stopped wanting to be around her friend at all it just stopped being fun. Unfortunately, it was all a scenario in her head. Now, I'm sure she didn't realize what happened, at least not consciously. And that is how most of us operate. Don't let it be you! My student didn't realize that she could have used the experience in a positive way for herself. If she had just used the energy of gratitude, she could have turned it around and here's how. When you are around someone who has what you want, or is where you want to be practice the attitude of gratitude by saying to yourself I am so proud of my friend, and I look so forward to one day being where she is! Or It's so cool that my friends are successful because it lifts me up too! That way, instead of entertaining so many negative thoughts which only make you uncomfortable and miserable, you can turn it into a positive. The Gratitude Effect is a morning and evening practice that takes 5 minutes a day. I do 2 minutes in the morning and 3 minutes at night (set a stopwatch on your iPhone or Blackberry). First thing in the morning go to the mirror, and say out loud. looking deep into your own eyes: [YOUR NAME], I love you very, very much. You are a fantastic [woman, man, girl, boy] and I am so very proud of you. (I KNOW, it sounds corny but say it with conviction!!) Evening Last thing before you fall asleep, set the timer for 3 minutes, close your eyes and imagine exactly what you wish to happen as if it were happening. See it as if you were watching a dream. Feel all of your senses, and feel the excitement, joy, and happiness that come from the experience, i.e., you are playing an outdoor festival in front of thousands of adoring fans. The breeze is blowing your hair, you reach out to touch the hands of your fans, and they are singing the words of your songs back to you feel the excitement of the performance: your band sounds awesome And a different night, mix it up with using a word that exemplifies what you want, i.e.; say the word SUCCESS over and over again as you imagine your music being successful in the world. If you want WEALTH, then repeat that word over and over again. If you want FAME, then repeat fame.. if you want an awesome voice, etc These are specific ways of sending the message to your subconscious of what you desire. And then while you sleep, your subconscious brain (that never sleeps) will go to work on making this happen. Do this for one month every morning and evening. Then work up to 3 months straight through for those massive big life changing results! Let me know the results you get from practicing The Gratitude Effect! Happy Manifesting & Happy Holidays everyone! ©2011 Cari Cole, Vocal Mag, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

I'm in the middle of writing/presenting the first pilot run of my new program Fast Forward to Fame , that has 40 artists worldwide in attendance (from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, England & the US.) It is a 12-week program that addresses the independent music artist's plight to claim their space in the overcrowded online global terrain called The New Music Business. We are on Module 3, The Fanbase Growth System, which shows how to divvy up a few preciously allotted hours of the day into artfully and skillfully attracting a stronger and more loyal fan base. So when the question arises about the many tasks, blogging amongst them, I often detect the panic and pressure that the impending weight imposes. Because the duty is to now not only become a musician, but equally a writer and music-preneur with the full blown responsibilities of anyone out to be in business for themselves but still without the income. When you start a business, usually you have an initial outlay and then money starts coming in. Not so with the indie artist. There is a heavy outlay before you even recoup your investment, if ever. But that's a whole nother article. So, one of the main questions around blogging I get asked quite frequently is Should an artist blog? That is usually followed up with, How often should I blog? and What should I blog about? or Why should I blog, it just takes time away that I should spend on my music. Understandably so, however the squeaky wheel gets the grease, it's speak out or lose; besides, it's not going away anytime soon that I can see. I can't tell you whether you should blog or not (but I kind of am), but I will tell you WHY you should flex your online writing muscles. Lots of people ask me what's the difference between an article and a blog? An article can be informational, helpful, insightful a blog is those things too but generally more personal, more your point of view the blogger's perspective. Blogging is writing what You think (with a capital Y). It comes in all shapes and sizes, but it's definitely hanging out a neon sign and telling the world what you think. Which I think is pretty darn cool. You can offer help, present new ideas, chat, explore, be radical you can even curse (there's no censoring) and basically talk about anything you freaking want to. Truth is, there is a great merit in being able to carve a voice, your voice, out there in the world. But you do have to be a good writer to keep folks attention, and if you don't do that right away, you will improve if you stay at it. It's like songwriting. You write some good, some bad.. but if you keep at it, you write more good than bad. Here's what happens when you blog. You get better at writing, which ultimately makes you waaay better at communicating (good for your brain). You create a community of peeps that like what you are saying. You actually don't want to attract everyone. Finding and growing your tribe of followers is what rocks not just gaining numbers. You connect with people outside of your local sphere (with just a click!). And, you develop better, stronger, and savvier writing skills. I've heard it said, that if you are a good writer, you will never be broke. Two years ago I started writing this Ezine every week. It takes me 2-3 hours to write an article (one that I consider good). It used to take me 3-4-5 hours. Sometimes I take that long when I have a complex subject or I try something new. I've got to say every hour spent has made me better at what I do and continues to give back every time. Eight months ago I started blogging. It's getting clearer to me. And along the way I've connected up with thousands of new people who are joining in on the conversation. It's so cool. Free content is king these days, and getting in on the conversation now before it gets even more crowded is the ticket. Like I said, it's not going to be going away anytime soon. COMING 2012: January The Artist Success Circle 2 February: Step Up to the Spotlight 2.0 March: The Artist Success Academy Membership Worldwide The Private Access Platinum Mastermind .. details coming soon.. ©2011 Cari Cole, Vocal Mag, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Having Trouble Fitting It All In? (New Ways to Slice the Pie) Let's face it we all know that mastering time is a big piece of being successful. And even more, is fitting it all in, especially when you have a career in music. It seems like every artist I meet is pretty overwhelmed these days everyone needs help managing the hours in a day, and knowing how to better slice the pie. Most of us still spend far too much time on Facebook as it is, sigh. (Whoops, that's not the type of time management we need.) But not getting control of time, or not learning how to manage it, will leave your career and you in the dust and I know those of you reading this (or me for that matter) are not the kind of people who are up to letting THAT happen! So, how can you get a hold of your to-do list and not only get it all done, but continually make progress? I've been looking into it and decided to exercise my hand in creating a system one that works specifically for musicians I'm calling it: the Self-Management System for Music Creators and Creative Types, because I think it's not only about managing time it's about managing You managing time, structure, clarity and a system to work off of that incorporates you, your music and music business time. You know I hear so often many artists say, If I just had a manager, thinking a manager is the magic answer. But honestly, if you can't manage yourself, no one else can either! If you're truly going to have a successful Artist-Based Career, the first step is Self-Management. Let's face it, the better you are at it, the more successful you will be, and it starts right here. As a part of the pilot run of my brand spanking new Fast Forward to Fame Program & Blueprint, I am revealing for the first version ever, my new Self Management System for Music Creators & Creative Types. And today, I'm bringing you a preview for how it breaks down and how to better slice your pie. The Self-Management System: Time Management for Music Creators & Creative Types At the core of everything you do is primarily one thing that you can't live without You. So guess what happens when you are not at the helm? Everything else suffers. This is a constant lesson for those of us with careers in music. Now, most of you will say (even myself included sometimes) that's a bunch BS. Because we just want results, we don't want to have to manage ourselves that's for someone else to do but not when you understand what it can do for you. What happens when you suck at managing you: You get sick (often) because you run yourself into the ground splattering your energies everywhere all at once. You have to cancel your tour because you think you can just blow through it and you could even end up having throat surgery like poor Adele (love her but, oh no!!) and at the height of your career while the whole world is watching AND waiting, sigh ;(. You waste your precious time and efforts by having to do things two or three times over, because you weren't focused the first time you did it, and you didn't plan for what was coming, sigh. You hire a publicist who does absolutely nothing for you because you thought THAT was the answer. Sound all too familiar? I know because I see it happen every day and it happens to me too! That's why I'm creating this system (selfishly) because even I aim for more mastery of this stuff I know there's always a better way and I want to bring it to you too! Slicing the Pie: Here's a new way to slice the pie three ways: Self Management >> Music >> Business If you are not at the helm, everything else suffers. Self Management is first at the Foundation, followed by Music second and Business third. It's kind of the evolution of how this thing goes. You Commit to yourself and become a Musician (Self Management), you Create your Music in the World (Music) and you Bring it to the World (Business). The breakdown of the pie is based off of the 10,000 Hour Theory, which says that in order to be great at anything (music, sports, dance, even business) you need 10,000 hours of it (read Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers the part about the Beatles and their 10,000 hour rise to fame). Add to that the fact that today you not only have to be good at music but you have to be good at business and management- in essence, you would need 10,000 hours for each category, but wait don't freak there's a plan! Now let's break down 10,000 hours into 10 years: 10,000 hours divided by 10 years = 1000 hours. Divide 1000 hours by 48 weeks (give yourself 4 weeks off) = 20 hours per week. I've broken it down into two versions one for those of you who do music full-time and the second for those of you who have a day job. So, there are 96 hours in a week to be productive (sans 8 hours for un-negotiable sleep-time and one full day off). And yes, I know that includes eating, grooming and traveling, but I have created some ways to multi-task so even those minutes are focused and effective (you'd have to see the whole plan to get the whole picture). So, If You Do Music Full-time: So you have Mon Sat = 6 days x 16 hours = 96 hours per day (sans 8 hours for non-negotiable sleep-time and one full day off). Divide those 96 hours into 3 sections: 1- Self-Management, 2- Music and 3 Business, and you have 32 hours per week for each category. Weekly: Self-Management= 32 hours, Music = 32 hours, Business = 32 hours. If you have a Day Job: Let's say that you work 4 days a week, Mon-Thurs, 8 hours each day, that's 32 hours (and if you don't have a 4-day workweek get one!) So you will have to subtract 32 hours from the 96, which leaves you 64 hours. Divide 64 hours of into the 3 categories, which leaves 21.33 hours per category. Weekly: Self-Management= 21.33 hours, Music = 21.33 hours, Business = 21.33 hours. Here's a rough idea of what falls into each of the 3 categories: Self-Management: Skills and Soul (from the Fame Formula) Planning/Goal Setting, Scheduling, Brainstorming (or Brain-dumping), Visualization (critical if you can't see it, it won't happen), Reading (researching-reading other musician autobiographies an artist is a perpetual student & poetry inspiration for your lyrics), Visualizations/Affirmations (every morning & night), Meditation (this is your clarity folks!), Plus: Shopping (got to be fashion-forward), Exercising/Yoga/Working Out, Walking Exploring, Extra Curricular Activities/Classes, Nutrition/Food (life source) and Down-time (movies, dinners out, friend-family time, Eating/preparing food/dining, Grooming, Errands, and You-time (doing exactly what you want to do at least once a week.) etc. Music: Skills & Soul (from the Fame Formula) Practicing, technique, studying music, lessons, working with your coach/mentor, group class, accountability partner, songwriting, co-writing, making music, recording your songs, recording your record, making videos, band or show rehearsal, performing, going to shows checking out other musicians, researching new music, etc. Business: Savvy (from the Fame Formula) Social media, research, blogging, newsletter, promotion, marketing, networking, strategizing, business planning, business meetings, meetings with team, hiring-firing, administration, systems, website, graphic design, booking gigs/tours, songwriting conferences, music/film conferences, music conferences, festivals etc. Start with: Keep a journal to keep track of your time so you know exactly what you are spending your time on. And for gosh sake use a timer when you're on Facebook, gasp! Now, get out your calendar and start scheduling it in. Play with it until you can figure out how to make it work! When you get out of balance or fall behind, all you do is schedule make-ups and momentarily sacrifice in some other area. Try it for one month see what happens! And hey, don't beat yourself up about it, it takes more than a few tries to get things in place and running smoothly. Just don't give up you will make a huge difference in your progress when you keep trying to slice the pie. Of course every now and then when you decide to do a big project, you may put aside the other pieces, but can make them up later. I do it all the time. Obviously, there's more to making this work than a quick peek but it's a head-start. Hope it helps. Let me know what you think. P.S. Ready to press the Fast Forward button on your Career and get the ENTIRE Self-Management System to boot? ©2011 Cari Cole, Vocal Mag, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

It's a new time in this new-fangled era of the entertainment industry. As the traditional ways of doing things fall apart, now, more than ever, calls for a new set of ideas, new rules, new emerging paradigms and new ideas being called out from everywhere even from the music shakers and makers. And the best ideas which, I am sure, have yet to arrive. Who knows where this will go? No one knows exactly how this is going to play out. But at the moment, change is the only thing that rules. And so as artists, in order navigate these new waters, stay afloat on top of the turbulence and hopefully chart the right course to our success, it requires us using new tools: Awareness, Skillset, Mindset, Savvy and Smarts and as I've learned, each are equally important in traversing this new domain. Many of my students (emerging artists worldwide) who work with me now, know that how you approach this new time creates the stepping-stones to success whatever that looks like for you. One thing I know for sure is that there is not one model depicting Fame there are many. The new fame comes in many flavors, and it could just as well be yours for the taking, once you learn the formula. So what is new fame? Well, people all over are creating success outside of the traditional models in every business, music being no exception. But what does that mean? It means that we are in transition from the old to the new. We are letting go of one hand to grasp the next, and like the trapeze artist letting go of one bar in mid-air, there is that moment before she grasps ahold of the new and that is where you and I are, right now. And, it's up to up to us to decide how we want this thing to go, but we have to let go of the past and the way it's been, and open our minds to what is coming. If we keep holding on, we'll get nowhere fast, like those hanging on to the old business, sigh. That is why I've decided that it's time to come forward to help redefine this new world (as best as I possibly can I certainly do not have all the answers but I do have tons of experience in New York City for the past 2.5 decades) so that we, artists alike, can create the future together. (We are doing it anyway why not make it conscious?) After all, the power is in our hands when we take the initiative. The Soul and Success of the New Music Artist rests on three critical pieces that formed in equal (congruent) parts, pave the way for this new-fame to emerge. I call them The Fame Factors. And it's not one, not two, not two and half it takes all three. But if you've got those, you could reign in gold or platinum. Fame Factor #1: SKILL. Skillset is 1/3rd of the puzzle. If you are missing this, you'll come up short every time. Alicia Keys played piano for 6 hours a day, John Mayer played guitar in excess uncountable hours how much do you work on your skillset? Fame Factor #2: SOUL. This is the inner work you do your inner voice. The stuff people say you either have it or you don't I say it is You. But without guidance, it might never come out. I teach artists how to find it, it's there in everyone you just have to know the route. Fame Factor #3: SAVVY. That means smarts, knowing how the biz works, knowing who's in the biz, respecting what timing is and practicing patience, die-hard persistence, and real know-how, being in-know-ness. Want to find out more want to gain access to the new formula that you can apply to your career? Time for to learn the new Formula! www.fastforwardtofame.com

Studio Report: Paul D'Adamo officially started tracking his forthcoming release Rawfully Organic. The album will consist of only 3 musicians this time. Paul on Vocals, Keyboards, & Percussion, Chris Remediani on Guitar, Bass & Background Vocals, and Bob Romans on Chapman Stick, & Background Vocals. The recording of Rawfully Organic will be recorded at Paul's new home studio as well as Bob's Home studio. According to Paul, expect the unexpected. Many surprises on this one! DDrive are about to release an Anthology release titled Reconstruct featuring two acoustic tracks featuring the talents of their new rhythm guitarist Mike Gladstone plus one live track. DDrive are also working on a new full length release to be released in 2013 Morre are finishing up their first full length release titled Morphine. Also finishing up new release are Aisles, and The RoboDrum Happiness Is Being Single: Oceans 5 to release new single Empty Hands. Scarlet Hollow release first single The Path has just be released it's from the forthcoming album What If Never Was. Murky Red releases first single Cold Outside from the upcoming debut release Time Doesn't Matter. Other new singles include Corvus Stone's track Corvus Stone and The Mad Yeti by CTP. All Roads Lead To Damascus Roads to Damascus release their new album R2D2 on CD and Digital Download. The band has just released their 3rd video called Frustration which is again a very cool homemade video. Video News: Oceans of Time are about to release their first official video for the track Kingdom Falls from the new album Faces. John Orr Franklin has released a series of videos for his house concert series covering many classic. John has also released Vanishing Umbra a new video from the forthcoming album Reaching Ground. On Tour Now: Morre get ready to invade Europe again after a successful European tour in 2011 the will be playing live in support of their upcoming release Morphine, also some select dates by Laurie Larson, DDrive The RoboDrum, Don Mancuso, Jim Crean, Aethellis, Phil Naro have been confirmed.

What word do you end that sentence with? Stop Struggling with blah blah blah pick one. You want to know why you struggle? Are you ready for this? Because you do (sigh). Didn't ya just know it was your fault? But hey it's a little more complex than that. Look we all know life isn't fair and all that stuff is totally true. But to struggle with it? That part is actually up to you. Sound harsh? It isn't. No matter how much we struggle with something, we do have a choice about how we respond. Now, if you are not in touch with your feelings, you won't realize you do have a choice that is. How can you move to choice? It's easier than you think. It has to do with the Story you are telling yourself. So my husband and I sometimes struggle with being apart he's in Florida almost full time and I'm in NYC mostly full time and we see each other on weekends or weeks here and there that I get away. The reasons for it is because his work has drawn him there and my work is in the Big App (me and FL full time? Not for me I'm a city girl) Anyway, I can tell myself a story that it's a major bummer, or I can tell myself how lucky I am to have a gorgeous house in Florida and an awesome husband who doesn't let it tear us apart and loves me to pieces. Do you see how this goes? Hey, it's pretty cool to have 2 lifestyles sure is awesome in the freaking NYC winter. It's all how you look at it and the STORY you tell yourself about it. I can choose to struggle or not based on how I see it. 6 Ways to Stop Struggling NOW! Inventory Your Beliefs what do you really think? And what rules your brain? Choose A Perspective That Works for You Too often we choose a perspective that we're used to not necessarily that works for us. Make a Plan to Make it Better Whatever you are struggling with, make a plan for how to make it better. Realize That Struggle is a Choice Free yourself from your conditioned responses. Decide to Be Successful and see life working out just the way you want it when you do that, you become successful. Sign up for my new video series to help you end the struggle! Get the full deets on how YOU can Make Money Making Music and Have the Music Career you Dream of (and even leave your day job !!)

Do you notice a change lately? Of course we see the world changing, but do you notice anything changing in your thoughts, the way you do things, how you feel? Call me crazy, but not only do I notice things breaking down and reconstructing all over the place, I also notice my thoughts changing, the way I am thinking about things. And I wonder, does that come from something inside me, or is it the result of what's happening in the world? Lately, I notice two things. One, that I feel more connected, plugged in, more in-tune. It's as if I can access answers from my higher-self more easily. I know that might sound woo-woo to some of you, but I have to go there because it's so pronounced. Sometimes I even hear what people are thinking (I know, I know), but it's true. It's not a psychic thing, it's a tuning-in kind of thing. I am also ruminating on how strangely I feel even more love in my heart. I was walking down the street in New York City the other day and an older African American man asked me for a few dollars, said his car broke down Usually I would keep walking (you know, us New Yorker's hear that story all the time!), but instead I stopped and pulled out a five-dollar bill. I thought, it's the holidays after-all give something of yourself. But it was more than that. It's the feeling that I can't just ignore other people around me anymore. I can feel other people's misfortune more; it's as if I'm just plain more sensitive to it. And I can't escape the feeling that we are all connected and if one of us is suffering we are all somehow suffering. I've had these feelings in meditation class before, but instead of it happening when I have a spiritual epiphany, it seems to be with me all the time now. I turned to walk down the street and saw another man in a wheelchair with no legs and rather than pass him by and shrug it off telling myself there is nothing I can do about that, instead, I felt him for a moment. I felt what it must be like for him on a daily basis the struggle and I wished him well. I then thanked life for giving me both of my legs. With my students, and the people in my life, I feel an even stronger connection. It's like I fall in love with them more in the little moments we interact in. And I also notice that whatever is not being said, anything that's being held under the surface pops out more easily, or is more prevalent in conversations. Is the veil between us lifting? (That's one of my Artist Success Circle artists, Dilia and me at the Emerge Unplugged concert this past October.) Unless you live under a rock you're probably noticing that the world is changing radically so. Old structures and systems are crumbling and new one's are slowly emerging. We are in transition across the board. No one really saw it coming, but here we are. I'm not saying it's easy because it's not. A lot of people are in the middle of serious crisis; they can't find jobs or they've lost theirs. People are losing their homes, careers, and have no money to even feed themselves. This is a serious crisis, not only in America but in the world. Is it because it's time to reinvent ourselves? Are we being forced to grow? The way I see it is, oddly enough, underneath the rubble, in the midst of a meltdown, in the middle of crisis, we are forced to come together, to rise up, perhaps because the alternative is not acceptable. I guess you could say that a forced evolution is taking place that it takes things falling apart for things to change even that crisis creates change. We can't go back to the old way of doing things and we're not sure what the new way is. Now is not the time to jump too quickly, or make quick resolutions, rather to stay open and hold a strong intention for what you want in your life and for us in the world. One thing I know for sure is that it takes a crisis to bring us together. Otherwise we'd sit on the couch and eat bon-bon's (or the no-sugar, vegan alternative ) On the crest of 2012, are we on the forefront of a Love Revolution? The Artists Success Circle 2 (Held here in NYC) Apply here . ©2011 Cari Cole, Vocal Mag, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

A new year and 2012 to boot (more on that in an upcoming article!) is a GREAT opportunity to start where you are, make a solid commitment to your future, and get off to a jump start to a new and improved you in all aspects of your life and career. I LOVE the advent of the New Year and the great promise that lies ahead for each of us. Time and time again I have used these simple and straight forward, yet incredibly powerful techniques, to forge ahead with effectiveness, clarity and velocity. I hope they help you to draw your dreams closer and make some of them come true. Here they are: Start Where You Are. You can't move ahead if you don't start from where you are. Not acknowledging or accepting where you are keeps your vision clouded. It might suck, but knowing where you are helps you know the next step. To get to that next step listen to my free audio From Dreamer to Diva here. Commit. Commitment is the key to achieving anything. It all starts with a firm and solid commitment. When you commit fully, miracles happen (not overnight, but with time). Don't Compromise on the Big Stuff. Nothing great is born of compromise. Rejection is to be expected. You will be tested, you will be denied. It's ok listen to good advice, but don't compromise your values and goals. Make Lists and Goals. Anyone who has ever become famous or successful is a list keeper. Make 2012 the year you kept more lists and wrote down more goals than in prior years. Make a Plan. Once you get your Goals down on paper (one of your lists is your 1 & 3 year and lifetime goals download The Big Dream Formula Worksheet here my gift to you), then make a Plan for how to accomplish your Goals. (Reverse engineer it, as I say!) Calendar It In. Break down your goals into steps and a To Do List. Put the tasks on your calendar. This is where the rubber meets the road Period! Take Imperfect Action. Don't wait until the conditions are perfect. Ski the slope no matter what. You'll improve with practice. Note I said imperfect action not sloppy action. Be deliberate and prepare yourself- but get in motion. Love How It Is No Matter What. Don't wait to love your life dive in. The more you love How It Is, the easier it will grow to be what you want. Stress and tension push away success. Stay the Course. Never give up. This is how you become successful. Success is built on a gazillion tiny failures and a gazillion tiny successes. Tweak. Always readjust, improve, be willing to start over, scratch an idea to make it better. Kind of like songwriting don't be married to the rhyme scheme be willing to start from scratch if it doesn't say what you want. Tweaking is King. I would add to that Do it Differently than last year. Doing the same thing over and over again with the same results is the definition of insanity. Happy 2012 Everyone!!! Make this a year to remember. ©2011 Cari Cole, Vocal Mag, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

I know, instant success sounds like a hard sell well, not really when you consider that every instant that goes by that you don't have the list below flowing for you well, you are losing out. I know that there is SO much advice out there that it's hard to know which way to go and what to follow that's why I made it easy for you and put together my top 10 ways to create success right away. Kickstart your success asap with these! Your own dedicated URL. You must have your own URL: www.yourname.com. Reverbnation, Facebook, (dare I mention MySpace) You Tube = are not good enough on their own, and don't really build your following (check out BandZoogle.com to build your own). A Twitter account period. If at all possible try to make your Twitter handle (name) your name. At least start with your name otherwise it's impossible to find you. Build social proof. This proves you have an audience. Be actively online almost every day. Have an easy to find mailing list sign up form on www.yourname.com. The most valuable commodity you have is your tribe of followers. Make it easy for them to follow you. Believe in yourself. Do not wait for permission from others to be you. Lady Gaga didn't ask for permission. Help others. The best question you can ask someone else is How can I help? I've built my career helping others. Bring value to others. Don't self-promote (so 90's). Promote others. Grow a team of professionals. Nobody in this industry does it alone ever. Start with your vocal coach, guitar or piano teacher and add from there. Pick your team and then stick with them that's how you get somewhere. You'd be surprised who knows who. I see too many people jumping from person to person that's not how it happens. People do things for people they know-like and trust and no one who is worth their beans will introduce you to anyone in the industry unless they know-like and trust you. Prove your worth. Follow up. The number one mistake most artists make is not following up. If you ever saw the enormous amount of emails and phone calls I get on a daily basis, you would never ever think that I even got the call or email you left/sent. Well, sometimes I don't sometimes they slip through the cracks because I am overwhelmingly busy. It's natural that most high functioning professionals are extremely busy and in most cases you have to continue to reach out until you hear back from them. (Don't pound them with email every day do it appropriately). Get help. Period. It is proven that people that get help succeed over ones who don't. If you're looking for something to jumpstart your career and take you to new heights, hop on board my new program Fast Forward to Fame starting today you'll get major support (from me) and accountability as well as learning everything you need to know about having an artist-based business and career! Check out some of the artists already in the program http://www.fastforwardtofame.com/2011-students/ The train to fame is boarding soon are you on the platform? ©2011 Cari Cole, Vocal Mag, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Voice Check: 10 Tips for Healthy Singing By Chloe Veltman (American Theatre magazine, January 2010) Musican theatre lore is packed with horror stories about performers cracking or missing notes on stage or even worse losing their voices completely. Luciano Pavarotti had, near the start of his career, a disastrous concert in the Italian city of Ferrara around the time that a nodule first developed on his vocal cords; as a result, he gave up singing for a while. In 1997, Julie Andrews's voice was seriously damaged after she underwent surgery for polyps that developed on her vocal cords while she was performing in Victor/Victoria on Broadway. And Nathan Lane frequently missed performances of the Broadway production of The Producers owing to a polyp on his left vocal cord. Without a doubt, the care of the voice is as essential to the business of being a professional actor or singer as remembering one's lines. But hectic schedules, smoky bars, flu season and countless other challenges constantly conspire to derail attempts to sing in public with confidence, comfort and ease. Here, a wide range of singing experts voice therapists Joan Lader, Joanna Cazden and John Haskell; voice trainers Judith Farris, Kate DeVore, Joan Melton, Janet Rodgers and Scott Kaiser; performers Susan Graham and Kristin Chenoweth, as well as choral director Ian Robertson—impart their top tips for maintaining a healthy and successful singing career. 1. Technique is King Maintaining great technique is without question the basis for a healthy voice. Good technique prevents injury and enables performers to sing at the top of their game every time. "With proper training, the singer/actor learns to release excess tensions in the body and throat muscles," says Rodgers. "This means that the vocal mechanism is sitting in a muscular environment that will allow it to function at its best. Proper vocal technique means that the singer/actor has learned to use 'diaphragmatic breath support' in singing. This moves the effort of support to the abdominal muscles and away from the muscles that are closest to the throat. Proper vocal technique means that the singer/actor has trained the vocal folds to respond to pitch changes and that the singer/actor can maximize the gifts that nature has provided." "Improper technique can lead to vocal injuries, which can be annoying and limiting at best and career-ending at worst," says DeVore. "Most common vocal injuries (nodules, polyps, bruising, swelling) are caused at least in part by the vocal cords slamming together too hard when we speak, sing, shout, scream, wail, keen, sob and so forth. There are ways to do all of those things healthily, which ensures that a performer will have a flexible voice to last through his or her career." Like many experts, Farris believes that proper technique begins with the breath. "The only physical part of singing should be breathing," she says. "That should be naturally obtained and constantly maintained. It is much like a violinist practicing bowing. I know a good violinist is always attentive to balancing the bow on the strings. In singing, if one's breath is balanced, it is nearly impossible to have any kind of strain on the vocal apparatus, and the easiest and most beautiful sound is achieved. Thus obtaining a correct vocal technique is the key to the prevention of vocal problems. The vocal cords themselves are muscles. Athletes and dancers know that any muscle that is used correctly gets stronger with use, not weaker or injured." However, good technique cannot be gained through a "one-size-fits-all" approach, says Cazden, who explains that "many vocal techniques work but for a different reason than the teacher proclaims. The field of voice is still emerging from centuries of speculation, guesswork and secretive folklore. A singer needs to trust his or her own experience, use what works and not get distracted by flowery explanations." Adds Melton: "Each performer is unique, so the to-do list that answers all the issues does not exist. However, to quote Mary Hammond, head of musical theatre at the Royal Academy of Music in London, 'Technique frees the imagination.' The better, more solid and more unconscious the technique, the freer the performer is to grow, explore and mature." 2. It's All about Prevention Prescription medications might get a singer under duress through a performance, but they are not the way to solve vocal issues in the long-term. "Many singers resort to doctors who fill them with cortisone shots to get through a performance or audition," says Farris. "But if the cause of the problem is not corrected, the issues continue and these so-called 'remedies' can cause additional problems of their own. At that point, the singer should have vocal rest and then seek out a good teacher to help correct the issue. Prevention, however, is key." Cazden concurs: "The absolute biggest problem that singers have is not visiting a doctor soon enough. Financial pressures and a mistrust of mainstream medicine lead people to 'muscle through' or 'get by' for months longer than they should. This adds layers of bad technique onto the original injury, and delays recovery. Unless you have terrific insurance, set up a medical savings account and stash whatever you can every month so that when you need a voice doctor you can afford a good one. Plan ahead, and before you need help, locate a laryngologist with videostrobe exam equipment and experience working with singers. Exams without videostrobe are only accurate about one-third of the time. You might need to travel to get to a good clinic, but in the long run, the right diagnosis will save you time, money and anguish." Warning signs can help performers identify and take care of potential problems early: "Missing warning signs of a vocal injury can be a problem," says DeVore. "Common warning signs include hoarseness in the absence of an illness (or hoarseness that hangs around after cold symptoms have cleared up); decrease in speaking or singing range; change in voice quality (breathiness, gruffness, a veiled sound); increased physical effort to speak or sing; physical discomfort or pain when voicing; something just not feeling right with the voice." 3. Calisthenics Count Warming up the voice is absolutely essential to a singer's ability to prevent injuries. Just like going for a run without first stretching, the voice can easily strain if pushed too hard and without first being primed. "Develop a warm-up routine that slowly 'wakes' the voice and brings it into alignment with breath control and natural support," says Robertson. 4. Happy Talk "A common mistake performers make is forgetting to have good technique not only when singing but when speaking," says Chenoweth. "That is a tough one for me, because the speaking voice I am most comfortable in isn't the best for my voice in general." Haskell adds: "Most singers are talkers by nature. Their biggest mistake is talking too much before and after a performance. Talking in noisy environments can be a particular problem when a singer is on the road as producers often expect artists to meet patrons to talk about their work after they've performed. This is often part of a performer's contract, so it's hard to hold back." 5. Enlist the A-Team Singers need to find the right teachers throughout their careers. Chenoweth, for instance, still takes voice lessons with teachers in New York as well as with Florence Birdwell, the performer's mentor and professor at Oklahoma City University, where she went to school. Haskell says that vocalists should "follow their instincts about what feels right and what doesn't with regards to voice training. Some voice teachers push students too much to point of discomfort or even pain. The muscles and coordination of the vocal mechanism can be achieved in a gradual way." According to Lader, the best teachers have a good grasp of how the body works from a mechanical standpoint: "A singer needs to find a teacher who is knowledgeable in anatomy and physiology, who has good eyes and ears and can direct the student in a healthy manner to achieve whatever it is the student has set out to accomplish." Cazden adds: "Singers often make the mistake of staying too long with a teacher who is not taking their voice in a good direction. If the process or relationship doesn't feel right, you shouldn't feel obligated to continue with that person. Take sample lessons with a few other teachers for perspective. If you think something is medically wrong with your voice, but your teacher claims to be able to fix it, get a second opinion." Singers, however, often need more than one expert to help guide their careers. Haskell believes that performers should surround themselves with a group of trusted professionals across a range of disciplines in order to develop performance skills, prevent injury and troubleshoot problems as they arise. "In addition to the voice teacher who concentrates on helping a performer to develop great technique," Haskell says, "a singer might also benefit from the services of a vocal coach, an acting coach, a voice therapist, a physical therapist, as well as an ear, nose and throat physician. There has to be communication between the different parties so that everyone is on the same page regarding the singer's issues and progress." 6. The Power of Cross-training Performers, who are often asked to sing in many different styles, frequently have to be as adept at singing numbers from the musical theatre repertoire as they are at performing opera arias, folk songs and jazz standards. Training to sing healthfully across multiple styles is even important to singers who specialize in just one genre. "Cross-training across all styles is the key to being able to perform them in artistically coherent and safe way," says Lader. "If you sing opera you should also practice singing pop songs. This is important, because it prevents injury and strengthens, balances and coordinates the many parts of the laryngeal musculature. Plus, singing in a different style from what one is accustomed to can help to raise a red flag if there is something wrong with the vocal cords that needs special attention." 7. Salvation through Hydration Drinking water is crucial to maintaining a healthy voice, because it prevents the delicate vocal cords from drying out. "Drinking about two liters of water a day is helpful for most people, but they need to compensate with extra water for things that dry them out (like caffeine, alcohol, smoke and certain medications)," says DeVore. Proper hydration also means finding creative ways to counterbalance arid environments (caused by air-conditioning and hot climates) that can dry out the vocal cords. Steam inhalation, for example, moistens the vocal cords and thins out mucus. Graham proposes additional techniques for performers who travel regularly: "When I'm flying, I put a damp cloth on my face, because airplane air is so dry. I also keep a humidifier in my room." Kaiser adds: "Drinking water to keep the folds of the vocal cords lubricated is important, but there are other things that performers should reduce such as the consumption of dairy products and cold and allergy medications, because they coat the vocal cords and dry out the voice." 8. Food Glorious Food Acid reflux and other problems of the digestive system can cause serious issues for singers. "The acid that comes up through the stomach can literally eat away at the delicate tissue at the back of the larynx and affect the posterior part of the vocal cords," says Haskell. "If a singer gets a reflux diagnosis from an ear, nose and throat specialist, he or she has to start observing a reflux regimen. This may mean eliminating caffeine, carbonated drinks, citrus fruits, spicy foods and chocolate. Also, the evening meal should not be eaten too late or too close to bedtime, which can present a problem for performers who don't want to eat much before they go on stage." 9. Rest Up The voice is a fragile instrument. Singers should be in touch with how they're feeling on any given day enough to know when to pull back or even take some time off. "If you're tired, ill or hungover, sing less," says Cazden. "If you feel great, don't be stupid and sing so much that you wreck your instrument." Rodgers believes that rest is important even while an actor or singer is working. "During rehearsal breaks, avoid chitchat," she says. "Really rest the voice for those 10-minute breaks." DeVore says that performing full-throttle with an illness rather than resting is one of the worst things a performer can do for his or her voice: "Succumbing to pressure (either internal or external) to 'push through' an illness is, unfortunately, a common mistake performers make. 'The show must go on' is so ingrained in a performer's psyche and this belief is reinforced by the entire production team that they forget that 'the show' doesn't have to include performing at every rehearsal at full tilt. Pushing through an illness is a textbook cause of vocal injuries, and many problems can be avoided if people take the time to rest and heal." Getting good amounts of sleep is absolutely crucial to vocal health. "The most important thing for me which I struggle with is getting enough sleep: I need at least eight hours, but nine is best," says Chenoweth. "My friends and family understand that sometimes I can only converse via e-mail or watch a movie with them, because the voice is a muscle that must be rested!" 10. One for the Road? The pressures of a life on the stage can lead to some unhealthy choices for performers. "The most common mistake you see in actors, particularly young ones, is that they don't know how to pace themselves," says Kaiser. "They'll rehearse till midnight, drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes and expect voices to respond. It doesn't take much to strain a voice even talking over loud music in a dance club can cause damage." That's why many performers avoid drinking, smoking and noisy environments. "I don't drink very much alcohol when singing, because it dries out the voice," confesses Chenoweth. "I do not smoke or use drugs. I sort of live like a nun." Journalist and singer Chloe Veltman is the Bay Area culture correspondent for the New York Times and the host/producer of "VoiceBox", a new public radio series about the art of singing. Biographies of the Experts: John Haskell has maintained a private practice in speech-language pathology in New York City for more than 25 years. He has held faculty positions at Pace University, Rutgers University and William Paterson College of New Jersey and is co-founder and co-director of the New York City Voice Study Group. Kate DeVore is a theatre voice, speech and dialect trainer, speech pathologist and personal development coach based in Chicago. She is the co-author of The Voice Book: Caring for, Protecting and Improving Your Voice with Starr Cookman. Scott Kaiser is director of company devel-opment and head of voice and text at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where he has spent 20 years as an actor, director and voice coach. Judith Farris is a soloist, contralto and voice trainer who maintains a studio in New York. She is presently artist-in-residence in the theatre and music departments at Southeast Missouri State University. Janet Rodgers, the editor of The Complete Voice and Speech Workout, is a past president of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association and an associate professor of theatre at Virginia Commonwealth University. Joan Lader is a voice teacher and therapist. Her patients and students include some of the world's leading performers, such as Patti LuPone, Madonna and Roberta Flack. Joanna Cazden, the author of How to Take Care of Your Voice, is a speech pathologist, singer, voice coach and teacher. Joan Melton is a voice teacher based in New York City. She is the author of Singing in Musical Theatre: The Training of Singers and Actors andfounded the voice/movement program for the Department of Theatre and Dance at California State University Fullerton. Susan Graham is a Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano who performs leading roles in some of the world's greatest opera houses, including the Metropolitan opera, the Royal Opera House and La Scala. Kristin Chenoweth is a Tony and Emmy Award-winning singer and musical theatre, film and television actress. Some of her best-known Broadway roles include Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Glinda in Wicked. Ian Robertson is the chorus director of San Francisco Opera and the artistic director of the San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Festival Chorale.

In the world of singing, there remains to this day much confusion on the topic of breathing. There is disagreement among teachers and directors as to the most efficient way to control it. The diaphragm is given much more credit than it properly deserves. Too many singers learn to push as much air as possible to achieve a powerful sound needed for their demanding music. I have had a number of students tell me that their previous teachers would spend half of their lesson time on breathing exercises alone, with no great improvement to their technique as a result. Due to the great misinformation that singers have to contend with, I will finally address the issue of breathing in this article. First, let's get clarity on what really happens when we breath. Once the brain registers that we need air, it sends the signal to the diaphragm to get things started. This dome-shaped muscle is thin and separates the chest (thorax) from the abdominal cavity. It descends upon inhalation and creates a vacuum, causing the lungs to fill up with air. The vocal folds open, allowing the air to pass through trachea into the lungs. Sitting beneath the diaphragm is the viscera, or organs housed in the abdomen- stomach, liver, intestines, etc. In order for this principal muscle of inhalation to fully contract, these organs must move out of the way. The result is the protruding or moving out of the lower belly. The lungs now can get the appropriate amount of air needed as the rib cage expands around them. This is INHALATION, pure and simple. Remember this is where the diaphragm holds court and performs actively. Upon EXHALATION, the diaphragm abdicates its power. It does not rule this part of the process. Yes, folks, I must turn your world upside-down now. THE DIAPHRAGM IS PASSIVE DURING EXHALATION!!! *brings out smelling salts* This muscle has been esteemed higher than is warranted for far too long. The muscles that are actively at work to get air out of the body are the abdominals and intercostals, which are between and around the ribs. As the lower abs begin to contract inward and upward, the viscera also moves in the same direction. The organs press up against the diaphragm which allows air to be expelled from the lungs. The intercostals are contracting at the same time and also work to smoothly move the air upward through the trachea and towards the vocal folds. The true support muscles are the ABDOMINALS AND INTERCOSTALS! An important concept that is largely overlooked or forgotten is that the vocal folds serve as the valve that actually gauges how much air can escape the body. No matter how well a person can inhale and use the proper support muscles, if the coordination of the folds is not well-developed, she still may not sing with great power or ease. There must be a balance between proper air flow/support and vocal cord closure for healthy, efficient singing. In my teaching studio, I don't spend a great deal of time on breathing exercises. This is because most students don't have big problems with their breathing. Most of the time, their issues have to do with lack of coordination in the muscles of the larynx. If that's the case, why spend time on breathing when it's not the primary issue? Too many vocal instructors and choral directors attempt to fix every vocal problem with breathing because they don't know what else to do!! Oops, did I just go there? Anyhoo.... I will have students do a couple of breathing exercises to just to gain an awareness of what the body is doing. I will only use them repeatedly if a student has some very ineffective habits that need serious reprogramming. Here are some useful exercises to build awareness of the breath function and which can be used to build more efficiency in your breathing: 1) The clutch- Place one open hand over the lower abdomen and the other hand in a closed fist pressed into your solar plexus. As you repeat each consonant 3 or 4 times, you will feel the lower belly gently press in while the solar plexus or upper belly gently firms outward. Don't press it out, just allow it to do what comes naturally. You should use 't', 'p', 'k', 's', and 'sh'. This exercise comes from noted nonclassical vocal pedagogue Lisa Popeil. 2) The 'surprise' breath- A gasp of surprise quickly brings a fair amount of air into the lungs. What we will do away with is the noise that comes with it. Place an open hand on the lower abdomen. Exhale fully. When you are completely out of air, open the mouth and gasp with surprise but do so without an audible vocal noise. The belly pops out effortlessly. Be sure not to lift the shoulders in the process because that can actually inhibit the expansion of the ribs. This exercise may also be performed with the hands wrapped around the rib cage. 3) The 'angle' breath- Sit in a chair with your torso at a 45 degree angle and your arms resting on your thighs. Exhale fully. Breath in through your nose for a slow count of 4 or 5 beats, then exhale through the nose for the same count. You can feel a deep expansion of your rib cage all around the body and especially in the back. It very difficult to raise the shoulders in this position so I use this one often for students who habitually breath very high and shallow. 4) The classic 'slow leak'- With hands either around the ribs or on the lower belly, exhale completely and feel the inward contraction of the lower abdominals. Once you have completely exhaled, gently sip in new air as the belly releases and slowly moves inward. The ribs will also slowly contract inward, though that should be as slow as possible. Inhale for 4 or 5 beats and exhale for 8 to 10 counts. Though your actual performance posture may not always be ideal depending on your chosen genre's stylistic demands, it is important in the training process. A comfortably high chest and relaxed shoulders will allow your breath to flow more efficiently and comfortably. That needs to be the case whether standing or sitting. I hope this piece gives you greater insight into what all the fuss is about concerning breathing for singers and speakers and that you will find the balance needed between how you breath and how you phonate. Now, go make some noise!!!!!!!!!!

To expand a singer's range, vocal coaches must be prepared to explore every trick in the book. Everyone wants to hit better high notes. And there are many who want to improve, or simply phonate more audibly, their lower notes. It could be argued that there are far more important issues for a singer to conquer: rhythmic integrity, emotional communication, and a delicious understanding of when and how to use consonants, to name a few. But we singers love to fret about the high notes, so I am going to offer a few solutions about range, vocal quality and power that I hope will help. High notes come in all shapes and sizes and any one of them can strike terror into the heart of a hapless singer. Our usual reaction to that terror? We do everything we possibly can to make the situation worse. We panic. We sing too loud. We grimace. We stiffen up like mummies. Support and relax your jaw. When you stiffen and jam your jaw downward you are applying tremendous pressure to that area, which, in turn, constricts your throat and strangles your sound. Instead, use your lower body for support. Tuck your hips under your body and keep your knees loose, almost as if you were sitting on your tailbone. Then support your voice with lower-body strength. Use the same lower-body crouch you would use to lift a heavy chair. If that were the task, you would surely protect yourself by using the strong muscles of your legs and lower body. Sound loves movement. Freely move some part of your body to help keep it loose. Don't clench your fists and stiffen up. Wave your arms, move your head, do a Mariah Carey hand wave. She seems to sing whatever she draws in the air with her right hand. But, no, tapping your toe doesn't count. Keep a level head. Resist reaching up for the high notes. The note is not up there like a fly buzzing around. All you have to do is try this little experiment to see how reaching up with your chin strangles off the sound: Sing or hum a long note as you slowly dip your chin to your chest and then raise it upwards and let your head fall back. Go back and forth a few times. Do you see how tipping back chokes off the sound? Now, we've all seen great singers who seem to throw their heads back and let forth. But if you look carefully, most of them are arching back with their whole body. It's not that the head is arching back independently; the head is part of the support curve. Lighten up before you leap. Most high notes are written as high notes because they are important words and the writer expects them to stand out. But as you go higher in your range, vocal tension increases. Lighten up the volume of the two or three lower notes before the high note. You'll have less weight to carry and the high note will be easier to sing. Never ruin a potentially great high note by over-singing the 1-3 notes before it. Nobody is out there thinking, Wow, I wonder if she'll hit that middle note. No, they're all waiting to hear how well you sing the high note.

A student came in after the holidays absolutely glowing. It turns out that she had gone to some year-end parties that she usually dreaded, but this year there was singing. Her voice was in a new place where she could really enjoy singing with others and having fun, and she spent hours singing and making new friends. She was still happy a week later, and was very motivated to take her voice to the next level. I believe that when it comes to connecting with our group of friends (our tribe), there's nothing better than singing. Here's my theory about it: Before there was anything written down, all laws, stories, folklore and history were passed on in an oral tradition that were sung. The Torah, the Iliad and the Odyssey, and all the great classics of ancient culture were long songs that were memorized, and passed on around the campfire to the tribe. It's much easier to remember words that are associated with melody, and the tribes that were successful in developing great songs and social order survived and prospered. Now that we have written language, computers and social media, there are much easier ways to get the message out. Singing has lost its place as the repository of stories, folklore and history. These days singing has become a spectator sport, where we go to watch a singer and expect a good performance. When we see American Idol, we feel a thrill when a singer gets rejected from the group. In ancient times, separation from the tribe meant death, and we still have the remnants of that fear of rejection within us when we sing. The songs were the glue that held the tribe together, and sound of the singer was the sign that they belonged in the group. When I work with a voice student, our goal is to reach "The Balance Point" (a state where everything works in harmony with their singing.) Once this happens, I usually talk to them about tribe. My talk goes something like this: You've now accomplished a great advancement with your singing and your voice sounds strong, clear and beautiful. Watch now what happens with your relationships. Notice the new people who come into your life. Watch how old relationships are strengthened and renewed. You won't know the how or why of it, but when the opportunity arises, make yourself available. You may be surprised by what happens. An example of this was my student Steve, who had some significant tension blocking him from the Balance Point. We began applying principles of voice release to a song that he planned to sing for his wife's anniversary. Just before the anniversary, his voice reached the Balance Point, and he experienced what he described as a new structure. It was a complete surprise for him because his voice felt so light and yet so powerful. We both experienced the wonder of the moment and I told him to look for the new connections that were going to come as a result of his advancement with his singing. Two nights later, after a meal with his wife, they wandered by the piano bar and the pianist asked him if he wanted to sing a song. He said "Yes!", and he sang the song for his wife. Everyone in the bar realized that there was something very significant and moving taking place, and he sang the song with complete confidence, strength and beauty. It was a defining moment for he and his wife. I encourage you to pursue your singing and expand your network of friends and tribe. It will greatly enrich your life, guaranteed! John Scott www.jdsvoice.com www.facebook.com/jdsvoice john@jdsvoice.com

Anyone who wants to master a skill is taught that practice makes perfect or perfect practice makes perfect or practice makes permanent. But practicing one's singing is uniquely difficult because it's such an invisible process and it can be challenging to know if you're succeeding or not. A piano player can see his fingers and a skier can time himself racing down a hill. Singing though is esthetic and subjective so it's hard to trust oneself. For how long should I practice? Should I do exercises and then songs? What's the optimal practice time? How do I know if I'm doing anything right? When I began my voice training, in the Dark Ages, my teacher recommended that I not practice. She was concerned that I would practice incorrectly (very likely) and that we'd have to redo rather than build. Made sense to me at the time! But I realize that new muscle memory takes practice and that if the teaching is clear, there's less chance of practicing wrong at home. Here then, is a list of my suggestions to help make practicing a thing of pleasure and satisfaction. Find a private place to sing. Not easy for those living in an apartment, I know, but the more private and undisturbed you can be, the less self-conscious you'll feel. Singing can sound loud and strange at times and you don't want to have to worry about people making fun of you by banging on the wall. Though singing in the car is not ideal, for some, it's the only reasonable private space. Just keep your hands on 10 and 2and eyes straight ahead while driving! Determine exactly what you need to focus on- + support exercises? watching yourself sing in the mirror to eliminate head tilting or chin lifting? + getting rid of chest breathing? holding long notes more comfortably? having consistently easy, non-strainy high notes? singing in tune? + vocal agility (speed and accuracy ornamental sections)? + high belting? + memorizing lyrics? + creating vocal riffs? + figuring out harmonies? working out performance gestures and moves? Notice I didn't mention warming-up exercises. Technical exercises and warm-up exercises can be two different things. Personally, I think that too many warm-up exercises can be tiring and sometimes less is more when it comes to warming up. The idea that one must warm-up for 20 minutes (or any exact amount of time) prior to a performance is unnecessary for many singers. Warm-ups should begin with stretching the body, creating good posture, reaffirming lower belly breathing then warming up the support jobs: chest up, ribs out, upper belly firming out, lower belly going in. This whole process should only take about three minutes. Then it's time to attach the vocal folds to the picture. I love the trill patterns: either lip trill or tongue trills. BUT, do not make the mistake of doing them loudly and carelessly. Start on your very lowest note and LIGHTLY do the trills to your highest note with great attention to your breathing and support jobs. I hear so many people doing the trills incorrectly and super-loud. That will over-pressurize your vocal folds and you'll be hoarse in no time. Humming is also a standard first warm-up for the vocal folds. Can't go wrong with humming. Sirens (smoothing sliding up and down) on hums and on vowels is another great, simple vocal fold warm-up. Never sing high and loud until you feel thoroughly warmed-up. 4) Do you ever accidentally do something amazing when singing and the bell of truth rings in your head? Don't let luck be your master! Follow what I call the Rule of Five. If you get lucky when experimenting and something AWESOME comes out of your mouth, REPEAT the phrase 5 times in a row perfectly. If you blow it, start over and aim for five perfect ones. It's a great method (if a bit obsessive-compulsive!) to make happy accidents into new behaviors. 5) When working on high, challenging passages, take the phrase down an interval of fourth then gradually take the phrase up in semi-tones. Take the passage ABOVE where you need to perform it. That will help trick your brain into thinking that the once-too-high passage is not so high after all. 6) When practicing a new and difficult technique (like belting to high C....with vibrato!), take a break every so often. Go and make yourself a sandwich, then come back and try again. Also try your new techniques in as many different locations as possible so your muscle memory remains no matter what the visual input might be. 7) Figure out if you're primarily a visual learner (reading sheet music, chord charts, or lyrics), a kinesthetic learner (singing by how it feels) or an auditory learner (hear it, sing it, know it). If you have a strong predilection for one type of learning, don't be too hard on yourself if other styles of learning seem really difficult. It's just the way your brain is built. 8) Don't practice until you get hoarse. Hoarse means swelling and that means it's time to stop singing. Pain should NEVER be experienced...nor tickling in the vocal folds. It is incorrect to think that pushing past the pain is ever a technique for strengthening the vocal folds. There should be no pain, ever. 9) The goal of practicing is to sing songs, not to do exercises perfectly. There are too many people out there who can sing their pants off on exercises but cannot sing a song to save their lives. Songs filled with feeling and magic are the goal. Practicing is only the foundation, not the goal. So include songs or difficult song fragments as part of your practice strategies. 10) Record yourself or consider having a professional ear (like a vocal coach with a lot of experience) monitor your progress every so often. Just to make sure your practicing does make perfect! Celebrity voice coach Lisa Popeil, MFA in Voice, is the creator of the Voiceworks® Method and the Total Singer DVD. www.popeil.com

Having problems singing? Breathing may be the first issue you want to examine. We all know that we need to move some air in order to sing, but why are the particulars so important? What's the big deal with breathing? You would think since you've been doing this on your own from the moment you were born, you would have it down by now. You can use your mind to direct the incoming air flow into almost any part of your body. But in order to do that, you need to exercise your imagination and be well acquainted with your body. You would be amazed at how elusive these two disciplines can be to some people. Many of my new-to-singing students appear to never have been properly introduced to their own bodies. "Joe, meet your body." "Body, this is Joe." They seem to have little conscious control and a serious paucity of imagination. Not surprisingly, athletes and dancers are among those who seem to relate most quickly to the concept of specific singing breathing. Now you might ask why this matters. It matters because wherever you imagine your air reservoir to be in your body, is where you will tighten to push the air back out again when you are singing. Breathing high up into your neck and shoulders forces you to tighten your throat to push out the air in order to sing. Try this: put your thumb on your navel and imagine a ping pong ball resting just below that. This is your target area -- the reservoir that will hold your air. Direct the air flow down as low as you can without actively pulling it in. It should still be part of your torso. An important word of caution: Don't ever fill your lungs with air. Never let them fill beyond your resting capacity. When you fill past that point, you must tighten your throat like a throttle valve to hold the air in. The more air you build up, the more your throat will tighten. The effect this has on a singer's tone and pitch can only be negative. How much easier it is to simply open your throat and let the air fall into your lower abdominal area. We put the air there so we can utilize the strong muscles of your lower body to push the air back out again for easy, free, singing breathing. It's not so hard. Simply say "hello" to your body and use your imagination.

Let's clear up a few things, why don't we. The speaking and singing voices are not two separate instruments!! We do not possess two sets of true vocal folds with one controlling talking and the other singing. The vocal folds, or cords, function to form speech AND sung sounds. They are one!! Singing differs from speech in that pitches are created over a wider range of notes and tones are held out for a longer duration. Because speaking and singing come form the same source, it is important to know how much influence they have on one another. Particularly, the way we speak can have a huge impact on the quality of our singing. It is quite common to find that a singer's issues with the a run-down voice come from their speech habits. We generally will do more talking than singing on a given day, so we must be careful to monitor how we handle speaking chores. Here are some helpful hints for healthy daily vocal use: - Don't speak on pitches too low for your voice. Men tend to be big offenders here, but women have the issue as well. This habit tires the voice out quickly. If you were to say "mm-hmm", you should get a sense for where you average spoken pitch should be. - Breathe!!! Too many people actually hold their breath as they speak. This will fatigue the voice and cause excess tension in the larynx. Remember, it takes a steady stream of air to the vocal folds to create a healthy sound! - Don't scream!! As a school teacher, I know first hand the tiring effects of this habit!! The cords will get slammed together and will likely swell as a result. - Stay hydrated. The vocal fold shave to be well lubricated to function at their best. Dry cords can become irritated easily and are more susceptible to injury. Drink plenty of water during the course of the day. If you are a professional speaker, you may find that vocal training will reap the great benefits for your voice even if you're not a singer. The techniques taught at Harville Vocal Studio serve to develop healthy vocal function, for singing or speaking.

Let's be honest- voice lessons can be expensive!! In this tough economic climate, it becomes an even larger sacrifice to spend money on vocal training. For that reason, if you are making the investment, the vocal instructor you choose should be worth your hard-earned dollars. There are waaaaaay too many charlatans out there who are, in essence, ripping you off!! They are not leading you into vocal freedom and are nothing more than vocal cheerleaders. You should be making your teacher really work for the pay. I want to share with you some things to consider in terms of teacher accountability. First of all, let's be clear: If your vocal coach can't explain clearly and simply how the voice works, RUN IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!! A REAL teacher should be able to lead you into a working knowledge of your instrument. It is only when that happens that you will truly master your voice. He should be able to give you a purpose for any and every exercise that is given. I tell my students that if I don't give you the reason behind the vocalese, they can smack me. When the client is away from me, he will need to become self-sufficient and fend for himself on the road, in rehearsal, or in the studio. Knowing what exercises serve what purpose will keep you able to function on a daily basis. For too long, singers have been allowed to be the 'dumb' musicians, lagging behind their instrumentalist cohorts in knowing the nuts and bolts of their axe. A solid coach won't allow that. Beware of voice teachers who throw around trite directions like "sing from the diaphragm" and "place the tone forward", for example. This is often a sign that they have no clue as to what is pedagogically sound. Famed vocal coach Seth Riggs warns against such teaching by result instead of by cause and effect. They should be able to give specific exercises to bring the voice into balance. Teaching voice is an artful science and a scientific art. The scientific knowledge must be there. If not. move on to another teacher. A good voice teacher doesn't need to be the best singer you ever encounter, but if he can't sing, MOVE ON!!!! The coach should be able to demonstrate the concepts and exercises for their students. You should put the teacher on the spot. Ask her to sing through her passaggi or bridges. If she can't make easy transitions, she shouldn't be teaching you how to do it. The trainer should possess the technique that they claim to teach. By the way, a degree in voice doesn't guarantee that the voice teacher is truly qualified to be training other singers. There are a number of wonderful teachers may have degrees in music education, musical theater, or speech pathology. Also, don't be overly concerned with the piano skills of the coach. They need to able to play the exercises and chords, for sure. But their principal job isn't to be the accompanist. The main focus should be on your watching and listening to you as you vocalize and then move into song work. Set the bar high, folks. Don't throw your money away. Do your homework. Ask good questions. Audition the teacher. You will not regret the effort you put into the search when you find your voice growing into the instrument you've dreamed of having. SING OUT LOUD!!!!

Managers may think of their touring singers as instrumentalists without the extra cartage and tech costs, but the fact is that singers carry the most fragile equipment of all: their vocal folds. The average size of the human vocal folds is only about the size of a penny and the entire tour's existence can rest of the health of those penny-sized pieces of tissue. Here are some tips on keeping your lead singer on the road and off the operating table: 1) Make sure the singer gets some vocal training and health preservation strategies from an experienced voice coach before the tour starts. 2) Singers are greatly helped by dual, custom in-ear monitors. They can make the difference between a solid tour or voice loss after one week. They're expensive but worth it. 3) Don't over-load your singer with an intensive interview schedule and keep the meet-and-greets to a minimum. The more the singer talks, the less rested the singing voice will be. Singers need a ton of vocal rest to sound fresh. 4) During rehearsals, if the singer asks the band to turn down, make sure the band turns down. Instrumentalists often don't understand how difficult and destructive it is when a singer feels forced to sing over the music. 5) No one sings well first thing in the morning, but the same goes for speaking. Allow for a schedule where the singer has a chance to wake-up before having to use their voice. 6) Arrange for a vocal exam prior to the tour with a local laryngologist. Get a photo and/or video on record of the singer's vocal folds before there are problems. It's called getting a baseline. If the singer experiences voice loss or voice pain during the tour and needs additional exams, the baseline image can be used for comparison. 7) Get a list of laryngologists in each of the cities in which the act is appearing. A laryngologist is an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor with additional training in the larynx. Especially desirable is a laryngologist who specializes in professional voice. 8) Treat your singer as the fragile and important leader of the band. Cater to them, baby them, keep them warm when it's cold and cool when it's hot. Singers face sickness hourly and unlike most players, risk permanent damage to their instrument. Lisa Popeil, MFA in Voice, is a top LA voice coach and vocal health consultant. She is available for Skype consultations on vocal technique and health preservation strategies for the touring singer.

First , I believe that everyone has the right to choose a suitable teacher for him/her that charges according to his/hers economic possibility. There is no use to start and taking one or two lesson and then stop because we can't afford it anymore. Therefor I will advise you to look for someone that his charges suit your pocket. This way you won't have to stop and change voice teacher in the middle of your voice learning process. I would suggest you also to try and find someone who can prove his professional abilities as a singer and as a teacher by videos or audio files. I won't just trust his/her word for it. I would also get an idea of what are the results I might obtain from studying with him/her. I would look for someone who has years of background and teaching experience, and not a fresh one. Usually an experienced teacher can offers you more. No always, as a rule, but often. I would try to find a teacher that gives you a nice and comfort feeling while study with. Singing can be sometimes like open your heart to a "stranger" and tell about "all your problems. Your teacher should be a person you can communicate with and feel free to be able to give feedback during the process. You should feel relaxed during the lessons for the process to be effective. Don't obligate yourself for a long period for lessons before you know the teacher and you have decided that this is what you want/need. You shouldn't feel any strange feelings on your throat at the end of a voice lesson. If you do feel uncomfortable (and you don't have a cold) afterwards that means you may need to change your teacher. After a while with a good teacher you should feel you can sing much easier, singing higher notes with less effort (than before) and have a clear sound. If none of it happens that means that may indicate on the fact that this method might be not working for you. Above all: Listen to your body/voice and what it tells you. If you feel that the teacher IS helping you that is great. If not you can stop your lessons , and look for another one. Don't forget , now you have much more knowledge than before to know if things are good for you.

While working with my voice students once in a while I come out with some new ideas for practicing and I wanted to share some of them with you! For today this is my tip: * When you work on a hard song/music piece and you feel things are just aren't moving right. You feel for example your voice is dull, doesn't vibrate much, have some difficulty going up to high notes etc. Try to work on your body by moving it. If you sit down, than get up. Start to sing while walking in the room. Sing while going up on a chair while singing and going down and repeat it while singing. You can try sing while opening your arms aside and doing circles. See what happen. You will notice that more you let your body sustain your singing less you feel the effort in your throat and on your vocal chords.

These kinds of workouts are officially referred to as, semi-occluded phonations. They are popular with singing techniques and with voice therapists. Their purpose are three-fold: 1). They balance the sub-glottal and supra-glottal air pressure (above and below) the vocal folds and thus help the singer to create more efficient phonation and balance with the increased velocity of air required for singing. Inherently, speech vocal mode is not efficient compared to phonations used in singing, so the semi-occluded vocal tract exercises increase the efficiency of the relationship between the singer's respiration and vocal folds. 2). Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises establish a resonant track. They help the singer to get into a seamless passage through the vocal bridges (breaks), thus preparing the voice for good bridging from the lower vocal registers to the higher registers, namely, (chest to head voice). 3). Semi-occluded phonations create cricoid tilt, which is one of the main characteristics of the most important vocal mode and physiological configuration for singing, vocal twang. Vocal twang first and foremost, insures that the vocal folds achieve excellent compression/closure and vocal twang amplifies the voice in the 2000-3800 Khz frequency range, thus making the voice more projected and louder. To call these semi-occluded vocal tract postures warm-ups do not give them justice. They do far more than just warm up the voice and are the first part of the three part, "Foundation Building Routine" taught in the beginning to all TVS students. THE VOCALIST STUDIO Robert J. Lunte I 800.269.9040 robert@thevocaliststudio.com www.TheVocalistStudio.com www.skype.com : "rjlseagull" www.tinyurl.com/ListenToYourSingingForFeedback www.tinyurl.com/TVSFREELESSONS-TUTORIALS

Last week was one of the highest and lowest in the music business all within 48 hours. Starting with the death of our beloved Whitney Houston and ending with our praise for one of our new greatest voices ever the unlikely pop-star that swept the Grammy's, ADELE (Yay Adele!!). Yet, the odds of that? This article, about the difficulty of being the world's greatest singer of all time and the irony of being a star on the decline I hope it enlightens us all and reminds us of how fragile we are. Many blame Whitney and I can see how easy that is to do. She's a poster child for the irresponsible star indulging in drugs who loses sight of her gift and throws it away. But perhaps there is another side to the story, one that is hidden away, one that few would understand unless they had been in her shoes. First and foremost, I am an artist. Second, I am a mentor to thousands of artists it's what I do in the world. I have been privy to behind the curtain, when times are good and bad. I am sympathetic to the enormous pressure that stardom demands and to the extremely difficult fall from fame (that no one is built to survive). I have sensitive sensors towards pain, and a laser that points me to that frequency in others, even when they can't see it in themselves. That's part of what makes me good at my job. I would say that the world agrees that some of Whitney's choices i.e., tying the knot with Bobby Brown, was the beginning of her demise and Whitney would agree. However, after the plateau of her 2009 come-back record, it was plain to all that she just wasn't returning to the golden spotlight that once revealed perhaps the greatest voice of all time; she was failing once again. Maybe that was too painful to endure this time. You know, some people are weaker than others. Some people have thinner skin around their hearts. Now you can criticize her for her weakness for alcohol and drugs (she truly was an addict, like several other stars it's an emotional roller coaster ride), and recently for the prescription meds that most likely were the cause of her death. But if you look behind the curtain, and you imagine what went on with her, maybe you'd be surprised to find the devastating heartbreak she was struggling with. She couldn't hit rewind, and she couldn't get her voice back. For someone who was perhaps the greatest singer of all time, this must have been excruciating. Perhaps this year's Grammy's was the final straw (another singer stepping up to the world's spotlight.) Apparently, her behavior in the days before the awards may have been a sign that she was freaking out on the inside, more than anyone around her, or even she, realized. Here's what I wrote in my Sunday blog post: I guess the biggest thing that I want to say out of this shocking news, is what Lionel Ritchie talked about yesterday. He was talking about the pressure that artists of this magnitude feel to uphold their superstar status and continue to top themselves. It's a brutal expectation placed upon them and I often wonder if it isn't this pressure that kills them. I wonder if we can send a message, especially on the night of the Grammy's, and in the aftermath of legend Amy Winehouse's tragic passing this year (and Michael in 2009), a plea that we lighten up on the huge expectations we have of our stars (the media mainly) and be more mindful of the huge responsibility placed on their shoulders. So yes, I think the tragedy that befell Whitney is absolutely from the pressure of once being the greatest singer of all time one that was failing. She had crossed the line of no return. It was no longer under her control for WHATEVER reason that was. Maybe she was just not strong enough to live life in the public eye, and that made her make some very bad choices. Or maybe, like a lot of people in the world, she just made bad choices out of insecurity but under the brutal scrutiny of the public eye. Either way it was a perfect storm. Some people blame those around her, or the music industry it's all part of it, but the real point here is, there is no one person to blame. We are all part of it. That's why we need to re-examine stardom and what fame is. We need to lighten up on our expectations and understand when someone is struggling and pour out our love instead of our criticism. The truth is is that an artist should NEVER believe their own hype. Especially because it's really all just smoke and mirrors (the marketing and media stuff.) Truth be told, I know a lot of stars. Most of them are not good in dealing with big fame and they struggle with it. It feeds the ego, the narcissism in everyone and that is tricky business. Most people in that position screw it up in more ways than one there is a lot of self-sabotage that goes on including drug use. I also coach artists on the benefits of mini-fame� instead of mega. Thank goodness there are many ways to have a successful career without your name on the world's stage. Imagine if you were a famous singer the best in the world and then failed even if it was your fault (perhaps more of a reason), it would tear you up too. It would probably be more humiliating than you could bear too. More than money or fame would ever make up for. Thoughts about the Grammy's this year? There should be a rule that if you are lip synching you can't wear a mic, and if you beat someone up you don't get to perform on music night (sorry Chris but really?). How happy are we for Adele? So beautiful to see how real she is (and hilarious!). Bon Iver so happy to see him win Best New Artist how cool is that! Loved his thoughtful words to worthy artists who would never grace the Grammy stage; so big of him to send that message. But before we all move on and Whitney's death is in the distance let's share some of our beautiful memories of her here post your love and respect for the brave one who sang the soundtrack of our lives for us.

Free singing online lessons initially sound like a perfectly sane concept. And indeed, they could be just the thing for those singers who don't have easy access to an urban center teeming with singing coaches. These singers are forced to reach out beyond their home base in order to find good vocal teachers. On the singer's side of the equation, we know the price for free singing online lessons is right. Free is free, after all. Voice lessons are expensive and not all aspiring singers are living on a trust fund. So maybe free singing online lessons could be a solution to the problem of finding inexpensive voice training? Maybe... Let's start with the discipline issue. Not everyone is a totally motivated self-starter. Learning in a vacuum via a one-way communication may not be the most realistic approach for many of us. When you have little accountability and no pressure to demonstrate progress, it's easy to lose focus and commitment. However, you could probably use online singing lessons to good advantage if your obsession with music is sufficient. There is also the question of which system to use. Concepts of technique and training vary widely (and wildly) from voice teacher to voice teacher. And you can bet there are about as many types of free singing online lessons as there are people to teach them. How do you know which is right for you? Yes, they are free, but you are the one who will be making a personal investment of your time -- something many of us value more than money. As you search for a free singing online vocal guru, find out the following: What formal musical education they have had What professional experience they have had Whether they are used to working with beginners or professionals If they can describe their philosophy of learning with clarity If they can point to successful clients they have trained Whether they have endorsers who are available to speak to you And from your personal perspective, try to define your level of commitment: Will you truly make time to give the lessons a chance How you will avoid simply collecting a mish-mash of conflicting ideas How you will evaluate your progress How you will find and build a relationship with a musical mentor Whether you will actually value and use something that is free Because I travel a lot, I often find myself in the company of strangers who come to learn through conversation that I do vocal teaching. Inevitably they have questions they want to ask. I used to answer their questions freely. But, you know what? They would invariably argue with me. So I took a new stance. Now I tell them that I would be happy to answer their question, but that first, could they give me 50 cents? Or a quarter. Or a dollar. Something -- anything -- that would put me in the professional position of "teacher." Once money changes hands, people rarely argue with what I have to say. You will need to evaluate your level of commitment. There are few totally free lunches to be had. Free singing online lessons may be the perfect plan for highly-motivated individuals, but the rest of us should look out for the slippery slope on the down-side. Good learning cries out for a balanced synergy of student and vocal coach. Nashville vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams helped make stars out of many top artists: Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks, Miley Cyrus, Huey Lewis, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, Christina Aguilera... Click Here to receive her free weekly video NewsLessons and PDF of "Answers to Singers' 7 Most Important Questions." Author of "Voice Power" AMACOM (NY). She offers insider's information via on-line lessons at cybervoicestudio.com.

I have had some voice feminization cases in the past. Not wanting to pass up a challenge or a learning experience, these clients with me to learn how to speak more feminine. Here are some techniques and ideas I have used to assist this kind of client. 1). We phonate in semi-occluded phonations as I would with any singing student in an effort to lift the larynx and get out of a "bottom-up", throaty phonation. 2). We have identify the optimal pitch range for a woman to speak in vs a man. I believe we settle on pitches slightly below middle C. We focus around 180-220Hz. Place your fingers on your throat lightly, feel where the Adam's Apple is. Swallow, feel how it goes far up, then down. Learning how to shift it upwards and backwards while talking is the key to successful voice feminization. 3). I have encourage clients to read while phoning a slightly higher pitch around the optimal feminine speaking pitch range. 4). I have address the prosodic issues of feminine inflections, (speaking rate, inflection, pauses), which can be a bit unsettling for me to demonstrate, but thats what I have to do. Essentially, trying speak like a woman. Things that help make a voice feminine: Pitch - Feminine voices are higher; this may be the most important concern. Pitch Range Men tend to be more monotone, varying the pitch helps feminize the voice. Speech Rate - Men typically speak at a steady rate, while women tend to speak in shorter bursts followed by pauses. Tag Questions - Example: "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" A man, on the other hand, would be more likely to simply declare, "It is a beautiful day." Supportive environment - As with any skill, speaking with a feminine voice may be easier without the stress of extreme consequences for failure (for example, being identified as a transsexual by someone to whom one is not out.) Additionally, opportunities to use the feminine voice in conversational situations (as opposed to speech-therapeutic ones) may be helpful in polishing the skill. For more information about The Vocalist Studio, click HERE >>>

Techniques for singing can be improved substantially by scheduling a vocal lesson with a reputable voice coach. How do you know if you need help and when? It's a good idea to start out your performing career by laying a foundation of good techniques for singing. Starting with an empty slate is a whole lot easier than finding out later in your career that you have to correct long-standing bad habits. Watch for these symptoms of a voice in trouble: Sore throat during or after singing Pitch problems, sharp or flat Feeling that you need to sing louder to maintain the tone Feeling that you need to whisper to get the words out Finding it difficult to pronounce the words Lack of emotional communication with audience If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you might want to start asking around for that vocal coach we talked about and begin to develop some valid singing techniques for yourself. I once asked country singer (first singer to record "Wind Beneath My Wings") and Broadway star (Les Miserables) Gary Morris why he thought he needed to take a vocal lesson. He replied by saying, "You might be a big, tough guy, but you wouldn't get in the ring with Mike Tyson without an expert trainer in your corner." Good analogy, Gary! How can you know what to expect from the singing coaches you may interview? Look first at their resume, client list, and fees -- as is true in many fields, you tend to get what you pay for. Are any of the students known to you? Ask the coach to supply you with a way to contact present and/or former students. Encourage the coach to explain their personal philosophy of techniques for singing. What is most important to them? Vocal safety? Emotional impact? Perfect singing techniques? A five octave range? (And you need five octaves for what?) At some point you have to quit looking and start trusting. Once you have the information you need to make a carefully considered decision, it's time to hand yourself over to the strange things this individual will ask you to do in a vocal lesson. I, for one, admit my warm-up exercises sound a little dorky, but they work! And that's what counts. You have to trust your singing teacher, but keep an open mind. Regularly check your progress by taping yourself and listening to the results. Ask for progress evaluations from trusted friends and family. If your progress seems to be stalled or you are plagued by the serious voice problems listed above -- well, it might be time to move on to a better fit. I always give my students a %100 guarantee that if my techniques for singing better don't work for them, they can always go back to what wasn't working for them before. With the right vocal coach you can learn how to sharpen your techniques for singing freely and how to craft a song to move an audience from tears to joy and back again. But when it comes to making career moves you need to be a self-starter. You can ask for feedback from your singing teacher when opportunities come your way. They should be able to help you make informed decisions, but don't expect your vocal coach to manage your career, or get you a record deal -- that is, unless they offer that service and have a track record of success. Nashville vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams helped make stars out of many top artists: Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks, Miley Cyrus, Huey Lewis, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, Christina Aguilera... Click Here to receive her free weekly video NewsLessons and PDF of "Answers to Singers' 7 Most Important Questions." Author of "Voice Power" AMACOM (NY). She offers insider's information via on-line lessons at cybervoicestudio.com.