TMV World Team

Even after 20 years of singing Opera internationally, I still am amazed at the power of "nerves". More often than not, I feel as though the only thing I ever worry about anymore is how to relax and enjoy myself. As performers we are constantly put in positions of having to be "on". This means we need to appear totally relaxed and at ease, but at the same time need to be fully energized so that our voice can get up and out of our body when we need it to. This is no easy task. The balance is what truly great performers have achieved. I have spent many years experimenting, researching and ultimately using herbs, supplements and diet to successfully achieve this balance. I would like to share with you some very easy and effective ways I have found that work, while having no negative effects on the voice, throat or body, which may help you find the right balance for yourself. An excellent calming agent for the nerves is not easy to find because we need to stay alert and have access to our energy. There are some excellent natural alternatives you can take to achieve this balance. 1. Theanine- Theanine is found in green tea. It is extracted and put into a capsule or tablet form. Theanine has a calming effect on the body by evening out the chemicals in the brain and relaxing the nervous system. It does not make you tired or drowsy the way a pharmaceutical drug will. You can find it in various dosage levels and it can be bought without a prescription. 2. Borage Oil- Borage oil comes from the borage plant. This extracted oil is produces more of an overall body feeling. It does not have the same effect in the brain as Theanine, instead it calms the body. It has been known for centuries as the "feel good" plant due to it's calming effects. When taken as a tea, it has the same effect as well as an added bonus; it helps to clear phlegm from the throat and lungs. 3. Gaba- Gaba is an amino acid found in the brain that helps your brain to slow down and transmit messages to your body to relax. It is often used to induce sleep. I have found it to be extremely effective at helping me to relax without slowing down my performance energy. I take it daily especially when I know I have a coaching, lesson, performance or audition. As voice professionals we need to keep our mind, body, throat and voice as healthy as possible ALL THE TIME! This is not a game we are playing. We cannot afford to call in sick. Our health and especially our vocal health needs to be the number one priority in our lives. You may find many other natural, safe and effective solutions to vocal issue on my blog at Superiorvocalhealth.blogspot.com. I wish you the best on your quest to superior vocal health. David Aaron Katz

There are certain professionals in the field who have downplayed the importance of vocal teaching programs, seemingly convinced that these programs are of no use, and believing technique can only be taught one on one. I must disagree to a the guidance of a teacher that is familiar with your singing approach, you can only benefit. Teachers can hear and see what a beginning vocalist cannot. This is exactly why I teach. All of my students say they benefit from my teaching and develop a better understanding of the techniques in Raise Your Voice and TheUltimate Breathing Workout, after working with me. So, how do you know if one on one voice training is for you, and how do you find a coach suited for your voice? Here is a list of questions to help you decide: 1. Do you find that your improvement has halted and/or you are experiencing vocal problems that you cannot correct? If you answered yes, then I'd say it's a safe bet that you need a vocal instructor. Vocal instruction can only benefit an aspiring singer. A coach can help to redirect your voice and eliminate problems. A coach can help you to correct problems that you might not be aware of. A coach can help you develop your style, increase your range, improve your tonality, and teach you tricks like developing vibrato. Maybe you are reading Raise Your Voice, and you feel you aren't progressing like you feel you should. First, you should know that all people progress differently. Make sure that you aren't rushing. If you weren't rushing the exercises, it would be nice to find a teacher that is familiar with the techniques in the program. Anything that you do is better with hands-on training. Just like learning to drive a car. You can study all of the rules, but until you actually apply these rules, you probably won't understand the total importance. I'm not telling you to seek out an instructor. If you are developing at a steady rate, and singing regularly without any vocal problems and not getting booed off stage, you might be fine on your own. Some people say that singing is natural and only natural singers are the best. This is the most idiotic thing I've ever heard. All singers, even the natural singers eventually, over the course of time, develop tips, tricks, or rituals they must work through in order to protect their voices. Just like a natural basketball player- They might be really good at the beginning, but, with practice and learning what works for them, they become great players. 2. So, how do I find a teacher? Try asking the advice of singers that you admire. You'll find that more and more vocalists are studying voice. Some vocal instructors will come highly recommended. Try checking out local bands that you like. Ask the singer if they know of a good teacher geared towards your style. Check the yellow pages, local newspapers, and the internet. 3. How do I find a teacher suited for me? Search for a teacher that caters to your style and needs. What style do you sing? If you want be able to sing hard rock, I wouldn't seek the guidance of a pop vocal instructor. There is also a fallacy that studying opera will help the rock-n-roll voice. There are great techniques in opera, but I wouldn't recommend it, unless of course you want to sing opera. Some vocal instructors cover all styles. Some instructors are considered voice-strengthening specialists. This type of teacher focuses on building a strong, healthy voice before approaching vocal style. If you find a teacher that seems suited for you, don't be afraid to call them and ask questions. Tell them what problems you are experiencing and what you expect from instruction. Ask how long they have been teaching. Request the names of other students. Ask other students what they have gained though instruction with the teacher. Ask what the teacher has to offer. Be wary of a teacher who promises unheard of results in minimal time. You can see incredible gains in the beginning with proper technique, but it takes lots of hard work and practice. I read an article from an author who promised that they could teach anyone to be an amazing singer in twelve lessons. I wasn't impressed with either this claim or the book. Also if you are currently working with another program, such as Brett Manning's Singing Success, ask the teacher if they would be willing to incorporate the teachings of this method if you feel comfortable with this particular program. 4. I found a teacher, now how do I know this is the right teacher for me. Okay, you've found a teacher that teaches your style. You go to your first lesson. Pay attention. Are you learning anything that you haven't heard of before? If you are learning new techniques that seem to make sense, this is a definite positive. Is the teacher applying these new techniques to your voice, and do you notice an improvement? You might not notice dramatic changes at once, but you should notice some new sensations of relaxation and/or freedom. After all, you are probably seeking instruction to save your voice and improve the quality of your singing. Can this teacher demonstrate their exercises and techniques? If not, chances are you will not benefit from their teaching. A teacher who cannot perform their techniques with little effort, or a teacher who has chronic hoarseness is probably not a wise choice. Is the teacher still willing to incorporate other methods? If not, and they claim their method is the only method, then move on to another teacher. Can the teacher help to develop certain vocal characteristics of your given style? Let's say you want to scream like Brian Johnson of AC/DC or Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. You've been singing these type of songs for some time now, but you always end up hurting your throat. Does the teacher teach methods for screaming without losing your voice? This is exactly why Phil Taylor of Future Leaders of the World decided to study with me. I specialize in teaching techniques for hard rock singers and showed him some techniques one night before a show. He realized I could help teach him to sing throaty night after night without losing is voice. If this is what you want to learn, the right instructor is key. Maybe you want to learn to sing the blues. You'll want a teacher who can gear your exercise routine towards blues licks. 5. So, what are the key elements to look for? Once again, a teacher who specializes in your style is detrimental. Look for an honest teacher, one who doesn't make ridiculous claims, as far as voice is concerned. Look for a teacher who doesn't overcharge, but expect to get what you pay for. You might pay a little more for a well-known teacher; one who has taught for years, has famous clients, or authored books. Stay away from a teacher that expects you to study for years. I'm a firm believer in teaching my methods and sending the student on their way, unless of course a student wants to get into improving their style and expanding their repertoire. If this is the case, you might spend more time with the teacher, working on song development and advanced techniques. Above all, find a teacher that makes you feel comfortable. The #1 bit of advice I can give you is if your throat is hurting from their methods, even after several lessons, then their methods aren't for you. Jaime Vendera Author of "Raise Your Voice", "Mindset: programming Your Mind for Success" and "Online Teaching Secrets Revealed" jaimevendera.com theultimatevocalworkout.com

Everyone I have run into has seen my great smile. In conversation, it is easy for me to be happy or fake being happy. They both come naturally. Yet being in pain, anger or distress does not happen as naturally while I engage with others. I could be telling a sad story with very little emotion and mostly infusing it with humour. On the other hand, singing a happy song is the hardest for me. Sad songs, melancholic poetry are easiest for me to perform and usually, the audience ask me afterwards: "Did that happen to you?" And, it does happen in the song or poetry recital. I believe that this ability comes with my personality, I am a reserved person and prefer composure. So, if a song is unhappy and sung to evoke the appropriate feelings, my audience will most likely remain composed. I want to be the singer who electrifies the audience and I use dark lyrics for that reason. So what about happy? I think that with proper instruction, I can perform happy lyrics. Words such as 'butterfly' sound so silly on stage, I just start laughing. Even though crying and laughing are close neighbours, I don't break into extreme emotion of both while singing. Why? Learning how to sing under various stress factors is a valuable tool. It may not be a bad idea to actually look for reason to experience these emotions and incorporate them in our singing. For some people the emotions are only controlled by switches in the brain, for others it may be not.

Disclaimer: The following list is not intended to treat, diagnose, or prevent any disease or illness. Before taking any of the following vitamins, mineral, or herbs, I urge you to contact your physician for consideration, and proper dosage amounts. I have been asked many times if there were any tricks to keep your voice healthy. I don't really consider hard work and vocal awareness a trick, but if you learn a solid vocal technique and maintain an awareness of how you treat your voice every day, you will improve. Another aspect to consider is vocal health. By feeding your body with the right nutrients, you can maintain over-all health. So I decided to focus this lesson on what nutrients best help to maintain a healthy vocal apparatus. What I am about to present to you is a review of my daily regimen; my list of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other areas I take into consideration to keep my voice healthy. I shouldn't say this out loud, but I might be what you would consider, a bit unhealthy. I had my tonsils removed when I was 3 years old, due to ongoing colds, and I was diagnosed with a rare skin disease at the age of 7 years old. I could possibly say that I have had several colds, every year of my life, for as long as I can remember. This includes basic colds to sinus infections, laryngitis, pharyngitis, and bronchitis. This is due to several factors; my tonsils were not completely removed and I have severe allergies. So I now take 6 allergy shots a week and use a water pick to keep my tonsils clean. Food can get lodged behind your tonsils and set up a home for bacteria to spread. Before I started on shots, I had already noticed that the majority of singers I have met (including myself), were hypochondriacs!!! Singing can be a mental thing, and people have a tendency to get in their own way. A lot of times a sore throat is out of fear of performing, but there are still times when you are really sick. When you are tired of being sick, especially when you are a vocalist, you'll try anything. So I decided to teach myself to be prepared for a sore throat. I have read deeply on the subject and came up with my own concoction of daily supplements. I have discovered what foods the voice needs to strengthen, replenish, and repair itself. If you sing for hours a night, you are going to have to give your voice time to recuperate. First things first- PLENTY OF SLEEP! Your voice is very sensitive and when your body is tired, your voice will be the first to suffer. This is why when you are extremely tired, you feel like it's too much work to talk. You could need 8-10 hours of sleep, especially after a long night of performing. You want be sure that you are well rested before you sing as well. Singing, especially rock singing, takes a lot of physical energy. I also recommend some sort of exercise program. If you want to sing to your fullest potential, you must be in shape, as well as your voice. Cardiovascular exercise is best for a singer, preferably something such as jogging, or Tae Bo. Yoga and Tai Chi are excellent forms as well. Singing is a big part of breathing, and all of the preceding exercise programs focus on breathing. I follow a specific nutrient regimen every day. When I wake up in the morning, I drink 8-10 ounces of water. I continue to drink water all day long. My daily water quota is a gallon. It used to be more. The more you drink, the better. Your vocal cords need lubrication to maintain their elasticity, and only water will do. Every morning, I take a daily vitamin and mineral supplement. I also take an additional 1000 mg of chewable vitamin C, 1000 mg of Calcium, 400 mg of Magnesium, and 25 mg of Zinc. When your body is tired or under physical or mental stress, you will lose vitamin C, and Calcium. Both strengthen the immune system. When your body lacks vitamin C and Calcium, the immune system is weakened and you risk the chance of infection. Magnesium helps the body to maintain Calcium. Zinc is the singer's mineral. Zinc helps to reduce the swelling of inflamed vocal cords, which is why I also take Zinc lozenges if I have a cold. I used to take a tablespoon of colloidal silver every morning. I purchased a colloidal silver generator from Sunstone Herbals. If you want to learn about colloidal silver and it's benefits go to www.sunstoneherbals.com. But I have since switched to using a water additive called X20 from singerswater.com. This additive adds ionic silver, calcium and other important singer essentials. There are also a couple herbs that I use every day as well. I take three, 500 mg capsules of licorice root. Licorice is natural cortisone, which will also reduce the swelling of inflamed vocal cords. You can pick some up at your local GNC. Slippery Elm root is also an excellent herb for singers. Slippery Elm soothes inflamed mucous membranes in the throat and mouth. The best source I have found is Throat Coat Tea by Traditional Medicinals. I try to drink a cup every day. The day of a performance, I up my water quota. I also perform at least 20-30 minutes of warm ups before singing. By the time I hit the stage, I drive everybody crazy because I have to pee so much! But hey, I can sing all night long!!! I know this is probably unethical, but I also take 2 aspirin before I go onstage. Aspirin thins out the blood, so when I get the blood pumping to the vocal cords from all of the Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest, and AC/DC I do, any vocal cord swelling is minimum. I'll also occasionally suck on a lozenge. I'll use anything that contains vitamin C, bee propolis, Zinc, apple pectin, slippery elm, licorice, or glycerin. I stay away from any menthol-based lozenges. Menthol dries out the vocal cords. Again, at the end of the night, I warm down my voice by performing some the exercises from my Vocal Stress Release program. Do some research and create your own daily regimen. What works for me, won't necessarily work for you. Regardless of what you do, if you try to live a healthy lifestyle, (plenty of rest, water, nutrients) you will have a longer vocal career. If you are really serious about singing I offer these words of advice. Find a good vocal coach and learn proper technique. If you are a smoker, QUIT!!! Smoke aggravates the cords and dries them. Alcohol is also another bad choice. Alcohol dries out the vocal cords. If you are interested in more information about vocal health, everything we have discussed in this lesson is discussed in greater detail in my book Raise Your Voice. Jaime Vendera Author of "Raise Your Voice", "Mindset: programming Your Mind for Success" and "Online Teaching Secrets Revealed" jaimevendera.com theultimatevocalworkout.com

*** LEGAL NOTICE *** THE VOICE CONNECTION. COM, Jaime Vendera, and all persons involved in this website and/or lesson are not responsible for any damages, injuries, or losses due to any individual person(s) attempting to try this at home. Although this feat is possible, it is dangerous. Breaking Glass in front of your face as Jaime does creates a shattering effect. It is possible that if you try this, the glass will shatter. It is possible when the glass shatters it will lodge itself into various parts of your body, including but not limited to: your throat, mouth, eyes etc. Please use extreme caution when attempting this lesson. Please also note, wearing glasses, even sunglasses does not ensure safety for your eyes. For those of you who have seen my appearance on Good Morning America and MythBusters; I want to tell you that shattering glass is NOT easy!!! Let me tell you my story: MY STORY On October 28th 2004, I received an email from Jim Gillette. For those of you who don't know Jim, he was the lead singer of Nitro and is unmatched by any other in range and power. He has over a 6-octave range and can sing louder than 120 decibels. Jim was contacted by Linda Wolkovitch, associate producer of Discovery Channel's hit show Mythbusters. The MythBusters crew was scheduled to appear on Good Morning America on November 9th and wanted to prove or disprove the myth about a singer being able to shatter glass. Linda had heard that Jim Gillette was famous for shattering glasses with his voice by using an amplifier, and was hoping that Jim would be interested in flying to New York for the show. Unfortunately, Jim declined, due to his busy schedule and Linda was frantic to find anyone who could perform this feat. She asked Jim if he knew of anyone who could fill his shoes. Jim is the only singer I have heard of, Besides Ella Fitzgerald, who could perform this feat. Although I very seriously doubt I could fill his shoes, Jim told Linda that he knew of a singer and author who owned a website called The Voice Connection, that could perform this feat with no problem. So, the email went something like; How would you like to appear on national television shattering a glass with your voice??? This is no joke and we dont have much time. Email me as soon as you get this if you are interested. So, of course I emailed him immediately, which was shortly followed by a phone call from Jim. I was in total disbelief when he called. Jim had heard me sing years ago and had me hit a few high notes on the phone. He then said I definitely had the voice for it and could teach me over the phone. I talked with Linda that night and told her I would do it. The original plan was for me to fly to San Francisco on November 3rd to practice for two days, then fly home for the weekend, and finally fly to New York on November 7th. But, due to a change in scheduling with Good Morning America, the spot was moved up from 11/09 to 11/08, so I had to practice at home. On Wednesday, November 3rd, I received about 100 wine glasses and an amplification system from Meyer Sound. I sat up the equipment and gave it several tries, with no luck. Then Jim called me. He walked me through the process and explained the physics behind shattering glass, then told me to email him when I was successful. Within two minutes of hanging up the phone, I blew up my first glass. I tried it again to make sure it wasn't a fluke. By the time I had emailed Jim and he called me back, I shattered 6 glasses My practice and planning schedule was hectic. I shattered 19 glasses that night, rested my voice on Thursday, and then shattered a couple dozen glasses on Friday. I flew to New York on Saturday and met with the MythBusters that night for dinner. Actually, Jamie was already in bed, but I had dinner with Linda, Adam Savage, his wife Julia, and Roger Schwenke, staff scientist from Meyer Sound. The next day was non-stop work, but it was fun. We began by visiting the set of GMA, and then moved on to the Discovery building where I basically screamed at glasses all day long. Several professional opera singers from the New York Opera showed up to try out for the spot of my opponent on the show. Being a voice coach, I was eager to share my newly acquired techniques and was very successful in teaching many of the opera singers to shatter glasses by amplification. By the end of the night, Roger Schwenke asked me if I was screaming as loud as I could. I told him no because I was preserving my voice for the show. He then told me that I was above 100 decibels and none of the opera singers could get above 90 decibels. Jamie Hyneman was also concerned, afraid that all of the screaming was hurting my voice. I explained to him that by observing proper voice technique, I could sing, scream and shout all night, and would be fine the next morning, as long as I could warm up. If you have seen the video clip from the site, I must tell you that you haven't seen the whole video. The original video showed the opera singer we picked from the previous night's tryout. She was allowed to go first on the show, was given two chances and failed both times. In her defense, I have to say that the reason we picked her was because she had repetitive success in shattering glasses after I had taught her, and shattered several glasses the morning of Good Morning America, during practice, before the live appearance. It takes precision and power. Even I had trouble during practice because I didn't get a chance to warm up before exploding glasses at 5 AM. After her two chances, I walked on stage, screamed for about 10-15 seconds, and POW!!! It blew up. TheMythBusters and the Discovery network were ecstatic. Linda told me that they wanted to do a full episode with me and believed that I could shatter the glasses without any amplification, and was hoping I would fly out sometime in early 2005. Over the next few months, I continued to practice developing an un-amplified technique. I practiced the techniques from both of my books and continued to study the way that glass would resonate. A friend of mine by the name of Paul DeHart would constantly urge me to scream at the glasses. He eventually started screaming at them with me and I dubbed him my vocal sparring partner. By the beginning of January 2005, I shattered my 1st glass and shattered 14 more before flying to San Francisco to film the MythBusters episode. To prove that I could deliver the goods and inspire the MythBusters crew to fly me out as soon as possible, I decided to record myself shattering glass #8 and send the clip to Linda Wolkovitch for her, Jamie, Adam, and executive producer Peter Engle to watch for themselves. My diabolical plan worked and the following week, scheduling was planned for my trip. When filming the episode, I shattered glass #16, officially making me the first person in history ever documented to shatter a glass by voice alone. I almost feel like I am cheating my vocal coach Jim Gillette, because I know for a fact that he can and has shatter glasses by voice alone. Jim is a great friend who truly believes in me as a voice teacher and is proud that I have proven myself a worthy student and have received the title of first person ever to shatter a glass by voice alone. Since Jim has showed me such kindness, I have decided to share the same kindness with all of my Voice Connection students. If you are ready to shatter glass, here are some tips to help you along your way. THE SECRETS If you are really serious about trying to accomplish this feat, you will need the following: crystal wine glasses, straws, protective eyewear, and both of my books- Raise Your Voice and The Ultimate Breathing Workout. I would not even attempt shattering glasses without first developing the strength and range of your voice or you'll risk the chance of hurting your voice. Both of my books will help you to achieve your voice potential. The glasses of course are to protect your eyes from glass shards. The straws will help you to zero in on the frequency it takes to shatter the glass. Another tip would be to purchase Jim Gillette's Vocal Power. Jim has an exercise that I have practiced over and over to strengthen my voice for screaming as loud as I could. Shattering crystal wine glasses requires the perfect combination of the exact frequency and the right amount of amplitude. The glasses I have shattered have fell between a Tenor high C and an Alto F, which is five steps higher. Every glass is different due to the individual makeup and density of the glass. Most glasses are not tuned to true pitch. For instance, a glass which might sound like a Tenor C# or 550 hertz might be slightly higher (550.3 hertz) or lower (549.9 hertz). If you cannot match the frequency exactly, it will not break. It's like tuning in a radio station. If I wanted to listen to my favorite radio station 106.3 WAMX www.x1063.com. I have to tune in to 106.3. If I tune in to 106.2 or 106.4, I won't be able to hear anything but static. Get the picture? Of course, the other main factor is amplitude. The sound has to be extremely loud. The glass I broke for the show took 105 decibels to break. The average trained singer cannot get above 80-90 decibels. But, there is still a chance that you can break one with the aid of an amplifier. We had great success in New York with singers from the New York Opera. I had what I consider to be the best success with Adam Savage, when I coached him through breaking three glasses in a row, with the aid of an amplifier. So if you still want to try it, here are some pointers. When you purchase your first crystal wine glass, try finding one that isn't real high in pitch, and has a resonating ring when you tap it. The more a glass rings from the flick of your finger, the easier it will be to shatter. When the ring of a glass dies quickly or sounds thuddy, it will be harder to break. It will still break, but you will have to work harder. The trick to shattering a glass is to increase this ringing or resonation until it overpowers the glass. Practice matching the same pitch of the glass with a very soft head tone, or a light falsetto. All you should aim for now, is to make the glass resonate by the sound of your voice. You'll need to learn how to sustain a long steady sustained pitch. This is why it is important to develop your technique. My second book, The Ultimate Breathing Workout, will teach you to sustain long notes. When you can match and sustain a pitch that resonates the glass, you need to increase the volume. A LOT!!! Make sure that you are wearing safety glasses!!! A much safer bet would be to set the glass in front of an amplifier. In fact, in all honesty, I prefer for you to use an amplifier for safety purposes. Just because you can make the glass sing, doesn't mean you have mastered the technique. At this point, you need to add a straw to the glass. As you approach the exact frequency, the straw will begin to dance. I have actually had the straw fly straight up out of the glass from the force. If you are one of my determined students who still chooses to practice without an amplifier, you can practice sitting the wine glass on a table, and scream at the glass from about 2-4 inches away to practice making the glass freely vibrate. If the volume is extremely powerful, the glass will begin to vibrate and move across the table. If you are extremely loud (like me) the glass will begin to dance and roll around on its edge. When the glass begins to dance or the straw begins to move wildly, you are close to the frequency. Try to hold on to the note and add more volume, and, if you are lucky, the glass will explode. That's as far as I can take you, the rest is up to you. The only way to achieve results is to practice. You never truly know when to expect the glass to shatter. I have shattered close to 100 hundred glasses and it still scares me every time I break one. I know when I'm close to the thresh-hold because of the loud resonant sound of the glass. When the glass starts to resonate and the straw starts to dance, maintain that exact frequency. Be forewarned, if you attempt this feat, I am in no way responsible for any damage that might occur. Although I have never been cut, it is still extremely dangerous. Jim Gillette personally warned me of the dangers of getting glass shards in my throat from the explosion. So take precautions. Make sure you wear your safety goggles. You might consider putting up a mesh screen between you and the glass. And, if you wake up with a sore throat and a hoarse voice, don't blame me. It takes a lot of pressure to get the glass to vibrate, but if you are using proper technique, a sore throat shouldn't be a problem. If it hurts, whether after practicing or the next morning, then your technique is wrong. It should never hurt. I screamed for hours both in New York and San Francisco before filming the amplified and un-amplified version with no problem whatsoever. That comes from lots of practice and proper technique. Now the rest is up to you. Please email me at venderaj@msn.com to let me know of your results. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!! Jaime Vendera Author of "Raise Your Voice", "Mindset: programming Your Mind for Success" and "Online Teaching Secrets Revealed" jaimevendera.com theultimatevocalworkout.com

TO SING OR NOT TO SING, THAT IS THE QUESTION I must admit that I had been swept in by the latest American Idol craze. Like millions of other Americans, I used to tune in every week to watch the singers vocally slug it out. Again, like millions of other Americans, I am turning in for the chance to see singers fail. It's sad, but the truth is, I've enjoyed the musical stylings of the tone deaf, and vocally challenged, much more than the talented singers who were told, Welcome to Hollywood. I think that we are intrigued by the fact that most of the singers who didn't make it through were in great disbelief and often stunned that the judges didn't appreciate their unique voices. If some of these singers had actually been prepared, they might have had a chance. On the other hand, what were some of these people thinking? I would never condemn anyone for singing. Singing is a beautiful thing that should be shared by everyone. The point I'm trying to make is; there are two reasons for poor singers. The first is simple. Some singers aren't prepared for an audition. The second is a little less obvious; at least to the individual singer. Some singers haven't realized that there is a problem vocally. Everyone can learn to sing; some singers just need direction! In this lesson we'll discuss the first reason, and explain how to prepare for an audition. Watching and experiencing the pressure that the singers are under on American Idol, caused me to have a flashback to 1990. I was attending the vocal program at The Musician's Institute in Hollywood, California. We had several voice coaches, but there were three that I learned a lot from. John Zipperer was my favorite coach. He made you feel like anything was possible. Brian Kelly, was my personal instructor. He reminds me of a voice psychologist. Jami Lula was a very stern coach who believed in perfection. Once a week we would have a class called Vocal Review. Each week we had to pick a song from a different genre of music to sing for review by one of our vocal instructors. Our performance was extremely important because it affected our overall grade. I was very intimidated by Jami Lula, so I always hated when he conducted the vocal review. At times Jami seemed ruthless; he'd rather pull out his teeth than give a compliment. He made Simon Cowell look like a saint. I was always nervous whenever I had to perform before him. One particular week, John Zipperer was critiquing the class. I didn't concern myself with actually learning my song because John was usually easy to please. If you did screw up, he usually sugar coated it and made you feel like you'd do better the next time. Imagine my surprise when I walked into class and discovered my worst nightmare. John couldn't be there, so Jami Lula was handling the class. I was singing Aerosmith's Dream On. Totally unprepared and now very intimidated, I completely botched the song. It was awful. I forgot words,messed up the phrasing, and sang some pretty sour notes. I knew I hadn't prepared for the song, and Jami definitely let me know it. Afterward, one of my friends, Jeff Chase, said; What happened? Of course my reply was I don't know, he just made me so nervous that I lost my train of thought. I knew all along that I was in the wrong. After class, Jami pulled me aside and scolded me some more. He told me that the reason I sucked was because I was too lazy to prepare. In that moment, I knew that Jami wasn't the cold insensitive coach that I had once thought he was. I had discovered a person very compassionate about the art of singing; one who only wanted his students to strive for the best in themselves. No one is safe from botching an audition. If you aren't prepared for the song, don't bother. If you are planning on performing or auditioning, then you must do your homework. The best way to prepare for an audition is to dissect the song. The first thing you should do is to write down the lyrics. Next, write the pitches above the words. Use a keyboard or guitar to pick out the pitches. After you figure out the pitches, practice singing the song several times until you feel that you are familiar with the tune and can sing it without a lyric sheet. You might discover that you were singing some words on the wrong pitch. When you are comfortable with the song, study the singer's vocal techniques; such as vibrato and breathing patterns. There are several different methods for breaking down a singer's vocal technique. My book Raise Your Voice has a technique called Song Mapping, which as the name suggests, is a method to map out the song in order to make it easier to sing the song. Once you have studied the technique of the song, sing it once more, only this time record yourself singing. How did you do? Come on; be honest. Most of the comments on American Idol deal with how unprepared the singer was. Another repetitive comment is the singer's pitch. I have heard Randy comment several times on how flat the person sang. If they would have prepared for the song and recorded themselves singing it, they might have done a better job. They would have noticed if they were off pitch and could have worked to correct the problem. In the next lesson we will discuss techniques to help you discover and correct pitch problems. If you want to learn more about The Musician's Institute, you can visit their website at www.mi.edu. Jaime Vendera Author of "Raise Your Voice", "Mindset: programming Your Mind for Success" and "Online Teaching Secrets Revealed" jaimevendera.com theultimatevocalworkout.com

I do a lot of rehab in my practice as a teacher, as well as fix severe pitch problems. One of the things I've found over the course of my years as a technique specialist is just how so many beginners, moderate, advanced, and even professional singers do not realize the importance of using the articulators (the lips, teeth, tongue, and palate) when pronouncing the consonants/ words of songs. Few singers realize that it is the articulators that become the propelling mechanism when singing songs, rather than the air and breath support when learning how to strengthen these things in exercise with vowel sounds alone. It can always be a stylistic choice to dig deeper, breathe in more heavily, add grit or rasp to the voice, etc. for sound and effects, but I believe these choices must be conscious ones. This may require the expertise of someone who has learned how to do this without injuring the mechanism. Preferably, a coach who specializes in this style of singing. When one of my students has a desire to learn how to scream, growl, and/or add rasp after they have a good foundation, all breaks bridged, a grasp of how to protect their instrument , preserve it, and how to correct a problem, I will make a referral. Effects like these are not in my field of expertise. Again the articulators are located in the mouth. They are the tongue, lips, teeth, and the palate. Consonants are not supposed to be pronounced from somewhere inside the neck by grabbing these muscles for a consonant like G, or from muscles contracting in the gut for one like M. If this is how you have been going after things, then you have probably felt quite a lot of discomfort while singing, especially when trying to reach the higher notes of songs. Grabbing results in cramming the cords so tightly together that no air can pass through them. This results in the forcing, or thrusting up, all that air for sound, which causes the feeling of strain, especially when trying to reach the higher notes with strength and power.These are subconscious split second thoughts that occur in efforts to keep the air from escaping too fast or all at once. I graduated with a degree B.S. in Speech (no puns intended here), though not pathology. Nevertheless I learned a lot about what happens to a voice when consonants /words are not pronounced with the tongue, lips, teeth, and palate alone. You can't do this by using all these other unnecessary muscles and expect things to go well. Most of the time, after a singer has had an operation for polyps or cysts, they are often told by the surgeon that they cannot speak (or sing) for the next 6 weeks to give the cords a chance to heal. After those first 6 weeks, they are instructed to start with speech therapy. In speech therapy they are taught how to use the articulators. Once learned, the speech therapist may often be schooled enough to also teach how to practically apply the same concepts to song. Having been a speech major, I know that learning how to use the articulators rather than the neck, stomach, and grabbing for pronunciation for those pesky consonants can make ALL the difference in the world when seeking to sing with ease and freedom. But first it takes learning the ART of breathing and subsequent diaphragmatic support before moving into the training of exactly how to use the articulators. Imagine being able to jump around on stage like a banshee because you're body has been freed up enough to do so. Additionally, never have to worry about your voice anymore. Equally important is to remember, come to know and accept, is that the task of un-doing a bad habit to re-train for a better way can be an arduous journey. It may take a few weeks of continued practice to change a habit if the habit has been a long-standing one. But it's well worth the time and effort because of how easy it becomes to sing, even those high notes, with the strength and power you seek.

SO, YOU WANT TO BE A SINGER? by Diva Joan Cartwright CHAPTER 8 - PHOTOGRAPHS AND RESUME Photographs are essential for any entertainer. Small 4x6 photos are as useful as 8x10 photos. Your photo should be expressive, black and white, and should have your name on it, at the bottom or on the back. A three-fold brochure with your photo, work experience and biography is handy and inexpensive. They will save you the expense of giving your photos away to people who are not ready to book you. (100 - 3x5 photos cost $100). Always keep the negative. Unless you have lots of money to spend on photos, be sparing in the way you hand them out to your family, friends and fans. Until you get a hit song, don't quit your day job. Entertainment is an expensive venture. Someone must pay for your wardrobe, phone bill, photos, demo tapes, promo packages, postage and travel to out-of-town gigs. If that someone is you, you won't owe anyone when you make it big. Also, a day job keeps a roof over your head and food in your refrigerator. You may want to have a beer or a glass of wine while out looking for that gig. Don't rely on the money you expect to make from singing. It takes years to do that well. Two resumes are in order: one for the skills you use in the working world - slinging hash, typing letters or skin-diving. The other resume lists gigs you've done from month to month. Keep track of all promotional material from your engagements, including concerts, festivals, club dates, benefits, no matter how small the gig is. You may sing for 30 elderly people at the community center. Put it on your performance resume. Also, include music studies you take or provide, awards, certificates and honorary mentions you receive, any volunteer work you do with children, at church, etc. It's great experience and looks good on your resume. List the songs you've written, including lyrics to songs by other musicians. List venues, cities and countries where you work and musicians who accompany you. If you act as an M.C. (Mistress of Ceremony), list it. This book is available at: http://stores.lulu.com/divajc

IN TUNE OR NOT IN TUNE THAT IS THE QUESTION Do you remember my horrid rendition of Aerosmith's Dream On from the last lesson? I thought I would go down in the vocal hall of shame, but, fortunately for me, I wasn't the only terrible performance of the day. Do you happen to know of anyone who sings horribly out of tune and doesn't even realize it? Read on If you read the last lesson, then you know how I botched my performance of Aerosmith's Dream On during my vocal review at the Musicia's Institute. Each week we would have to sing a song for a vocal review. After I had finished, the next singer gave a repeat performance of the same song. She sounded so bad that I could hear dogs howling from Orange County. She was so terribly out of pitch that you could barely recognize the song. She was reprimanded for her terrible performance. I felt so sorry for her. I knew how she felt inside. One of the students made the comment that they couldn't believe she actually got into M.I. He let it slip that some of teachers had said they knew for a fact that after actually hearing certain individuals in person, someone else had to have sang their taped audition that was sent to the school for acceptance. Well, enough gossip. The fact is that her main problem was singing on pitch. If she would have worked on correcting her pitch problem, I believe she would have done fine. Pitch problems can be tough, but they can be overcome. Some people don't realize how out of tune they are actually singing. Stop using Tone Deaf as an excuse. Very few people are tone deaf; that's just an excuse for either pure laziness, or perhaps the fault of an untrained ear. If your friends are telling you that you can't carry a tune in a bucket, then I'd suggest recording yourself and listening back to the performance to hear what they are hearing. If you are following these lessons, you should have all ready recorded yourself from the last lesson. Did you happen to hear somethin different then what you thought was coming out of your mouth? Let's say you did. What can you do to remedy the situation? The best solution to correct a pitch problem is pitch matching. Pitch matching is a simple way to tune your voice. You can practice tuning your voice by using an electronic tuner. You can purchase one at your local music store. When practicing pitch matching, sing a note into the tuner and watch the gauge to tell whether you are in tune, sharp, or flat. If you are sharp, try lowering the pitch. If you are flat, just raise the pitch until you are in tune. If you practice every day with different pitches, you will teach your brain pitch memory and the less you will sing out of tune. If you are recording yourself and you can figure out what notes you typically sing sharp or flat in that particular song, you can practice tuning those notes until you feel comfortable singing the song. A neat little device to help you practice pitch matching is the Sabine MT9000. This small handheld electronic device is a chromatic auto-tuner, advanced metronome, and tone generator. If you have an iPhone or a Droid, there are plenty of apps available you can carry right on your cell. If you wish to learn other techniques involving pitch matching, and correcting pitch problems, check out my book Raise Your Voice. Jaime Vendera Author of "Raise Your Voice", "Mindset: programming Your Mind for Success" and "Online Teaching Secrets Revealed" jaimevendera.com theultimatevocalworkout.com

Hey Guys, I'll soon have video footage of my vocal cords, which I will be adding to the members section for the RYV readers. I shot a show for National Geographic this week called "Humanly Impossible". I shattered 5 glasses no sweat, but I had a REALLY big roadblock thanks to the film crew, haha...They fogged up the entire set right before I started performing. So I came in and the next thing I know I am coughing and clearing my throat and it felt like it was on fire....Word to the wise; STAY AWAY FROM FOG MACHINES!!! Especially if it's oil based. I had an allergic reaction, but still had to do my thing. Needless to say, glass breaking was easy but throat felt really sad, haha. So, the next day they I went to an ENT and they scoped my throat with both the one the shove into the back of your throat, and the one that goes up you nostril, ouch...Try singing with something shoved up your nose and poking you in the throat; it ain't fun. I gagged sooo hard you'd thought I was gonna blow chunk; even, made one of the crew a little sick, haha. Anyways, although I was able to get the gag reflex back in order and wipe the tears from my eyes, I was able to squeak out some high notes, glass shattering sounds and low growls as I cried my eyes out:) Analysis- Some phlegm on my cords and few red capilaries, but she said that was probably from my allergic reaction and it all looked fine...Little bit a Acid Reflux. Hmmmm, I thought my heartburn been bugging me a bit; time for more organic ACV. Anyways, I told her I believed that I used a reinforced falsetto for glass breaking; some call it pharyngeal. But when reviewing the video, the cords were very close together and didn't resemble falsetto at all, so if it is reinforced falsetto, it does bring the cords together. She claims it was full voice, but I definitely don't dig that nasty fog-horn sound for singing;) But the most interesting thing was that II showed absolutely no sign of strain or restriction on the high notes. She said I was the first person out the hundreds she had scoped that hit high notes and she could get a nice full view of the cords because I didn't close off my throat; she attributed it to what she called "your amazing breath support and control" and went on to say that support was key to singing and speaking and downwards support was great. She also noted that my grit was open and unforced, totally produced by the vocal cords, however the false folds did come into play a bit heavier on grit but it was not the sound source;) To sum it all up, the techniques I teach to sing high or with grit, allow for production without straining;) So, for you RYV users on here, I expect you all to get to work...If I had one scope jammed back into my throat, and one up my nose and down my throat, just to record this so I can get footage soon to share with you guys, then the least you can do is practice hard and make me proud...especially since I am still gagging just thinking about it:)

OVERCOMING STAGEFRIGHT I don't know why, but stage fright has never been a big issue for me. I can remember my mother waking me up late at night, when I was only 3 years old, just to sing and dance for her friends. I realized at an early age that I was an attention hog. I eventually discovered Elvis Presley. So by the time I was 7, I had my Elvis act down pat for anyone who was willing to watch and listen. As time went on I discovered that stage fright was a bigger issue than I had thought. Now I'm not special. I've definitely had my share of the jitters. There have been times that I felt that my voice wasn't on; that's when the head games kicked in. I'd start to ask myself, What in the world am I doing? I shouldn't even be here performing. Stage fright can definitely botch an audition. You've got to take control of the situation, so that it doesn't control you. I know it's easier said than done; the mind is a powerful thing, and once you get a bad idea brewing in your head, it's hard to let it go. Through my own experience and by the request of others, I developed a simple 3-part system for dealing with stage fright. If you are developing fear or nervousness before performing, follow these three simple rules and you'l do fine: Breathe, Vocalize, Visualize: First re-establish your breathing. When the nerves kick in your breathing speeds up. Deep breathing calms the nerves and relaxes the body. By taking several deep breaths, you'll slow the heart rate back to normal, and you'll be able to focus on your performance. Try taking in 10 deep breaths, slowly. Inhale through the nose, and exhale through your mouth. When you feel you have re-established your breathing, try warming up your voice by vocalizing on a few scales or performing some lip bubbles. This helps to enhance the blood flow to the vocal cords. Nervousness tends to produce a shaky tone in your voice. By warming up the voice, you'll help to eliminate the waiver. Finally, visualize a perfect performance. Visualization is a powerful tool for creating positive consequences. Close your eyes and visualize yourself performing better than you ever have. Visualize the crowd's positive reactions. Visualize a standing ovation. If you use affirmations, you will enhance the visualization process and the over-all outcome of your performance. Affirmations are repetitive positive statements. The more you repeat an affirmation, the deeper it is imprinted upon your subconscious. Your mind eventually accepts the statement as true and works toward manifesting the affirmation as reality. This also works when you repeat negative comments about yourself! The subconscious is just like a very young child; it doesn't differentiate between positive and negative, it only follows orders. So be careful what you say and think. If you want to help your vocal progress, you might wish to create a few affirmations to repeat to yourself before your audition like, My performance will be perfect or Today, my voice will sound better than ever. These affirmations will help you to focus on your performance and not your nervousness. Above all else, realize that you are singing for you. If you love to sing and have worked hard at it, then know that you deserve it. Once you breathe, vocalize, visualize, everything will fall into place. Don't think about it, just DO IT! Once you start singing, all that nervousness will melt away, and you'll sound great! Jaime Vendera Author of "Raise Your Voice", "Mindset: programming Your Mind for Success" and "Online Teaching Secrets Revealed" jaimevendera.com theultimatevocalworkout.com

[first published on my blog on 6/25/2010] When you begin your meditation practice, you experience meditation as one of your activities during the day. Somewhere along the line, a figure-ground reversal takes place, and you begin to experience all of the activities of the day as happening within meditation.- Shinzen Young While many disciplines can support your singing, meditation is the one I find most valuable. This practice has been around for more than three millennia timeless wisdom indeed. Meditation is a means of cultivating focus and concentration, useful for singing or any other pursuit. An intense, committed, long-term meditation practice leads to what Buddhists (and others) call an enlightened or liberated state. Buddhism teaches that attachment to things we cannot control is the main source of human suffering. Craving for a specific desirable outcome (or aversion to an undesirable one) diminishes your ability to remain focused on what you're doing in the present moment. What this means for the singer is that concern over whether the high note is going to come out, whether the audition panel loves your voice, what the reviews will say about your performance, etc., all drain priceless energy and attention away from your singing and compromise the pleasure you take in the experience. Liberation from attachment, craving and aversion frees us to sing our best and enjoy the experience fully. Meditation also leads to liberation from the illusion that one's self is a separate entity distinct from the rest of the universe. Understanding the unity of all things transforms what it means to perform. Perhaps you can recall a concert that was so immersive that it seemed to literally unify you with fellow performers and the audience, or moments when the music seemed to release effortlessly through you rather than being the result of any effort on your part. As your skill in meditation increases, so does the frequency of heightened experiences where you are able to merge with the music as well as everyone around you. I described meditation as a means of cultivating focus and concentration. Among the most common objects used to focus the mind in meditation are breathing, posture, and mantras, all of which involve aspects of singing and are likely to improve your singing technique.vocal The benefits of a regular meditation practice are far too numerous to discuss here. I encourage you to discover them for yourself. This blog may be about singing, but it would be misleading to describe my meditation practice as something I do to sing better. It's far more accurate to say that my singing practice is an integral part of my meditation practice. I look forward to the figure-ground reversal Shinzen Young describes, is a fantastic introduction to meditation.The Science of Enlightenment Shinzen Young's audio lecture series

An interesting thought came to me while I was listening to some music the other day. What changes have there been and why has it occurred in the various genres of music? Also what changes will there be for future vocalists. I think the first difference I noticed was in Broadway Musicals. It seems that vocalists used to be selected because of the uniqueness of their voice. Jimmy Durante, Ethel Merman, Carol Channing are some who quickly come to mind. Today while listening to a Revival of most Broadway Musicals it would seem that some of the "character voices" are being replaced with what I would have to call "pretty voices". "Pretty voices" makes it easier to sing along with the music. That doesn't explain why this change has come about. Yes peoples' tastes in music change but again does that explain this change? From my limited knowledge I would hypothesize that a significant reason for the changes is due to electronics revolution in the music industry. Before there were stage microphones and such a vocalist had to be able to heard throughout the theatre. With the introduction of body and stage microphones singers could concentrate more on the beauty of the music and not as much on making sure the last row in the nosebleed section could hear them. Another change I've noticed through discussions with friends and other vocalists is the change in vocalists in operas. It is not the sounds that have changed necessarily but the singers themselves. Todays opera singers not only have to sing their arias with supreme technical difficulties but in many instances have to actually act in the opera. With having to act the singer has added duties and must appear to "fit" the part. While a friend once said "Opera was the Broadway of Yesteryear I wonder overall how this change is effecting opera on the whole. Unfortunately having only performed in an opera but never actually having attended one I do not know exactly how this changes the performances. I could go on with country, rock, etc. and some of the changes there but I believe most can understand where I am coming from. With the technological advances in recording studios, microphones, and other electronic gadgetry it makes you wonder where we are headed. A scary view for me was recently while watching a particular "reality show" and an individual sang (??) and recorded their song. With the benefit of electronic mixers etc. the song became one of the top downloaded songs. I used the ?? sign to indicate uncertainty of the singing of this individual. So with the advent of new technology does that mean that artistry, pitch, tonality, etc. will be left by the wayside in the musical journey we call life?

So you want to scream your brains out, but you don't want to lose your voice. You wished you could sing some of the classics like Judas Priest's, Screaming For Vengeance, or AC/DC's, Back In Black, and you can't quite seem to tackle some of your newer favorites like Disturbed's, Prayer, or, Audioslave's, Cochise. There is an art to singing throaty and screaming, which could fill an entire book, but here are a few pointers and one exercise to help you start the task: The one thing all of the professional singers that I have interviewed seem to agree upon is vocal placement. Vocal placement refers to the focal point of the creation of the vocal sound. All sound is produced in the throat by the vocal cords. But, there is a way to manipulate that sound, so that it feels as if it is being produced in a different spot. If you want to sing throaty, you must find a way to make it feel as if you have moved the sound away from the vocal cords, to prevent from squeezing the sound down in your throat. Some professionals feel that the sound is being produced below the vocal cords, right on top of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle along the edges of the lower ribs, right above the stomach. Singers tend to tighten their stomach muscles, adding a little more vocal cord pressure, to get that gruff sound. I personally don't advise this, because you are adding unnecessary pressure on your vocal cords, but it seems to have worked well for singer's like Josey Scott of Saliva. If you decide to use this approach, moderation and correct breath technique will help to save your voice. All the professional singers I have interviewed all agree on the fact that the throat must remain relaxed and open. If you tend to tighten or clench the throat, like grunting, to achieve a throaty sound, you are leading yourself down a path of vocal suicide. To maintain an open and relaxed throat, I want you to yawn. Notice how the back of your throat opens wide and the soft area of the roof of your mouth (soft palate) raises. This allows more room for the sound of your voice to escape and build resonance before leaving your mouth. What's resonance? Resonance is the tiny echoes produced from the sound of your voice, from bouncing around inside of your body, and in this case, your open throat and mouth. Resonance is discussed more extensively in my book Raise Your Voice. Singers like David Draiman of Disturbed preach about the importance of an open throat. His sound is felt above his vocal cords as opposed to right on top of the diaphragm, with an open throat as opposed to a tight clenched voice. As a basis to find that throaty sound, I want you to sustain an mmmmm on the lowest, softest sound you can achieve. This sound reminds me of when you wake up in the morning and yawn, but the sound is very low and throaty sounding. This is called a vocal fry. You can actually feel the vocal cords opening and closing as they touch and release. Now, I want you to feel this sound in the roof of your mouth on your soft palate. The soft palate is where you want to focus your screaming. Another way to get used to feeling the sound in your soft palate, is gargling. Try gargling some water, then try without water. When you can do this, switch between the gargling feeling and a vocal fry, I know that actually screaming a song, like Linkin Park's, Crawling, will take a lot more energy and effort, but you must build from the basics. All vocal technique starts with a basic idea to build upon. So remember, if you are going to sing throaty, an open throat with the sound of your voice directed up into the soft palate (away from the vocal cords) is the way to go. If you wish to direct the force of your voice down towards the diaphragm, that's your choice, just be careful not to over tighten the stomach muscles. Believe it or not, screaming isn't about tension, it's about relaxation and controlled direction. Okay, but what about hitting those high notes? Well, if I were making the choice, I'd run and buy Raise Your Voice right now. But, one of the easiest, quickest exercises I have ever found, that has enabled me to scream my ass off, is the E scream exercise by vocal coach Jim Gillette. The E scream exercise is a very simple and effective exercise. Begin by sustaining a low volume e in falsetto, and slowly swell the sound until it is very loud and buzzing in your head. Start on any pitch that is comfortable for your range, and work your way up in pitch. So, when you do this exercise, it will swell like this in falsetto, eeeeeeEEEEEE. This exercise is demonstrated on Jim Gillette's Vocal Power CD, along with four vocal workouts designed to develop your voice in stages. I advise you purchase his program to get a better understanding of the exercise. If you wish to purchase the DVD, you can do so at www.metalmethod.com Again, this is all just a basis for you to begin saving your voice. I advise using a good warm-up before singing any throaty songs, or any songs for that matter. You can use the basic Vocal Stress Release Program, from free lesson #1 in this series. The full version, with audio files, is available in my book, Raise Your Voice. If you practice these four things; warm up, keep an open throat, direct the sound towards the soft palate, and practice the E scream exercise, you will definitely reach your goal faster, while saving your voice. Jaime Vendera Author of "Raise Your Voice", "Mindset: programming Your Mind for Success" and "Online Teaching Secrets Revealed" jaimevendera.com theultimatevocalworkout.com

I have been blessed with the ability to hold out notes for what seems like an eternity. Whenever I perform, I am always asked the same question: How do you hold out your notes that long? I always tell them the same few answers. Practice, practice, practice, and, If you follow the vocal training program from my book, Raise Your Voice, you will achieve the results you desire.” But what if I told you that I have recently re-discovered a series of techniques guaranteed to improve your breathing. How would you like to be able to sustain notes for thirty seconds or longer? Do I have your attention? These techniques are fully explained in my 2nd book, The Ultimate Breathing Workout, which will be released within the next few months, but for now, I figured I'd give you a taste by sharing the 1st exercise (which is basically a warm-up) out of 9 exercises that make up the program: The first exercise in the series will strengthen the abdominal and intercostal muscles while focusing on developing your Maximum Breath Potential. In Breathing Basics, I explained to you how you must maintain a slight tensing in the stomach muscles as if you were hissing. This exercise focuses on hissing. By hissing the air out, you'll strengthen the abdominal muscles. Start by taking a deep breath in through the nose. Remember to breathe into your belly first. Make sure to fill the vase from the bottom up. Don't forget to expand the ribs by engaging the intercostal muscles. Now begin to hiss, like a sustained sssss Set your stopwatch and begin to hiss at a steady controlled rate. There will come a point when your stomach muscles begin to burn. It will feel uncomfortable and a little funny, like you aren't in control of your stomach. Try to hang on. It's going to be very tempting to give up and breathe, but don't do it. Just think; the longer you hold on, the closer you are coming to sustaining notes for long periods of time. You are developing stomach muscle control. Now the tricky part is learning to keep the ribs expanded outward for as long as you can. Remember, this exercise is to help strengthen the intercostal muscles as well. If you can keep the ribs expanded while you release your air supply, you'll maintain a larger cavity in the chest, which in turn will slow the air release rate. Your abdominal muscles will basically be fighting your intercostal muscles for control. Your abdominal muscles want to push in and your intercostal muscles want to push out. Don't let your abs win! You are teaching the abdominal and intercostal muscles a muscle memory pattern, or as I prefer to say, you are teaching them patience. They are learning how to release breath at a controlled rate. The burning sensation will eventually pass as you strengthen the stomach muscles. So, have I peaked your interest? This 1st exercise is just the icing on the cake. I'm sure that you might have been a little confused by some of the terminology You'll completely understand every concept after you read the beginning of The Ultimate Breathing Workout. If you are interested in learning more about breath technique and when The Ultimate Breathing Workout will be released, please email at venderaj@msn.com or purchase Raise Your Voice today to learn about breath technique, as well as correct vocal technique. Jaime Vendera Author of "Raise Your Voice", "Mindset: programming Your Mind for Success" and "Online Teaching Secrets Revealed" jaimevendera.com theultimatevocalworkout.com

I'd like to start by saying that this article is long overdue. Over the past few years, I have discovered a new way of connecting to people that eliminated many of the problems we've faced by time and space-online virtual conferencing. Let me share my story: My field of expertise, which is vocal instruction, requires that I make myself readily accessible and available for the needs of students striving for perfection. Most vocal coaches, or coaches of any type for that matter, set up shop in a teaching studio, music store, or even a corner office of their home. Yes, this includes myself as well. The after-launch protocol usually includes posting ads, listing the teaching business in the local phone book, and making local appearances, all for the sole purpose of driving attention to the teaching business. Local music instruction is an extremely valuable service for the surrounding 10-20 mile radius. But what if there were a way to expand your business to cover 57 million square miles (roughly the amount of land mass of the earth) all within the comfort of your own home? Would you do it? Or better yet, what if there were a way for a student to study with a teacher that lived on the other side of the earth, without the aid of three grand, a two-week vacation and priceline.com? A friend of mine pondered the same question a few years back and invited me to answer this very question. This question was brought upon by our notoriety and success and led me down a road I had never thought to take let me step back for a moment; My notoriety as a vocal coach came out of nowhere in 2004 (roughly eight years after I started coaching), simply because of my insatiable thirst to help others learn the fine art of voice. I started teaching more, decided to write a book, and started a website and then things kind of took on a life of their own; let's just say I started attracting a little bit of attention as time progressed. Within two years of launching my site, I was an author of several books, and had made several appearances on shows like Discovery Channel's MythBusters. Needless to say, this spread my notoriety much further than the little town that I live in. After my first TV show and first book were released, I began to receive many emails from singers around the world, asking me question after question I was happy to help, but there are just so many hours in the day. I soon discovered I was basically giving free lessons via email to an over-abundance of hungry learners. I have a soft heart and tried to keep up with every person's questions, but it was becoming overwhelming and I couldn't continue spending hours as a free advice columnist. So I'd ask my hungry pen pals, Why don't you just schedule a lesson with me? Surprisingly enough, most responded pleasantly, telling me they would love to have one-on-one lessons with me, but considering they lived hours or continents away, it just was never going to happen. Sure, I've had singers fly in from around the world from places such as Taiwan and France, but these were a chosen few. And who can blame them. Flying is expensive! There had to be another way. So, before I had even answered the question my comrade had presented, he answered it for me. He said Ever heard of Skype? I hadn't at the time, so he quickly introduced me. Apparently Skype was a new free online program that allowed you to talk with people over the Internet. You could even see them too! So, I signed up for my free account, dug my web cam out of the closet, and proceeded to chat with him online in real time via audio/video conferencing. WOW what a neat idea. He said “wouldn't it be neat to use this to teach voice online?  I agreed and was super excited about the whole prospect Thirty-seven minutes later, we hung up, I ate lunch, and then I tossed the online conferencing idea in the to-do list in the back of my mind. Fast-forward a year later. I figured my buddy was going to explode on the online scene, and though I wanted in on the action, I was honestly too lazy to pursue it. I'll admit, I am a late creeper with technology, and this Skype thing kind of scared me. One day, I asked him, How goes the online biz? Turns out, he canned it too. In fact, he said, Hey, can you help ME get it together? I really want to teach online. Unfortunately, I was the wrong guy to ask for help. I guess we were both just too skeptical about the whole “online teaching thing. We were both questioning the process - would it really work, would someone want to study through a virtual camera, would there be connection problems, latency, dropped calling, etc. So it seemed we both threw in the towel and were waiting for the other to take the lead. Oh well, so much for that idea. But a funny thing happens when you are destined to accomplish something and give up on it. Things keep popping up in your life that lead you back on track. I had continued receiving emails from people wanting their vocal questions answered, to which I replied, book a lesson. Right after my conversation with my friend about our failed idea, I started receiving some unusual replies to my book your session answer, Okay, I'll book a lesson. Do you teach online? I kept saying no, but those same replies kept pouring in. So what did I do? I caved, I lied, and I said YES. I even remember the first time I said yes. I was scared silly. Will it work? Will they be happy with their online lesson? Too late to worry now, time to jump off the deep end. So he booked a lesson, we setup a time, and we both signed into Skype and gave it a whirl. If I can sum up that first lesson in one word, it would be Freedom; I have discovered the freedom to teach anywhere and everywhere and anytime I choose, all by using a computer and web cam! I believe that first lesson went on for about 90 minutes although I strictly told my client that it was a 45-minute session. Don't worry, I didn't charge him double, I offered the extra time all because I was so excited to use this new tool. (Hey but there are ways to charge by the minute, but that's one of my secrets. So much for a secret, I never use it, haha.) The lesson time flew by, I had a ball teaching, the student was thrilled, and since that time, we had at least several dozen lessons together. No doubt about it; I was hooked; I had finally found a workable answer for all of my email students: I live too far away. No problem, I teach online! A new era was born. This was in 2007. Now the majority of my lessons are online. Why? The accessibility and ease of online lessons cannot be beat. I don't have to leave my house, and they don't have to leave theirs. Do online lessons work? Hmmm, ask singers of bands like Dream Theater or Thriving Ivory. Both have studied with me via web cam and both have told the world how it has helped. Hear me now. Online instruction IS the wave of the future, although I know some of you are probably still not convinced. Heck, it took me over a year to become convinced. People are still worried if online instruction is as good as the real thing. Well, there is nothing as good as the real thing (in-person) but this comes pretty darned close. I know concerns arise such as will you be able to see or hear the person, and will there be any latency issues (lag in time). The answer is Yes and No. Yes you could have audio/video/latency issues, but if you have a high-speed connection, whether it is a cable connection to your PC/MAC or an air-card for your laptop, a decent web cam, microphone, and headset, then you should be good to go. (Psst-I'd focus more on the quality of what is being taught as opposed to the technological side. But finding the right coach is the subject of another article.) Bottom line; technology is getting better every day. Thanks to programs like Google Chat, you can jam live with your instructor in almost seamless real time. There are other programs besides Skype that work well too such as MSN Messenger, Oovoo, Tokbox, etc. And with each passing day, the technology gets better and better. So if you are wondering if online lessons will work for you, I've done told you my answer- online instruction IS the wave of the future. In fact, I believe in it so much that I, along with several partners, have created an online teaching platform at rocksource360.com, where musicians can study guitar, bass, voice, keys, drums, etc. with real rock stars. Every rock star we bring on board has come to me with the exact same concerns, and as soon as I show them how seamlessly online teaching works, they are hooked for life, just as I was. If you want to expand you music career, you need to invest in yourself, so I urge you to find you an online coach and invest in your future! Jaime Vendera Author of "Raise Your Voice", "Mindset: programming Your Mind for Success" and "Online Teaching Secrets Revealed" jaimevendera.com theultimatevocalworkout.com

September is Healthy Aging Month...My clinic will give 50% off voice evaluation fee for anyone 50 and older !!! ONLY voice cases! Only this month! Refer your voice patients NOW! The aging voice and the art of voice therapy. Aging has vast effects on our body, and as a part of that process our voice gets its own share. Lots of elderly patients come to my voice clinic ,some after operations, some due to hoarseness and vocal output problems secondary to neurological diseases like Parkinson or post CVA, and some with overall good health that complain about their voice. That last portion is called Presbyphonia or the aging voice disorder. Simply put, if the patient is in good health, does not use medications and still complains about his vocal output we encounter Presbyphonia. Presbyphonia is a result of the anatomical and physiological changes that happen while aging: 1. Decrease of use and respiratory volume of the respiration system. 2. Decrease of musculature tonus that changes the position of the body. 3. Presbylaryngs = aging of the larynx : rising stiffness of the joints and cartilages, lower tonus of the vocal muscles, decreases in collagen, and adjacent vocal cord mucosa change : thinner for men, thicker for women. 4. Stroboscopy examination by your ENT will show: bowing of vocal folds, open glottis during phonation, open rear 1/3 of glottis , Hypertrophy or thinning of vocal cords. 5. Researchers do not agree on the exact age when Presbyphonia is expected to start and numbers in current literature go from the age of 40 to 65. What do we get? Hoarseness, pitch breaks, devoicing, lower volume and tremulous voice may be evident. The main complaint would be lack of social communication due to weak voice. Interestingly, there might be rising pitch (rise of basic tone) with aging men, while decreasing pitch (lower basic tone) with aging women. (Errands 2002). The good news: Voice therapy is very effective for Presbyphonia. Glottal position will be targeted by special vocal cord physiotherapy. Good vocal hygiene is a must. Breath support techniques will improve respiratory capacity as well as vocal volume and production. It is good practice for the speech pathologist to teach the patient how to project his voice thus improving volume without putting more effort on the vocal mechanism. Practice makes perfect! It has been shown that singers and actors that remain active could produce good clear and loud voices at the ages of 70's and 80's (Colton & Casper 1996) So, good voice therapy, good vocal hygiene and good practice while maintaining good health - will most certainly improve any aging voice condition. I trust you have gained some insight from this educational note. I appreciate the opportunity of being of service to you and your patients. Please e-mail me at galslp@gmail.com if you would like this or previous information to be sent to you via e-mail in a digital format. You are also invited to pay a visit to my website: www.galwave.biz Thank you, Gal Levy, M.S., CCC-SLP

Hello fellow singers and colleagues, find out the truth about caffeine and it's effect on the voice as well as great natural alternatives for energy and mental clarity. Below you may find my latest post on this topic from Superiovocalhealth.blogspot.com. There are many different opinions on the use of caffeine by the voice professional. One camp argues that caffeine helps them to feel more energy, stimulates them mentally and quells the appetite. Another camp responds by saying that caffeine should not be used because it dries out the vocal cords, dehydrates the body and can negatively affect the nervous system. So the question is, should voice professionals ingest caffeine at all? In a study done by the Journal of Laryngogly and Otology by the Cambridge University Press from December 1998, the Journal came to the conclusion that "Caffeine is considered to be a dehydrating agent with detrimental effects on the quality of voice of persons ingesting it. This has led medical personnel dealing with voice disorders, especially in the case of professional voice users, to give advice against the use of caffeine." The article did not go into the "detrimental" effects specifically, however, further in the article it claimed "Analysing the irregularities of requencies in a) free speech a reading passage and c) singing Happy Birthday, substantial changes were seen to authenticate the fact that caffeine does produce alterations in voice quality but these alterations have considerable intrasubject variability. A full study with wider parameters is to be performed on this subject as we consider it to be of importance in the management of voice disorders." So what can we eat or drink to give us more energy and help us focus that will not have a negative effect on our voice? In my past posts " Quick and easy energy drink before auditions or performances", " You sing what you eat", "Energy and the need for vitamin B12", and "McDonalds and focus in the brain", along with endless sources online, you have more than enough choices for excellent foods and supplements that can give you energy, stimulate the nervous system in healthy and balanced ways, providing you with the mental clarity needed to sing at the top of your game. If you are consuming a lot of caffeine on a regular basis before you sing, try and slowly wean yourself off of it. In the beginning it may seem more difficult to get the sound you have been producing but sooner than later you will begin to feel better, sing more efficiently and your entire mind body and spirit will adjust allowing you to access more of your natural life energy. Thus enabling you to become stronger and have a more balanced and powerful voice. Good luck and as always I wish you the best on your quest for Superior Vocal Health. David Aaron Katz

The Human Voice: My Favourite Wind Instrument (by Cheryl Hodge) I can still clearly remember the days when, as a college freshman at Berklee in Boston, great young players would come up to me and keenly ask, "Hey, what instrument do you play?" Whenever I answered that I was a singer or a vocalist, I would see their faces fall. Finally, I started to answer, "I play the VOICE." Often they would quip back to me, "What d'ya mean you play the Voice?" (That became the name of my first recital, by the way!) Of course, the answer was always obvious: "It's a wind instrument, rigggghhhht?" It can give you pause, when you actually stop to think about it. Most people labour under the false belief that a good singer is BORN a good singer. They'll often say, "Hey, you can't really be taught stuff like that." Little do those people know that most of the vocalists they like did, at least at some point, break down and take lessons. Everybody wants to hear a great tone; but great tone can only be acheived through great breath reception and control. In order to do that correctly, you've got to look at your posture first, and figure out a way to stand in order to increase your oxygen intake to the maximum level. As a fledgling pro, I was challenged by the whole breath thing. I had been an asthmatic since birth! My mentor/teacher, Brian O'Connell (then the head of the Berklee Voice Dept.) was astoundingly prodigious as teaching breathing. He got me through a lot, and was able to help me open my lungs more. Still... my physical limitations were so annoying that at one point, I even resorted to getting a lesson from the great saxophonist Joe Allard, at New England Conservatory. It was Joe who taught me to look beyond the obvious physical stuff and into some of the more subtle things... like whether or not I needed to resort to relaxing exercise work (like yoga); or even do some "inner child work" (although they didn't call it that, back then). He somehow got through to me. I conquered my problems; my breath never became a limiter to my tone, again. So... now I had the wind in my sails, so to speak. My teacher, Brian O'Connell was instrumental in helping me relax my throat more, while helping me develop my diaphragm muscles, through a rather strict daily regimen. For those of you unfamiliar with this stuff; it can be fairly difficult to separate various parts of your body (strong, controlled diaphragm with an extremely relaxed larynx (throat) area. Fortunately, for me, I didn't give up. I loved music THAT much! In time, my tone continued to open and widen. I learned to control my breaks so that there would be no audible difference between my belted high notes going into a blended belt/head tone. That allowed me to do the Aretha/Chaka stuff, and occasionally pull out the head voice coluratura area, for kicks. More studio work and commercial work (extremely desirable) then opened up for me. I started to listen more to my wind instrument cousins, like saxophonists. In a bit, it became clear to me that the saxophonists I loved like Brecker and Sandborn, had paved a similar path to the one I had trod myself! They had a wide, beautiful sound, and an extremely developed diaphragm. The saxophonists I didn't care for had a pinched sound and often pitchy; just like the vocalists I didn't care for! Every once in a while, I remind my friends (vocalists or not) that we all have a great deal in common. A wind instrument is a wind instrument. (About the author): CHERYL HODGE is a Jazz/Blues singer (top ten in Canada) & professor who taught for eight years on the Voice faculty at Berklee College of Music, in Boston. She is also the author of "A Singer's Guide to the Well-Trained and Powerful Voice" (with companion mp3s) - there are free video voice lessons on YouTube. Past students include Paula Cole, Frazee Ford (BeGoodTanyas), and Allysa Klazek (Canadian idol finalist). In recent years, she has headed the Voice Dept. at Selkirk College in an artists' community known as Nelson, B.C. (Canada). She has recorded 7 CDs and writes and gigs regularly with jazz guitar great, John Stowell. Her recently released CD, "Indigo" ('09) has been generating a lot of buzz since it's release, in 2009, garnering the coveted GRINDIE Award from Radioindy.com. Her website is: http://www.cherylhodge.com(where she may be contacted). THIS ARTICLE ALSO AVAILABLE ON SONGSTUFF.COM Cheryl's group is now in the top ten in Canada for Jazz! Join her FANBASE & friends:http://www.reverbnation.com/thecherylhodgegroup

TODAY'S POP & ROCK VOCALISTS: What Comprises Good Vocal Technique! (By Cheryl Hodge, c. 2010, as written for SONGSTUFF.COM - Vocals Section) As I write today's article I am listening to the great Maria Callas, singing her flawless version of Norma's aria from Norma Casta Diva. I am not a classical singer by trade, although I often use classical pieces for warm-ups. When asked to perform a two hour concert of Stevie Wonder songs, I thought to myself: Wow; this is almost too much for me, vocally; what shall I do about this?! Vocal Exercises I went back to the basics, in practicing. I did my breathing, sighing, diaphragm and scalar exercises; followed by some Vaccai exercises. Finally, I topped off the practice with about 3 classical Italian arias. I would break my 1 hour and 40 minutes a day, thusly: Early in the day: 1. 20 min. Breath work, sighing exercises, diaphragm pushes, scales, Vaccai exercises Mid-Day: 1. 20 min. of the same exercise regimen which I did earlier in the day 2. 20 min. of Italian arias 3. 40 min. of working on material for concert You're probably wondering how classical singing could help my Stevie Wonder material... Well, it's like this: When I focus on connecting the breaks, then concentrate on power, and work on bridging everything through scales and Italian classical music, I find a magical thing happens. My voice is STRENGTHENED. I am able to "belt" in a healthy way on rock and pop for hours; not feeling the slightest twinge of pressure or pain on the vocal folds. Pretty cool, huh?! When I listen to today's pop singers, I am immediately drawn to the "true" divas. Of course, Christine Aguilera certainly springs to mind, first. She does her homework, and that is apparent. She can sing anything with strength, agility, and finesse. I'm impressed by hearing her sing the blues, pop or even jazz songs, like "Body and Soul". Do not think, for one second, that she does not do tons of warm-ups. Ditto, for Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Alisha Keys, and Celine Dion.... all competent, gifted singers, who know how to take care of their "pipes". Consequences Of No Warm-Up What are the consequences of not warming up? I can tell you, first hand, that it is never a good idea to step onto a stage without first working out.... Yes; I have been guilty of that - and it hurts to admit it! But through the years I've learned my lessons. Who are today's prime offenders; the people who's tone will never be completely realized, due to negligence. I'm not going to name names... that would be vulgar of me. What I WILL say, though, is that people who "yell" songs from the throat will have very short professional lives. People who have not learned to connect the breath from the deepest part of the lungs; and use the diaphragm correctly - well - let's just say that their sound will leave something to be desired. Great rock singers; past and present would include, for me: Steve Perry from Journey (used operatic techniques to warm up), Peter Gabriel, Sting, John Mayer, and Tom Chaplin from Keane, to name a few. Having said this, all of the aforementioned singers are in constant peril of hurting their voice; not because of their technique, but rather because of exhaustion. Hey, being on the road has it's drawbacks. Once tired, the vocal mechanism will certainly reflect the physical abuse. Finally, I am not a fan of the latest heavy metal "growl" singing, known as: "Vocal Fry"... think of George Petit, from the band "Alexisonfire". Yup; he's a "god" to many of his fans. However, George may have a short career. There is no safe way to sing the vocal fry technique. The only way to get the sound is to grind the false and true vocal folds together, which will create nodes, callouses and pollyps (all of which will put you, the singer, out of business). Discuss this article in our Music Forum. About Author CHERYL HODGE Cheryl Hodge has been in the music and songwriting business for well over 30 years; recording on several labels; among them Atco Records (Raindogs, 1990), and has released 4 CDs of her own; on her own label: Jazzboulevard.com Records. She has performed her music for the last 10 years with noted jazz guitarist John Stowell (amongst many others), and they are about to release a CD of co-written originals. She has been private instructor to many; including the gifted Paula Cole. She is also the author of "A Singer's Guide to the Well-Trained and Powerful Voice", and is a published vocal arranger. Cheryl is currently the head of the vocal dept. at Nelson, BC's: Selkirk College Music Program. There, she teaches Songwriting and Advanced Songwriting, Business of Music, Arranging and Vocals. She continues to write and produce her original materials, and has just released "Cheryl Hodge: Original Article" - a compilation of her favourites. For more info, visit: http://www.cheryhodge.com

Hello Friends, below you may find a short explanation of a guest blog post dealing with acid reflux from my weekly post at Superior Vocal health-Superiorvocalhealth.blogspot.com. I hope it helps any of you who have been dealing with this difficult and dangerous issue in your singing career. Difficulties with acid reflux are one of the most pressing issues today for the voice professional. Kathy Pirtle is leading the way in the performance world with her incredible research on this subject. Follow the link below to an amazing article on dealing with acid reflux and singers. Then give yourself the gift of Kathy's extraordinary knowledge and guidance which is fully expressed in her book on acid reflux, "Performance Without Pain," written specifically for the performing artist. Please do not pass up this opportunity to end acid reflux, naturally, once and for all. As always, I wish you the best on your quest for Superior Vocal Health. http://performancewithoutpain.com/2010/07/12/acid-reflux-a-singers-... Good luck and I wish you the best on your quest for Superior Vocal Health. David Aaron Katz

1. GREAT MUSICAL ART CAN ONLY COME FROM COMPLETE FREEDOM THEREFORE ARTISTS SHOULD NOT BE PAID FOR THEIR WORK. Real Artists must be freed from the need to sellout for money.] The root of this absurd killer assumption is the library on Utilitarian Economics that begins with Jeremy Bentham and J.S. Mill up through the American composer and Insurance man Charles Ives and down to the current attitudes of value found in Wall Street today. The confusion of American culture around these issues throughout the history of the country has fostered chaos, lost musical lives and fostered cultural poverty in the United States. Unlike the Economists and insurance man Charles Ives, I believe that only if Artists are compensated monetarily can they be free to work. Artists make the sacrifice to provide the ideal of Mastery to the society where they live. They are also the repository of classical cultural knowledge in the society. It is the core principle of all education that Artists, (just as all other people do), need to eat and have time to practice. Any worthwhile society will provide compensation based upon the value of the service and the complexity of the product. [We have counted the costs of this conflict and find nothing so dreadful as voluntary slavery. Thomas Jefferson] Thomas Jefferson was a violinist.

HI everyone and I'm new to the modern vocalist. I'm currently on a Lynyrd Skynyrd kick with a big taste for the Bellamy Brothers. Presently, I'm the bassist in a rock band in the Louisville vicinity. Tim is the leader of this coo band and he is a good friend. e were all involved in another local band here in the Kentucky area (no names.) I played in this group for over a year as did the other members of the my current group. Tim filled in sometimes and ran sound (with all his own gear) for them until they dogged him out of a night's pay. That was the end of that! Well, a big fight broke out with this old band and again, they displayed horrible musicianship in public. They have a seething reputation of starting fights, getting drunk and fussing among themselves. They smarted off to the young piano player who is only 17 years old. This kid can JAM and is a very nice fella. After the gig he was packing up and told them where to go, to paraphrase his sediment. The lead singer played Friday night but was angry and quit Saturday leaving the employer and everyone else hanging. How unprofessional is that?! Last year, when I was the bassist for them, I tried to quell the mayhem but to no avail. Now, they have disbanded and are angry with each other, full of hate and will not reunite. How childish! It is so sad that such friends could bitterly part company and destroy a wonderful avocation. Yes, it's hard playing in smoke filled bars, with little pay and less recognition but this band could ROCK and had a very good group aside from the controversy. It brings to mind the most famous break ups in history like the Eagles, Simon & Garfunkel, Ike & Tina, Led Zeppelin, and perhaps the most famous of all, the Beetles. Most musicians eventually reunite even if it is just for a performance or a tribute tour. The Eagles put their egos in check and continued the marvelous entertainment. I recently saw Simon & Garfunkel on TV singing "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Given enough time, I'm sure the Beetles would have performed again eventually. Alabama has been one of the most successful country acts in history. Many years ago, they made an agreement to not quit abruptly. They were in it for the long term gratification and not just for a few hours of glory. I wish my old friends would learn these lessons about mature musicianship. Good bye my friends and I hope someday you can move past and find peace in your talent.

2. THE LIFE OF MOST CLASSICAL MUSICAL ARTISTS IN A UTILITARIAN [Market based] SOCIETY MUST BE THE PATH OF THE ARDENT AMATEUR. [i.e. If it's useful it isn't Art.] What flows from this toxic assumption is the reality that the only people who have the time, resources and access to accomplish artistic practice are those who are wealthy or those who are so poor that Art seems an elusive door out of their condition. This is every mother's nightmare when their child says that they want a life in the Arts. "You don't have enough money or you may as well since you have nothing to lose!" These toxic assumptions belie the fact that becoming a professional artist is a complex series of life decisions based upon a person's personal vision of their meaning in life. That Artists accomplish a service of great value to the society should be accepted and that they should be compensated for their product and value should be one of the things that defines a society as either worthwhile or philistine. REH

Hi everyone. My name is Neil and I play bass in the Louisville based rock band, Timothy Day & The Knights. I also sing harmony but need help! I think this site will help me. I have been warming up my tired old scratchy voice for a few weeks and it is getting stronger. I was able to hit some high harmony notes and Tim was very pleased. He is a good friend and this rock band ROCKS! Tim is a good singer and guitarist. We have Billy on keys (WOW!!), Donnie on drums (THE BEST), Johnny on 2nd guitar (outstanding picker), and me on bass (fiery). My harmony vocals are rough but I'm getting there. We cannot understate the importance of warming up, not only vocally, but instrumentally also. As a bar band, we play our own instruments. In this setting, singers who do not master an instrument are as useless as floppy thangs on a boar hog! There are five of us in the band, all VERY good players, and we strive to get a thick sound with the given instrumentation. It is not like an opera concert, symphony, or full orchestra. I've played in them and could just focus on the guitar work. I've also sang in church choir where the focus is on voice alone. Bar musicians don't have this luxury as it can be cumbersome to play and sing. Tim works VERY hard as the lead singer and lead guitarist, but we all have big fun. My job is quite difficult as I have to walk the bass and sing the 2nd voice harmony with counter melody. The bass is not a melodic instrument, it is not counter melody, it is the bass voice. It is a huge challenge to move the bass line and find the right notes to form the chords in the backing vocal. Heck, I'm just an old country picker LOL. I took music theory but didn't think all that formal training was useful. Now, I wish...... Anyway, it is just as important to warm up instrumentally, especially in a 4-5 piece band. Today we started rehearsal with Johnny Be Goode and my poor old hand tired quickly from the extensive walk. I had spent the day vocalizing and getting ready to practice but had never touched my bass. My voice was ready and sounded pretty good but the first 15 minutes was spent out of time, dragging, and missing cues. Next time, I will warm up extensively with vocals and the bass. Of course, the bass can be used as the warming instrument. I had used the piano all day to vocalize but next time will pluck the thick strings with my lung resonator.