Diversity makes the world a better and more beautiful place! Just like we ask our leaders and politicians to engage everyone's experiences, we as artists must also seek opportunities to engage with other artists from different backgrounds. It begins by being open to seeing and listening to material you might not otherwise choose. But it doesn't stop there: TALK to other artists that are different from you. What inspires them to make music? How do they go about writing, learning, or performing a song? How does their unique style help them to share their soul? There is no better way to expand our artistry than by engaging with people very different from ourselves. And, we might indeed make a few new unexpected friends along the way!
In today’s entertainment industry, VIDEO auditions are often taking the place of LIVE auditions. Thankfully, video recording on your smartphone is considered to be an acceptable practice. This said, it’s still nice to make your audition videos look as professional as possible, even with a small budget. You might want to invest in a tripod for your camera or phone, so that the picture is steady and at the right height. Either purchase a basic lighting kit or find some good lamps that show you at your best. Record your audition videos in a space that is free from too many visual distractions. The space should also be free from any background noises. Keep your audition videos as simple and as professional as possible. This way the casting team will focus all of their attention on YOU!
Riffs aren’t harder than SCALES! Most Riffs in any style of music are variations on just a few simple scales. You can build your Riffing vocabulary by working these scales into your regular warm-ups and vocal practice. One of the most common scales you'll hear in Riffs is the major pentatonic scale (1-2-3-5-6). Try singing a pentatonic pattern instead of the usual 1-2-3-4-5 ascending scale. Then mix it up in as many ways as you can imagine! Leap between notes; start in the middle of the scale; sing on different vowels or words. Just remember to start slowly, and don't speed up until you feel comfortable at the slower pace. There's never a need to get frustrated! After all - Riffs aren’t harder than SCALES!
“Am I a good enough ACTOR?” Often, singers doubt their Acting skills or don't consider themselves to be gifted in this area. However, bringing your Acting to life as a singer isn’t about trying to perfect your Acting chops. Rather, it’s about simple COMMUNICATION. If your audience can clearly understand what you are saying, what story you are telling, and the journey that you are going through - then they will FEEL the emotion of the song. Overacting actually comes from doing too much "ACTING". So, keep your focus on being specific with the story you are communicating at each moment. You’ll be amazed how the Acting somehow takes care of itself!
Whether it’s over an orchestra, in an auditorium, or across a crowd of people - it’s common to want our voices to CARRY. Unfortunately, it’s also common to tighten or squeeze parts of the throat in an effort to do it. The famous saying “Many hands make light work” applies here. Instead of the brute force of projection alone, it's better to use SEVERAL ideas instead. First, make sure that your breath is not being shoved out, but rather allow your sound to be carried on a steady flow. Next, take advantage of the brighter resonances of your voice like TWANG. Higher overtones help sound waves to travel. Finally, allow your larynx, neck, tongue, and jaw to feel relaxed and loose so that your sound doesn’t get constricted. These many vocal hands will make your work light. Keep calm and CARRY on!
Many singers have trouble finding songs and learning songs. TECHNOLOGY to the rescue! Thanks to technology, there are some helpful resources for musicians these days. For obtaining sheet music, some great websites include sheetmusic.com, musicnotes.com, and Scribd. You can purchase sheet music separately or subscribe for a monthly fee. The first two sites have software that allows you to play the accompaniment or melody in multiple keys and tempos. This makes learning melodies and rhythms easier and is useful for rehearsal. Well-known websites like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube are also great for karaoke tracks and backing tracks. Creating playlists on these sites is a convenient way of organizing all the repertoire you’re working on. Recruit technology for better learning, searching, and practicing! Welcome to the vocal FUTURE!
Out with the OLD and in with the NEW! It’s time to look through your Repertoire book! Do the songs still suit you? Many songs will be keepers, but others you must not be afraid to part ways with. As human beings, we are constantly changing and evolving - mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. A big part of our growth is being able to let go of our past so that we can open up to our future. Ask yourself whether your current Repertoire is in alignment with the current YOU. Is it suitable for your current vocal technique and range? Does it have an emotional life that you connect to? Does it satisfy your artistic soul? Don’t be scared of change - be excited about the artist you are evolving into! And let your Repertoire reflect that!
Most people already KNOW what good posture, or body alignment, looks like. But, problems persist because we fail to RECOGNIZE when poor alignment happens. We are often unconscious of how we sit at a desk, play an instrument, use our phones, drive a car, or watch tv - the list goes on and on. There are MANY times when our alignment could be "out of whack". Luckily, that means there are MANY times when we could be improving it! A few helpful tips for breaking poor postural habits: Set an alarm on your phone to tell you to stand up and stretch. Place post-it notes in the areas where you sit as a reminder. Set aside a short period of time (even 5 minutes) everyday where you focus on ideal posture. Just a LITTLE awareness will go a long way for your posture and your voice!
Often the way that we THINK about things affects the way we DO them. Therefore, it can be wise to choose your singing terminology carefully, particularly if the word you choose has a negative impact on your vocal technique. For example, the term “Posture” often ends up causing rigidity. “Posture” is defined as “a position of a person's body when standing or sitting”. Whereas “Body Alignment” has been defined as “optimal placement of the body parts”. This subtle difference may seem like semantics. However, remaining physically static, tense, or rigid can have negative effects on the larynx, breathing, and resonance systems. So, try choosing a more specific descriptor like “Optimal Alignment”, so that your body doesn’t get locked into one fixed position. In all of vocal technique, choose your words wisely and free your body, mind, and soul!
The Ancient Romans described the LARYNX as the "first and supremely most important instrument of the voice.” And that it is! The Larynx houses your vocal folds which are responsible for your voice being able to make SOUND. Your Larynx also regulates the way that BREATH moves in and out of your body. The Larynx contains many muscles that dictate the PITCH and the STRENGTH of your voice. Finally, where your Larynx sits at any given time can control the STYLE of your singing. You may not think about your Larynx very often. But, smart singers know that it is “supremely important” to do so. When in Rome…
“Get TALLER as you exhale!” This is a classic Vocal Tip given to singers to improve posture, breathing, and technique. But what does it mean? Well, when we exhale to sing, there is a tendency to let the air escape too fast and too aggressively. We tend to squeeze the upper abdominals and thrust the chest downwards. These habits lead to pitch problems, register imbalances, lack of stamina, and even vocal strain. Luckily, it can all be fixed by getting TALLER! As you sing a phrase (particularly a long phrase), imagine your sternum, the back of your neck, and the crown of your head all growing taller and taller. You’ll notice an immediate difference to your vocal freedom, control, and stamina. In short, good singing can be as easy as getting TALL!
Time for your Larynx Anatomy Moment! Your Larynx is comprised of 3 primary Cartilages. The THYROID Cartilage is the front of your Larynx or the “SHIELD”. This protects your vocal folds, which attach to it. Next, is the CRICOID Cartilage at the base of your Larynx or the “RING”. This is the transition between your windpipe and your Larynx. Sitting on the back of the Cricoid are the two ARYTENOID Cartilages. These look like soup “LADLES” and are the back attachment points of the vocal folds. Their tremendous range of motion allow the folds to stretch, shorten, loosen, and tighten in several ways. These 3 little cartilages are a big reason that you can do all of your vocal gymnastics in a healthy, protected, and controlled way. This has been your Larynx Anatomy Moment!
The Larynx is the home of the AMAZING Vocal Folds! The Vocal Folds create sound when they are set into vibration by our breath. The top layer of the Vocal Folds provides them with structure. The deeper layers are set into vibration hundreds and even thousands of times per second as they vibrate. Depending on vocal fold tension, air flow, and resonance, the vocal folds collide with varying amounts of force. As singers, our goal is to help the Vocal Folds collide with minimal force for every vocal task - even things like belting. Your Vocal Folds will vibrate many hundreds of millions and even BILLIONS of times in your life. So, keep them healthy by avoiding squeezy strain, pushy breathing, and spready mouths as a necessity. If you do, your Vocal Folds will continue to be amazing always!
Understanding the intricate functions of the Larynx can be so intellectual that it makes you YAWN. Still, it’s not so difficult that you can’t SWALLOW it. Because that’s really all there is to it! It’s as easy as a SWALLOW and a YAWN! Every day we do these two tasks without thinking. When we swallow, the Larynx lifts to its highest position. When we yawn, the Larynx drops to its lowest position. When we sing, we ultimately want to use the position that's right for our style and our voice's needs. For example, Classical singing favors lower Larynx positions; Singer/Songwriter and Folk styles favor a neutral position; and Pop singing favors higher positions. For our overall vocal technique, we might find our Larynx moving too far in either direction and being accompanied by strain. As you're practicing, occasionally check in with your Larynx and even place a finger on it. Is it moving too high or too low? Does it feel uncomfortable and tense? If so, you might be straining or depressing too much. So, there’s no need to YAWN when it comes to understanding your Larynx. Laryngeal-mastery is something that any serious singer can SWALLOW!
Need an exercise to practice consistently to help with your AGILITY? Then start with STACCATO! Staccato patterns can improve your Agility and have you Riffing faster than you can say “AGILERIFFS”! On any vowel, sing a 1-1-2-2-3-3-2-2-1-1 pattern - all Staccato. Make sure there's plenty of space between each note so that the notes don’t bleed together. Start slowly and consistently. Find a light, yet crisp PULSE in the pattern. Move the entire pattern up and down by half-steps to practice across your whole range. Once you feel you have a handle on the slower tempo, increase it little by little. To maximize your precision, be sure to not engage your neck muscles and avoid big shifts in larynx position between the notes. This simple but effective vocal exercise will get those vocal folds movin' and groovin'!
BOO! No, that’s not a new vocal exercise! That’s all of us at NYVC wishing you a Happy Halloween!!! Let Halloween be a reminder to enjoy, celebrate, and explore your CREATIVITY! Singing and performing ask us to embody different characters and various aspects of our Inner Being. So, as you live inside your Halloween character - consider the connection that this has to your vocal life. What if your performances felt as enjoyable, entertaining, and effortless as playing a Halloween character? The truth is, your biggest performances shouldn’t feel much different than the freedom you feel on this holiday. It’s so easy - it’s SCARY!
Have you found that PERFECT Audition song yet? One that shows off your range, fits into every genre of music, and allows your acting abilities to shine? That’s a tall order for any single song. Truthfully, the “perfect” song, much like the perfect anything, doesn’t exist. That’s nothing to be discouraged about - it’s actually quite freeing! Once you’re not looking for one perfect song, you can set your sights on songs that highlight SPECIFIC parts of your persona. For instance, a song that shows off your comedic timing. Or, maybe one that highlights your vulnerability. Rather than having a one-stop-shop song, specific song selection will keep your performances more specific too. With your actions, intentions, and choices more specific, your auditions will become MEMORABLE. So ditch perfect and get SPECIFIC in your song selection!
Wait a minute… the Larynx can TILT?! Yep. Actually, that’s exactly how high notes work! “Laryngeal Tilt” is not just for Opera singers. It's used in all genres. In fact, singers use Laryngeal Tilt without even knowing it. The Tilt happens anytime you go up in pitch and the vocal folds pull back and stretch out. What does the Tilt feel like? Well, it feels like NOTHING! In fact, that wonderful feeling of “effortlessness” means that the Tilt did its job. You’ll know that the Tilt did NOT work if your larynx rises too much as you go higher. It also won't work very well if you force out breath and volume, if you feel neck and jaw tension, or if your vocal folds feel “pinched”. Just the mere act of thinking of high notes traveling upwards and slightly backwards can help you to find it. After all, your Larynx was BUILT to TILT!
Become more agile with your WORDS! Plenty of songs, from classic comedic patter songs to high-speed rapping, go through a lot of words very quickly. The key to performing these songs well is good Diction: making sure your words are clear and can be understood. You can practice your Diction slowly and carefully to be sure you’re articulating well and not glossing over any syllables that make what you’re saying hard to understand. Then, once you turn up the speed, LIGHTEN your touch! Keep your accuracy and clarity, but use less force as you go from consonant to consonant. Limit excessive movement of your tongue, lips, and jaw. Avoid tension in those areas and in your neck. A good lyricist knows how to pick words that flow naturally. So, glide gracefully and nimbly through your lyrics as you become agile with your WORDS!
Imagine you’re at work and the boss walks in. What happens? You PERK up (unless you’ve been caught sleeping)! Your body knows that you're about to communicate and so it responds appropriately. This "PERK" is actually your body's natural alignment. Your ribs widen, your sternum lifts, and your spine and neck lengthen. This allows space in the abdomen for the diaphragm to move down and naturally opens the vocal tract as well. You look better, you sound better, and you breathe better. That’s a lot of perks for something as simple as a PERK. So, the next time you're trying to find good posture, don't overthink it... just PERK UP!