In my experience, having a deep understanding of the Vocal Tract and how it functions as part of your voice is THE key to singing in a way that is effortless, free, and dare I say, easy(!) - versus singing in a way that feels like you are continually fighting, struggling, and in our own way. The Vocal Tract is a container of air that starts at the top of the vocal folds (or cords), and goes all the way to the edge of the lips. It is what helps the sound from the vocal cords resonate, or “re-sound.” It is comprised of SO many different moving (emphasis on “moving”!) parts + pieces.

This is one of the first questions I always get from a new student, and I think it's a very important thing to determine. Determining one's vocal range can show us where our trouble spots are, and point us in the direction of which registers need further work and developing. It can also help us to understand why certain notes may be consistently difficult for us, and help give us a sense of which songs and keys may be best for our voices - after all, working within YOUR ideal range is only going to serve the song and performance the most, and that's what we're here to do. Yes, we should always be challenging ourselves and striving for growth - but knowing where your voice lies will help you to work more efficiently and productively (and, honestly, joyfully!) within your voice.

While we all know there's no cure for the common cold, there are a few things you can do during the first glimmers of a cold that I've found can nip that baby in the bud (ooh, catchy) and greatly reduce the severity and duration of it. Also, some of my tried-and-true tips for singing while sick if you absolutely have to.

Vocal Placement refers to working with vocal resonance - literally, focusing your sound into a specific area where you feel or "sense" the resonant sensations and vibrations. Think of your throat, mouth, chest, face, and head as a sounding board that the sound is bouncing off of. Since you don't have anything tangible to work with as a vocalist (strings to touch/fret on a guitar, or keys to play with your fingers on a piano), we work with our resonance in this sensing-vibrations/focusing the sound type of way.

If you were to do a quick Google search about singing, you'd likely see a lot of information of varying degrees of clarity/accuracy talking about breathing and "singing from your diaphragm" (which is a particular pet peeve of mine, as it is a fallacy - you do NOT sing from your diaphragm). Or using breath support to "get out" your high notes. Or some other absolutely unhealthy ideas requiring you to tense up, push your voice out, and continue to be in a vicious cycle of pushing more, and liking the results less. Because here's the secret: it's not about breathing. Well, not all of it anyway.

I'm gonna come right out the gate and say it: when it comes to Vocal Range, contrary to popular (and very stubborn) belief, size does not matter. It's about what you do with your range that matters. Yes, really. Vocal Range refers to all the pitches a person's voice can produce, from the very lowest note, to the highest. There are a few genetic and determining factors that relate to an individual's Vocal Range (which I won't get into right this moment), and how high or low their voices will sit, as well as how many pitches they can produce. I can certainly jump down this rabbit hole in a future post, but for now, it's important to know that a person's vocal range is 1) somewhat genetic/pre-determined/set and 2) malleable, in the sense that, once properly developed, and with correct technique utilized to create pitches, one's perceived range may either shift, or notes can be added.

Ahh, Breathing. It seems to be THE central focus of so many of our conversations about singing, and yet I find that most people who come into my studio admit to being pretty damn perplexed, and completely mystified, as to what “breath support” really means, and how to do it properly. So, let’s demystify all this breathing-and-diaphragm talk, mmkay?

Sharp, Flat, Just Right. One of the most important parts of singing - and spots that can lead to the biggest insecurities - is pitch, and problems with matching pitch. I have a lot of people come through my door who are fearful and worried that they aren’t singing the right notes in songs, are worried they are chronically “off-key” and feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and self-conscious by both the not-knowing as well as the not-knowing-how to fix it. In this installment of Singing 101, I want to address this and offer some answers/insight/reassurance, as well as some tools for relaxing into and improving pitch problems.

Students ask me all the time: how often should I be practicing? What should I be practicing? Sometimes the “what” isn’t as important as the “how.” Consistent and continual practice is an important part of any “practice” - and vocals are no exception. It takes a good amount of conditioning to build a strong and consistent voice that you can feel you can rely on and lean on - anyone telling you differently is selling ya snake oil, darlings.