Vocal Music and Public Speaking Training

On Stuttering

2011-08-05T09:02:00.001-04:00

Stuttering is a brain glitch in which the right side and left side get confused. Oddly enough, it often doesn't happen when singing. I had a student who had a slight stuttering problem. So we sang his words in pitches as close to what sounded like speaking as possible. This worked!

I find in teaching that brain tricks work. When the brain associate speaking with singing, it became less intimidating and more more doable. It wasn't noticable that what was supposed to be spoken was actually being sung. We were using tones that were fractions between actual detectable notes that you would able to identify on a piano.

Speech Impediments

2011-08-04T10:33:00.000-04:00

Most speech impediments I see are lisps. Even saying the word "lisp" or "lisps" is difficult. To reframe what seems very difficult, we place the tongue, teeth, and jaw where we want them, and slowly create a muscle memory affect. We only pick up speed when the desired correction has been made, and the brain has had time to catch up to our speech. When the two are aligned, we have more effective speech.

On Results

2011-02-22T16:44:00.001-05:00

Over the past two years, I'm finding a common theme about people performing what they've learned. I've noticed that people are employing techniques when I tell them to. They end up with a strong sound. When it's time to do it on their own, it's as if nothing was retained. Clients get used to having to be corrected.

Combating this is a huge part of the training. There's a split second between me giving direction and the client's execution. In that time, the person forgets and goes right back to the old way. Quality of service is important, and in order to benefit from it, conscious awareness is key.

Focused attention is critical to success. This doesn't just apply to the training. Clients must use what is taught in their daily lives. Our voices are always with us. We don't have the inconvenience of carrying an instrument around, as our voices are the instruments. But not using the techniques makes the time and financial spend useless. And people stay right where they are.

A deeper level of focus is required. It's not your typical day to day paying attention type of focus. I'm now devising focus exercises to force the brain to slow down. One of the ways I'm doing this is by pattern interuption and redirection. I also use visualization techniques. The goal is to slow the brain down to fill in the split second between receiving direction and following it.

Change...that's what it's about. To achieve it, we must change permanently. What's your opinion?

On Volume

2011-02-16T10:26:00.000-05:00

Something amazing happened a couple of weeks ago. I was singing with a friend (we critique each other), and was about to sing a high note on a Bonnie Raitt song. Where I usually had to get much louder on that note, I did not have to this time. I found that by opening my mouth wider vertically, I stretched the palate and created more room for the sound. This alone, got the high note out without having to scream!

This is one tool to be used with the other techniques together. You can't rely on volume alone to get you through, because you will hurt yourself. But opening up the mouth and face will make it easier to sing those power notes.

What is an RSS Feed, And Why Use it?

2011-01-24T10:29:00.000-05:00

Simply put, if you'd like to get new posts from this or any blog, hit subscribe, and new content will be delivered to you. The links at the bottom of this page gives you the option to subscribe to all posts and/or comments to posts. This is ideal for ways of coming back for more info.

So stay connected!

What to Expect from Voice Lessons

2011-01-23T10:09:00.000-05:00

First I'll listen to you sing or speak. Based on what I see and hear, we'll build from there. I'll be paying attention to your pitch, the way your breathe, the speed at which you sing and speak, and looking for ways you may be straining your throat. We'll devise exercises from there based on what we want to strengthen first. Then we'll move on to applying them to songs.

You'll be given direct and indirect application. Some of the exercises are meant to be sung the same way when singing songs. Others are indirect muscle building exercises.

Client Specific Training

2011-01-17T15:10:00.002-05:00

As I said, I'm now working with a prison corrections officer. I'm also working with a client who runs a non-profit that addresses political issues in the state of NJ. I'm also coaching my mom, who's in an academic club, and has to deliver a paper on the Julio Claudian emporers of Ancient Rome.

All three have one thing in common. They need to project there voice to command different levels of interest and authority. To do this, they must achieve volume without hurting their vocal systems.

For the prison guard, he needs a deep, loud, room filling sound. He needs to achieve this sound without sounding angry. This is where this type of training extends beyond using just volume. If he uses too much volume from the wrong place and comes across as angry or emotional to get his sound, guess who's over the barrel that night.

The non-profit ladies have to hold the room's attention with a tone of voice aggressive enough to keep them focused, and gentle enough not to be aggressive if their attention wanders. My mom has the task of talking for 30 minutes without seriously hurting her vocal cords as a result of not being used to talking for such a long period without a break.

Much more goes into making an effective voice than the actual voice itself. There's eye contact, body language, fullness (as opposed to just loudness), inflections, pauses, facial expression, movement, etc.

I teach clients how to access all of this. The best way to do this is to use real life like situations with exercises and drills inside them. The non-profit ladies are working on "Good morning ladies and gentlemen" by singing it to access the proper anatomy. We go up and down the keyboard. They then say it with the same technique, only this time they are speaking it in the way most true to their real life situation.

Prison guard guy is using commands he uses in his day to day and making exercises out of them. These phrases and commands use different vowel/consonant formations. We do "lock in/lock out", "left/right/left/right", "lights out", "chow's up" (for meal times), and more.

My mom uses the new "I am a bull-horn" phrase. We're trying to access her voice deep within to take the stress out of her vocal cords, and allow her to achieve high volumes by sounding deep, in control, and not like she's yelling. Bullhorns don't product a yelling sound, they simply provide a louder sound. That's what we want from our voices.

I teach my clients how to access all of this with their diaphragms, abdominal muscles, facial muscles, and throat muscles.

Types of Students

2011-01-06T08:32:00.000-05:00

I've had a wide variety of types of students over the years. I had a corporate client who literally wanted to put a song and dance together. I had a prison psychologist. I had a woman who sang in a church chior who wanted lessons because the director was ready to kick her off the worship team. Most recently, I will be taking on a 22 year old male corrections officer who wants to command respect from the inmates using his voice.

I'm finding that the longer I do this, the wider the range of student types I get. Trust me, there's something for everyone.

On Regressing

2011-01-04T16:11:00.000-05:00

A former public speaking student called me today wanting to come back. Yay for me, but I wish she was coming back for the simple enjoyment of it, rather than because she's regressed.

Regression is a part of any skill. We don't always stay on top of things. A perfect example would be diet and exercise. I could hear in her speaking voice on the phone, exactly what she meant. She had that croaky sound back in her throat. She told me she really wasn't thinking about it in her day to day. Of course that didn't please me.

In case there is any doubt, if you don't practice, you lose parts of your skill. The same would hold true for stopping a diet or exercise program. If you don't use it, you lose it. It's nice to have a client back from a business perspective, but not so much when it's simply a matter of the person just didn't apply what they learned for the long term. She wouldn't have felt the need to come back for another round if it had become a part of her. In order to have success with training, it must become part of you PERMANENTLY!

On Stuttering

2011-01-02T11:11:00.001-05:00

Stuttering is kind of a brain fart. I have a client who has a little bit of a stuttering issue, but it only happens when speaking, not with singing. So we change the brain's association to what we're doing. We pretend we're singing, because pitch is pitch, whether you're singing or speaking. If you say "uh", you can many times match it to a pitch on the piano. Not always, because some tones are between tones and difficult for the brain to pick up on. So don't actually start singing while you're speaking, but allow part of your mind to believe you are.

You can also do the stutter part in your head. Breath deeply, slow down the wheel in your brain, say your "uh"s in your head, and speak when you're confident that they will be reduced. You don't want to wait too long, because then you'll never actually speak. You want the time between the "uh"s in your mind and the time you start speaking to decrease. This is how the brain gets reconditioned.

What do you think?

Less is More!

2010-12-30T14:51:00.000-05:00

My students and I are often surprised by how things that seem so complicated can really be so simple. Breathing, for instance, is one of those things. You don't need a huge breath in, where your whole body swallows up every bit of air possible. You get much more with a small breath that fills the diaphragm, and then that is supported by the abdominal muscles. Less is more!

With regard to fear and anxiety, I no longer spend a lot of time talking clients through it. We talk about it, we devise ways around it, and then we decide to not make it bigger and more important than it has to be. By giving credence and too much attention to problems, they can seem bigger and more difficult to overcome. So with any kind of self-talk, less is more!

What do you think?

Perception is Reality...To Our Students

2010-03-19T08:29:00.000-04:00

If not for me asking questions and being approachable, I'd probably lose clients. In fact years back before I started asking questions of my students, I did lose a few. I wasn't unapproachable, but I didn't dig deep enough to find out what was really going on.

Rob was at my house for his lesson a couple of weeks ago. He's been with me for awhile, lack of confidence being an issue. We'd work on a song, he'd get through some of it, stumble on parts, improve on others, and then I'd say, "let's try something else."

What I meant was to try something else to switch gears and not stay on something that wasn't working and causing him anxiety. He felt comfortable enough to tell me that when I switched tasks like that, he felt like a total failure because he couldn't sing that song.

I told him how much I appreciated that feedback, as I never would have guessed it on my own. I explained my motivation for making the change, which was having the opposite effect on him that I was going for. This helped me adjust my approach, perhaps in not as quickly changing over to a new song.

It's so important to read our students and ask questions. It can make a difference between their perceived success and their perceived failure.

Possitive Affirmations: Do They Apply in Music?

2010-02-18T12:20:00.000-05:00

Of course they do. Possitive affirmations apply in any area of life we wish to improve. Think of how easy it is to believe things about ourselves that are negative related to music: "I can't sing", "My kids tell me I suck", "I don't sound good", "People tell me to stop singing."

Whether these things are true or not, we'll believe them because we've heard them. You don't necessarily have to believe something consciously for it to become a subconscious belief. Hearing it enough times programs the brain to believe it, and for us to act on those beliefs.

Nancy is my student who struggles with a lack of positive affirmations. So we made a list things she could say to herself that she doesn't necessarily believe yet, but that could help her rework the wiring in her brain. The list consisted of:

Of course I can sing
I sound great
Let's do it
Absolutely
I like the sound of my voice
People who criticize me don't mean to hurt me

Say these enough times, "act as if" you believe them, and they will start to penetrate. Don't expect miracles overnight. Repetition is the key to affirmations. Say them several times a day, including when you're about to begin singing. Over time, you may see a very positive change.

It's working for Nancy. She's more relaxed looking, which helps her voice to not tremble. The nerves, rather than her vocal competence, is what was causing the less than desirable trembling sound.

FEAR!!!

2010-01-14T12:56:00.000-05:00

My student Nancy came to see me yesterday. Nancy has a very nice, powerful quality to her voice. Her technique has improved. She's been with me for a few months now, and I'd love to see her break through her remaining barrier. It's preventing her from really taking over her skill. The one thing alone that is preventing her vocals from developing past the point they are, is fear.

In order to get a good sound, you must move when you sing. You don't have to go crazy with elaborate choreography, but you can't stand frozen, with your hands at your sides, standing perfectly still. The energy in our bodies can not come out correctly if it's not forced out properly. It results in a weak, off key sound.

I demonstrated to Nancy what I wanted her to do, and she became overwhelmed when she saw me do it. I forced her to do a simple step together step together with her arms and legs. This was a great start, because when she went to sing again, she did sound better. I no longer heard the trembling in her voice. Her voice automatically took on a relaxed quality, which greatly improved the sound. Once she felt more relaxed, I saw the expression on her face change to one of really getting in to what she was singing.

Also improving sound quality is how one varies one's voice and movements. The song we were working on had some quiet parts where instruments dropped out and then got louder again. I showed her how she might change her volume and increase or decrease the way she was moving to convey what she was singing. Doing these things might seem theatrical, but they make all the difference in the world in the quality of the vocals.

I'm looking forward to continuing to work with Nancy with this new found insight.

Focus and Fear Reduction

2010-01-10T09:30:00.001-05:00

Many times, we don't sound good simply because we're not giving what we are doing the focus it needs. I'm not talking about focusing consciously. I'm talking about focus on a deeper level. And the fear! People think they are giving it all they can, but fear and self consciousness prevents them from really letting go and singing. And it directly affects the sound that comes out.

Vocal Harmony Mini-Lesson

2010-01-10T09:25:00.003-05:00

Student Demo

2010-01-10T09:18:00.001-05:00

I'm very proud of my students when they finish. I like to do something interactive with them to share with my audience. Enjoy!

Hear With Your Brain

2010-01-01T08:11:00.001-05:00

Have you ever heard anyone say that they are tone deaf? Our ear is just the vehicle with which we process sound. It's the brain that does that interpreting.

I have had students that have had pitch processing problems. I realized how powerful the brain is when I had them use visualizations to correct their pitch. It's a deeper level of focus and concentration.

I had a student come to me who couldn't sing on pitch to save his soul. He would sing a song, correctly going higher when the lyrics were supposed to go higer, and go lower when the lyrics were supposed to get lower. The problem was he never matched the notes.

So in addition to doing pitch comparison exercises, we focused on brain function relative to processing pitch. One of the things he did that worked was using the bricks on my fireplace while singing a scale. The distance between each brick was the same. Looking at the bricks this way helped his brain process the note progression in equal steps. By the time we were done, he was able to sing a whole do-re-mi...etc. on pitch. I was absolutely ecstatic, and he was happy and surprised at the same time.

When I work with pitch with my students, it's from the standpoint of manually engaging the brain to do what we want it to do. The brain can usually correct issues with pitch. Until it's engaged in this new way, it doesn't realize it can do this. It is truly an amazing process.

A Testimonial

2009-12-30T07:33:00.000-05:00

I'm always happy when a client emails me with something positive to say about taking voice lessons with me. Here's the latest from Nancy D...

Jennifer, you make voice lessons fun with the right balance of drills and real songs. Your large library of karaoke tracks to apply exercises to singing is very helpful. I think you appreciate the learning process, and you do a good job of articulating what is needed. I also think you have a great voice, so I have respect for how you teach. I have a 30 minute drive in the midst of a busy day, but I always look forward to my lessons.

Thanks, Nancy D., Metuchen, NJ

More testimonials can be found on my website: www.asharpvoice.net/testimonials

Enunciation and Speech in Singing

2009-12-28T10:13:00.000-05:00

Singing isn't just about staying on pitch, proper breathing, etc. Believe it or not, the way we pronounce and enunciate syllables can have a huge impact on the way we sound singing.

It's as simple as this: whatever shapes you make with your mouth muscles, tongue, and teeth will determine not only what comes out, but how it comes out. Making these adjustments drastically changes a person's performance.

I once had a student who had a VERY strong and loud voice. But she tended to go off pitch. We did exercises to get her to use the muscles in her face and mouth working to reshape these notes as they came out. Believe it or not, this corrected her pitch. It was as if someone took a knob and tuned it properly with her moving her muscles in this new way.

I teach that it's much more than the vocals themselves. There's much more surrounding them that can make or break the sound. Of course I teach in such a way that it always sounds great :)

Managing Frustration

2009-12-23T10:47:00.003-05:00

Frustration comes with the territory with any skill in life. If it's not properly managed, it can destroy one's desire to sing or play. This has happened to me with guitar numerous times. So many times I want to turn my guitar into a baseball bat! When that happens, I put it down, walk away, and come back a day or two later. I tell myself "DO NOT QUIT!"

The desire to quit can be overwhelming. But once I pick up the guitar again, I am almost always a little further along than previously. This is why it's so important to never give up. You may feel like it, but coming back with an improvement is proof that you should work through that feeling.

When I have vocal students who are struggling with a concept, I watch for a rise in their frustration level. Once I see this, I redirect them. When frustration boils over, it can lead to a desire to quit, which we can not have! Once I redirect, we find a way to work around whatever is causing the stumbling block. We are then able to fix the issue or find a way to manage it.

Below is a humorous account of how I sometimes feel when I'm musically frustrated, and I show this to my students to take the edge off for them. As you will see, where there is a problem, there is a solution.

Progress and Expectations

2009-12-19T09:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had a student who admitted to me that she wasn't practicing in between sessions. She has come a long way vocally, but she could be so much stronger with more practice. This should be obvious to people, but sadly, we don't always do things that might benefit us.

When people come and ask me if they will be able to sing xyz by the time they are done, I tell them it's up to them. The techniques are sound and they work. I've developed and fine tuned them over a period of five years. I also tell them I am not a magician, meaning ultimately it's up to them.

My program is a 10 session program. People can start with 1 to make sure it's a good fit. Then they make a commitment for the remaining 9 sessions. Results depend on three things: where they were vocally when they came in, how much work is needed to correct problems, and of course, their own efforts.

I had a student last year who had a problem processing pitch. Processing pitch is a function of the brain. We specifically focused on this. He used the bricks on my fireplace as a visual to help him measure the even distance between notes. Doing this lead to his ability to sing do-re-mi all the way up to the top on pitch. I was ecstatic!

Students always have the option of continuing on for another 10 sessions. It's up to them. Progress is a function of where we're starting at and time. Some people come in more advanced and only need 10 sessions. Others may choose to develop their skill further.

The Techniques Work!

2009-12-14T18:19:00.000-05:00

I ran into the parents of one of my students today. This kid happens to be my favorite student. She's actually my favorite kid, period. We would get more done if she wasn't so giggly, but the important thing is her progress. Despite the fact that she tries to give me electric shocks by shuffling her feet on the carpet and then touching me, pushes the buttons on my electric piano, and has tried to poke holes in the insulation over my windows, she is absorbing the material. Her mom told me that when she hears her singing now, she hears passion in her voice.

My point is, these are good techniques. They work if you work them! Students who take lessons with me learn to approach singing with a different mindset than they would expect. I asked her to tell me ways in which she thought she was making progress. I was afraid maybe she wasn't getting enough out of it, and I wanted to make sure I was the best teacher I could be.

I was happy to hear from her that she is no longer singing directly with her vocal cords. This probably sounds very strange to someone with no training. How can you possibly sing without vocal cords? You need them to create the sound, but not to make the sound. She assured me that her abdominal support was helping her support her vocals. She's been getting up over high notes more often, because she is remembering the importance of using the lower abdominal muscles. I have told my students that for singing purposes, the lower abdominal muscles are the most important muscles in the body.

What we have to tackle now is her enunciation. I never would have believed it before I taught it, but the way you enunciate when you sing drastically changes the quality of what comes out. Her tendancy is to sound a little bit nasally. I noticed when she sings, some of her consonant sounds aren't happening. So the syllable isn't completely closed. The effect is a sort of muddled sound. So now that she has the basics down, we can tackle the more specific details...if she doesn't electrocute me first :)

Decreasing the Nerves

2009-12-09T18:17:00.000-05:00

I had a little girl (I think she's 11 or 12) over today who experiences stage fright. She's fine at home in front of family members. But there's something about singing in front of me, as well as singing in choir at school.

So we decided to invite her mom in to sit in on one of the songs we were working on. I wanted her to get used to performing in front of a mix of people. Her mother was a less threatening audience than just me. At first, my student's heart was pounding out of her chest. So we did the visual we'd talked about the prior week.

Her rapid heartbeat was represented by bumps in the road that she was riding over. We changed the visual to waves in the road. The waves would get more shallow as time went on. Finally, we were on a flat road. Combined with slow breaths to make her calmer, she was then able to sing without shaking.

Positive self-talk is also very important for nerve and fear reduction. We begin each session by reminding her that the audience loves her, has come to see her, and knows she has a talent. They are looking to her to fill a need that they know she can fill. She owns the stage. Then she can get into feeling the song. Feeling the song helps it come out more naturally.

Stage fright is something I specialize in. The power of the brain is extreme. We can trick one part of the brain into believing something else. This is particularly useful in attacking stage fright, as well as many limitations in our lives. Engaging the brain in different ways has helped my students calm their nerves, sing with more power, attack higher notes, and improve their pitch.

Proper Breathing for Singing

2009-12-05T07:46:00.001-05:00

I teach breathing in a pretty specific way. It's regimented during regular vocal exercises. The exercises I do work their way up and down the keyboard in regular patterns. So students are supposed to breathe a specific way in between intervals.

I then teach that when we go to regular songs, the breathing process becomes more personalized. It really depends on what the student is singing. There are songs with long lines of lyric, sometimes getting higher toward the end. Students are encouraged to breathe at least once during this line. This is so they don't run out of breath, but it servces another purpose. If a high note is coming up, sneaking an extra breath in can help get you up over the high note. Not taking this breath can cause a student to be off pitch because they didn't get that extra "oomph" they needed by taking an extra breath. Getting this extra energy gives the next note strength, because of the extra volume and energy that was needed to sing it properly.

In general, I approach breathing from a "less is more" viewpoint. You want to take what you need, but not in excess, or you end up literally waisting your breath (no pun intended). Timing is everything. This paragraph seems to be full of puns and plays on words! Taking too large a breath in the beginning means you might run out toward the end when you really need it. Then you end up taking a breath that you might not have needed in the first place.

Breathing should be approached carefully. Don't overdo it, get training first from a professional who knows how to do it properly, and take slow, relaxing breaths in between. As with any kind of exercise, approach it with care.

Of course, I have to say the obligatory check with your doctor thing before beginning this or any other kind of exercise. Only do this kind of breathing after you are properly trained.