Proper Breathing for Singing

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.

Principles of Success in Music (or Any Skill for That Matter)

I learn from my students all the time. My students make me a better teacher. I've grown so much as an instructor over the past 5 years, thanks to my clients providing me new experiences. What frustrated me about trying to get students over the humps of their vocal challenges, are now opportunities for me to help them in new ways.

I wrote down these principles, and I refer to them with my students. They are:

• Deep focussed attention
• Commitment to the task at hand that very second
• Concentration on a deeper conscious level while singing and before and after singing
• Self awareness and personal responsibility
• Self monitoring (a biggie)
• Repetition and memorization to eliminate confusion of some of the more abstract concepts

The reason I came up with these as they apply to music, is because I wasn't reaching my clients fully. I found that I was having to correct them too often, they were not taking ownership of their skill, and they weren't fully concentrating and remembering to do the techniques. We'd go over what to do, they said they would do it, and as soon as the music started, they would do it incorrectly again.

One client developed a particularly bad habit. He was in the habit of starting to sing incorrectly, having me correct him, and then singing correctly. His brain was conditioned to do this. Once he realized this, he began to take ownership of the process, and we saw an immediate improvement.

I now explain to my clients that I give them the tools to build the house. I give them the concrete foundation and initially help them build. It's up to them to complete the process and keep the house standing. This method of teaching has improved my clients' progress exponentially.

In addition, I ask questions. I often get answers that I do not expect, and am then able to redirect my approach. The teaching process is a give and take. It's important for me to understand my clients, and for them to understand me. This results in far more progress than a simple "do this because I say so" exchange.

Voice Lessons with Me

If you are in the Central NJ area and are interested in voice lessons, please call me at 732-868-1725.

Check out this mini-lesson:



You can visit my website at A Sharp Voice

Stage Fright

Many people come to me for lessons that have issues with self confidence. They may be otherwise very talented, but the emotional blocks seriously impact their performance. To combat this, students must make a commitment to check their stress and low self esteem at the door, at least for the 45 minutes they are with me.

My teaching approach is a little different. I zoom in on what's really going on. Often times, a person is off pitch with their singing because they are not singing with enough volume. The reason they don't have the proper volume is because they are holding back. They are holding back because they are afraid if they give it the proper volume, they aren't going to hit the note. I've brought to their attention that they have a better chance of hitting notes dead on if they give them the proper volume. The very thing they are afraid of is what's causing them to to not reach their potential.

Singing is very psychological. It should be approached not just from a technical standpoint, but an emotional and psychological one as well.

One very effective tool I use is visualization. When someone is tensing up getting ready to sing or give a speech, I give them a visual. First, we breath deeply and visualize the heart rate slowing down. Next, we envision a supportive audience looking on eagerly, not threateningly. I then tell the student that the audience loves him or her. This seems to help.

The power of the mind is an exceptional tool, and I use it extensively in my teachings. I'd love to hear from anyone who can relate to this.

NJ Residents: Learn to Sing!

If you are in the NJ area and would like to learn to sing or develop your public speaking ability, please contact me.

You can visit my website at www.asharpvoice.net.

Musical Talent and Self Esteem

Being told that one has no musical talent can be emotionally and psychologically damaging to a person, and influence decisions to pursue music as a hobby or career. While there are other types of hobbies and careers that require skill and savvy, few seem to elicit the same negative emotional response as the belief that one is not musically talented or inclined.

There are those of us who are athletes, mathematicians, physicians, educators, scientists, business executives, etc. If a person is not good at math or is not able to run fast for example, there may be feelings of inadequacy that can affect the person’s viability in fields related to these skills. When someone is not good at music, particularly singing, there are the added components of ridicule and criticism (perceived or quite real).

This may have an even greater negative effect on one’s desire to pursue the arts than when deciding whether or not to pursue a traditional career discipline. Musical talent represents much more to people than just the ability to create attractive sounds. There’s a tremendous emotional component. Having musical talent vs. not having it may influence a person's feelings of self-worth due to talent being associated with a certain glory evident in our culture today.

In today’s culture, talent is associated with wealth and fame and being regarded as special and unique in some way. People who have obvious talent get attention and are viewed as having something special. When those who try to emulate this do not succeed or are told point blank that they have no talent, they may feel left out of receiving this special type of positive validation. Students seeking lessons often begin with feelings of trepidation and a lack of confidence due to preconceived notions about themselves. This can be more crippling than a student's actual level of ability.

This "no talent belief" often starts in childhood. Robert (a client) was in first grade and was asked along with the other children to individually come up and follow a melody the teacher played on the piano. According to what they sang, she separated them into the you can sing/you can't sing sides of the room, the latter being where he was sent. This incident convinced him that he had no talent, and was a major obstacle when he sought out and began voice lessons later in life. It was compounded even more by a thoughtless comment made in passing by his mother: “you’re tone deaf.” Let’s keep in mind that a true educator would never help a child discover their talents in such a callous, damaging way, and that his mother had no background in the performing arts. Yet these two comments made by those who probably didn’t have any malicious intent profoundly influenced Robert’s self-esteem.

People often allow incidents like this to discourage them from pursuing their musical dreams. More often than not, a lack of obvious talent has more to do with our belief system than our actual ability. While there are mechanics and a genetic predisposition that influence the ability to sing and play musical instruments, musical ability is largely emotional, psychological, and driven by desire.

Dispelling the belief that one has no ability can open the floodgates to talent that would otherwise not have the opportunity to emerge. New musicians should surround themselves with other likeminded people, not leave themselves open to criticism by asking those around them (particularly those with no music background) how they sound, send a clear message that their music is important to them, find supportive coaches whose teaching methods are self-esteem supporting, and not react to the jokes and snickering (often times people who are critical who are just trying to get a rise out of us) of others.