Watching Idol last night - third episode of Hollywood week, I was inspired to write after watching Jessica Furney’s rejection from the judges along with her plea to them.  She had lost her voice from over singing during the group rehearsals and had to battle that throughout the competition.  As a result she pleaded with the judges to keep her saying that she didn’t have a fair opportunity to show herself since she was battling with her voice and it was not fair to compare her to others who weren’t dealing with that.

Well, whether I felt her plea to them was too dramatic or not, I do feel for her.  It is one thing to be rejected after showing your best performance, at least then you know they made a choice after seeing the best you.  But to have to perform sub par and then to be rejected leaves you filled with regret and frustration, if only they saw what I can really do…

I would imagine that if they were crazed about her from the beginning they would have found a way to keep her fighting vocal strain or not, but it still has got to be a harsh reality for her when she looks back at that group rehearsal and the strain “she allowed ” to be put onto her voice.

Did I say “she allowed” the strain to be put on her voice?  - (that’s pretty harsh Ariella Vaccarino the empathetic voice teacher that you are…)

Maybe it is harsh but it is true.  We need to protect ourselves as singers.  No one will do it for us, no one knows our limitations except us.  It is so important singers that you save the juice for the right moment. Like any athlete, we can only use our correct muscles for so long before we strain and thus compromise them.  Singing has its limitations, you as a good singer need to learn to feel them and to listen to them, no matter the circumstance.

“Marking“ is a term that we use when not singing out.  Some people are better at it than others.  Essentially you sing down the octave, or with half a voice, or speak gently in tempo to mark the vocals while learning the harmonies, dance moves, blocking, or trying to memorize lyrics. I am not referring to whispering which is very harsh on the voice, rather, gentle singing- no powerhouse sound.

This is what you need to do in a situation when you are repeating a song to get through a rehearsal. Especially when you have a lot of important solo singing coming up.  I am not saying you should be marking your chior rehearsals.  If you are rehearsing to work on the sound then by all means sing.  But, when a performance is pending you have to be protective and only give when the judges are listening.

I am sure that was a hard thing to do for the singers during group rehearsals on American Idol- they want to be impressing everyone around them, make their mark, stand out to be filmed etc… but, like Jessica Furley, they needed to weigh the whole week of singing- not just the moment of singing.

As a professional singer, you need to learn how to “mark”, but like everything, it takes practice.  If you don’t do it right you could strain your voice.  So practice it every once in a while by singing light, half voiced, with no pressure on any muscles when learning or going through your own music.

I feel for Jessica Furney because she will never have peace in her mind that she was rejected for a fair reason-”if only they knew what I could really do...”  That will play in her mind for a long time- a really horrible feeling that I am sure most of us performers have had.  Hopefully she will find a way to take the experience as a positive for all her exposer and be dignified about the results.

written by:  Ariella Vaccarino creator of Voice Lessons To GO (singing lessons on CD) and author of Vocalize!

Need help with your own voice?  Sign up for Your Vocal Assessment through my site to get professional feedback on your own voice.  Send me a link to or mp3 of your voice with your questions and I will get right back to you with my Assessment.

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I am inspired to write this after watching the guy last night with the thick rimmed glasses who was in a group that had all kinds of issues be cut.  He then asked the judges to give him another chance due to everything they went through… they didn’t care, their decision was made.  He had his shot.  That was it.  Judges don’t have time to hold your hand through an audition experience.  Time is money.

So sad and cold singers, but it is true there are NO EXCUSES when it comes to your performances and auditions.  Nobody cares until you are famous if you have a valid excuse or not, especially not at an audition when you are a complete unknown.

Judges are looking at you as a “singer”- someone who can pull off a note, song, job.  Not as a person with a soul, needs,  and feelings.  They honestly don’t have time to care as cruel as that sounds.  It is is the truth.

It also is not anything personal.  It is just the business of singing. All they care about is that you CAN pull it off, no matter the circumstances. Remember your impression will last with them, no matter what excuse may be behind it.

So like the guy on American Idol who was stuck in a tough group.  You just have to make things work, no matter what when it comes to crunch time. It is easy now to advise him.  I wasn’t up all night in a high pressure once in a life time situation stuck in a group filled with drama.

But as a “seasoned” professional I would say what would have been most important for him and any of them to do, is to stay emotionally detached from all the drama.  Get through the rehearsal and then no matter what for the performance be a professional.  He needed to Sing His Butt off like there would never be another opportunity, walk the routine proud, and commit to the harmonies bad- or good.  Judges are looking for professionalism and confidence from a positive person, not someone who is battered down by pressure.

It may not have been a fair hand dealt to him or anyone else cut from group night (not my favorite of the auditions they do, but good for ratings), but is was dealt.  And in life as singers we are constantly dealt things that aren’t fair: Songs that are boring, in the wrong genre, wrong tessitura, dumb directing, bad partners, ugly costumes, late night rehearsals, no rehearsals, bad pianists, cold dressing rooms, dry ice surrounding us when we sing, bad acoustics, no water back stage, empty audiences…. I could go on and on.

Again though, there are no excuses.  You will make an impression no matter what.  So own it-  you can go home after and pour all your excuses to your family and friends that is what they are for.

And feel free to write me about them, I am happy to help you work through them and help you to figure out how to prevent them your voice teacher is a great resource for empathy!

written by Ariella Vaccarino creator of Voice Lessons TO GO (singing lessons on CD), and author of Vocalize!

follow me on twitter:http://www.twitter.com/singingvltg

Want feedback on your own voice?  Sign up for Your Vocal Assessment on my site, then send me a link to or mp3 of your voice with your questions and I will give you my professional assessment right away.

Well, I know that we all are gearing up to watch the big Hollywood week on American Idol.  I just needed to chime in here as a voice teacher for a minute to give you the smallest idea of what these aspiring singers are going through out there.

The anxiety and nerves for something like this is so amazingly huge.  They also are under so much pressure, pressure of a life time to make this happen for themselves, their family, friends, and town. Most of us have never been and will never be in such a position.

Before you judge them for crying, breaking down emotionally, forgetting words, or cracking, just take a moment and think about the intense state they are in.  Most of us will never have an American Idol moment.  It is an incredible phenomenon.  One that I think is awesome.  It gives singers from anyware, from any circumstance an opportunity to be recognized and selected from thousands upon thousands.  I think it is a great show also, because it gives us as viewers an opportunity to see all kinds of people, hear all their diffrerent stories and witness all their varying talent.

I also love what it has done for music and singing.  People of all ages sit at home and hear all different kinds of genres of singing, and songs from old to new.  It really does educate America about music and our popular song literature.  There is so little spent in our schools on music education, so thank god we have a place to start to build an appreciation for the craft.

I am just asking you all to open your kindness to these young singers, have empathy for them.  Think about the stress they are experiencing and put yourself in their shoes.  Lots of people have anxiety publicly speaking in a classroom let alone on National Television.  It is amazing to me that these singers can sound as good as they do without having been under National pressure in the past.

I am looking forward to this season of talent and am going to blog about the show this season.  It is a great experience to learn and teach from full of much inspiration and delight for me as a singer and voice teacher.

written by: Ariella Vaccarino- creator of Voice Lessons TO GO and author of Vocalize!

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Once you get to a certain level of singing where you are good and your competition is good, what then?  If the audition is for the perfect ingénue soprano, and 50 or more perfect ingénue sopranos show up for the audition how do you handle it?

Well, first of all you sadly are going to have to grow a really thick skin, because your chances of scoring the part at a high level are really small, no matter how good you are.  (This is depressing isn’t it).  Think about it.  Every high school had  a great singer soloist in their choir or musical theater class who could pull off the parts.  They then showed up to their university music or theater department with a whole bunch of other really good singers from their own own towns….

Then you hit the bigger cities to sing in where all these great singers with training and resumes from their local theater are piling in.  All have been told that they are great, all have been training, studying, and prepping.  When you are a that level and 50 girls walk in for the same part… ONLY ONE WILL GET THE PART.  It’s not personal, or a judgement, just one could be used.  There are only 20 singers on American Idol, only so many pop singers you can name on the radio, only so many paid roles on Broadway, so many theaters, so many clubs for bands, so many slots at hotel lounges…

Why would I, a voice teacher who sells Voice Lessons TO GO even want to talk about such realities to prospective and continuing voice students?  I just want it laid out there and understood.  You can do everything right in singing and still not have your ultimate dream realized no matter how hard you try with it. It is a difficult reality of every Art form.

The dream to sing is not like the dream of being a doctor or lawyer.  Those dreams you can plan for, get good grades, take out loans, study, and achieve them.  Singing has NO GUARENTEE of paid success or job security.

The reason to write this is to jostle your thoughts for a minute.  So many of you write me and send me recordings of your voice for my Vocal Assessments with the hopes of “Ultimate stardom”.  How many singers can you name at the level of Brittany Spears (I am not commenting on her talent rather her success). Lets try quick: Britney, Shakira, Beyonce, Rihanna, Fergie, Madonna, Lady Gaga…  Ok there are more, but how many more, 10?

Now think of how many little girls want to grow up and be just like them.  There are 305,507,054 people in only America today.  How many singers can you name?  Who knows how many “crushed dreams that is”.  That is why it is important to tweak the dream.

I write this because as a singer with years of experience and friends of great talent.  I have seen how hard this career is on people psyches.  There is a reason your parents may be encouraging you to study something else.

All that is said only to give you a taste of reality, so that you are educated in the facts about having a lucrative singing career.  It is SOO important that you sing for something other than goal of fame and fortune.  You need to have joy in the process of singing, or you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of what ifs and heart ache.. The practice, rehearsals, performances should be your dream.  The journey of singing needs to satisfy you without regret. To sing for family, friends, needs to give you joy.

The true joy of singing has to be just that: the joy of singing, no strings attached.  Set your mind up now to gain satisfaction from simply singing, not having to sing for something huge.  I am not saying not to pursue big goals for yourself, just take it all with a grain of salt, so you are not setting yourself up for failure.  I think most good singers can find their niche with some creativity to be working as a singer.  There are jobs for us out there.

Remember, there is also more than singing that makes a full life.  Sometimes as singers going after these huge goals, we get trapped in the pursuit and forget that our life is passing by in the meantime.

Find the balance young.  Having your head on straight with all this, and your heart at peace with whatever your singing journey is will open you up to many more experiences for a full life.

Singing is just a part of the whole package.  Enjoy it for what it actually is in your life, not what you dream it to be.

That being said, Sing well!

written by: Ariella Vaccarino creator of Voice Lessons TO GO- (singing lessons on CD) and author of Vocalize!

Ok, don’t mean to digress here.  But I just had to chime in about a singer currently in the top four of American idol.  I have often been asked to blog about American Idol…well now I am finally moved to.

I have NEVER heard such a voice as Adam Lamberts.  He is amazing.  What he can do, no one can do.  He to me is trully one of the most gifted singers I have ever heard in my life.  I am not judging his presentation, style or performance.  Just his voice and how he uses it.  He is completely connected and has every resonator open booming when he sings.  His range is off the charts.  His belt voice goes higher then it is allowed to and it is incredible to listen to.  I am on the edge everytime he performs somewhere between shock and elation.

I will set my alarm clock to buy his first concert tickets and album.

Unbelievable.  I am thrilled that he has been discovered.

Preparing to audition for American Idol? What can you do to be the most prepared?

We all know how it can go. You sing in front of the mirror beautifully just before you walk out of the house to your audition. You arrive at the audition and your turn is up to show them what you’ve got and you don’t even recognize yourself after you sing. What happened to all that prep? You are a bundle of nerves, your voice doesn’t feel attached to your body, your sound is meek, you go on auto-pilot, your vibrato jumps up too many notches, you twitch your face or do strange things with your hands, and your breathing, forget it, you can’t get a good breath without gasping to save your life. Any of this ring true??

I have experienced it all in my singing days. So what can we do to battle and be victorious over our auditioning experiences- especially for something as well known and publicized as American Idol? I thought I’d reach out to the American Idol audition community assuming many of you do not have that much auditioning experience. Although my singing career has been primarily focused in the genre of Opera, my teaching of Voice (for over 15 years) has been to all types of singers. I’d just love it if I could help you a bit. Here are a few thoughts.

Top 10 Audition Tips for American Idol

1. Regular practice

Your body and brain need to memorize what is correct, so if you do get blocked with nerves it still knows what to do.

2. Practice singing IN FRONT OF PEOPLE

We spend so much time singing to accompaniment by ourselves in our homes and then expect to step out and deliver in our auditions. Auditioning itself takes practice. Whether you grab a friend, your kid brother, or your parents book club, sing for people. You need to practice being stared at while you sing!

Find auditions in Backstage West, Craigslist, or a local music trade and go as often as you can. If you are serious about getting a certain singing gig than you need to practice auditioning for it before you actually go for it. Do these other auditions as a rehearsal for yourself so your body practices singing on nerves and adrenaline. Each time should get more comfortable, and who knows, you may find yourself in a great gig as a result.

3. Do your breathing

Before your audition, remember to take some deep breaths. At least three slow focused deep breaths. Imagine that you are low in your body. When we are nervous our breath and voice tends to get too high and we loose our connections. There are fabulous breathing exercises on my volume 1 CD of Voice Lessons To Go- Vocalize and Breath. Sit and do some in your car before you go in for the audition.

4. Choose a great song that you know well and that shows off what you can do

American Idol gives you a brief moment to make an impression. Pick your best song to sing, you only get one chance. Consider genre, range, and emotion when choosing your piece. Make sure that you select the best part of a song that will highlight your voice, as you only have seconds to maintain the interest of your auditioner. If you are going to be singing without any musical accompaniment, then feel free to bring a pitch pipe and knock out your pitch before you start, so you don’t find yourself singing to high or too low for the piece.

5. Remember to tell your story

Every song has a story. Be in the story from the start of the music. Convey your words and emotions. Be the character in the song. The auditioner needs to feel that you feel the music. This will help to distract you from your the nerves and focus on your performance.

6. Keep your feet grounded

Try and sense a heaviness in your body before and during the audition. You want to stay as deep into your body and sound as possible. Imagine you are a tree and your feet are the roots buried under the earth, your legs a heavy trunk. Use any image to help you stay connected to your sound.

7. Sing into the center of each word and release each vowel

“Stay on your voice,” as opposed to singing breathy with nerves. It helps if you can focus your sound into the center of each word. From the first word imagine you are in the middle of big lines of text. Use each consonant as a stepping stone into every vowel. Each vowel sound should be released and full. Don’t allow the language to block your sound, rather use it to release your sound.

8. Be yourself, let them get a feel for you are as a person

Be friendly and warm from the start. It’s always great if we have a minute for a greeting. Use it if you have it. It is good to hear your speaking voice in the room before you open your mouth to sing. It will help relax you and lessen the shock of the audition.

Also, shows like American Idol like people with unique stories- so if you have one, let them know.

If you haven’t faced adversity or extreme circumstances, let them see what makes you unique. Your sense of humor, good soul, super intelligence, etc…

9. Visualization

Go through the audition in your mind step by step and how you want it to turn out before your get there. A few nights before the audition, before you go to sleep, see yourself there, walk in, introduce yourself and sing through the whole song relaxed and with success. The more your body memorizes these good sensations, the better chance you have at mimicking them on auto pilot.

10. Use your nerves

Take the nerves and turn them into performance energy. Push them down in your body and use them as a generator for a fabulous performance. Turn the nerves into what ever emotion is appropriate for your performance.

I hope this helps! If you have any other great auditioning tips, send them on over!

written by Ariella Vaccarino creatof of Voice Lessons To Go (singing lessons on CD) and author of Vocalize!

-want to receive immediate feedback on how you are singing from me?  Sign up for my Vocal Assessment.  Then send me a link or mp3 of  you singing (audio/ or audio visual) with your questions and I will get back to you with my advice right away.

Follow me on twitter:http://www.twitter.com/singingvltg