The vocal warm up process is the root and building block to healthy singing.  During your warm up there are many different aspects of singing that you can focus and improve upon.  Let’s start with the importance of a quick moving vocalize for this blog, there will be some other types to follow.

Quick singing is definitely an exercise you should include in your vocal warm-up regiment. The reason for a quick moving vocalize is to gain agility and flexibility in your singing voice.  You can’t sing runs without that.  The other benefit of moving your voice quickly is to run your voice faster than your muscles or mind can catch up, in order to bypass the tension that can grip from tongue, jaw, and throat muscles.

Here is the link to a new video that I have made of an exercise addressing the importance of a quick vocal warm up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak5NFqgbMqU

Please remember to add something like it to your vocal routine.

Sing well!

Ariella Vaccarino

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

Want a professional opinion of how you sound?  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 feedback right away.

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During a performance is not the time to be doing a playback in your head of every step you are taking both good and bad.  While performing it is your job as a singer to be in the moment, not judging the moment.

You can always record yourself and sit down and do a good judge later, and I highly do recommend that. (Sit and watch or listen, use your teachers ears, or use my ears for feedback-AFTER the performance.)

You can actually see singers judge themselves on stage.  They are listening rather than emoting and being.  Don’t be caught doing that because it is obvious to the audience and will pull them out of your performance.

Singing is such a leap to experience anyway  for the audience, watching someone standing and singing words for 3 minutes is odd if you think about it.  And that is the key, you don’t want to let the audience have a moment to think about it.  They need to experience the moment just as you are experiencing it.

If you are real and in it, they will be.

So you can’t stop and judge because then we loose the 100% commitment.  We we need nothing less than full commitment of you the singet in the audience to remove ourselves from the strangeness of the singing phenomenon so we can enjoy it for what it is.

Use your time warming up and practicing at your piano or in your room to analyze your every note.  Let your teacher give you critique during lessons.  Use my Vocal Assessment service if you would like to get feedback on what you should be working on from me.

But after that.  When the performance time comes whether it be an audtition or for an audience let go of ALL judgement and just sing the thing. You will be SO MUCH BETTER AND PROFESSIONAL FOR IT!

Ariella Vaccarino

Thank you for subscribing to my blogs!  I am working hard to bring you great content and free singing advice.  Please take a moment to spread the words via the social book marking links below to help me build my readership.  Thank you!

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

Want a professional opinion of how you sound?  Sign up for myVocal 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 feedback right away.

Check out my instructional videos on my YOUTUBE Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/voicelessonstogo

Listen to my Weekly Podcasts on Itunes:

My Itunes Podcast

Friend me on Facebook:

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We as singers will ALL encounter people that do NOT like us in our business.  Even worse we will ALL encounter bad people in our singing business who will try to sabotage our careers; tell us the wrong call times, spread nasty rumors to directors about us, give us the worst songs to sing, the latest time slots for auditions, say mean things to us before we have to perform or even worse- during performing(I have a horrible story for that one which I’ll tell in a bit).

This point of this blog is this:

We will ALL encounter people who do NOT like us in our business, bad people even.

(Did she just say that again?)- Yes, I did.  I want it to sink in.  As soon as you accept it as a part of your singing career the easier it will be for you NOT to allow these people to cripple you emotionally when they cross your path.

They are probably unhappy people who feel threatened by what you have going on.  So take it as a compliment.  If you are threatening them with your talent, you must be good.

There is not too much for me to say here.  It is just a warning or reminder about the people you will be encountering along your path.  Try and divorce yourself from the drama of it.  Let them be the drama, you be the professional.

As for the story regarding having bad people say bad things to me WHILE performing.  I was in a show years ago, and one of the characters did not like me because I was offended by the graphic statements he  used to say all the time in rehearsal and had told him, (I was 16 doing the rest of the cast was much older).  Perhaps I was a bit to righteous at that age, but I thought it was ok to stand up for yourself, as long as you were polite about it.

Anyway, he went from loving me, to HATING me (amazing how some people can turn so fast like that).  He decided in a very immature way to remind me regularly how much her HATED me.  We had a table scene in our show where we would all sit and eat and sing our respective lines and then freeze.  While frozen he would quietly say AWEFUL things to me while looking at me every night.  Then he would continue his lines to the audience then freeze and say terrible things to me again while staring at me with a smile.  It was unbelievably awful as I think of it now.   The whole show for me was extremely difficult because of him.  Once he decided not to like me, he made sure to tell everyone bad things about me.  -A nice cozy warm loving experience it WAS NOT for me.

The sad truth is, I lost it one night back stage after all the abuse.  I screamed that I hated him on the top of my lungs and kicked him with all my might in his butt like a psycho.  My shoes were very soft china doll shoes and as a result, I BROKE MY TOE!!!!  Right there in between acts.  I never let on to anyone fear my pride- the pain was insane.  I continued the run with a broken toe still being verbally abused every show.

I was never hired by that organization again because of him.

All very unfair.  He was a complete jerk, (talented though).

But you know what?  There really should be no surprise.  I encountered people like him over and over again throughout my career.  They are always out there.  Just be strong, remove yourself from all of the drama.  Be a professional.

Make friends outside of your career so that you have people to talk to.  Don’t be surprised by the bad people, be prepared for them!

Now heads up, and sing well!

Ariella Vaccarino

Thank you for subscribing to my blogs!  I am working hard to bring you great content and free singing advice.  Please take a moment to spread the words via the social book marking links below to help me build my readership.  Thank you!

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

Want a professional opinion of how you sound?  Sign up for myVocal 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 feedback right away.

Check out my instructional videos on my YOUTUBE Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/voicelessonstogo

Listen to my Weekly Podcasts on Itunes:

My Itunes Podcast

Friend me on Facebook:

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Podcast number four is now up on itunes!  Can anyone improve their voice?  Of course I say yes! My podcast will give you  10 areas for you to work on to improve your voice.  This was inspired from an older blog of mine that you may have read.

clink here: to link to the podcast site.

or

click here: to go directly to the podcast through its  Itunes page.  Oh, and while you are there, please write a fabulous review on my itnes page.  it will help me be more “searchable”.

Sing well!

Ariella Vaccarino

Thank you for subscribing to my blogs!  I am working hard to bring you great content and free singing advice.  Please take a moment to spread the words via the social book marking links below to help me build my readership.  Thank you!

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

Want a professional opinion of how you sound?  Sign up for myVocal 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 feedback right away.

Check out my instructional videos on my YOUTUBE Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/voicelessonstogo

Listen to my Weekly Podcasts on Itunes:

My Itunes Podcast

Friend me on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/voicelessonstogo

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I probably talk about it a lot.  But it is a huge issue with our business.  The singing business.  You just want to get on the stage and sing your heart out, I know.  I was the same, I just wanted the job so I could work hard and sing my best for people- no politics.  Unfortunately, the steps to get there can be quite ugly.  It is very hard to avoid the yuck, as hard as you may try.

I am inspired to write this after a lesson I had last week a student of mine who is fabulous.  She is 11 years old and is truly an insanely good little singer.  Not only can she sing, she is professional and way beyond the normal maturity of an 11 year old girl- a thrill to teach.  (every voice teacher should be blessed with one of these in their studio).

She is a working singer.  Meaning she is regularly getting gigs and being paid to perform which I think is amazing at her age.  Unfortunately, she is all ready at this young age being put into a lot of yucky situations.  And I feel for her.  Because, I too experienced very similar yuck in my own singing career all to often.

I don’t want to get into the details of her situation, but essentially she was banned from an audition which she definitely was made to be cast in  because of some disgruntled person who took something she did negatively a few years ago and spread their dislike and and contempt for her in a poisonous way to to her people in the industry.  As a result she was turned down for an audition by a director who NEVER EVEN MET HER.  That’s right, turned down to be heard for an audition (she is 11), not turned down for the part after being heard at the audition.

This to me is unbelievably disgusting.  To black list an 11 year old girl from hearsay is so sad.   Her resume is huge, she has since then been requested to fly out for a BROADWAY audition because she is so good and professional, but yet, this director who never met her, won’t see her because of hearsay.

But you know what?  It does not surprise me.  This singing professional is filled with stories like this.  There is an ugliness, (or for this blog) YUCK , that will not go away, no matter how hard you try to be nice, do your job, and show up with a smile.  There is always someone who you will cross who will not like you and will spread poisonous words about you.

It is a small business in the sense that so many people know each other.  As a result a simple ugly incident with one person can spread like a flame onto your reputation for many to hear and judge you about for years to follow, without you ever being able to explain your side of the story.

Ahhhh, you may be thinking, Ariella is so dismal today, where is the hope if this is so true?

The hope my readers/singers, is inside you.  Know who you are.  Know why you sing.  Sing for yourself. Find joy in what you are doing outside of what others think.  There are absolutely breaks to be had and wonderful experiences to enjoy in this singing business.  But the dark side is there Jedis (really geeky I know), you need to face it and know what it is so that you are not caught off guard when it hits.  Be prepared.

This student of mine is amazing, she is able to just push a ahead.  She is in New York right now to audition for a Broadway show.  Who knows if she will get it but what an opportunity for an 11 year old.  And on the bright side and something to hold on to, is that her Broadway audition was given to her for the same reason that the other audition wasn’t, it was hearsay from another director who loved her and recommended her. So just goes to show you.  How crazy this business can be.

I wish I could put a glass bubble around all you singers to protect you from the ugliness in this business and allow you to just sing. Unfortunately, I can’t, but you can.  Here’s an older blog I wrote on that subject for further insight:

http://voicelessonstogo.com/blog/singers-build-a-magic-bubble-seal-it-tight-make-sure-your-inside-singing-can-hurt-the-ego

Be strong singers.  Know who you are.  Try and stay neutral, you never know which one you meet may turn out NOT to be your friend.

Ariella Vaccarino

Thank you for subscribing to my blogs!  I am working hard to bring you great content and free singing advice.  Please take a moment to spread the words via the social book marking links below to help me build my readership.  Thank you!

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

Want a professional opinion of how you sound?  Sign up for myVocal 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 feedback right away.

Check out my instructional videos on my YOUTUBE Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/voicelessonstogo

Listen to my Weekly Podcasts on Itunes:

My Itunes Podcast

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Auditioning is the MOST UNNATURAL thing that we can go through.  Unfortunately, it is what is needed to unlock our world of performing for us as singers.  I’ve put together 10 tips to your best singing audition for my third podcast.  This was inspired by an older blog I wrote a few years ago.  Please check it out.

My Podcast site for those of you who do not have access to itunes:  Voice lessons To Go’s Podcast Page

For itunes:  Please subscribe and rate fabulously Voice Lessons To Go’s  Itunes Podcast page

Hope these tips are helpful!

Ariella Vaccarino

Thank you for subscribing to my blogs!  I am working hard to bring you great content and free singing advice.  Please take a moment to spread the words via the social book marking links below to help me build my readership.  Thank you!

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

Want a professional opinion of how you sound?  Sign up for myVocal 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 feedback right away.

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What is the difference you may have been asking yourself?  You hear these two terms, but it can be confusing to know whether they are just different ways to describe the same thing or really different things.  Well, the mystery shall now be solved:

Voice teachers and Voice coaches are two different things.

There is a lot of spilling over from one to the other though and some people do a both.  But in general this is the deal.

The Voice Teacher

Your Voice Teacher is your vocal technician.  Their job is to teach you the mechanics of the voice and how to use it properly by using the correct technique to get it out of your mouth in the most beautiful, freest way possible.  This will be done through vocal exercises,  (Vocalize!- my book filled to the brim with Vocalizes).  They will discuss and work with you on proper jaw and tongue release, body support, connection, posture, breathing etc…Their job is to teach you how to sing your best technically.  How to get the sound out of you in the best and freest way.  If you are looking on improving your voice and or learning how to sing your best, you want to start with a Voice teacher. (like me )

The Vocal Coach

A vocal coach’s job is to teach you how to approach, interpret, and perform a song.  This has nothing to do with your vocal technique, that is separate. They are usually great pianists, that can play through any of your music.  Their job is to discuss with you your “styling” of a piece.  Kind of like an acting coach for singing.  But this is not about stage direction, more about your approach to a piece of music.  So for example a classical vocal coach would know the difference between different composers and the styles in which you sing them, they would be able to help you develop your cadenzas, help you with your pacing of a piece, your translations, your interpretations.  They would be familiar with the many ways to sing a piece, the history behind the music.

A coach can bring you to that next level of performance.  I had the most amazing coach for years.  I would study with a voice teacher separately and then go to him to learn how to really sing my songs.  He would always give me ideas on the interpretations and styling of my pieces.  He was also great at helping me to add new repertoire.  The man could play the piano just AMAaaazingly.  He gave me the professional level of experience that I was looking for as a singer who was a performer.

Now that you hopefully understand the difference between coach and teacher there is more to be said. Many voice teachers do coach during their lessons.  I know I do,  I discuss interpretation of music, work on performance skills with my students etc…  And many Vocal coaches dabble in technique.  I know my coach did a bit because he had such a fabulous ear for music.  So these two teachers are not a black and white divide.

Some teachers and coaches can do both better than others.  But, the big issue with having both a voice teacher and vocal coach is that you have to PAY FOR BOTH OF THEM.  This is very expensive.  These people (should be) very well trained and worth their fees, but for a singer who has not hit the golden gig yet, it is a tough expense to fork out week after week.

So you need to figure out what is right for you.  If money is not an issue, then go for both.  But if it is, (which it usually is), you probably do not need both unless you are really training at a high level.  Get your voice down first.  Learn from other great singers and allow them to be “your coaches”.  You can also coach once or twice a month while keeping up regular weekly voice lessons, or save your coaching sessions for big performances.  I think coaches come in as you become more professional. They are a fabulous thing to be able to do as a singer, but you need to start by getting your vocal technique together first.

Hope that helped clear it up.

Ariella Vaccarino

Thank you for subscribing to my blogs!  I am working hard to bring you great content and free singing advice.  Please take a moment to spread the words via the social book marking links below to help me build my readership.  Thank you!

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

Want a professional opinion of how you sound?  Sign up for myVocal 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 feedback right away.

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Just because you don’t have something set on the calender to sing does not mean you shouldn’t be training regularly.  You never know when you are going to get that call and how much time you are going to have till your first rehearsal or performance.  You want to have your voice “locked down and ready to go” at any moment.  Your last minute energy should be put into prepping material for a performance, not prepping your instrument.

I’m speaking from my own experiences on this one.  I can remember numerous times in my life when I was slacking in my vocal training and received calls for vocally demanding gigs.  It is very stressful.  I would be stuck learning and memorizing new music while desperately trying to get my voice into pristine vocal shape for it- sometimes with only days to do so.  The feeling of dread comes to mind when I think of those times and the stress I was felt.   The outcome was often frustrating, because I knew that I could have been better.  Remember, nobody is out there thinking how good you could be if only you had some more prep time.  They are judging you in the minute they hear you.  Your audience will think that you are performing to the best of your capacity whenever they hear you.  Make sure they hear you at your best.

It’s time to start building your vocal stamina.

Don’t get caught out of shape.  If you are, you will not give your best performance, and you will stress your voice, body, and emotions out trying to get through it.

Rather then waiting till you get hired for a good gig to get into vocal shape, get into great vocal shape so you are ready when you are hired for that great demanding gig!

Singing opportunities will not check your training schedule first. If your hope is to book the “marathon” role, tour, gig, or show- then you need to be prepared vocally for it when it comes.   Big singing requires big training.  Put yourself in training for that vocal marathon now so you are not off  ”your game” when the singing work does come.  The healthier and stronger your voice is, the more stamina you will have.  The stronger you are as a singer the more able you will be to bounce back from the blows, strains, and over taxing you will be  put through in a heavy performance schedule.

Don’t just get in vocal shape, rather, train to be in fantastic vocal shape.  Think about all the football, basketball team movies we see,  they take the underdog team bring in a new coach and work them to an insane degree, run them, make them do weights, eat healthy, pile on practices  that no other teams are required to do.  This makes them ready for anything.  You can do that for yourself as a singer slowly building stamina with longer vocal warm ups and healthier practices.  Start three times a week, then 5 times, then start adding second practices in the evenings etc… Singing through 5 songs then increasing…You will as a result be prepared for anything.  Your body will be strong.  You will be able to sing out longer.

Prepare yourself for the big.  Why do anything less.  You will stand out with your great singing and radiate confidence as a result.

Now go Vocalize!!!

Ariella Vaccarino

Thank you for subscribing to my blogs!  I am working hard to bring you great content and free singing advice.  Please take a moment to spread the words via the social book marking links below to help me build my readership.  Thank you!

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

Want a professional opinion of how you sound?  Sign up for myVocal 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 feedback right away.

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I am  prepping for an upcoming concert and I just got through my memorization process.    That is what it is for me, a process.  Something I have to actually set my mind to do and make time for .  Being a classical Opera singer myself, (as well as a voice teacher and Creator of Voice Lessons To Go),  I am often faced with memorizing large amounts of music in Foreign Languages.  Thank God this is something that has  never given me problems.  As long as I make the time to do it, I can always get it done.

Just like practicing your voice and learning the notes of a song, memorizing words need their time slot on your schedule when preparing to sing in front of people.

Regarding memorizing, the sooner you do it, the faster you can get into creating the music on your own rather then relying on sheet music to get you through.  Once you are memorized you can practice singing into a mirror or out into an “imaginary audience”.  This really helps you open up and feel your role in the song and gives you time to make it yours.

Whenever possible you want to sing memorized in front of people.  People connect to you through your eyes.  They should be up and out when you are singing, not buried in a music folder.

Having your music with you on stage holds you one step back from delivering a professional performance.

So how do you memorize music most effectively?  I think it really depends on what kind of learner you are; audio or visual.  Think of how you do or used to study for tests in school.  Did you just look at your notes, have to talk through them aloud, have to practice writing them back onto paper to absorb them?

For me it has always been a bit of a combination.  For example last night I went through my piece of music and wrote all the lyrics out onto lined paper.  I translated it as well (was not in English).  Then I looked at what I have written to find patterns in the words and get an overview of the full structure of the lyrics.

When singing through music it is not the same as looking at a sheet of all the lyrics written out.  For me I need to think about it as a monologue, finding the beats.  I then went through my music again in my head trying to come up with the lyrics again spot checking where I needed help.  Usually, you already are part memorized from learning your song when you start the memorization process so you need to identify where these parts are so you can focus on the parts that need work.

The other thing I think is great to do is to tackle a tough spot towards the end of the music so that once you have that you know you have something to look forward to when starting the top of the song again.

So I did that a few times, circling and underlining parts that needed help on my lyrics sheet.  Then I wrote it out again. Each time “feeling” the words come to life on the paper.  For me the process of writing it out and seeing it show up in front of me is very powerful.

I did this till I was able to get through the song in my head and on paper smoothly. (about 45 minutes)

The next step I do always is to put the music down, let it go, and sleep on it.  I really think the sleep helps to solidify the lyric to my brain.  This morning I went through all my lyrics in my head, and sang them out loud softly a few times.  Not only do I need to get them on paper and in my head, but I need to practice saying them with my mouth, so I don’t stumble.- You need to memorize the mouth movements especially if it is a fast wordy song.

Today I will sing through the piece and practice performing it without looking at the music, spot checking as I need it.  Then I will really practicing performing it not thinking about about the lyrics to get them onto auto pilot.  I do this because I know that when I am on that stage I will not necessarily remember to think about the lyrics with the audience, orchestra and lights surrounding me.

Over the next few days I will go through the lyrics in my mind, speak them through, do them while doing other things such as cooking, exercising, and driving.  I will also listen to a recording of the music repeatedly to train my aural skill of listening and learning.

Doing these things will make me memorized and prepared.  Not doing them will have me nervous and undependable as a performer on a big stage.  Always choose preparing instead of worrying!

Now go write out those words !

Ariella Vaccarino

Thank you for subscribing to my blogs!  I am working hard to bring you great content and free singing advice.  Please take a moment to spread the words via the social book marking links below to help me build my readership.  Thank you!

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

Want a professional opinion of how you sound?  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 feedback right away.

Friend me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/voicelessonstogo

Follow me on twitter:http://www.twitter.com/voicelessons2go (I love a good retweet!)