Thank God I can sing. It allows me the ability to express my emotions through my voice using my whole body as a vessel.   I wonder what would happen to me if I couldn’t sometimes?

I don’t mean to be dramatic but it can be a borderline religious experience for me.  When I don’t do it for a while I feel all shrivelled and empty inside.  When things are really rough there is nothing like singing to release my “pain”.  I don’t mean to be Kurt Cobain about it, but it is the truth.

I don’t know how I would have gotten through my high school days without my guitar and my voice.  I used to get through all those crazy teenage emotions only by picking up my guitar and writing a song.  If my parents were driving me crazy, a guy didn’t like me, or if I was deep in a crush there was me writing a song about it and singing for hours in my room.  It truly kept me sane.

Other people have other ways to do this, for some it is religion, some dance, some yoga, some sports…  For me and most likely you if you are reading this, it is singing.  A form of expression that I can feel through my whole body.  It comes out of me like an extension of myself, and I can let it go and release it. Pretty powerful stuff.

I think people who don’t sing, might not be able to understand that a singer needs to sing.  I often feel like I was born with a 6th sense that I was made to use.  Imagine if you never tasted or heard or saw but could?  The thought of not being able to sing it is that extreme to me.

There of course are levels of singing, from alone in your room on your guitar writing a song to standing center on a stage singing a ballad in a musical.  Everyone I think who sings was born with a different level of singing that they are meant to and need to do.  Some singers feel more of a spiritual connection to it than others.

Singing is an amazing powerful gift, but it can hold us back from living on the “normal” level sometimes.  We as singers can experience such a rush through our bodies when we are really letting go that all else can feel pale compared.

That is why it is important to keep singing regularly, whether you have a pending performance or not. Regular practicing can help you maintain a balance in your “emotive self” as well as maintain and improve your voice.  My days are always better if I start them off with a singing practice.  And if I sing and workout… that is usually a great day.

I think it is important to face what singing is and means to you.  There is more to this singing then performing.  There is the physical and spiritual connection that it allows us to connect to our emotions.  They don’t talk about it in your College Vocal Program.  This is something private that you need to learn to connect with on your own.

We singers are lucky to have been given this amazing tool.  It is a gift that we have been chosen to experience.  Lucky us.

Now go sing.  You were meant to.  Do it for you.

Ariella Vaccarino

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

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As I say for my business (Voice Lessons To GO) as well as for my singing, there is no use thinking about your competition. What is the point?  You really never know what it is that is going to make a judge, casting agent, or directer pick you out of an audition “line up” for the part. So don’t sweat it.

The gorgeous woman who just sang before you like a Siren may have reminded the judge of an ex-girlfriend he didn’t like.

– or-

You might be amazing but the moment they see you they know you won’t be a match for the short tenor they have to play your husband.

Because I am not only a singer/voice teacher but I am also a business woman, I may have a bit of a different perspective on all of this.  I can use my CDs as an example.  So many people have asked me – “Aren’t you worried about your competition?,  or  ”Aren’t there other voice lesson CDs out there?”  My answer has always been: “So what, there are millions of people out there, I’ll just keep doing my best at what I am doing.  There is room enough for everybody.  Everyone can have their niche.”

I don’t spend my time looking at or considering the competition.  I need to be strong enough to stand on my own as a business woman no matter how many others are around me.  I’m not sure which helped me more the entrepreneurial woman to my musician or the musician to my entrepreneurial self.  But the combo together has helped me to see the world a bit differently.  I also think I view opportunities a bit out of the box.

If I didn’t think like that, there probably would be no Voice Lessons To Go.  You might be thinking, I thought this blog was about the competition, why is she talking about herself? That is my whole point.  The competition doesn’t matter.  You are what matters. Put the energy into evolving yourself instead of thinking about the others.

Think on a grander scale as a singer beyond your single auditions.  You need to know who you are, be confident, work on being and bringing out your best, and then marketing yourself.

The competition will there no matter what- trust me.  People will like you over them and them over you no matter what. That is the business.  There are no guarantees.  But it sure will help you get that part a lot more often if you are fully realized as a singer.

Click here to view a past blog post that will give you 10 ideas to work on when becoming a complete singer: http://voicelessonstogo.com/blog/so-my-voice-isnt-fabulous-can-i-have-success-as-a-singer (don’t worry about the title, the information is what you need).

What you do need to concentrate on is how YOU can be the best singer you can be.  Work on all the areas that make you a great artist and performer. Develop the whole you and the whole package.  Then walk into your auditions with pride knowing that you are a complete performer.  If they sign you or cast you- awesome.  That is ideal but no matter the competition unless you are amazing yourself, none of it matters anyway.  Don’t sweat the competition, sweat what you can do do be your best instead.

Happy evolving!  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 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.***

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!

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UGHHHHH….Pathos….You feel it in your bones when they relay their pain to you on stage.  How can you be someone who does that?  The conveyor of depth and raw emotion.  How can you make it real for your audience?  Maria Callas is my Idol for this.  She moves me theatrically more then anyone I have ever heard.

Take a moment and watch her perform this aria Vissi D’arte from Verdi’s Tosca.  The first moment you see her, before she has even opened her mouth to sing, you know that she is consumed with the emotion of the character.  You can’t even imagine that she is a character and not just unlocking her true self in front of the audience.  She is so vulnerable in her expression.  She is the ultimate conveyor of Pathos.

How can you learn from her?  Well what she was Raw.  Raw in her emotion, no matter what your genre of singing that is something you should try and tap into.  Whether you are singing about love, bliss, or heart ache.

Maria Callas was a Genius performer and could make anyone feel her Pathos within seconds of seeing her face.  Please enjoy Callas and learn from from her:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZXwz0gj5fY

Pathos is a term from Greek mythology.  As quoted from wikipedia “Pathos is often associated with emotional appeal. But a better equivalent might be appeal to the audience’s sympathies and imagination. An appeal to pathos causes an audience not just to respond emotionally but to identify with the writer’s point of view – to feel what the writer feels. In this sense, pathos evokes a meaning implicit in the verb ‘to suffer’ – to feel pain imaginatively. Perhaps the most common way of conveying a pathetic appeal is through narrative or story, which can turn the abstractions of logic into something palpable and present. The values, beliefs, and understandings of the writer are implicit in the story and conveyed imaginatively to the reader. Pathos thus refers to both the emotional and the imaginative impact of the message on an audience, the power with which the writer’s message moves the audience to decision or action.”

For more in depth study of the term Pathos please check out:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathos

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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Today I want to share of you one of my Idols.  Joan Sutherland was really one of the most amazing sopranos ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ2L_B7VOWs&feature=related

I have spent many an hour listening and glowing in her vocal beauty.  She is a lyric Coloratura Soprano and really absolutely amazing.  Her instrument is a gift from God and her technique is incredible.  I have often been moved to tears when listening to her beauty.

I know that many of you are not Opera singers, but as singers we can learn from all types of singing genres.  Today when you watch this link and listen to Dame Sutherland, I want you listen and feel the line of her voice.  This is something that I always talk about in singing.  How important it is to have a beautiful line.  She is the epitome of it.

You can skip the first minute and a half of the video which is a bit cheesy 60′s Opera.  She starts to sing at about 1:30 into it by 2:30 into it you can hear this line I am talking about.  There are no single notes or syllables.  Every thought and sound is leading somewhere in her sound and voice.  Her breath control is INSANE and her sound glorious perfection.  Few can even begin to touch the line that Joan Sutherland achieved over and over again.

Just thought you might enjoy listening to one of my favorites.  Please enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ2L_B7VOWs&feature=related

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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So you can sing, you love to sing, perform, be on stage and you have talent.  Now what?  What type of music should you be singing?  What is your range?  If you are facing these questions for the first time, they can be tough ones that you may have to live with once you make them so really think them out.

As much as I would like to think that everyone can sing everything: pop, country, rock, opera, jazz etc….  I don’t.  I believe that we are all probably suited for specific styles more than others.  But, sometimes there is a clear choice that has to be made at a young age concerning what direction you are going to take your voice and that can be difficult.

I’ll give you my own story for example.  I was a girl with the biggest voice of the group from the youngest age you can imagine.  I have been told that when I was at a birthday party at age 5 and all the kids were singing Happy Birthday (myself included), all the parents just stared at me because of how much my voice was different and developed compared to the other kids.

I had an “adult” voice at a very young age.  And by adult I mean full vibrato and mature sounding.  But you couldn’t tell at age 5 that I was suited for Opera.  I could sing everything well throughout my childhood that was on the radio, (I remember a mean “Stop in the Name of Love” I used to do for anyone who would listen). I had a great belt voice as well (not that I understood what it was).

So I was always singing because I loved it.  Volunteering to stand up and sing at school, from my elementary days on.  I also would help lead religious services every time I could.  I craved it and couldn’t wait to do it.  I felt most at home when I was singing.  Not just singing by myself, but leading song, and singing for an audience and an event.

So how again, did I pick my genre?  Well, it was kind of faith for me.  My 7th grade choir teacher told my parents I was full of talent and should take voice lessons.  So I did from her.  She happened to have been an Opera Singer trained at Julliard.  (How I happened upon this in my suburban town is really amazing, talk about fate). I could take all her vocalizes up as high as her, and sounded like a young version of her.  And there it was.  I was an Opera singer.

Had my first voice teacher been a Broadway, pop, rock or Jazz artist I may have gone another direction.

Opera worked for me.  I loved it and was good at it.  But there were somethings about opera that were not so satisfying.  First of all no one really knew anything about Opera, or had much interest in it.  That was always hard for me.  There is also an audience connect that you get from being a rock singer on a stage that you can’t achieve in Opera.  Also, as a creative person I was not satisfied.  Since Opera is about singing things perfectly and not writing your own thoughts and emotions into a song.

Outside of that, I loved Opera and was highly respected for pursuing the art form of it since it takes so much education and discipline.- And that “admiration” of my craft, whether people understood it or not, was always fun.

So that was my story.

So what about you?  How do you decide?  Will you have regrets on the decision you make in the future? -Probably some it may never be the perfect decision, but you can try and make the “best” decision.

Some things to consider when choosing your vocal genre:

Try and really listen to your sound and think about what kind of music is exciting to you.   And what kind of music will be exciting to you long term.

The window to “make it” as a pop, rock, or rap singer is specifically for the young while an opera or Jazz artist has more time.

Classical music takes a lot of expensive education.  With no guarantee of success at the end.

Who are you as a singer?

Are you a song writer who has something to say when you pick up your guitar or play the piano.

Do you feel most connected to music when you are singing through something religious?

Do you love to strive for perfection on a classical art form?

Does there need to be acting involved such as Broadway style for you to be satisfied?

Do you like to scream (rock singer).

Get some good opinions from people you trust.  I’d be happy to give you mine through my service Your Vocal Assessment.  Also, you can record yourself singing a few different genres you are considering and listen back.  Does one stand out to you or your family as fitting perfectly.  Are you the next Disney ingenue?

Just some things to think about for you.

Sing well people!- and don’t forget to warm up!

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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Yes, we all do and will continue to make dumb mistakes in life.  But just remember in the singing business you will always be remembered for those dumb mistakes, so try and avoid them by being professional at all points of your career.

Here are a couple of my own stupid move confessionals of mine.  Perhaps admitting them to the “public” will help free me of them!

The stupid young singer I was- (totally embarrassing to admit)

Out of college I was given a lot of work by different opera companies, I didn’t realize what a big deal that was.  I was very young to the business, during that time and I became overwhelmed by all that needed to be done.  With all my responsibilities, I pulled out of a production that I was supposed to understudy the lead in because it didn’t seem important to me and I really just didn’t want to do it with all the other work I had going on.

What I should have done was declined the offer from the beginning graciously, but I was too uncomfortable to say no.  I kept thinking I would some how deal with it.  I never even opened the score to learn the music and then pulled out just before rehearsals started claiming personal reasons.

This was sooo dumb of me, and so irresponsible. I was so self absorbed (normal for that age but…)  it was just to understudy the part so somehow I felt it was ok at the time.  That forever marked me with that company. Something I would never ever do today, but yet years later I will be remembered as a flake by them.

You must remember that your actions effect everyone around you, not just yourself.

After that last minute drop out of mine, someone was sent in a scurry to find a replacement.  And then some other poor singer had to rush and learn a part.  Totally not fair of me.  I’m sorry for that!

My senior Recital

To contrary belief, the world does NOT revolve around you

Being an Opera singer was my whole focus and world for many years.  When I was a senior at USC I had a senior recital.  This was my main event in school a full length recital that I performed with accompaniment full stage my own program etc…  This was my whole focus- lived and breathed it.

Anyway, the recital went great, and I filled the theater.  But, there were a few people at that time in my life that I had been working under regularly in the music business doing concerts, mentoring with etc…  Some of these people did not attend my concert and I was extremely hurt.  I would even say I felt betrayed by them for not attending.  As a result, I held a “childish” grudge against them, was cold and sulky when I saw them, tried to make them feel guilty etc…  HOW LAME I WAS!

These musicians were older than me and professionals with their own lives and families.  I could not comprehend them not attending my marvelous event on a Saturday night.  But in fact, it was not their responsiblitiy to be there.  I can see now, how hard it would have been for them to attend every concert of every musician that they new and that it really was not a big deal on their spectrum, even though I am sure they had wished me their best.

I should have just sent them a copy with a big smile, and left it at that with no expectations of them watching it.  It proved me to be unprofessional that I took it so personally them not being at my concert.

The truth is, not everyone is going to be your fan. Let your fans be your fans, but never pressure that out of someone.  You don’t want to come off bratty, and childish.

The better you get, and the more concerts you give, the more people will come.  You should not have to beg for it.  I probably am the opposite at this point to a fault.  I rarely let people know, (unless they are on a fan mailing list), that I am performing because I don’t want anyone to feel that pressure in our friendships to attend my concert.  I never want anyone to feel obligated.

All in all, these events happened, but they are not isolated, and I am sure there are many more I’ve done. The impression you give once stays with people.  I still encounter these people in different capacitites years later now and I always feel a bit dumb and “young” around them as a result of my dumb actions in the past even though I have had many years of experience and success in my own life.

Remember, you never know how these people will be in your life in the future and to whom they may spread these stories.  Try and keep your reputation squeaky clean.  Be professional at all times.

Do you have any sage advice on dumb acts that have stuck to you?  Come on, help our readers prevent your own mistakes by sharing them with us!  I would love to hear back from you!

written by Ariella Vaccarino creator 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.

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The great great Belt singers!

Let’s take a moment and appreciate the great Belters out there.

To belt is to take your chest voice up into a higher range with out transitioning into head voice or your falsetto and projecting it out strong.  I love a great belt voice.  Not many people are naturally inclined to do good belt singing.  Here are a few examples of singers who are great at it:

Someone a lot of people don’t think of as a serious singer, but who was great and on Broadway in her day was Comedian Carol Burnett.  She is one of those great belters with a natural placement, who is not known for having a “pretty voice”, but rather a great powerhouse free sound:  About 45 seconds into the clip it gets really good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vugLimIj98g

Next is the Vocal Goddess Barbra Streisand.  This woman is a freak of nature ( I mean that in the best way).  Only a handful of people can attempt to sing like her- I’ll give Celine Dion a pass for that.  The end of this rocks “Don’t” from Funny Girl!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6E2Mooz_LA

Adina Menzel’s Defying Gravity from Wicked:  A great singer!  I can’t get the best clip from Youtube but here is the idea:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g4ekwTd6Ig

The thing about belting is that not everyone can do it or is meant to.  A lot of people try and blow out there voice.  It is a gift you are born with just like an Opera singer is often born into their specialty.  These belters are not straining and are connected to their own sound.  A straining “want to be belter”, is a tough thing to listen to and terrible for one’s vocal chords.  Be very careful when belting.  Try and get guidance from a good voice teacher to master it.  The power does not come from the throat, rather the body and strength supporting the sound.

Sing well people!written by Ariella Vaccarino creator 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.

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Ahhhhh! It is hard to be a singer.  The ups and downs can be so extreme on your emotions and ego.  You put yourself out there for people with an “exposed voice” for people to love, and some just don’t. Then they judge, and they say their harsh words, or write their pointed critics without hesitation.

The thing is they see us as these objects, these “singing objects” that they can just compare, cut down, ignore.  But we as people make up that singer.  We are inside that singer.

You sing because you love to sing, feel that you have been given this gift to share.  You need to find a way to protect the innocence of that.  Think of some of our top singers, people grossing millions from some and laughs from others.  There is no black and white taste of what is good in the singing world once you reach a high level.  Take Celine Dion- she is an amazing vocalist, but some people don’t like her music or find her cheesy so they dismiss her as an artist all together even making fun of her when that woman is an awesome talent.  So what if you don’t like what she sings, there is a distinction between talent and taste.

I am inspired to write this after coming out of a rehearsal myself.  I sang so well, and am at such a high level, but one comment made to me that was negative went stab right into my EGO.  My immediate internal reaction to that was that I just wanted to shut down and walk away from the craft.  I even feel shame and embarrassment at times when I hear a negative comment about my singing.  - ridiculous Ariella!

Well folks, this is crap.  Singers have to be strong.  We need to build a crazy strong suit of armor around ourselves and disconnect our emotional reaction to peoples commentary.  This is a job you are doing, don’t take yourself to seriously.  If you can hear something constructive in their words than grow from the comment, if not throw it out, and I mean really throw it out and hold on to all the great comments you received instead.

Why is it we can here 20 great things and the 1 negative keeps us up at night?  I’m with you people, easier said than done, what can you do to protect yourselves?

Create a Magic Super sonic bubble around yourself and bounce the negativity off like a super hero!–seriously.

Also, find a safe place to sing where you are not judged, but rather appreciated. Don’t loose the love for your art.  Sing for that circle of friends, church, or family that makes you feel great. Go sing for a retirement home and fill your heart with appreciation for your gift.  Don’t let the poison in.

The negative comments will always be there.  You have to nourish your ego so that it is able to have a healthy reaction to it all.

Singers, stand tall and strong!

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

Want to test your voice out on an unbiased empathetic professional?  Sign up for my Your Vocal Assessment where you send me a link or mp3 of your voice with your questions, and I get back to you right away with my assessment.

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If you are singer blessed  with a beautiful voice.  You have a talent and a skill set that sets you apart from other people.  Don’t forget to do good with your gift.

I have sung in many an Opera and concert, but one of the things I most cherish doing, is lending my voice to family and friends for life cycle occasions.  These are non- paid gigs I am talking about to be clear.  Gifts that you give people with your song.

This year I have sung at a friends wedding, another friends baby naming, and I am warming up right now to sing at my close friend’s grandmothers funeral.  This is something I always volunteer to do for people that are important in my life.  I hope and think they know they can count on me to be an active part in their services and rituals.   It gives them a personalization to a life cycle event that they can’t get through a hired singer which is fabulous, plus it puts you up front and in the middle of an important event in someones life that you care about.  That is a great gift to yourself.

How fun it is for me that I never have to watch the bride and groom from the pews, rather I am right up front with them, living such a magical moment.  Most people don’t get to experience those things.  Even during tough events such as funerals it is so meaningful to give of yourself and be so close to the ritual itself.   It keeps you on your toes regarding your own life, wakes you up to other peoples trials, and gives you an opportunity to share your voice and help to heal others with it.

A beautiful voice is a powerful tool.  Put that together with a well selected song and you can really lift an experience for people.  So don’t forget to volunteer.  People may not ask you for fear of imposing on you.  It is your job to offer, in a way were they know you mean it but are not obliging them.

And make it clear that it is a gift for them, not something they will have to pay you for.  We don’t need our friends to pay us to sing, let’s leave that world separate for these occasions.

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

www.voicelessonstogo.com

I was at rehearsal last night for a concert I am doing.  I am a soloist contracted to come in and sing with a choir and orchestra.  This I would say is a medium scale event, not LA phil level, but there are both paid and volunteer musicians in both the choir and orchestra.

I guess I found myself in awe of the choir members last night that were volunteers.  I think there are a few different kinds of singers.  There are those that sing purely for fun- as a hobby, and there are those who feel that it is there “calling’ for a career.

Both are great.  The hobbyist I think has it a bit easier, since they do not have to tie in there enjoyment with their own pursuit of the craft.  The career driven ones, they have it tougher, often times, they can’t feel the joy of singing unless they are performing, (and to get to the spot on that stage can be a long unpredictable road).

I am a career singer. I knew always that it was what I was “Meant to do”.  Somewhere along the way I became interested in teaching and helping other people sing their best so I think I morphed into a career singing voice teacher professional at some point.

Being that person, the career singer, I really felt like watching these volunter singers last night in that choir was a breath of fresh air into a side of my craft that is really special.  I love how music can pull people together.  I love the different levels of talent out there and the drive that people are born with to share it and be active in it.

I just wanted to take a moment and think about all the volunteer hobby singers out there.  How they do Karaoke with friends, join their church choirs, and volunteer in the chorus at their local civic light operas. Thank you to them.  You back me up as a soloist and make me feel good about my craft.

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

www.voicelessonstogo.com