» Slice of Singing: Vocal Blog

Sally  talks about the show GLEE.  All cast members on the show are individuals and themselves.  Sally goes in-depth to tell others to be themselves before the auditions.

The cast of Glee have a wider range vocal ability than a POP star would cause the songs and performances demand a wider range. To get ready to audition for the show glee you will need to be prepared. All these singers come from a Broadway background with years of experience, they did not just decide to sing a couple months ago, and these young people are practiced professionals. Training and Practice is key to success. Studying and listening to great singers and working on your own voice are great to help in developing your singing strength.

When the Glee Cast sing Don’t Stop Believin’ – Sally gives a quick sample of the strength needed in order to reach those notes.

Amy Lee, what a great voice, its a great rock voice and yet when you watch her she is very laid back in her singing style.  She stays very open and yet very relaxed while she sings. Evanescence has a sound that is warm, sexy, clear and exact

She is so strong because but sometimes it doesn’t seem that way because she is so laid back. But she has a big wide impact when she sings. See video here!

Sally takes a piece from “My Immortal” and explains what Amy Lee is singing.  She sings strong with very little vibrato, very difficult to do.

Sally always says be your own singer. Take ideas from these star singers, their great qualities and make your own.

My students know because I tell them constantly, that when you are auditioning, all the auditors want to know is who you are. Sure they want you to perform well – actually they are rooting for you to be great! It makes their job much easier. The auditors are not your enemies, they are your best friends.

Here are some don’ts and do’s of auditioning I’ve collected over the years from casting directors, stage directors, producers and others in the biz.

When auditioning DON’T

• do anything just for shock value! Make sure everything you do is justified in the song or script.
• swear!
• do monologues about suicide or abortion. Over-done, over-acted.
• use gratuitous emotion just to show your ‘acting.’
• perform a pratfall to get attention or to be memorable.
• do something (monologue or song) new just because it’s new.
• prepare ONLY the songs in your book. Be ready to sing whatever they put in front of you or ask you to sing.
• SCREAM your monologue.
• wear inappropriate clothing. A low-cut dress with large polka dots, not good especially if you’re doing a Shakespearean monologue.
• wear torn jeans or a t-shit with a large logo. It’s distracting.
• learn just the melody line of your songs. Learn a harmony line or 2 also.
• lying! Don’t put anything at all on your resume that is a lie. If you don’t read music, don’t say you do on your resume. If you don’t tap dance, leave it off your resume.
• take rejection personally. It may have nothing at all to do with you.
• use 8 bars of recitative in a 16 bar audition song.

When auditioning please DO

• prepare thoroughly before the audition
• songs that are contemporary and popular.
• make every word and movement count by giving it meaning.
• show diversity of craft.
• act the song! The biggest failure most casting directors see is actors performing a great monologue who then turn to zombies when they do a song.
• live the monologue, live the song.
• have a song you can rock out on.
• the audition as though you are doing it for the second time!
• give out contact information that will be good for several years to come. The company may not need you for the current season, but remember you and want you 2 years from now. (He said that has actually happened!)
• dance like a man if you are a man.
• make judicious eye contact. Make a connection with the auditors.
• be authentic.
• be polite, be honest, be charming and

BE YOURSELF!!! You are the only person who is… well, You! Unique and special. Don’t sell yourself short by being a bad imitation of someone else. Your uniqueness may be the best thing you have to offer, so strut your stuff!

We rarely get acapellas on a Slice of Singing but this one is extremely creative. YES! he is lip-syncing but all original acapellas come from the singing group Moosebutter.

Star Wars-themed, four-part a cappella musical tribute it’s great.

1st – TOP-LEFT: Tenor 1
2nd – TOP-RIGHT: Tenor 2
3rd – BOTTOM-LEFT: Baritone
4th – BOTTOM-RIGHT: Bass

Performed by Corey Vidal
Vocals by Moosebutter

Well with the new iPhone out. I thought it would be nice to showcase the video the NY Times editorial staff made for the “I want an iPhone” viral video. I like that in the middle of the clip people standing in line give a shot at their singing abilities for their passion of technology.

Very Funny Singing Video FOR SURE! Enjoy!

Well the BP clean up is a mess and while fixing the problem is the best solution… so is Obama’s song dedicated to BP. The video is made by the team at Auto-Tune the NEWS that do great skit videos. I would have to say that although they use autotune in the news, the anchors themselves are great singers. See for yourself…

With the whole Kanye West and Taylor Swift drama its good to know that Taylor Swift’s music is still going strong. A lot of people still have not seen this video of her song “You belong with me” that got all that attention. Well here it is and if you want to see more singing tips of “How to Sing” like Taylor Swift click here: http://www.singlikeyouspeak/how-to-sing-like-taylor-swift

It’s like American Idol with the only difference being that dogs and cats are always in perfect pitch.

Everyone loves Tucker (Sally Morgan’s dog) and Tucker’s favorite show happens to be “Animal Idol.” You can say singing passion runs in the family. Check out the best animal singers in this video, the contestants in this years “Animal Idol” are going for the glory.

Ultra Kawaii - Animal Idol @ Yahoo! Video

@ Yahoo! Video

Hey All,

Start your weekend off right with the great song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by Hippo and Dog.  This is a cartoon that is a great funny and uplifting song. It’s a great song to sing too. Try it sometime,  Singers have a great weekend!

Sally gives us a detailed free video on how to sing like the pop star Taylor Swift.

How to Sing like Taylor Swift? A great singer songwriter, Taylor Swift is a star but be you should not try and be her but be yourself! That’s what makes you unique as your own star qualities. Taylor Swift writes her own songs so she knows her voice and writes in her range. What makes Taylor Swift voice special is that she nails every pitch; Taylor uses her constantans and lets the breath come through very wide and almost girlish. Sally goes in depth for a free vocal detailed voice lesson. Most importantly… Sally tells singers to be themselves and stop imitating other artists.