» Slice of Singing: Vocal Blog

How to play an instrument and sing. Free detailed video and blog post.

Sally gives us a detailed free video on how to play an instrument and sing at the same time. Please see link for full blog post of Video at: http://www.singlikeyouspeak.com/2010/01/how-to-sing-better-while-playing-an-instrument/

My students are always asking me how to play an instrument and sing at the same time. You want to become a singer who can accompany yourself. Very smart. Here’s the dilemma: playing an instrument is one skill; singing is another skill; and playing while singing is a THIRD skill.

For Full Blog post visit: http://www.singlikeyouspeak.com/2010/01/how-to-sing-better-while-playing-an-instrument/

The new phenomena is Rappers singing and singers Rapping. How to sing like Drake is common question online. There are some basics of the singing voice needed in order to do this. SingLikeYouSpeak has a website dedicated to helping you find your voice.

How to go from a speaking voice to singing voice is a challenge. Rappers now are singing and the change from rapping to singing should be seamless.

Do you want to be a commercial viable singer? In the Urban and R&B markets singing and speaking in any genre needs work. Studying is the best thing to improve your singing. If you have never done vocal lessons in the past, that’s ok. S

ingLikeYouSpeak website is specifically made to teach beginners and advanced singers how to sing, “better” online and on your own time. Snoop around the site and get familiar with it!

How to Sing Better…now that’s a pretty broad question right? We have a great free video for you to see now on YouTube:

Well its one of the most asked questions when learning “how to sing.”

Do you want to be a commercial viable singer? You have to feel it. You have to hear yourself like you actually sound like.

Body has to open to inhale. Speaking on pitch is easier and better than what you think “Singing” is. Communicating to your audience is also one of many tips on how to become a better singer.

Studying is the best thing to improve your singing. If you have never done vocal lessons in the past, that’s ok. SingLikeYouSpeak website is specifically made to teach beginners and advanced singers how to sing, “better” online and on your own time.

Parents are your kids bugging you for Voice Lessons? Well we have the perfect video for you to see another option to traditional singing lessons.

Kids are kids and these days they love High School Musical, Glee and Theatre Arts.  They see singing as way of expressing themselves and being heard.

If you’re like most parents you know that kids want to try it all. Some will like it and some won’t but you can’ be spending money on every little thing they want.

Voice lessons tend to be expensive because they are geared towards students who REALLY dedicate themselves to singing.

This is why Sing Like You Speak is the perfect solution for you parents out there. We offer an introductory online course for student to learn how to sing the right way and above all the healthiest way on the Internet.

Hey all,

Brand new video on how to sing HIGH notes is up on youtube. ENJOY!

This funny yet improvised SKIT on How to Sing HIGH notes is an introduction to the reality off what SINGING HIGH means. Singing High Notes can no longer be a myth. What you think of being High and Low doesn’t make you a better singer. Singing better makes you sing high notes.

Do you find breathing difficult? So many clients say that breathing is the most essential and most troubling aspect of singing well. How about you? What does your breathing look like/fell like?

The irony of the breathing dilemma is that you all breathe naturally all the time. The problem seems to arise when the breath precedes/prepares for singing. That is because you feel that you must do something extra-ordinary to sing.

Reality is the human body is a perfect musical instrument. The human voice is capable of responding to music without conscious thought. An infant can imitate musical sounds on pitch and in rhythm because there is no filter yet that says singing is too difficult or you have to sound like a pop star.

Many people perform great feats of physical effort and mental gymnastics to do what they call singing. A grip of the throat, raising the chin, locking the jaw, holding breath, praying to the voice gods – and all of that occurs within a split second inhale! For some unknown reason a universal concept prevails that singing has to be something other than natural; that one has to do something extraordinary to sing. This concept is absolutely false.

Do you see pop stars singing with effort? Maybe. But believe me the good ones, the ones who are really singing and not lip-syncing to a track, the effort you see is part of the act and not a habit of sound production.

Great singing, great artistry happens when creativity, breath, sound and soul are flowing freely through the body. So forget trying hard, forget effort. Instead, do your best to create a free flow of energythrough your instrument. Open the body on inhale, then do your best to keep it open – to let theenergy flow through.

Without interference, the vocal folds adjust to pitch by responding to a signal from the brain. Without stopping the energy, the meaning of the song, of your words and the music will flow through you and out to your audience without effort.

This is easier said than done. To leave the body and soul open as you sing is very vulnerable. At first when letting go of the energy you may want to run and hide; you may feel like releasing even one bit more, will kill you but you won’t die – guaranteed. Open the airways to get the perfect, natural inhale without effort and be able to sing with energy.

I can actually tell whether a client is on the right track or not by watching the inhale. If the inhale is a simple, opening of the instrument, I know the sound is going to be good. Keep your courage strong and give it a try.

These 2 kids are hilarious. They have made a big name for themselves lip singing on youtube. These lip singing kids have made it so big, they have even gotten commercials because of it in the Philippines.  You really have to watch 2 or 3 videos to get these wannabe singers. At first I thought it was weird but they have quickly become one of favorites now. They really do Act like they Sing. I guess some people.. Just want to sing.

Many of you know about my interview show, Singers Key Notes, a free weekly show, Mondays at 1-2 pm NY time. Special guests are top music industry songwriters, producers, voice teachers, music publishers and performers.

http://vocalpowertools.com/singers_key_notes.htm

The Singing Revolution

This week I had a heartwarming, life-changing experience when I interviewed filmmakers Maureen and Jim Tusty. This husband and wife team made a film of significance, The Singing Revolution.

Matt Zoller Seitz, of the New York Times says,

“Imagine the scene in ‘Casablanca’ in which the French patrons sing ‘La Marseillaise’ in defiance of the Germans, then multiply its power by a factor of thousands, and you’ve only begun to imagine the force of ‘The Singing Revolution’.”

(Read the article Matt Zoller Seitz, The New York Times)

If you are not familiar with the scene from ‘Casablanca,’ it is a perfect example of how a group of people singing, has power and import and impact. The act of singing is a statement of truth.

The film The Singing Revolution walks us through the history of the tiny country of Estonia, it’s 58 yr occupation and the people’s non-violent revolution which gained this remarkable people their independence in 1991.

Yes, 1991! I’m curious to know how many of you reading this article even knew about the Soviet occupation of Estonia, their attempts to wipe out the Estonian people and their culture. I certainly did not know. But that seems to be typical of Estonia.

The story of Estonia and its’ 1.5 million souls is so artfully told by Jim and Maureen that you forget that it’s a documentary. This film could have been told from several different biases. The Tusty’s preferred to have a well-balanced telling of a complex and triumphant history.

Anyone who doubts the healing power of song must watch this film. Anyone who believes firmly in the triumph of singing must watch The Singing Revolution. The film plays in art theaters all over the country and you can also buy it on DVD from their website, http://www.SingingRevolution.com

Please take the time to visit the website and take a peek at this film. Educators, you are going to love all the options offered with The Singing Revolution. Choruses around the country are invited to use the film as a fundraiser. You will probably have Maureen and Jim right there to answer questions after the showing.

It’s heartwarming to know that art is more powerful than weapons of mass destruction. I want to be a better person, more resilient and positive after watching The Singing Revolution.

Go to http://www.SingingRevolution.com now and find out how you can participate in a revolution of your own!

” I hope that when people listen to my songs they believe anything is possible. “Amy Lennard says, actually Amy Lennard rocks, she puts her heart on the line and sings with conviction about love and life.

And Amy has had an interesting one. She grew up in Roslyn, Long Island, and ended up in northern Calironia, where she was
an avid gardener, and involved in the pacific northwest roots music scene. “When i was ten years old i wanted to take guitar lessons and believe, me i was the only ten year old girl in Roslyn, taking guitar lessons, so i guess i always marched to the beat of my own drum.” As for her time out west Amy says, ” It was a bit like ‘into the wild’ except i made i back.. i think that wild side comes out in my performances”.

Her full length album “I Need To Love”, is a strong debut, with a bit of rock and twang the likes of Janis Joplin and Lucinda Williams. ” I called the album ” I Need To Love” because it’s a powerful insight and awakes a lot of different thoughts and feelings in people. The idea came to me a few years ago, when i was having a hard time and i realized i needed to start taking responsibility fo my own happiness.”

Amy has been in the studio off and on for the last two years. “I ended up recording two versions of almost every song. I always wanted to do the best thing for the song, that was the priority and sometimes i had to try different things to know. ” Amy says. She put together an Alist team of engineers and musicians in NYC including Ben Wisch, Jon Gordon, George Petit, Shawn Pelton, Oz Noy, John Caban, Marc Schulman, Craig Benelli, Chris Benelli, and Tony Tino.

Currently she is receiving interest from some major record labels and is shopping her tunes in Nashville. Amy has her own unique persepective and shares it in a way that is accessible, she cuts to the chase and goes right to the heart of an emotional moment without needing to complicate it or intellectualize it. This is bound to be a big year for her, to be seen, heard and beyond.

Please visit her website at- http://www.amylennardmusic.com/

The New Divide (TND) have managed to push the envelope of awesome to the brink of awesomer, delving deeply into a formidable arsenal of swelling guitars, vocal harmonies… and of course, pure, unadulterated, face-melting rock.

TND began with two longtime partners in crime: “vocalist” Ray Pine (if that’s what you want to call him), and alleged bassist Dan Soffer (nothing has been proven, all legal actions are still pending). These two monsters of rock later recruited actual guitarist Brian Shirley, whose thick, meaty sound just screams “ROCK!” and “I need that video destroyed before it goes public!” With Brian’s guitar work packing punches like Mike Tyson circa 1987, Ray working the pipes like a champ, and Dan continuing to show up for whatever reason, a 3-track demo was recorded. Thusly, the world first came to know the glory of TND in recorded form.

Check out their Myspace at- http://www.myspace.com/thenewdivide

After recording the demo, the team staged a major coup by snagging guitarist TJ Schilling in free agency for the league minimum. His stylistic diversity and outside-the-box approach paid dividends almost immediately, though why he didn’t demand a bigger contract remains a mystery. The group continued to play shows and write new material until everythingends was recorded in winter 2008/2009 with Vince Ratti (Circa Survive, This Day Forward, Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer) at The Skylight Studio.

Finally, the crew stumbled quite accidentally upon drummer Ryan Byrne, who was playing in a professional polka band at the time he signed his life away to TND. That’s not even a joke. Seriously. It’s not. Anyway, Ryan’s strong sense of dynamics and wide skill set (or something like that) have already added value to TND, allowing the group to quickly book live performances and instill fear into the hearts of the masses once more.

The process from which these five forces of nature could craft the music of the stars is best left to historians and soothsayers to ponder, for the TND agenda is not to aggrandize themselves further, but to help those around them experience a life-changing event so grandiose in scale that the very concept of the universe itself would struggle to contain it within the universe… itself.