Why I Love to Sing?

          Many people fear auditioning because it requires competition with other performers, when in fact, it is their own insecurities they must compete against.   If a person’s self-esteem is not high enough to successfully carry them over the ‘wall’ of fears, expectations, and perceived imperfections they have, there is no amount of preparation, vocal lessons, or choreography that will set things right.   The most important first step toward avoiding this situation, toward building the guarantee of success in auditions and life, is strengthening self-esteem to the point that it allows a person to realize his/her inner potential and brings success, no matter the result.               To achieve a positive result, you must first be able to determine what you are working with.   If at all possible, don’t try to do this alone.   If you can ...

          Being a Vocal Athlete is not an impossible task!   Most people don’t understand why this is a necessity and it’s not, unless you’re very serious about singing and want to improve your breathing, your phrasing, your tone, your pitch, and your endurance…so improve pretty much EVERY aspect of your singing.   If you heard that an athlete was training several hours a day for their sport, you wouldn’t think it was odd, or even if an instrumentalist was practicing hours a day.   However, strangely, most people think of singing as so “natural” that they spend little to NO time at all on a daily basis, practicing exercises, skills, exercising aerobically, or looking for songs, let along writing songs.   This kind of lackadaisical approach to singing will yield exactly as much effort as you invest.   If you take a voice lesson once a week and do no additional practice during the week, it will be ...

As we talked about in my last post, Musical Theater styles often vary greatly from each other.   Consider these three Shows and how different they are from one another: “South Pacific”, “Hedwig and the Angry Itch”, and “The Phantom of the Opera”, and this is only comparing three; there are many more, more different styles.   Below are the styles and tempos that a person should have represented in their Audition Book.   Not every show is for every person.   It is extremely important to understand your strengths and weaknesses as a singer.   Many times it is very useful for an individual to understand their “type”, and audition for the shows that fall into that specific genre.   A “type” might be “the quirky, comic relief” or “strong, leading lady” or “the dark villain”.   These are not limitations; they are ways to limit your rejections and focus your attention on areas where most of your strengths lie.   This also does not mean you can’...

Categories of Musical Theater Songs               Most people think that Musical Theater is a genre in its own right but to those involved in Musical Theater, they realize this field is diverse and comprehensive.   When someone wants to audition for a show, he or she needs to choose a song that is a similar type, a comparable vocal style.   Below, we first look at the NINE TYPES OF MUSICALS.   Check out my next blog for the TWENTY-ONE categories of MUSICAL THEATER SONGS you need to have in your AUDITION BOOK to successfully audition for Musical Theater productions.             NINE TYPES OF MUSICALS: 1.      Opera – This was the original “All Music” theatrical production.   The story is told completely through music with any other components having a secondary focus.   There is no speaking whatsoever; everything is su...

     Hopefully, you are studying with a professional vocal teacher and here is what you should be getting from those lessons.   If you are not constantly working on any of these, you should definitely speak to him or her and ensure that each of these components is a regular part of your warm-up activities.   Areas Vocal Exercises SHOULD include are: ·       Warm-up your BODY, including the abdomen and pelvic floor; facial muscles, including the mouth, jaw, cheeks, eyes; the shoulders; the back; and even the hands. ·       Work on breathing and connecting breathing with your singing.   Learn to control breath, especially the exhale for phrasing, pitch, and tonal control ·       Begin warming the voice in its lower registers to increase blood flow to the area and make it easier to warm higher registers. ·       Learn to acce...

The more tools you have in your “toolbox” for singing, the better equipped you are for any and every need or opportunity.  Hopefully, your vocal teacher will have covered all these areas with you, but just in case, here is a comprehensive list of do’s and don’ts: •    Sleep, Water, and Air – See my earlier post on the 3 Essential Basics for Singing.   You are blessed to have a voice, so always make certain to prioritize the things that are most important for protecting and building it. •    Professional Vocal Lessons – Of course, I would love to work with you.  Feel free to check out my website at SingitForward.net .  However, it is not necessary for you to study with me to find your own perfect vocal instructor and mentor.  The most important aspects of this relationship are, not only, a deep well of vocal and performance knowledge, but also, a teacher who you can relate to and who will work hard to present practical, unique...