Why I Love to Sing?

To All Who Read This,       You are PRECIOUS to Me and Vital to Our World!   Happy Holidays to Each of You!   I Celebrate Christmas, the Birth of Jesus, and the Joy of “Santa’s” Gifts Around the World!   However, Whatever YOU Celebrate, I Pray It’s Mind-Blowingly Amazing, Relaxing, Joy-Filled, and Wonderful!   Happy Chanukah!   Merry Christmas!   Happy Kwanza!   HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017! Blessings to All of You!   May All Your Dreams Come True! Cathy Riso December, 2016

         Most people think a song is a finite thing, sacred almost.   Many of my students even imitate the singers who originated the recording of a particular song.   I always try to tell them that those singers are already being paid to sound the way they do, so the record companies are NOT gonna pay any other singer to sing the song exactly like the original singers.   A song is a kind of PICTURE, on the one hand BUT I like to think of a song as the PAINT FOR a picture!   When you have paint, there is not ONE picture to paint; the resulting picture can be ANY style, ANY tempo, ANY rhythm, and/or ANY pattern.   The ONLY “absolutes” for a song are restrictions that the composer (s) imposes on them such as the melody, lyrics, and/or chord structure.   However, even these elements can be “adjusted” with the introduction of chord substitutions and/or vocal “riffs”.   For example, most of us have heard a few of the Super Bowl performances of “The Star-Spangled Banner” but I think

I just wanted to let everyone know it’s still not too late to order Vocal Exercise CD for Christmas gifts!   Each CD, depending on the focus, is between 25 minutes and around 45 minutes.   You can order one of the CDs I have already completed from the list below or contact me for a more specialized Vocal Exercise selection.   The list below is available for immediate shipment; the specialty orders may take a couple of days.   I hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday season.   If I can make it even more special with a selection of CDs, please email me at get2cathy@aol.com .   Here’s what I have so far: ·       Female Vocal Exercises ·       Extended Female Vocalises ·       High Voice Female Vocalises ·       Male Vocalises ·       Male Vocalises II ·       Falsetto Male Vocalises ·       Travel CD for Females (to use when you are in your car, on a trip, on the way to an audition, anything) ·       Travel CD for Males ·       Beginner Vocal Exercises (when yo

People often ask me if they have to be BORN with a GREAT VOICE or if they can LEARN to have a GREAT VOICE?  Soooooooo, the answer is YES and NO.  YES, you ABSOLUTELY can develop a pretty wonderful, solid, pitch-based tone.  This requires WORK: consistent, focused, deliberate work.  If you are dedicated and driven, you CAN learn to sing and sing WELL.  BUT where the NO comes in…you CAN’T necessarily find that “it” that people talk about, that blows everybody away.  I know I’m supposed to tell you otherwise but there are definitely things that CANNOT be learned like the “Magic” in a sound.  I would be lying to you if I said that I could TEACH you that “Magic”.  THAT has to come from inside of you.  I can teach you all the Vocal Technique, all the Vowel Modification, all the Breathing, the Placement, EVERYTHING, BUT only YOU can bring the FIRE!  Anything worth doing is worth doing well!  I’d love to help ANYBODY who REALLY wants to be a singer AND is willing to WORK, to invest time and en