Carolines Voice

Warming Up

admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:39:00 +0000

I always make my students warm-up before they start singing from their repertoire. If you’re singing something difficult it could harm your voice to start belting something out without warming up to that. Sure, warm-ups take a little time. However, they also serve several purposes. For example, we practice how to sing staccato and legato, both of which you will need to learn how to do for your songs. Warming up with the piano helps associate a strong sense of proper pitch… You may not currently be working on a song that requires all of the techniques that we utilize in our warm-ups, so doing the warm-ups keeps these tools sharp and ready to use.

Nutrition For Singing

admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:37:42 +0000

‘I heard that honey is great right before singing.’ ‘Is it true that I should stay away from all dairy when I’m singing?’ These are the kinds of questions I get about a vocal diet. The answer may surprise you, but they’re both right, AND they could also both be wrong FOR YOU. For most people, it is a safer assumption to recommend no dairy or sugar as these foods produce phlegm and can cause cracking during a note (especially a high note). But some individuals naturally have a very dry palate and find that honey helps coat their throat. However, if this is not the case for you, the outcome could be harsh; There’s nothing more embarrassing than cracking! I think every singer would agree to that. So the conclusive answer is that each singer should conduct their own trial and error to see what works best for their voice on a consistent basis. I’ve heard it said that vocal diets are more like voodoo than a science, and I laughingly agree. The only thing that everyone agrees on is that water is important for hydration. A dry throat can cause your voice to be and sound scratchy, which can actually cause your voice damage. So if you ignore everything else I just said, just remember to drink plenty of water, especially right before and during your vocalizations!

Preparation

admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:36:40 +0000

Most everyone wants more confidence, don’t you? There is a secret to confidence: it’s called BEING PREPARED. I know it sounds so simple, but most anxiety comes from not knowing what you’re doing. If you know exactly how to sing, how to perform your piece, and have your piece completely memorized, all you have to do is relax. If you are fully prepared, try focusing on controlling your heart-rate. Adrenaline forces your heart to pound rapidly. The jitters that go along with this stress can cause your voice to sound shaky. It can also make your vibrato too fast or too heavy. When we get nervous we breathe faster. However, this just adds fuel to the fire, and all of that extra oxygen is unnecessary. Focus on slowing your breathing to a more normal rate by taking slow, deep breaths. This should, in turn, reduce your racing heart-rate. If that still doesn’t work, try what I was told: Picture the audience in their underwear; that should put them at an equal level of vulnerability to you!… I’m only joking about that last part, of course, but when I heard that I got a good laugh out of it; maybe you did too…

Breathing Right

admin — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:43:13 +0000

Learning how to breathe for singing is a complicated process. Normally, we don’t fill our lungs up all the way, but when you’re going for quality or quantity, that extra air makes a tremendous difference in the performance. Without proper breath-support, the notes can sound shaky or off key. Dynamics are dull, and the overall quality of the sound is not even close to its potential. Teaching my students how to breathe right is one of the first things I teach them, and it’s one of the most effective tools to improving their sound!