On the 4th day of our 2014 Vocal Workshop, we focused on a familiar, yet oh-so-important topic for all singers: Our co-director Kevin Shields spoke from his extensive experience as a musical director and audition accompanist. He talked about how...
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Last week we had our first summer workshop of the season. The 2014 Vocal Workshop was presented by myself and a fellow Westminster College alumnus, Kevin Shields. Throughout the 5 day workshop, students focused on warm-up techniques, solo and...
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This week has been a whirlwind of activity! We are now on our final day of the 2014 Vocal Workshop, just a few hours away from our lunchtime concert at Westminster College. The students will be presenting a beautiful array of songs, and I...
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Now that you’ve learned how to plan a workshop, schedule it on the calendar, announce it to your studio, and how to create an incentive for registration, it’s time to get into really fun stuff: creating the daily schedule...
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Even though we’re just now feeling the edges of spring in Western Pennsylvania, my brain has been focused on summer for months. I’m in the process of rolling out the official Summer Schedule announcements in my studio. Registration...
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Last week I started exploring a new exercise with a few of my students who have a tendency to carry tension in their upper mid-range and into the lower high-range. This is such a common issue among singers, as it’s easy to equate...
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While they take quite a bit of planning, camps and workshops can be a great way to shake up a summer lesson schedule. If you haven’t tried a workshop or camp in your studio yet, here are a few basic planning concepts to consider: What...
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Have you ever heard of laryngopharyngeal reflux? It’s the fancy term for “acid reflux,” and it’s something that many people deal with on a regular basis. Here is what happens when you have...
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“I am not a voice doctor.” Whenever a student asks me questions about pain or discomfort in their voice, I always make sure to include that phrase with my response. This is a phrase that any voice teacher should learn to say with...
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This is one of my favorite little gems for ear training. In my experience, students learn to recognize intervals faster if they can relate them to songs that they know. Personally, I prefer the “NBC” chime for an ascending Major 6th...
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It’s that time of year again: Spring Musical Season! This year almost every single one of my voice students is involved in a high school musical production. They have busy rehearsal schedules, lots of songs, dances, and lines to memorize...
Read moreThis is one of the questions that I always ask potential voice students when they come to my studio. Why are you taking voice lessons? What do you want to get out of studying voice? Sometimes this question stumps a student at first, but most will...
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