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The Age of Miseducation​

(Sample of long article)

 

Surgery. Cancellations. Early Retirement.

 

We now find ourselves on a precarious page in singing history.

 

The age of miseducation.

 

Amidst a myriad of techniques on singing from science to fiction - how do we know where we stand?

More importantly, how do tomorrow’s singers know where to begin?

 

In recent decades there have been patterns emerging. In Opera: Excess. In Musicals and Pop: Homogeny.

 

Whereas, from the 80’s backwards we enjoyed singers who possessed their own identities and a supreme control of their instrument: Whitney, Caballe, Jackson, Sutherland, Streisand, Caruso, Turner, Bassey. The 80’s onward? We now have ‘stars’ rising from reality TV with little or no training; opera singers stretching their instruments to their limits in order to keep up with the ever increasing demand for bigger sound and prettier people; pop stars under the knife, bailing on performances due to nodes, and in musical theatre a general feeling of sameness in tone. I’m betting that if I put 20 known singers (especially musical theatre and opera) in a line-up, ask you to close your eyes and listen - you wouldn’t recognise their identities.

 

Why is all this happening now?

 

The answer is, in part, the internet.

The perfect place for charlatans to have their say. When in history would we ever imagine learning to sing ‘virtually’?

How can one possibly learn something as personal and specific and subtle as singing, from a video? That answer is - one cannot.

The wider answer is trending techniques. In the 90’s there began new scientific approach to singing. I have personally trained in one significantly detrimental method that is widely used in the musical theatre today.

On one level it is a fascinating approach and quite wonderful to know exactly what is happening in the throat whilst phonating. I mean, why not treat your voice like a science? Well, because we can’t. Our voice is made of 65 odd muscles that must work in harmony to produce correctly. 65! Think about that. Think about how small your throat is - and I mean that tiny area around where the man’s Adam’s Apple is. Now, imagine 65 muscles in that already tiny area. How do you expect to be able to control any of those muscles individually without either overdoing or underdoing the action? It is ludicrous to think we can. Our egos always will get in the way. The only direct control we may ever hope to obtain is through our subconscious mind, as our subconscious knows exactly what to do. Our only job? Get out of our own way. And Allow it. 

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Seizing Your Practice

(A short motivational article)

 

"Ugh, I’ve gotta fit in some scales today."

"I’ll squeeze in a practice before I go to the gym."

"Shit, I’m late. A quick warm-up then."

 

Ummm. No. We must get out of this mind set immediately. We must begin to think differently about our practice time. We must think of it - as a gift to ourselves. Progress is slowed by miles by the simple act of not embracing your practice. 

Set your goal for the day. Allow yourself an appropriate amount of time (45 minute plus) and the more you give into the process itself, that goal will come so much closer, so much faster. Rushing your practice will do at least one of two things: depress you and or deceive you.

 

Herbert-Caesari says: “You will fail and grow disheartened; but the more you fail the more you will learn. Keep on correcting your mistakes.”

 

Switch off the mobile. Concentrate. Focus. Dedicate this time to you and your instrument. This is YOUR quality time. You owe it to yourself and to your gift.

 

The paradox of this thing called vocal progress is that by taking more time, results come with more swiftness - the short cuts actually add the minutes, hours, days, years. A bit like going to the gym. It's a massive effort at first and we will find any excuse available: "The neighbours will hear me." "I'm too busy today." "I'm just not feeling up to it." These are the time we need to shout, "Shut up. Shut up and do it." Yet, after a bit of time, when the results begin to come through, our mind and bodies begin to crave the practice. So. Learn to love the journey today. Be the seeker. The explorer. Be a vocal adventurer. 

 

The singer is a wonder. We are the purest artistic form of human expression and that is not something to take lightly or on the fly. It is a beautiful and precious thing to nurture and encourage. Practice is not just that - practice IS the whole thing. The results are great BUT without the exploration we can never possibly achieve the results we dream of.

So give in to your practice. Embrace it fully. It will reward your life and your career in spades.

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Make Breathing Your Bitch

(A sample of long article)

 

I am so tired of seeing singers breathe incorrectly. It is the very foundation of everything we do, and yet - rarely do I see anyone doing it naturally.

 

However, what most singers won’t be aware of is that we should be less concerned about the infamous diaphragm and more interested in what our cords are doing during phonation. A lot of our breathing correctly actually is the responsibility of our vocal cords; the more our cords engage and remain engaged, the less breath escapes. And as we know, the less breath that escapes, the more we have to use accurately. Which means, the less breath that escapes, the smoother our line becomes, the cleaner becomes our tone, the healthier we navigate our range. Furthermore, the less breath that escapes, the less we have to take in the first place. For, how can we ever control our out breath when air is randomly escaping through our cords? Economy.  The basis for everything. In this article we will re-discover our breathing and hopefully dispel some myths and reenergize our vocal engine.

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