Welcome To A Vocal Journey

Here are some of the concepts and disciplines I cover with my teaching work:

1. Physiology – how the voice works, vocal apparatus, connection with breathing, dispelling common myths, posture and alignment, smoothing over the ‘break’ to unite vocal registers
2. Psychology of voice – what blocks it, teaching yourself by becoming ‘aware’ in your practice regime, journal, positive voice-quality goal setting, what don’t you want in your voice, cultures of silencing, combating nerves
3. Breath control – eradicating breathiness and push
4. The open throat – giggle release
5. Onsets – onset practice within daily warm-ups, using the ‘Ng’ to put the sound in the head (placement). The daily warm-up
6. Twang quality and tonal resonance – projection and correction of pushing/forcing habits, experimentation with resonance and the acoustics of the body using twang and resonance for dynamic control
7. Vowels – smooth singing, vowel ‘shaping’
8. Facial anchoring, facial stretching, tongue and zygotic muscles, Body Anchoring
9. Vocal care, dealing with fatigue and damage. Energizing the voice
10. Songwriting – approaches, inspiration, collaboration
11. Improvisation Scat, finding your ‘own’ voice
12. Performance – presence, meaning, getting the ego out of the way
13. Working as a group – ‘the mix’ or blend of voices, supporting each other, listening, rehearsing, band discipline and culture.