With vaccination efforts finally well underway here in United States, we can’t help but start thinking about getting back on stage. Like so many things, what we pack in our gig-bag will look a bit different post-pandemic. We’ll still need our cables, mics, and music, but what about those extras and personal care items?

Your voice is an instrument, much like a guitar or violin; you need to protect your instrument during changes of season. Unlike a guitar, however, your voice is at the mercy of allergens and air quality. So what do you do when those April showers lead to May flowers… and also sneezing and scratchy throats?

If you didn’t watch the 2021 U.S. Presidential Inauguration last month, you should definitely check out Lady Gaga’s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. (Here’s a handy Youtube link if you need it: watch here!) Pop songstress Gaga absolutely rocked the national anthem, which is no small feat! So what makes the Star Spangled Banner so difficult and how can you master an inauguration worthy version yourself? Let’s find out!

Happy New Year! Are you as excited to have 2020 in the rear-view mirror as we are? We often spend the first week or two of January setting intentions and goals for the coming 12 months and it feels particularly important this year. Whether you call it setting intentions, making resolutions, or creating goals, this is a great time to start building habits to improve your vocal health and skills. Below, we have a list of our favorite resolutions to improve your singing this year - and some tips for how to keep them going past February 1st.

Here in the United States, we’ve reached the point in the year where Christmas music is inescapable. Despite working from home and limiting our trips outside the house, we’ve still gotten a healthy dose holiday tunes. This seasonal obsession with themed music goes back centuries and spans continents and cultures. It turns out “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has ancient roots! Below, we’ll take a look at the origins of caroling and offer some tips for safely enjoying seasonal singing during the global pandemic.

One of the first things you’ll talk about with any voice teacher is breathing. You might have heard that breath support is the basis of all vocal technique, and we don’t disagree! The key to safe and beautiful singing is making sure your breath is doing the heavy lifting. Once you master the art of breathing, the rest becomes infinitely easier. Of course, you may be wondering what the “art” of breathing is. Don’t we all know how to breath? How could someone possibly breathe wrong?

We all have habits; some are good, some are bad, some that we’re aware of, and some that we might not even notice we’re doing. Those unconscious habits might be benign, but some can be harmful. Frequent throat clearing is one of those harmful habits you may be barely aware of.

“Create a daily practice routine” is one of the most common pieces of advice given to musicians, including singers. In a perfect world, I’m sure we’d all have time to go to the gym, cook healthy food at home every meal, clean the house, go to work, and practice for hours every day. Unfortunately, even with the slower pace of life during the global pandemic, it can be challenging to complete everything on our to-do lists. While we don’t have a fool-proof solution to turn you into a super human who can achieve every tiny goal they set in a day, we do have two important strategies to make sure your voice gets daily exercise.

Are you in the groove? Rhythm is one of the core elements of music and is particularly important in styles like Pop, Rock, and Hip Hop, but it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Singers - especially those just learning to sing at a more professional level - are notorious for having questionable timing. Singing requires a lot of multitasking; you have to keep track of a lyric, deliver it with conviction, practice good mic technique, and make sure your using all of the full-body vocal techniques you’ve been learning to sing at your best. Here’s the secret: you don’t really need to count if you can feel “the pocket”.

This month, my friend and fellow performer, Melanie Bresnan, is sharing her experience with the pre-show practice of getting to know a performance space. When I told her it was going to be the topic for our monthly video, she lit up; she had some stories to tell. Melanie has been performing locally in Nashville and across the eastern U.S. for over a decade, from choirs to acoustic jazz to full band rock shows and has tripped over cables on plenty of stages in that time. Below, she shares her experience with getting lost at venues and some advice on familiarizing yourself with the stage.

Whether you’re stepping onto a stage for the first time or playing your 1000th show, everyone is susceptible to stage fright. What’s a nervous singer to do? Vocalists tend to be a high-strung bunch; so not only are you not alone in your struggles, you can also benefit from the tension-busting techniques perfected by the anxious singers who came before you. Our favorite de-stressing method requires no special equipment or skills and you can do it any time, anywhere: deep breathing.

Just like playing a sport, having a consistent warm up routine is the foundation of any good vocal practice. While it might not be as obviously physical as something like playing soccer, singing requires you to use multiple muscle groups in challenging ways. There are two muscle groups involved in just stretching your vocal cords to create pitch and seven more that do the heavy lifting of breathing. Whether you’re just starting your journey as a vocalist or have been performing for years, it’s never too late to establish a great warm up routine to protect and strengthen your voice.