RCVoiceStudio: FAQ’s
I got the A’s to your Q’s right here!
If I’m ‘tone deaf’, can I still improve my singing?
ABSOLUTELY!
First of all, ANYONE can learn to sing and use their voice better. I truly believe that.
Secondly, being ‘tone deaf’ is a myth!
Here’s an analogy that I find useful. Think about ringing a bell. If you hold a bell dangling by a string and give it a gentle tap- the pitch is strong, clear, and resonates freely for a long time The resulting ring is how the bell is supposed to sound.- exactly on pitch. However, if you take that same bell, tap it with the same effort , but this time place a finger on it- the resulting pitch is going to noticeably weaker, dampened or dull, will struggle to resonate easily and will sound for a shorter time- now the pitch is off from where it’s supposed to be.. For someone that is considered ‘tone deaf’, it’s not that they can’t sing on pitch. It simply means that they might just have more of their “hand on the bell” when they’re singing. That’s it.
I help show singers of all levels how to ‘remove their hands’ from their instrument so that the pure sound of their voice can resonate freely…and , of course. be on pitch.
(Oh….and by the way…since anyone of any age (including toddlers) can ring a bell- anyone can sing!)
What styles of singing do you teach?
I can help you with any style(s) of singing you want. My specialty is helping you discover and efficiently use all of what your voice can do. You’ll learn how to imprint your unique sound into the style(s) of your choosing.
I like to think of singing styles as cooking recipes. Once you gather the necessary ingredients, then all you need to do is follow a recipe to make a great meal. Starting in our first lesson, we’ll explore the ‘vocal ingredients’ that work in nearly every style- similar to how salts, fats/oils, acid & heat are used in cooking dishes from around the world. Then we gather the ingredients called for in your singing style’s recipe. The best part is that, ultimately, you will refine your singing style’s basic recipe by “seasoning” it with your unique flavors and sound!
Fact: Believe it or not, you already have most of the ‘vocal ingredients’ you need for just about any style of singing. I’ll help you rediscover them.
How often should I take lessons to improve my singing the most?
While the answer really depends on your unique needs, the general rule of thumb is that CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY TO REACHING YOUR SINGING GOALS. For most singers, having a lesson once a week generates the best results in the least amount of time. This tends to keep motivation high and reduces the chance of falling back into old(often unhealthy) vocal habits.
The true secret for making your voice awesome is, in addition to regular lessons, to consistently practice in little snippets on your voice throughout your day- a minute here and a couple minutes there. This is the absolute best way to improve your singing and to create strong & healthy life-long habits over time.
To help you achieve your singing goals more efficiently, I offer convenient ways for you to achieve consistent practice! I offer videos online that include vocal warmups, exercises, and tips that you can use everyday to improve your singing. I have free vocal exercise videos available on my FREE Vocal Artist Training blog. Also, you can get access to my epic & original “Ninja-style Singing Exercises”. They consist of 15 vocal exercises that you can do anywhere & anytime to improve your singing- without annoying the [beep} out of everyone around you! Each one has a video and an audio recording that you can view or listen to on any device. Click here to learn more!
Absolutely NOT!
Now you may say…Huh? But guess what? You heard me correctly. Read on and I’ll explain!
I try not to think of singing as being right or wrong. In my 19 years of teaching singers I’ve found that thinking in terms of right & wrong is counterproductive to improving your singing overall. It imposes limits on your creativity and on what is possible with your voice. It also easily sows self doubt which results in unconfident singing and storytelling.
The line I draw that is closest to proper vs improper singing is whether the way you are singing is healthy vs not healthy! I pride myself on teaching warm ups, exercises and techniques that are 100% healthy and will allow your voice to grow and remain strong throughout your lifetime. In fact, all my training as a singer and all the training I underwent to be a vocal instructor came from certified speech language pathologists who are expert vocal instructors in their fields.
Fact: Early on in my personal singing training, I had some terrible instruction which resulted in me nearly developing vocal nodules! Luckily I caught it in the nick of time and rehabilitated my voice without any kind of surgery. Coincidentally, this inspired me to begin teaching other singers and is why I strive to only teach healthy and efficient vocal training for all my singers.
Do you teach the “proper” way to sing?
Do you help singers prepare for singing auditions?
Absolutely!
In fact, its one of my favorite things to help singers improve. I used to be terrible at auditions.