Diary of a Vocal Coach: Putting Finishing Touches to My Memoirs

Nothing has given me more joy than penning this book. What an exhilarating and fulfilling journey this has been for me. These past three days, I’ve probably worked nonstop to finalize the pagination of the book. It is SO complex. For some peculiar reason, the publisher’s Word document template for paperback tends to go wonky whilst populating it—that’s where page numbers seem to disappear and whatnot. Unceremoniously!

I had to hire a Word doc expert in India, believe it or not, just to sort out the template. I must’ve worked with him till 1.am yesterday. But at last, the book is sitting inside the template as it should be.

I’m going to give myself a break for a few hours and then I want to begin—once again—the arduous task of proofreading the entire book for the very last time. Just in case the manuscript has shifted somewhere down the line, what with all the palaver with fixing the template. I’m so excited, and I simply can’t wait to share with you the fruits of my labor.

You are the Instrument, Learn to Sing Like a pro!


JOETT — Vocal Coach
Personalized Skype Lessons 

Read my new book 101 Letters from a Vocal Coach OUT SOON!

Download/Stream my brand new acoustic pop EP Twisted now available on iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon, Akazoo, Spotify. Click here! 

How to Turn Your Head into a Sound Box that Effortlessly Amplifies the Sound of Your Voice

Enhancing the sensation of vibration in your face is one of the most important skills a singer can learn.

When you’re feeling the vibrations in the bones of your face, then you are certainly using your voice in an effective way that creates a louder sound with very little effort, and needless to say, with less risk of damage to your vocal folds. It is a rather clever way to turn the energy of your breath into sound energy with minimal muscle effort, which when done correctly should turn your head into a sound box that amplifies the sound of your vocal folds.

The key thing is to get as much sensation in the face as possible. You might even call it nasal, but it isn’t really. It’s more an edge sound. But what is so special about this sound is it gives you so much freedom to navigate your entire range without any effort at all. The “ng” sound you’ll make in voice training will generate a lot of sensation in the bones and tissues of the face.

Chances are you’ll also feel vibrations where the back of your tongue meets your soft palate. Perhaps you will also feel vibration in the bones of your face and in your hard palate. And when you try the other two nasal consonants, "m" and "n" you’ll likely feel the vibration in different places.

When you compare the three sounds, you should notice the differences in sound from each place of contact. I hope this article has helped you find the quickest way to effortlessly amplifying your sound.

South African singer Serati voice training with JOETT

You are the Instrument, Learn to Sing Like a pro!


JOETT — Vocal Coach
Personalized Skype Lessons

Read my new book 101 Letters from a Vocal Coach OUT SOON!

Download/Stream my brand new acoustic pop EP Twisted now available on iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon, Akazoo, Spotify. Click here! 

How to Get Skype Voice Lessons Customized to You by JOETT

I am particularly excited about working with pupils abroad using the simplest of tools—Skype. But what’s even more exciting is that somewhere along the line, I have come to refine the service to create a more customized system that works for you as an individual.

Let me show you a couple of examples of how it can work for you too.

Yes, there is a slight delay on Skype—actually, the same applies over a regular phone line, but you’ll only notice the delay when you have to play the piano and have someone the other end of the line doing the scales; OR singing for that matter. But there is a way around that. And here’s how:

First, as my pupil, I'll want to get to know your voice. Which will help me figure out how to customize my vocal training programs to suit you. What I then do is I prerecord the exercises we’re going to do in the session over Skype, and then I mail that over to you in advance.

NEXT: You will play the prerecorded piano scales on a sound system your end, and you'll do the scales while I listen. If there’s anything I want to say to you during your exercises, I will not interrupt you by speaking to you, but instead, I will type a message into the Skype chat window. So it is important you keep an eye on your screen. If something isn’t working, I’ll change the scales. It’s that simple!

South African singer Serati voice training with JOETT

Are you ready to get started? Call me!

You are the Instrument, Learn to Sing Like a pro!

JOETT — Vocal Coach

Personalized Skype Lessons 

Read my new book 101 Letters from a Vocal Coach OUT SOON!

Download/Stream my brand new acoustic pop EP Twisted now available on iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon, Akazoo, Spotify. Click Here!

How to NOT think about the Breathing to make it Work

Breathing to sing may come across as a little complicated at times—especially for the uninitiated. But it really is so simple when you don’t think about. Now, I will say this (and please forgive me if this offends anyone), if you’ve been told by a ‘vocal coach’ or some ‘teacher’ that you have to hold your stomach and such like, THAT is where your problem started. There is no science to breathing. We’d all be dead by now if we had to THINK to breathe. And this is exactly what I told one of my pupils just the other day.  

Now, let me tell you what to do to get it right. The process is pretty simple. You breathe in and immediately come out with the notes. Don’t think. Just do it! Agreed, special exercises will help you ‘manage’ your breath and sound production more efficiently, but that’s all there really is to it. Now, the best place to practice your breathing is to lie on your back in bed and to do some deep diaphragmatic breathing.

So: you open your mouth to fill your stomach with air, and you hiss it all out. Don’t hold back; don’t try to manipulate your exhalation; simply allow it to deflate naturally. The more you do this, the better you become at it… and it should eliminate your breathing problem when you sing.  I hope this quick tip helps you get your breathing in order.

You are the instrument, learn to sing like a pro!

JOETT -- Vocal Coach
Personalized Skype Lessons 

Read the new book 101 Letters from a Vocal Coach OUT SOON! Download/Stream my brand new acoustic EP Twisted on iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon, Akazoo, Spotify. Click here! 

How to Overcome Stage Fright in 3 Simple Steps

Whilst chatting with a pupil in my studio the other day, the subject of stage fright came up. Now, this is a common problem with performers--the nerves. And I don’t think there’s getting used to this. But I suppose everyone learns to cope. What we don’t want, however, are your nerves getting in the way of your performance.

Here’s a 3-step plan to beating the onset of stage freight.

You may have heard this one before: try to imagine everyone in front of you as being stark bollock naked. Lol, this one is hilarious. But if you can get in character you may well pull it off. Looking above their faces and not into their eyes has worked for me a million and one times—no, they won’t know you’re not looking at them. It’s that good. My all-time favorite, I suppose, is mentally transporting yourself back to where you do your rehearsals. Chances are that is the place you’re most confident and free of the jittery nerves, as it were. If you can stay in that frame of mind, you’ll be safe.

I hope these 3 simple tips to overcoming stage fright will help steady your nerves. So, as they say in show business, go break a leg!

You are the Instrument, Learn to Sing Like a pro!

JOETT — Vocal Coach
Personalized Skype Lessons 

Read my new book 101 Letters from a Vocal Coach OUT SOON! Download//Stream my brand new acoustic EP Twisted on iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon, Akazoo, Spotify. Click here!

ASCAP Songwriter Releases Twisted Acoustic EP On Africori

{PRESS RELEASE - 25.09.2017} JOETT, a Tanzanian singer-songwriter and member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), releases a cross-genre pop-folk EP with an eclectic mix of acoustic recordings from 2010 to 2017. Entitled Twisted, the four-track EP which kicks off with the infectious title track Twisted Over U Babe, also includes the Skope-Magazine-reviewed Got U On My Mind, whose loose rhythm forms as Joett lets the song explore melody and the groove simultaneously; in what Skope so eloquently describe as: “resembling a fine troubadour, the song grows in strength and power with each additional reiteration”.

Also featured on the EP is the acoustic reworking of Joett’s 70s disco single Color Me Beautiful from 2012; and the acoustic version of his highly acclaimed 2010 comeback pop single I Could Never Live (Without Your Love).

Released on all major digital download platforms via Africori, and to a select audience on CD distribution by the Joett Music imprint, Joett’s EP release coincides with the release of his memoirs 101 Letters from a Vocal Coach, published by Canadian bookstore platform Lulu. With this rather unique publication—Joett, also a celebrated vocal coach and whose new book began life as a weekly column in Tanzania’s Business Times Newspaper—offers helpful tips and articles for singers. “I needed something relevant to tie-in with the book release, and I felt an acoustic EP would be the perfect fit,” said the author.

Joett's acoustic Twisted EP is OUT NOW... On iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon, Akazoo, Spotify! Download/Stream here! 

Joett Music Publishing

Standby for Book Launch – 101 Letters from a Vocal Coach

When I asked the General Manager of Business Times Newspaper, Aga Mbuguni, to give me a column in his newspaper, it was the beginning of an exhilarating journey into the life of a vocal coach, in that not only was I inspired to write, I was motivated.

I wanted to bring what was happening in my classroom, or shall we say—studio, to readers all across Tanzania in written content and with links to supporting audio and video illustration.

What you’re now about to enjoy is a book filled with a collection of my very best articles, containing an array of scintillating tips for singers.

And so—finally, here's a warm welcome to the highly anticipated must-have book for singers all around the world, 101 Letters from a Vocal Coach!

Walking you through almost every conceivable vocal problem imaginable, and zeroing in on solutions as they unfold in my voice studio, is probably the most essential fabric of this book, because in the pages of this extraordinary memoir lie the answers to seemingly insurmountable problems concerning the voice, and most importantly, singing.

101 Letters from a Vocal Coach is stacked with riveting case studies and is written in a style that is not only informal, it is an easy read. And that is the beauty of it... as the last thing you want is a publication that looks more like an ostensibly boring text book.

The book, whose release date is yet to be announced, will be rolled out in two phases: the first being a digital release via Canadian bookstore platform Lulu; followed by a paperback release on the same platform several months later.

Included with the eBook is a collection of audio vocal training exercises, namely, the English version of Joett Vocal Drills Vol. 1-7 in MP3 format; Whilst, the publication in paperback is to include the exact same audio files on CD.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this book project over the past couple of years, and I’m certainly hoping you will enjoy reading my memoirs. I guarantee that you will come away with loads of helpful information to help you become a better singer.

You Are the Instrument, Learn to Sing Like a Pro!


JOETT
101 Letters from a Vocal Coach
Private Singing Lessons