I had decided, strangely enough, that I was going to close down my studio to the public from February 2015, and only keep a few of my regular clients on my books. The reason being, I've been teaching in Dar es salaam for the past five years now and really felt this calling to move on and do other stuff that interest me. I'm not going to get into that here, but it's all to do with the music business if you must know.
But then I had a change of heart a couple of days ago. I thought, well, why don't I raise my fees to $200 for private lessons? I figured, with rates up, the workload will likely go down, thereby creating a bit more time and space for me to create workable online training modules that could be customized to an individual's needs using WhatsApp as a means to communicate and transmit working files--and that I would offer this service for FREE as my way of giving back to this community. As it is, I'm already reaching out to people nationwide with my Letters from A Vocal Coach newspaper column in Business Times -- published every Friday, so why not extend a more physical approach and service to singers by going online!
The only drawback for the student in this case is that they'll really have to pull their weight on this one. No time for lazing about and procrastinating. They'll have to WORK it! But results are very much attainable--beyond the shadow of a doubt.
SO, here's my offer. Hit me up on WhatsApp and simply SMS me your name to get started. It's really easy, I've already done the pilot with a few people and I know it works. So if you want to give this a go, I'll catch you on the other side!
Speech-level singing is a way of using your voice that allows you to sing freely and clearly anywhere in your range, with all your words clearly understood. Since you are not learning what to sing but rather how to sing, you can apply this technique to any type of music. Although you can study either with or without a teacher, you'll probably progress more easily and faster if you can find a teacher familiar with this method of teaching to guide you. Otherwise, you should be able to study successfully on your own. I assure you, providing you put in some work and stick with the program, you WILL get results by following my instructions here.
Please note, any exercise can be overworked or misused to where it will do you more harm than good. You don't develop your voice by pushing it to its limit. You develop it by gradually conditioning it to work efficiently with a balanced coordination.
I've uploaded a breathing exercise and piano scales to vocal exercises on Hulkshare. Please download for FREE and follow the Alternative Vocal Workout plan published on this blog. I would like as many people to take advantage of this quick training module, so please do feel free to share this blog post!
FREE Singing Tips Video. Discover How To Become A Better Singer In Just Days. Click Here!
Question is: CAN you lose your ability to sing? Well, you most certainly can! In this article, I’m going to take a closer look at Mariah Carey’s recent, embarrassing performances that suggest the global star and icon – famous for her five octave range – is on her way down. Her fall from grace began in Tokyo, when she kicked off her Elusive Chanteuse World Tour October 4, 2014, at the Makuhari Messe Arena wherein the singer caused all kinds of backlash when she appeared to miss some top notes – with many telling her to quit now. Worse yet, when she performed her beloved holiday classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” at the Wednesday, Dec. 3 Tree Lighting Ceremony in NYC’s Rockefeller Center, the world went into utter shock and dismay at her so obviously diminished vocal range. I’ve analyzed the video – including Concourse's newly released isolated vocal track (below) and I have to say, her low notes were dreadful and her high notes were practically nonexistent. She bombed miserably. So what on earth happened to Mariah Carey’s voice? Well let’s find out.
"It's a wrap for Mariah Carey's singing career," one fan wrote, while another added: "Mariah Carey should've bowed out right when her voice was giving out—save herself the embarrassment." Another fan wrote: "I see why Mariah Carey never sings live anymore. That's why."
And this particular comment caught my attention: “Mariah had a great voice. If she's serious about her singing, she needs to hone her skills again and start being more disciplined. Barbra Streisand is almost twice her age and can still hit higher notes than Mariah. Dump the diva antics and start working with a vocal coach!” I’ll tell you this. Your voice is not forever. Never take it for granted. It can only get better with age, but only when you continue to train and look after it.
So what then could be the reasons why Mariah Carey’s voice is falling apart? From a professional standpoint—and I’m not going to speculate—I’m simply going to fill in the gaps for you as quickly as possible. Firstly, there have been reports in the media (and of her own very public admission actually), that what with her marriage to Nick Cannon appearing to be over, sources claim the diva singer is drinking her sorrows away by sipping on champagne until dawn and obsessing over why the America’s Got Talent host left her. Drinking excessively doesn’t help her voice (Whitney Houston drank, smoked AND took drugs and look at what happened to her towards the end of her life—she lost her voice!) If you're a singer, your body is your instrument. Improper care of it over long periods of time will become evident in the sound of your voice. Younger bodies, having less exposure to external influences, are more resilient. But with each passing year your body will manifest the signs of these deteriorating influences—and this afflicts both the untrained as well as the technically developed voice. I’m not saying don’t drink at all—just drink in moderation if you absolutely have to.
Mariah Carey has trained her voice her entire life. You don’t get to sing like that without proper vocal training. Period! Therefore, I’d be very surprised if she would embark on a world tour without voice training. That said, and taking into account her current situation with Nick Cannon, and most likely her lack of focus because of it—not to mention her purported high levels of alcohol intake—it doesn’t surprise me at all that her notes would fall flat. Focus! Alcohol aside—even if she didn’t drink—without focus and adequate rest, you’ll get the same negative results. I’m not defending her. I’m only stating the obvious based on what I know about the human voice. I hope this article helps you understand better the importance of taking care of your voice and what can happen if you don’t—IF you want to sing that is.
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PUBLISHED IN BUSINESS TIMES NEWSPAPER DEC 5, 2014 == Tanzanian’s in general, from my experience, tend to drag their feet about this. Well I suppose it isn’t in our culture. You’re more likely to come across parents who would discourage their children from pursuing music in any way shape or form, than parents who would send their kids off to piano, guitar and voice lessons. Which explains why it somewhat becomes inconceivable to most, why voice training is even necessary at all. To help clarify this so you can make an informed decision, this is the second installment of what the stars have to say about the benefits of vocal training. I’ll kick off this article with a pop star who really needs no introduction—Madonna. And here’s what she had to say back in the 80s when she was starting out: “Like all young singers, I want to get my voice together with as much strength, quality and control as I can. It seems to me that there is always some new style, new sound or new direction in popular music. I’d like to be ready for whatever happens. Working with Seth is building a vocal coordination which prepares me to meet all these challenges.”
Recording artist and singer Janet Jackson – the younger sister of Michael Jackson, has sold over 140 million records. She is ranked as one of the best-selling artists in the history of contemporary music. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists her as the eleventh best-selling female artist in the United States, with 26 million certified albums. In March 2014 Fuse listed Jackson as the third most awarded musician of all-time. In November 2014, Jackson was voted 'Queen of Pop' by a poll conducted online by VH1.com. And this is what she had to say back in the 80s: “I began to study with Seth when I was 14 years old. We vocalized 3 ½ octaves and evened all the breaks. Today, some years later, we still vocalize and sustain nearly 3 ½ octaves of vocal range and continue to strengthen the bridges.”
Another pop icon I had to include in this article is actress, singer and dancer Jennifer Lopez. She ventured into the music industry in 1999 with her debut studio album, On the 6. With the simultaneous release of her second studio album J.Lo and her film The Wedding Planner in 2001, Lopez became the first person to have a number one album and film in the same week. Her 2002 remix album, J to tha L–O! The Remixes, became the first in history to debut at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, while her fifth studio album, Como Ama una Mujer (2007), received the highest first-week sales for a Spanish album in the United States. With past record sales of 55 million and a cumulative film gross of over $2 billion, Lopez is regarded as the most influential Hispanic performer in the United States, as well as its highest paid Latin entertainer. Here’s what she had to say about her vocal coach: “I first met Seth during the Living Color series. Right away, the balancing of the bridges or breaks in the vocal range began. This technique holds you together vocally during extended recording schedules, and/or the tours to promote the album.”
And on that note, I hope these testimonials have shed some light on what goes into preparing and nurturing the vocals of some of the biggest pop stars in the world. I certainly do hope this inspires you.
If you want to improve your singing voice, read my Vocal Training Product Review for Home Learning article in which I recommend vocal training programs that cover the entire spectrum in voice training to include: Pitch, Tone, Vocal Agility, Head Voice, High Notes, the Mix, Vibrato and MORE. Click Here!
Read MORE on What the Stars Have to Say Part 3 Below
