All Articles (Page 10)

Finding The Right Voice Teacher Cover
11/10/2013

Finding The Right Voice Teacher

Finding the right voice teacher is one of the most crucial steps you’ll ever take in your singing life, and finding a perfect match can take years of trial and error.  On the way to finding your match, you’re bound...

Ego Reads. Humility breeds. Cover
11/3/2013

Ego Reads. Humility breeds.

In my absence from chronicling my thoughts from a music director/coach perspective, I have seen some brilliant performances that have given me pause; performances that made me stop and think, “How is something so...

Mixed Voice Cover
9/4/2013

Mixed Voice

The mixed voice is one of the most discussed, debated, and researched topics of vocal pedagogy.  Almost every singer is working on her or his ‘mix,’ or trying to ‘mix’ that high note, or wanting to...

The Opposite(s) Of Singing Cover
5/19/2013

The Opposite(s) Of Singing

Every singer has a goal. For some, it’s being able to sing exciting, strong high notes. For others it’s singing the most difficult songs with ease; others long to sing lightning fast riffs. Clients come...

Singing With Pure EEase Cover
4/15/2013

Singing With Pure EEase

It’s time we had a talk about EE. Though it takes second place in the accepted listing of vowels, we use the EE to form the diphthongs of fourteen letters of our alphabet, making it one of the most...

The "Sound" And The Voice Cover
4/9/2013

The "Sound" And The Voice

As actor/singers prepare for auditions, there tends to be a great deal of concern about the “sound” that’s required to accurately portray (or at least, land) the role that is being cast.  Aside from the...

Practice Makes Permanent! Cover
3/11/2013

Practice Makes Permanent!

"Practice Makes Permanent!" Mrs. Marilyn shouted from behind the piano after, yet again, someone forgot to cut off with the rest of the ensemble.  The rehearsal room immediately froze, save for the darting...

“Don’t You Dare Lift Your Soft Palate!” -or- “Tar And Feathers”  Cover
3/7/2013

“Don’t You Dare Lift Your Soft Palate!” -or- “Tar And Feathers”

“Justin, I hate the sound of my voice. It always sounds so whiny and nasal!” “Justin, I’d like to get my daughter into...

Am I "Cast-able"? Cover
3/3/2013

Am I "Cast-able"?

Before I became a professional music director, I had every intention of becoming a musical theatre performer.  I studied four years at the prestigious Musical Theatre program at the University of Michigan, then, as was expected, pursued the life of an actor here in New York.  But somewhere along the way, I made a turn and didn't quite end up where I'd planned...

Let Your Tongue Die! Cover
2/7/2013

Let Your Tongue Die!

The singer in front of me looked back, questioning my sanity.  Of course, I didn't actually mean die, nor did I mean for her to sing with her tongue flopping out of her mouth, hilarious as that might be. No, what we were seeking was tongue...