The JOY of Singing

November 28th, 2011

This year has been a very challenging year for some of us in business and in life. Just watch the daily news and you get a good dose of gloom and doom but those of you who know me know that I am always up for a good challenge. I believe that singing is a powerful gift and connects each of us in a very special way to our own source and to the people known as our audience, the people that hear our songs.  Those people can be our friends, family, neighbors, and yes  even strangers. The voice is an instrument inside your body and that is why I believe it is even more connected to you then any other instrument that you play.  Ever notice how the words and the melody of a song can bring tears or ignite a memory for you?

Can you find joy in singing?  Get past all of the negative messages you have been told about your voice and remarkably you may find the joy! We have all been told we are too old, too young, too this and too that to do the things that bring us joy.  It is time to and say No to the negative and Yes to the future!

In some of the most horrific times it is the voice humming or singing a comforting melody that gets us through. Does it matter if your pitch is bad or if you don’t have the breath support to hold a note?  Well in a perfect world YES but in this world that is not always perfect waiting for the perfect moment may mean missing the joy. Sing in shower, sing when you are doing your chores, sing with your friends, sing for yourself and sing for others as much as you can.  Sure you can take a lesson and improve your skills as a singer and it doesn’t matter whether you are going to be a professional singer or not.  When you take any sports lesson, swimming, golf, skiing, tennis, volleyball etc. – do you think you will be playing professionally someday? Some yes and some no but most importantly you do it to improve your skill and become better at doing something so that you can find more joy in doing it. Right?

I want to wish each and every one of you the brightest and warmest holiday and hope that you get time to eat, relax and sing with your families over the holidays.  Let’s sing together and find joy and share that joy with others. Isn’t that what it is all about?

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Conscious Practicing & the Pink Pumps

May 31st, 2011

Often l tell my students what makes me a good teacher is that I have made every mistake in the book and that I was a professional student long before I ever became a teacher.  One of those mistakes I made while working hard and doing my vocal exercises daily was not paying attention to my practice – simply singing along with a previously recorded lesson and running through my vocal exercises not realizing at the time that my old habits were just getting reinforced.  Daryl Hickman is an acting teacher I had in Los Angeles.  He would always say, “Practice does not make perfect it makes permanent.” Words to remember and live by.

So I warn my students to pay attention while practicing at home – don’t just go about doing your vocal warm-up exercises or your song without giving full attention to HOW you are doing it.  I suggest tools like large mirrors, two fingers on your chin, recording yourself and focusing on a spot eye level to help you monitor your practice at home audibly and visually.

Many teachers will take your money and not remind you that you can do this much faster and less painfully if you would only PAY ATTENTION to what you are doing.  Don’t be lazy and remember  If you are practicing night after night singing the scales or your song incorrectly you are just further reinforcing the WRONG thing.
The type of person to fall into this trap often is an overachiever practicing diligently but unaware that they are doing it wrong.  They will often get very frustrated and perhaps even give up.  So pay attention and do what I call conscious practicing for better results!

Now with all this talk about paying attention to your practice, you may be wondering about the pink pumps?  Recently I was asked to sing at a Y-Me breast cancer walk in downtown Chicago in front of 20,000 people along with the Governor of Illinois and Ronald McDonald.  I was reminded to WEAR PINK!  I remembered the pink pumps I bought years ago and I never really new why.  But there they were in my closet waiting for me that morning.  As I stepped out on that stage for such a noble cause that early May morning sporting my PINK PUMPS I thought, “Trust yourself.”  You don’t alway’s know why you do things at the time.  Have faith – the reason could show up years later – like my pink pumps!

pinkpumps

Pink Pumps


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Keeping the flow

January 23rd, 2011

Singers and many creative folks know that flexibility is helpful when performing. It can help enhance the performance and make new and exciting things happen in a song.  Jazz artists have used this in vocal improvisation but most singers and everyday people can benefit from learning some of these skills.  How do you go about being in the moment and out of the moment at the same time?

  • Let’s talk about lyrics - Memorize Memorize Memorize (know your words) I suggest first write your words out in your own handwriting and read them each night right before you drift off to sleep (this gives them a chance to get into your subconscious). If you are not a songwriter the next thing I am going to ask you to do might seem far reaching and ridiculous but making up lyrics and scatting can be alternative and help in relieving performance anxiety in the future.   As an exercise, make up blues stories and scat complete songs  to help you become more flexible as a vocalist.
  • Get past your mistakes – In previous blogs I have talked about getting past your mistakes but one mistake can ruin your whole performance or you can let it go and make magic happen – really the choice is yours! Let it go.
  • Get over yourself – be aware of your thoughts.  Are you saying self-defeating words to yourself? Ever watch a sports event or an incredible athlete?  The focus has to be unyielding.  Sports and singing are very parallel  activities in terms of focus and muscle memory.

When I teach voice I like to use imagery as part of my teaching technique. I believe that you can apply imagery to help you relax and move out of your head. Meditation and Yoga can also help with building up your ability to focus and  has relaxation benefits.

Thank-you for keeping up with my field-notes for singers and I would love to hear back from you.  Any suggestions for helpful hints about topics would be appreciated. Meanwhile remember to stay in the moment and keep singing!

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Breathing for Singers and Everyday People

December 1st, 2010
Nextbreathing
Next subject: Breathing for singers and everyday people

We all sing, don’t we?  And it seems so simple.  But healthy singing sometimes takes a little more effort. There are so many things about the Voice as an instrument that I love!  One is that your voice is with you everywhere you go!  For many it is a chance to reveal what is felt inside by way of a song perhaps one that has especially fond memories or reminds you of a feeling or a person with whom you have shared an experience.  Singing can bring us into the moment if we let it and also take us away on a journey. It is a wonderful way of expressing yourself.  With that said I love singing and I also love teaching others to sing and to use their breath effectively.  Yes, we all breathe and did so very effectively as an infant.  But we quickly pick up bad habits as we get older.
1) Breath low and relax.  Do relaxing stretches first thing in the morning, before vocalizing or going into any stressful situation.
2) I like the Raggedy Ann Drop. Simply bend from the waist and let your shoulders fall to the floor.  Imagine leaving your stress on the floor when you straighten up.
3) Tighten and loosen your fists and other parts of your body something you can do first thing in the morning before you get out of bed.
It is important to learn that a singer’s breath is in a lower place.  It is perhaps the way we used to breathe when we were babies (ever wonder how a babies cry can be heard for miles.)  Somehow as adults we lose the instinct to breath in a more centered and lower place.  You have heard about singing from the diaphragm (a dome shaped muscle) centered between the two pelvic bones on each side of your body.   I often like to tell my students to sing from your hips.  Well you can practice talking or singing from that lower place and you can start as soon as the next word out of your mouth.
4) A simple exercise for breathing is to place a hard bound book across your pelvic bones while you are in a lying down position – elevate your knees and make sure your feet are flat on the ground.
a) Exhale first (clear your breath out)
b) Inhale letting the book move up as you expand your breath.
c) As you slowly exhale again make a “sh” sound and notice the book moving down.  Silently count to self – doing more counts as breathing improves.
Remember that you have muscles in your abdominal area.  Do this several times, taking your time being aware that as you inhale and exhale the book moves with you.  I always recommend taking three deep and low breaths throughout the day or before any stressful situation – think of it as a reconnecting to yourself and reminding yourself to “Stay Centered and Breath Low.”

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Breathing for singers and everyday people

December 1st, 2010
Wendy Morgan

Next interesting subject "breathing"

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THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PERFORMANCE

August 4th, 2010
masterclassNicholsHallMorgan

The Art of Performance

Tips for singers

We live in a visual society where it is increasingly more important that a singer learn to present well.  At some point in their singing career they will need to have the skills to perform live and hopefully audition with ease.  And enjoy doing so.  It can take years to become an expert.  Sometimes even the most talented singer can freeze up in front of an audience so it is wise to start at a young age. But even if you are an older singer, I suggest you get in front of an audience as often as you can.  Performing is like riding a bike.  Once mastered you will never lose the skill. So let’s delve into three important elements and tips for achieving a good performance.

  • Know your material: The song is the story you are telling. Make sure you have examined what it means to you and to whom who you are singing.  This will not only help you get into character and feel the song but you will be less nervous. You will know what you are doing and will feel that much more confident.
  • Stay focused: Less is really more when it comes to performing a song.  Many singers make the mistake of too many random and over dramatic movements. This look ridiculous.  Stay true to your nature and keep it simple.  It might even be best to just stand there and sing.
  • Get past the mistake: We all tend to take our mistakes too seriously while singing.  A forgotten word or a missed note will not ruin the performance.  Trust me.  I have had that happen to me many times. Get over it! If a mistake is made just say to yourself “that was interesting” and move on!  I have found that many magical moments have happened right after a mistake.  Improvisation helps.  If you feel comfortable make up some words or repeat a lyric.  Of course you need to know your song’s melody and lyric as I am not suggesting you go in unprepared.   Even with the most practice mistakes happen. Be flexible! You will be amazed at how well it will help the outcome. My favorite example is when Ella Fitzgerald forgot the words to “Mack the Knife”.  Her “improvised” version with completely new words (mistakes and all) has become as famous a version as any other.

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Talent comes out for Hope for Haiti concert in Wilmette, IL

June 21st, 2010

June 17, 2010 we raised $1,000 for justassociates.org  (J.A.S.S.) through ticket sales and our raffle.  Contributions came from many local vendors such as Chalet, The Northern Trust, Stelle, Gavin, The Noodle, The Big Picture, Trio, Massage Envy, Green Horizons,  Niyama yoga, Great Harvest Bread Co, The Vocal Gymnasium, Shure Microphone and many more.  We gave away so many wonderful items!

The AFTRA singers (American Federation of Television & Radio Artists), Greta Pope, Joe Wright and Paul Zimmerman, Stephanie Rogers, Wendy Morgan and Shana Spiegel opened with  ”One Voice” an original song by Butch and Brenda Stewart .  A song that expresses unity and often used  to inspire labor unions to come together as one voice.

Wendy Morgan, founder, Vocalist and Voice Teacher of  The Vocal Gymnasium and the show’s producer,   started off the evening with a brief history of J.A.S.S. highlighting their camp for women in Haiti.

Then Ruthie Hauge, staff photojournalist for the Pioneer Press and Sun Times Media, briefly spoke about  her photos, taken in Haiti immediately following the earthquake.  These pictures were the backdrop for the evening’s young musicians which included: Darragh Dolan who at age 11 created a YouTube video along with her original acapella song for Haiti, Students of The Vocal Gymnasium, Elenna Sindler and Desiree Gonzalez contributed their talent. Then four local Mom rockers, Wendy Morgan, Rivka, Marjie Killeen and Stephanie Rogers took the stage and expressed their emotions through songs like “Fragile” by Sting and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”.

The evening was fully celebrated when The Covergirls, five talented violinists led by Jennifer Loew took the stage in mini-skirts and really pumped up the crowd.   It was a tremendous and inspiring evening of women helping women!

The event ended with Guitarist/Vocalist Darryl Boggs and all of the evening’s entertainers on stage for a rousing rendition of Bill Withers “Lean on Me”.

Show Organizers: Wendy Morgan, Stephanie Rogers and Shana Spiegel were delighted with the outpouring of love and local support received.

We will not forget the beautiful people of Haiti who have struggled so much and continue to struggle each day -
Thanks to all!

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Audition tips for singers

April 19th, 2010
Audition Class 2010 held at the Chicago Musician’s Union –  Chicago, IL

  • The day before the audition: Make sure you get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids.  Don’t over practice your audition songs – if you need to run your songs the day before and the day of the audition do so without full out singing.  Day of the audition put up your feet and eat bon-bon’s if you can, otherwise just take special care of yourself on audition day.
  • What is the story and who are you singing it to? Focus on your message and who you are singing it to.  Always pick someone who brings you to an emotional place. If you are fully into your message it will help take the focus off the judging aspect of your audition.
  • Breath low and relax.  Do relaxing stretches before you go into the room.  I like the Raggedy Ann drop from the waist let the shoulders fall to the floor. Imagine leaving your stress on the floor when you straighten up.  Tighten and loosen your fists and other parts of your body.
  • What are you saying to yourself? We all feel judged when it comes to auditioning.  Listen to what your are saying to yourself.  We can all be our own worst critics so be careful with your self talk  especially right before your audition.  Give yourself encouraging words.

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    Practical Tips for Singers

    March 7th, 2010

    Wendy Morgan

    Wendy Morgan

    Singers and everyday folks can benefit from these practical tips:

    • Warm up your voice – if you don’t have a voice teacher or currently don’t use a vocal technique keep in mind that your vocal chords and the surrounding area are all muscles.  Just as you wouldn’t go to the gym or jump into any physical activity without a warm-up, you shouldn’t jump into full-out singing a song without warming up first.  At the very least hum the song through from beginning to end before singing it.
    • Stay hydrated - drink plenty of water!  The vocal chords can get dried out in the Winter months due to the cold air and lack of humidity.  In the Summer months the air outside is better due to rain and humidity but unfortunately going in and out of air conditioning can cause the vocal chords to dry and tighten.  So drink, drink, drink.
    • Open your mouth and say AH - make sure you do alot of yawning and feel the back of the throat open when you do.  I like using the yawn sigh (makes a good warm-up too.)  Just yawn and say AH keeping the tongue forward as you do (tip of tongue rests against the back of the bottom teeth) while going from one note to another.  It sounds like a siren.  AH is the most open vowel sound so also pay attention to your vowels while singing and always lean towards the more open sounding vowel.

    Thanks and stay tuned for more practical tips for the singer from Wendy Morgan and The Vocal Gymnasium.

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    Check out my new blog

    November 16th, 2009

    WendyMorganbandwithOZHey Everyone and Welcome to my newest Blog!

    Thanksgiving is coming and this is the time to think Thankful thoughts.

    I am thankful for all of you and especially those who made the show!!  For those of you that didn’t make it that night I still love you and I want to share some of the fun. I have attached a photo from my Green Dolphin Street gig and a review by someone (a very accomplished musician by the way) who was in the audience that night. Singing for me is a source of happiness – so it makes sense that I teach which is such a wonderful gift. Being able to help others achieve with their voices their full potential.

    Review of November 6th show at The Green Dolphin – Chicago, IL

    We really enjoyed Wendy and her ROCKIN’ band!

    Wendy has such presence on stage!  Entertaining goes far beyond singing, and she shows how it’s done.  Every moment she shows the audience that there is nowhere she’d rather be than movin’ to the music right

    here, right now, and making us feel that way, too.

    She makes it look so easy but I can see the hours of dance classes that enable her to have that fluidity of movement. She’s a pro and it’s so much fun to watch her. It was too bad we had early commitments this morning as we would have loved to catch her second set.

    This was Wendy’s best band that we’ve ever seen.

    The drummer (Rich Stizel) is spectacular for creating a powerful groove without overpowering the other instruments and voice and he, too, is an entertainer.  You watch his face and you can FEEL his complete concentration on the beat, especially

    when he chooses to lay out for a few beats and then make an explosive reentry (with his genius being that he doesn’t steal the focus from Wendy in doing this but boosts the energy of the ensemble).

    The bass player (Chris Clemente) is also a genius of the grooves they played.  Such intricate bass lines performed effortlessly, Her guitarist (Darryl Boggs)

    no need to say anything – he’s always been terrific.  The keyboard player (Kevin Smith) played just what was needed – I really liked what he did and, like the

    others, he didn’t ever steal the focus but was part of the ensemble that supported Wendy like a 747 taking off – smooth yet incredibly powerful and unstoppable We’re looking forward to the next one!

    John E. Fish, Ltd. Deerfield, IL

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