Archive for the ‘Helpful hints for Singers, Actors and Everyday People’ Category
Sunday, October 28th, 2012
…yes I am talking to you!
We spend enormous amounts of money on personal trainers and life coaches to help us get motivated. I am a teacher, a professional singer, and a business owner. As a vocal coach I get paid to give my students a good kick in the back-side. If I don’t I am not doing my job. I do what I can to take them to the next level.
Recently I heard what Tony Robbins said to Oprah in an interview. It went something like what you are thinking about primarily now will lead you to what you will be doing within five years from now. Thoughts are things — you do create your own reality. Take a good look at what you are primarily thinking about. Be honest with yourself! Here are some steps we can all use.
- What motivates you? What makes you excited? What makes you hop out of bed in the morning? It may be a long time since you have felt anything.
So dig deep!
- Can I do more? What would it look like if I took it one step further?
- Do I really want what I think I want or is it time to rethink a past goal/passion?
- What are my biggest fears about having what I want?
- Take action, any action. Remember action is a good cure for fear.
Take steps forward. Small steps lead to giant steps. Try out things that come to your mind. They may be far fetched and not seem relative but you never know where it might lead.
Recently I went to try out for an acting role at a local film school. On my way down, I kept asking myself what was I doing and although tired on my way back from the audition, I had a surge of energy and excitement. That told me that I have not been challenging myself enough lately and this was something that I wanted just to try even though I had a whole bunch of negative thoughts attempting to stop me dead in my tracks. Don’t let your negative thoughts or someone else’s opinions stop you!
Many people are in a job for the steady paycheck more than the passion (which is a large percentage of folks unfortunately) or you may be raising a family and very focused on what it takes to give your children an opportunity to have a better life. Noble motive, yes, but I say take care of yourself first. You are setting an example for your children — if you have given up on a dream or just given up — what kind of example are you setting? Never give up!
When it comes to the voice (your instrument) or maybe some other instrument you choose to express yourself with, don’t let yourself rest on past performances. Create new and exciting ventures and experiences. At this point you may be saying, “I don’t have any time for that.” I have this and that to do and I need to put my kids first or my job because of financial needs and you may just be in a survival mode. Many are. It is very hard to be adventurous or pursue a dream when you are in survival mode. But it has been done. It makes good stories for marketing yourself later. We have heard many stories of people, just like you and me, who have carved out time in their daily lives to make time for a dream. That takes A PLAN!
Where to begin? Answer the following questions:
- What do I spend most of my time doing now? You may want to create a chart of where your time goes!
- What are my primary thoughts about through-out the day?
- What can I do differently? Realistic changes, though. Don’t build disappointment in your goals. Could be as simple as spending some focused time on a passion or idea?
- Do I want to push harder on current goal (passion/idea) or reset a new goal for myself?
- Set up an action plan. List the steps to get your goal accomplished. And be sure it is an achievable timeline!
If you are like me you may have to many goals and the ideas keep coming, a very healthy outlook. One thing you can do is make a list of your ideas and decide which ideas keep coming back (you can’t stop thinking about) they have staying power those are important and what you will want to focus your time and energy on first. But make sure you keep your most important ideas up front and center that will help you achieve real progress! Use the post-it note approach perhaps to help you organize your action steps towards each goal. Lastly don’t forget some goals do compliment other goals and may work side by side in your plan.
Example Goal – Be a singer/songwriter:
Action Plan:
- Take lessons from a vocal instructor
- Make a demo
- Create a youtube campaign (be original)
- Start going out to open mic nights and booking gigs
- Find other musicians with similar goals
- Write good songs and collaborate
- Have an online presence – Facebook, Twitter, Linked In.
- Join groups ASCAP, SAG-AFTRA, NARAS, NSAI , etc.
I hope that you have found this helpful and as always if you have any questions on your journey feel free to drop me a line. Thanks for checking out my field notes for singers and everyday people – I will leave you with a quote:
Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes; work never begun. — Christina Rossetti, Author
Tags: advice for everyday living, Basic singing, basic singing techni, best tips for self development, Best tips for singers, caring for the voice, challenge, filed notes for singers, guidance for creative people, guidance for singers, improvemnet, inspiration, inspiration for singers, pep talk, self development, self help, self improvement, singing lessons, solving life obstacles, voice training
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Thursday, May 24th, 2012
This moment is perfect. But far too often fear of not being perfect limits our ability to do anything and much more importantly our ability to do it well with ease and pleasure. How can we stay in the moment when so many people in our outside world are trying to kill creativity? Not maliciously necessarily but nonetheless it still happens. By rushing us through preparation, by pointing out our imperfections, by not accepting differences and leaving no room for exploration or creativity.
It is not necessary to always recite something word for word or exactly how the original person wrote it/performed it/composed it. Although I believe it is a good goal to strive to first do something as originally intended by the author/composer/creator before changing it to your interpretation and making it your own.
Often I tell my students “There are no word police out there”. No one will give you a ticket for saying a wrong word in a song. The only song I know you can’t mess up is The Star Spangled Banner mostly because everyone knows the words and perhaps because of the patriotic aspect. I love Ella Fitzgerald’s version of Mack the Knife when she forgets the words and goes into making them up and scatting. In this way a jazz artist has more room to express themselves through improvisation. If you want to be brilliant and you want creative freedom then you have to free yourself from perfection and allow for an occasional mistake.
So many people want to sing – probably about 80 percent or more. However they believe that they are not good enough to achieve the skill of singing or even the dream. Perhaps years ago someone told them they could not sing or that they will never be able to achieve that dream. So at that point they shut down and stop singing from that point on. So much of who we are is in our voice – speaking or singing! It is about expressions through our phrasing and inflection. If we are locked away or so afraid of being perfect we can’t even begin to imagine how to start letting the real and natural voice show. Eventually we give up, bombarded with old messages about how bad we sing or our inability to carry a tune. We have given up before we even try. We are defeated and the dream dies – but does it?
In giving up we are allowing the rules of perfection to win and in many ways we are saying “you are right I am not perfect and I am not good enough”. So why even try?
I suggest instead we give up on perfection – let a little go at a time – maybe you start by adding a sound (a note in the chord) or replace a word. Replace a whole phrase. This may take some time and practice but it can be done. Start small.
Why does the world at large seem to be looking for imperfection? What is it about man or mankind that draws us to the cracks – the imperfections?
We all can take a closer look at perfection, not being perfect and how we feel when we let go of the need to be perfect.
Often I have told my students that some of my most interesting moments have been right after I have made a mistake. I need to let go of the mind stuff that happens and the fact I may have made a mistake or screwed something up. I suggest letting go of the mistake as quickly as possible and move on to the next moment. I have had some of my best moments after a mistake and then the magic can happen. Acceptance is freedom and imperfection can be perfection.
Morgan Band
Tags: Food for Thought, Imperfection, Life Lessons, Music, Perfection, Psychology of Singing, Singers and Life, voice, Your mind and you voice
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Saturday, April 7th, 2012
Take Action – Any action is a step and any step is a direction – you will find out something if you take it. If it is the wrong direction you will step another way but remember each step will bring you closer to your goals.- Set (3) simple goals and smaller action steps to achieve them.
- Get rid of negative thinking – Don’t let old negative thoughts take control. Especially look for limited self talk like “your too old, too young, too this or not enough of that”. Each time an “I can’t do it” thought comes into your mind replace it with an expanding thought such as “Yes I can”. My favorite expanding mantra comes from Gay Hendricks “ I expand in abundance, love and success everyday, as I inspire those around me to do the same.
- New Experience Committee – When you start to open yourself to having new experiences in any area of life it opens your mind and you are saying yes to the world. Start with a small group of friends and brainstorm new ideas to get the juices flowing.
- Diet, Exercise, Sleep and Alcohol intake! Take a close look at your patterns and be aware! If you have a regular exercise routine for yourself GREAT…. Make sure you change it up regularly and challenge yourself. If you don’t exercise just get going immediately! I don’t like the word diet but what you put into your mouth is just as important as exercise. If your diet is loaded with energy draining foods such as sugar and starchy carbs – work to reduce or eliminate those from your diet. Red meat can also have an effect on energy – move to eating more fish and poultry. Is that drink every night reducing your ability to have good energy flow? Make the glass of wine or beer a special occasion habit! Sleep is very important to your overall well-being. How much do you want to work at peak performance? Everyone is different but I recommend you drink lots of water to flush out your system of toxins and hydrate your vocal cords.
- Take a serious look at old patterns – Try to resolve/recognize them. Look very closely at your patterns and habits. Often a pattern can come disguised in a new form but still set you back to old ways of behaving. Meditation and yoga are great for clearing…but simply clearing your calendar and leaving space in your schedule can help.
- Find inspiring and encouraging friends and become an inspiration to others.
- Don’t be afraid to take chances! Another one of my quotes is “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” so proceed to make yourself uncomfortable as soon as possible.
- Be Prepared – “Chance favors the prepared mind”. Take it in steps – if you are learning ten new songs then start with the first 2/3 songs – write out your lyrics by hand and take them to bed with you each night. Listen to the songs or play them over and over again until they are second nature. At times you may need to take the song from the middle – starting in the beginning all the time often means we are really good at the first half of the song and lose our way in the middle.
- Believe in yourself – Working on your self-image and self-esteem can be an ongoing process. Many times we are bombarded with old negative messages about ourselves (recognize them as old ways of thinking about self and change the thoughts to more positive) also in our world we have many messages via media and advertising that works against all the normal changes in a persons life. Getting older, Gender, Motherhood, Race, Weight and so on. Make sure you work on the inside and develop an unshakable self-confidence. It really is very appealing and when you feel good you can work on inspiring others. 10.5 Never ever give up!
Tags: care for singers, getting unstuck, organizing for creative people, self development, self help, self improvement, setting goals, strategies for living, taking action
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Monday, 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?
Tags: advice for everyday living, Basic singing, caring for the voice, caring for your spirit, joy of singing, professional advice for singers, relaxation techniques, self care, singers, using the voice properly, vocal students, vocalists, voice technique, voice training
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Tuesday, 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!
Pink Pumps
Tags: basic singing techni, Best tips for singers, Best vocal tips, caring for the voice, developing singing talent in young people, focusing on the breath as source, How to practice singing better, How to sing better, practical tips for singers, Practical tips for vocalists, professional advice for singers, professional singers, questions for voice teachers, relaxation techniques, singers, singing, singing lessons, vocal tips for singers, vocalists, voice students, Voice techniques, voice training
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Sunday, 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!
Tags: basic singing techni, Best tips for singers, Best vocal tips, Breath, Breathing exercises, caring for the voice, focusing on the breath as source, learning to breath, practical tips for singers, Practical tips for vocalists, relaxation techniques, singer, singers, singing, singing lessons, using the voice properly, vocal students, vocal technique, vocalists, voice, voice lessons, voice students, voice training
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Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
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.”
Tags: Best tips for singers, Best vocal tips, Breathing exercises, Breathing tips, caring for the voice, focusing on the breath as source, how to breath, learning to breath, practical tips for singers, Practical tips for vocalists, singers, singing, singing lessons, using breath effectively, using the voice properly, vocal students, vocal technique, vocal tips for singers, vocalists, voice students
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Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
Next interesting subject "breathing"
Tags: Breath, Breathing exercises, caring for the voice, focusing on the breath as source, learning to breath, practical tips for singers, relaxation techniques, singer, singers, singing, singing lessons, using breath effectively, using the voice properly, vocal tips for singers, vocalists, voice, voice lessons, voice students, Voice techniques, voice training
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Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
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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Monday, 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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