Buy the VocalizeU Program and email your receipt to: contest@VocalizeU.com

to enter and have the opportunity for the Swag Bag Giveaway!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!

LADIES NIGHT!

Sunday Feb 19th *  4-8pm

Free Show

Rockwood Music Hall

Warm up on a cozy Sunday night with these 4 hot ladies for a fun night of music!

And of course there is always the ever so dangerous, fly by the seat of your pants song written on the spot,

spur of the moment based on one of your song suggestions!

Tatiana DeMaria

Anna Rose

Wendy Parr

Anna Krantz

For more details CLICK HERE

Emotional Expression

Who is your favorite singer? What is your favorite song? Do you listen because the singer has perfect pitch? Unlikely. We listen to music because it moves us, transports us from one emotional state to another. We sing because it brings us to a state of JOY. But this is often hit or miss for the singer. When you’re rehearsing, working at something it’s usually a miss. So how do we do this as a singer, move ourselves and take the audience on the ride consistently? Great technique provides the tools that allow the voice to function at its best so the singer can focus on the artistic soulful experience. Like an athlete who gets into “the zone” where we experience effortless effort.

A singer tends to focus too often on sounding good which will leave one the majority of time unhappy because mostly you’ll feel short of your goal, of sounding good. One also can’t actually make your voice sound “good” consistently.  Imagine spending your day trying to “look good”. What kind of an experience would that be? Can’t laugh, be goofy, look silly, trip, be human! So 99.9% of your personality is repressed while you attempt to only reveal 1%, looking good. So confining!And chances are high you’ll look worse trying to look good, right? That’s exactly what trying to sound good does – blocks your personality from being expressed, represses the variety of shining sides of your character and is confining both vocally and emotionally.

What defines “good”? Hitting all the notes? Well, you’ve already realized that’s not what you value in a singer. … so where do we start?

Start by saying the words. As a singer, your number one job is actually to pronounce pure vowels – this affects the mechanics of your larynx and cords which affects the pitch, resonance and tone. So you want to improve pitch and tone, start by pronouncing pure vowels.  By saying the words you also get into the story of you song – be affected by it, let it move you and allow you to express, share what you are feeling. The beauty, melody, tone and emotional expression all come through the vowel. The vowel rides on the breath so be sure you are releasing air as you pronounce. (If you think you don’t have enough air, chances are you’re holding it.)

No Drama! Do not be dramatic while singing  – it’s not emotional, just vocal tension or fake. It may seem boring, but simply say the vowels on a melody with rhythm. See what happens. When you try to express something emotionally thru your voice by manipulating the voice, all you really do is remove your emotional expression.  When you share what you’re feeling with a balanced voice your emotions come out freely, spontaneously.

Record yourself rehearsing, you’ll be surprised how emotional a performance is when you’re not trying to be emotional and you let go of the ideas of the song. Oh, you think it’s a sad song? Really, what song dictates an emotion? None! A song may make you feel sad, which is then what you get to share through the song. But the song is not inherently sad. And no one is sad for 3 minutes and 33 seconds, other emotions have to come out. If they aren’t you’re forcing your idea of the song not allowing what you’re actually feeling to come through.

The next step has to do with plugging in what you’re feeling more consciously, purposely … we’ll get to that in another post. It’s enough and actually a lot to digest and practice this. Your vocal tools – having a balanced voice are the key, the foundation that allows the emotional life to come through with ease and joy. Give it whirl! Have fun. Singing is all about sharing. Sharing your heart, not hitting the note pretty

And please, post a comment on this article when you’ve tried this – share your experience with us.

Want to learn vocal tools more affectively? Check out VocalizeU for work outs, warmups and teachers worldwide

The Road from Technique to Authenticity

This is the second entry in my new series. I will post at regular intervals, so please come back, leave comments and ask questions. I look forward to sharing more about the voice, training, talent, technique and the joy of being an artist with you.

~Wendy

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Pitch Problems?

What’s a singer’s top concern? Often, pitch. Most singers spend their time worrying, consumed with the focus of “hitting the note”. Well, I know how to hit a nail with a hammer, but I have no idea how to “hit a note”.

Why are we so preoccupied with the pitch? Is pitch the reason you go to a concert or buy a CD? And if you played a song you’ve never heard right now, could you be singing along before it’s finished? Probably. So why is every moment’s worry will I hit the note, what’s the note, where’s the note, will I find it?… That would be like worrying and thinking the whole time while having a conversation about the words coming out your mouth, hoping they match your thoughts, wondering if they’ll be there at all. Silly when you think of it that way yes?

So trust your skill to remember a melody is there, that the body, so to speak will take care of the pitch and you can focus on your vocal tools – pronouncing vowels, balancing energy so your voice feels good. If your skill of recalling melody, maintaining melody is not developed then you need to do ear training. (Vocalize U has a terrific program for this: CLICK HERE )

So, the first question I ask someone when I hear they are singing out of tune (not in the harmonics of the key signature at all) is What Are You Listening To? … the answer is 99.9% of the time “My voice”. Concerned about how you sound, hitting the note, getting it right, wondering if you’re matching the melody you hear in your head (which by the way why do you have to? Don’t re-write the song, but nuances and melody and rhythm changes is what makes the song your own),  the memory of the song you’ve heard… this all keeps you out of the moment, disconnected from the music (your dance partner so to speak), in your head and focused on things you can not do or have no control of. The process of pitch is mechanical and is more of  your bodies job as well as a skill you develop with ear training & practice. Learning technique to get your instrument aligned, functioning properly corrects MOST of the issues of pitch.

So first, listen to the music that fixes ALOT of the issue. Then work your technique with a teacher or check out Vocalize U for great workouts and a self-evaluation of your voice.

Worrying about pitch is no fun and keeps you focused on what’s missing instead of what you’re doing so well! Good technique for a balanced instrument, listening to the music, getting into the groove and expressing yourself while you learn a melody and improve your accuracy and skills – this will allow you to enjoy the process, the moment your growth.

Ps. In 21 years of teaching I’ve never had anyone come into my studio who was actually tone deaf, though many thought they were. It’s usually a mechanical issue – the larynx is high, the cords are too squeezed, singing to hard or strain…

The Road from Technique to Authenticity

This is the first entry in my new series. I will post at regular intervals, so please come back, leave comments and ask questions. I look forward to sharing more about the voice, training, talent, technique and the joy of being an artist with you.

~Wendy

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Trying to “Get It”

Ahhh, I often have students say “I don’t’ get it” or “I think I’m getting it” or “I’m trying to get it” as we work on vocal exercises, smoothing out the bridges, style tools… various aspects of the voice and artistry.

So what is it you are hoping to get? In fact you’ll never “get it”. Not in the way we think of getting it. Let’s equate it to writing a song… when you’ve been writing songs for 5 years do you “get it”. Are you done learning how to write? Have you crossed some finish line, completed a level of certification that tells you you’re “done”? NOOoooo way! In fact, most writers I know feel like they don’t know how to write every time they start a new song. Or think for a moment “Oh, I’ve written my best song, won’t ever write a song as good as this one”. Of course, that’s not true. It’s just that there is no “getting it” nowhere to “get to”.

You can insert any activity you do and realize there is no “getting it” –  painting, swimming, basketball, playing piano, yoga, construction, fashion, design, dance… and if you keep trying to get it, you will always fall short and feel further from the “finish line” because you are chasing an illusion. There is no finish line. Enjoy the evolution of your talent and skills.

As a songwriter you have ways to write a song, you have craft and it’s always evolving and fluid. There is a core that becomes stronger and stronger, which gives you the the skills and craft to improvise, go with the flow and take risks.

Singing, as you become more skilled becomes fun, a deeper artistic experience with a stable voice you can trust, skills you use so you can be uniquely expressive and daring … FREE.  This is where the fun, the joy of singing exists. So start now. Start playing with your tools, using the skills to enjoy your singing and let go of the goal of “getting it” which is actually the goal to get it “right”.

Perfection and fun do not co-exist. Have fun and you’ll be better than you imagine!

I’m so excited Ian Axel & Chad are holding a Video Contest! You can submit a video & they will create a new music video with various submissions!

Go here for CONTEST INFO

I had such a great time making my video! Dulce and I were in the original video, so in honor of her I made one! The idea grew and THIS IS MY VIDEO

I’m very excited to be a part of this amazing new program for artists – so many tools an artist needs to develop themselves as a artist – warm ups, workouts, education, individual modules for learning how to be a background singer, how to manage a band… direct connection to teachers.. and so much more!

Check it out and purchase here!

I am so proud to be a part of this charity album which includes Maxi Priest, Alan Menken, Tim Rice….

Shine On! Is now available for purchase – this album supports the TYLER FOUNDATION, aiding children with cancer.

Currently there are 4 tickets to the VICTORIA SECRET fashion show in NYC available!

For more information about the album and to listen and purchase CLICK HERE

So proud of Anna Rose!

A remarkable performance in her video

MY BODY IS A CAGE

Great directing, beautifully shot!