Originality of Voice

In this post I'm going on a stretch with my blog theme "All Things Vocal". I'm going to talk about vocal originality- in this case defined as "What Do I Have To Say That's Original?". I've been tagged by my blog mentors "The Blog Squad" http://www.buildabetterblog.com/2007/04/tagged_again_be.html who were in turn tagged by Mohit Singhania at Best Blog Basket to be part of his project called Be Original. We are asked to share several ways that we create original content for our blogs. So here is a list of how I come up with original content for this blog:

1. Insights from my ongoing coaching experiences. I seem to learn some new way to teach a vocal technique every week... sometimes every day!

2. Experiences from my own performances.
Many times I get a "light bulb" insight from noticing what works (or doesn't) for me when I'm singing vocals in the recording studio or on stage.

3. My opinions on controversial issues. Contests, major label vs indie label advantages and disadvantages, vocal techniques I hear about, even what makes a valid or successful vocal performance are some issues about which I like to argue my point.

4. Teachings from my own trademarked coaching method. "Power, Path & PerformanceTM" http://www.judyrodman.com/ is my offering to the body of effective vocal training, and is unique in its focus on the synergy between breath, open throat and communication.

5. Reporting, commentary and review of trends in the current music biz. I glean info from my contacts, media news and Internet sources.

6. News from my clients and students. I like to encourage a sense of community instead of rivalry among voices. I share news of TV shows, songs cut, contest tryouts and placements, awards, signings, live tours, events, recording projects and other news from people with whom I work. I encourage attending each other's performances. We celebrate each other's journey, whether we're up or down.

If any of you have a blog, please consider yourself "tagged"! If you'd like to join the challenge, see this link to learn the "rules" of adding your own list of ways to add original content to your posts: http://bestblogbasket.blogspot.com/2007/04/be-original.html

Now, dear readers of my blog, would you please take a moment, click on "comments" link below this post, and tell me what YOU'D like me to write about? After all, this blog is useless unless it is of use to YOU! Join the conversation and the community! Thank you very much...Judy

Articulation- need some!

One of my pet peeves is listening to a song and not being able to tell what the heck it's saying.

I know some people will say they are only into the music and don't care about or listen to lyrics. I remember when my son was little, he used that rationale to protest my veto of music with inappropriate lyrics. (No, hehehe, it didn't work.) But in reality, most people are drawn to a song and to a singer whose message is clear.

What is articulation? A simple definition, for the singer or speaker, is: the forming of words. A synonym for articulation is "diction". I really don't like to use these words a lot in my teaching or in my studio vocal production because they can make people think I want them to speak like an English professor... Which of course is not true. (My apologies to all you English professors!) So I say this instead: Communicate so I can understand you!
(Duh)

All kinds of things are involved in articulation: The mouth, tongue, lips, soft palate, yes. But to articulate not just words but the MEANING behind them involves other body parts such as eyes, nose, even spinal alignment (body language!) For instance, if your eyes are "dead" instead of communicative, I could tell you weren't "with me" - even if you were somewhere I couldn't see you. I would know you weren't really communicating with me in mind. See previous posts for more about the importance of eyes and body language .
Sometimes muddy articulation happens on a recording, but more often I notice it in live performance. The artist gets into the music and slurs through the performance, seeming to just assume everybody knows the lyrics. Hey, even if it's a hit and the audience does know the lyrics, you still need to say them clearly. Why?

When you aren't clear, you are "dis-ing" your audience. Whether or not you are aware of it, you are dismissive and disrespectful. I've heard hugely popular entertainers when they spoke so clearly I could understand every word. I've also heard the same entertainers when I could understand nothing. It was as if they could have cared less if the audience was there or not. An audience is a fickle thing, and my suggestion is to remember that without them your public career becomes a private hobby.

A great way to rev up the clarity of your articulation is to imagine you have a deaf contingent in your audience. Articulate so that a deaf person could read your face and know what the words are. Do this in the studio and the clarity of your performance can amaze you; do it on stage and you may find a connection with your audience that may surprise you. Do it in your next public speaking engagement and you may hear a pin drop because people are actually listening.

Toastmasters is a great organization to join to practice articulation, among other vocal skills.

Next post I plan on discussing: when articulation goes wrong......!

Vocal Performance: Reveal... don't display!

There is a classical voice training textbook series by Van A. Christy called "Expressive Singing". In the Third Edition, Volume #1, Christy recommends this excellent suggestion for any performance in any genre:

"Meaning must be REVEALED, never DISPLAYED in a theatrical manner."

I can't tell you how very much I agree with this. There is a fine line between over- and under- acting. If you REALLY want to sing or speak in such a way as to cause an emotional response from your audience, learn how to master authentic delivery- the kind you can't fake!.

Authentic delivery balances several things:

• Vocal technique is definitely a major factor.
• The message (song or monologue) is a huge factor.
• Other factors include: The size and feel of the venue or room, the state of your own inner self, the cheeseburger you had for lunch, the label rep in the audience. Hey, it's amazing we can focus at all :)

Nevertheless, there must be such a balance in your mind-body-voice connection that you make it look almost effortless to get and hold the attention of the listener.

Here's an example to help you understand the power of revealing instead of displaying meaning:

When I was a recording artist on MTM Records, Alan Bernard (the CEO) let me in on one of his secrets at "meet & greet" events. Alan had been around. Among other things, he had managed Andy Williams and Dusty Springfield. Instead of going up to people to introduce himself and begin a conversation, he would often just sit or stand alone. People were drawn to his cool confidence, and soon were coming over to where he was to meet HIM.

Now think about this: Alan quite openly revealed who he was to people who had been drawn his way. He didn't put on a forward display to try to gain attention. I think this is a psychological tool we need to understand as performers.

Bottom line: Draw people in. Don't be a space invader! Reveal by... being real.

The Importance of THE WORD to vocal technique

The articulation of the word to the voice is like the ring in a bull's nose.

Let me explain:
There is a lot that goes into making your best sung or spoken vocal communication. In my training method, I teach you to learn to properly apply concepts of breath ("Power"), open throat ("Path") and telling the story ("Performance"). Your vocal instrument can be considered to include everything from your heels to the top of your head, and extend to the end of your outstretched hands. In other words... your whole body is involved when you are purposefully speaking. Some parts are active, some parts just barely involved and some parts must stay tension-free.

It can get confusing. Think of it like flying a plane. You need to be trained in what all the lights and levers are for, how to diagnose a problem, what to adjust for maximum operation. But it would be hard to fly the thing this way (manually). Sooo... you mostly run the thing on autopilot. Flip one little switch and you can relax (though alertly!)

The switch that should cause your voice to line up and operate properly on autopilot is... THE WORD (lyric)!! BUT.... you have to know how to use the word to make this happen.

1. The word should be defined as "communicating something specific to someone specific"
2. This involves being present with the consonants, vowels, meaning, emotion, and if singing, the pitch with which the word is communicated.
3. Form the consonants in the front of your mouth (not in your jaw)
4. Shape the vowels in the back of your throat (thus keeping it open).
5. Put expression in your eyes (this communicates the meaning of the word!)

Try this and see if the word doesn't feel like it starts at your heels and connects your whole being to communicate a performance that gets through. AND... makes your voice feel great! Let me know how you do by clicking the comment link below.

Are You Really Communicating?

When we speak indistinctly, it doesn't communicate. Only common sense, right? Funny how a desire to communicate something can get scattered like a flashlight beam.

It's like there's a disconnect between your mind and your voice. It can happen for a lot of reasons, such as-

• You're not quite sure that the object of your message really wants to hear it. Hey, and sometimes, they don't! It's your job to change their minds...
• You don't really want to communicate- you're going through the motions while thinking about something else (don't you hate it when someone talks to you and you know they aren't really "present" with you?
• You are wondering how your voice sounds, how you look, what they think about you, what the judges will conclude(which has absolutely NOTHING to do with communicating)
• You may be afraid your voice or your message isn't good enough. (This is where you may need some help with vocal techniques and songwriting/selecting)
• You are, for whatever reason, INSECURE. Could be a temporary condition, or a chronic state.
• Or... You're actually only rehearsing for the real thing! Try this... count to 5 in a zombie-like voice (rehearsal). Now look at a point of your choosing and count with some kind of attitude... try mad, happy, amazed, confused, etc.

Communication problems can also be caused by a disconnect between your body and your voice.

Vocal training can provide life changing help to people who think that the voice only comes from the throat. Consider this...The best communicators have rich, musical voices with dynamics and flow. Guess what? If your voice is not like this, it's only that you don't know how to access all of your instrument. Much more than your throat, your voice involves your whole body. In fact, when operating optimally your voice should never feel like it's coming from your throat at all (unless you put your hand on your larynx and feel the vibration)!

To help connect the body and the voice, I have a saying: "act as if and ye shall be". In other words, what would your body language be (how would your posture be, how engaged would your eyes be, how well would you form your words) if you WERE secure about your voice and determined to communicate? OK, fake it till ya make it. Have faith in your voice... use a confident stance and delivery, and your voice will then clearly understand it's chore. Before you know it, you really ARE secure about your message, and someone is truly listening.

Remember that true communication has a purpose and an object. If it's worth saying/singing, then commit and communicate!!

What to do for your Speaking Voice

I had a comment on my last post that was a question about the speaking voice. Because I figure most of you may not click on the comments to see what is said, I thought I'd put the info in this new post, with a bit of elaboration.

I remember when I was on the road as an artist, I used to dread interviews before shows. It actually affected my singing voice to do a lot of talking before I sang, so I tried to have them scheduled after the show. Now I can talk all day long, 8- 10 hours a day and my voice never gets tired! (The rest of me does, but not my voice.)

Vocal sound quality and volume - whether speaking or singing- comes from resonation; your vocal cords just create the initial buzz when air moves through them. That buzz needs to reach reverberating zones in your head, throat & chest (some teachers even add your back and tailbone). That's how your speaking (and singing) voice can become much richer, more melodic, and yes, louder. Without adequate resonation, you end up pushing too much air through your cords trying to work up enough volume. Here are some tips for you:

• This advice alone will make immediate improvements: USE YOUR EYES WHEN YOU SPEAK!!! even on the phone!

To convince you, try this little exercise: keep your eyes very still and count to 5 moderately loud. Now count again, but move your eyes very animatedly while you speak, (check the mirror because sometimes your brain really doesn't know what your eyes are doing- your eyebrows should be active).

Your eyepads and eyebrows are very connected to what's going on inside your throat. You'll notice your voice is more melodic and can reach more pitches, and it's richer. It feels like you're pulling your voice out of your head by the word, with no forward "push" pressure. For practical application, just know it's important to communicate with your eyes while you are speaking- imagine your audience is deaf and needs to read your face for the message. Or imagine talking to a child. Use animation. ESPECIALLY on the phone, we tend to speak without expression on our faces.

• SUPPORT YOUR VOICE!

Don't be a talking head...Speak from your pelvic floor! Keep your ribs open by your posture, and you'll have compression power for your voice. This is another thing we do when we're on the phone... slouch. Then the voice feels like it's disconnected from the body. When standing, your voice needs your legs (which your voice considers butt extentions). Another power point: Whether sitting or standing, even on the phone, talk with your hands. It helps your ribs stay weightless and gives your diaphragm room to control the airflow to your cords. Keep your back flexible and keep your head from going forward of your shoulders. All tension can and should be relegated to butt and legs.

• WARM UP your speaking voice, too!

As many voice-over artists and actors know, it is very helpful to warm up the voice for speaking as well as singing. The tissues and muscles involved in your vocal apparatus need to get blood flow and flexibility increased.

• Get a list of tongue tanglers and say them a few times till your tongue and jaw get loosened and flexible, your face starts working, articulation gets animated and fluid... and you don't get your tongue tied behind your eye teeth when you practice (OK, it's a southern phrase, but you get the pic). I have pages of them for my clients...Try these three:

1. red leather yellow leather
2. you know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York
3. eleven benevolent elephants

• A great way to warm up is to make noises like a siren or ghost. You have to become somewhat fearless as to what people may think if they hear you.
• Humming, bubbling and tongue trills are great voice starters, too.

IN SUMMARY:

1. Warm up your voice
2. Talk with body language- especially eyes and hands
3. Keep your chest open, head back, chin level and your back flexible.
4. Loosen your jaw and form words distinctly.
5. And one more time... talk with your eyes!

If you'd like to check out the exercises in my training method Power, Path & Performance, go to my website www.judyrodman.com where you'll learn how to order my 6-cd package or my single cd condensed course.

Happy talking!