How do you “sing with emotion”?

Posted on June 15, 2013 by Susan McAllister-Bee

Why is it that “your” music stirs up such a strong “sense” within you, but not necessarily in the person beside you. Is it the lyrics? Is it the beat? Is it the volume and speed? Is it the singer? Why is it that what rocks one person’s music world doesn’t do the same for another?

We are all unique and special. We come from different backgrounds, different cultures, and different eras. However, the one thing that is for sure, music stirs emotions within us.

Rock music is typically raw, edgy, loud and speech-like. There is usually no vibrato. If you sing rock music, the risk is that you may create these conditions incorrectly within the larynx causing the cords to over-compress in your low register, and not thin out or stretch as you sing higher. This can decrease your ability to express emotion.

Singers who “mix” their voice in both registers, can usually express their emotions in more distinct ways. The dynamics are more varied. They can easily add vibrato once in a while if desired. They can move with flexibility throughout their entire range with good pitch control, and easy production of consonants and vowels to form their words.

All these qualities are signs of good vocal technique. And let’s not forget that the body, head and neck is working very efficiently along with the vocal cords to hold back breath.

This is when the emotions you are feeling can actually be heard or “felt” by others. This is how you sing with emotion.

Questions? Comments? Please leave a message below.

You can control your larynx!

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Susan McAllister-Bee

Your larynx is your voice box. It houses your vocal cords. It’s situated in behind the Adam’s apple which is that bump you feel in your throat…you know, the bump in your neck that is usually larger on a guy than a girl.

Good singing technique requires that the larynx remains low and stable. So go ahead and try this. Put your finger on your Adam’s Apple while singing and see if it is rising when you try to sing high notes. In many singers it does go up….way up! The problem is that when your larynx rises too high, it closes off your wind pipe which is, in fact, blocking your vocal cords! This is the last thing you want when singing.

This is what is meant by singing with an open throat. Good technique is having the ability to sing while keeping your larynx in a low and stable position.

Singing students…..should you go to university?

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Susan McAllister-Bee

Did you take vocal lessons when you were younger? Are you happy with your voice now? Can you sing the songs in the style you want?

All too often children and teens taking singing lessons during their youth have high aspirations of being a “singer” in today’s music business. Their parents spend thousands of dollars getting them the training they think they should have. The students may even go on to university to polish their skills only to find out after graduating that their voice isn’t suitable to sing commercially accepted music. They find out their voice can’t perform the style for the bands they want to join, and they soon learn that their auditions for theatrical performances are being given to singers with a more commercially-accepted edge to their voice.

Let’s face it, musical theatre is changing. Newly written musicals are more often than not, wanting vocals with a strong chest voice in their mix.

Unfortunately, universities are not changing along with the times. Professors in vocal training at universities are teaching their students the same technique that they were taught….which can create a beautiful classical voice…exactly the type of voice they were taught to have. Unfortunately, these students soon find out that they are unable to enter the workforce in today’s music business, so they are left with the only other option and that is to teach others exactly what they were taught…..and so it goes….another generation of classically trained singers, who again go on to teach rather than perform in the music business.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree?