a learning space for voice teachers and vocal coaches
Hello friends and colleagues! I (Jessica Baldwin) am currently on the NATS Commercial Music Auditions national committee. The committee deeply wants the auditions to benefit popular and commercial music teachers and singers in the ways they want to experience benefits. It's become clear that we need more information from the community itself, much of which… Continue reading Popular and Commercial Music Voice Teachers: Your Input Is Needed!
Imitation is Necessary I’m going to make a slightly contentious suggestion: That encouraging PM singers to ‘break down’ the sonic components of other singers’ voices – even to try and imitate them - should be a core and necessary part of their training. This is a potentially controversial statement because the music industry thrives on… Continue reading Do singers need imitation skills for greater employability? // Jo Sear
I love the change of seasons; it gives me a ritualistic time of reflection and renewal. A chance to honor where I’ve been and what is coming, and how I want to show up. My friend Jess recently told me that Feb. 2nd (Groundhog Day) is a more modern day version of the ancient Celtic… Continue reading Change of Seasons – Change of Heart // Julie Dean
Placement is a word many voice professionals use in teaching. But is it a thing? Should we be teaching it? Should we even use the term? For some people, the word “placement” has been very helpful in their singing and teaching. For others, the use of that word may have been problematic or even painful. … Continue reading Voice Placement: What Does It Mean? Should We Use It? // Meredith Colby
You know those moments when your mind is suddenly and irrevocably opened up and everything is different from that point on? Most of us have a number of those in our lives on a number of subjects, if we’re lucky (and learning). I have a handful that are directly related to my relationship with curiosity,… Continue reading Cultivate the Curiosity Superpower in Voice Lessons // Laura Donohue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOI2z68QKP0 Flashback to this livestream with Jess Baldwin and Dr. Shannon Coates, talking about the different ways your Western-Classical Degree probably didn't prepare you to teach popular music styles. If you want to fill in a few of those pedagogy gaps, Dr. Coates' Contemporary Voice Ped Pop-Up runs this week! Anatomy on Tuesday June 14,… Continue reading Livestream Replay: Your Western-Classical Degree Did Not Prepare You to Teach Popular Music Styles
There's no shame in not having major instrumental skills, and it definitely doesn't have to hold you back in helping your student (or yourself!) reimagine a cover song in a style that feels more authentic. Here are a few tools you can use. Ballad-ize It If you want to ballad-ize something, Look on YouTube/iTunes for… Continue reading Changing the Feel of a Cover Song with Limited Instrumental Skills // Jess Baldwin
Often, I see us voice teachers describing a good artist as someone who exists at the intersection of good vocal technique and good expression/storytelling/etc. I have absolutely been on this thought train in the past, but I'm seriously questioning it. Here's why: I work with a lot of voice teachers who are exploring popular musics… Continue reading Good Artistry Doesn’t Require “Good” Vocal Technique // Jess Baldwin
There have been a handful of “gamechanger” implementations in my teaching over the years, and the practice of pausing and breathing mindfully with my students is quite possibly the most profound. Not surprisingly, the choice to take a moment at the top of every lesson and simply breathe came about as a result of noticing… Continue reading The Power of 3 Breaths // Laura Donohue
Why do we warm up? Some might say we do this for our vocal health, to exercises our voices, to prepare them for a long day of singing and talking. Some might use warm-ups as tools for technical mastery, to work out issues that arise in repertoire. Perhaps some of us warm up (or say… Continue reading Warming Up to Mindfulness: Using Vocal Warm-Ups to Calm Anxiety and Love Your Voice // Kelly Hoppenjans