THE VOICE

I have been enjoying all the music reality shows and one of my favorites is "The Voice."  It seems like more and more musicians already in the industry are trying out for it, so it will be that much harder for a novice with not much experience to make it.  But there are always surprises, right?  It has been interesting to see at least two vocal teachers and coaches try out recently and not get picked.  The first one I saw was an older female singer who was over 50.  I think her mistake was that she tried to do too many riffs and runs and it made her voice sound unstable.  The second one was a young male teacher and he made the mistake of doing Celo's most famous song and of course, it didn't measure up.  So that just goes to show you that these judges are looking for specific things when they are listening to a singer.  It seems they want energy, pretty much singing all the notes on pitch, powerful vocals, attitude, and hearing a good rendition of a tough song.  I hope you are paying close attention to the judges' comments and if you are serious about singing, it would help to take notes during these shows.  It is exciting for me to share my thoughts with my students and see them incorporate these thoughts into their music.

On Friday of this week, two of my students (Heather and Jennifer--two nurses in their 20's) are giving a concert at Elmcroft.  They will each be singing 7 solos and 3 duets.  They have developed into good singers and I know they will do a great job.  Most of their songs are the latest pop and country songs, so the residents probably will not know them.  But it will be good for the residents to listen to what is current.  Some of their songs are (and these would be good for any singers to work on)--

-  Blown Away
-  Safe and Sound
-  The House That Built Me
-  Warwick Avenue
-  A Broken Wing
-  Your Song
-  Jar Of Hearts
-  Skyscraper
-  Mercy
-  American Homey
-  Stay
-  Rumor Has It
-  Someone Like You
-  Leave The Pieces
-  If I Ain't Got You
-  Boondocks
-  Come Together

As you can see, this is a great variety of music.  It will give them the experience of singing a "gig" that they can do again in the future.  I can't wait for Friday!

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!!

Okay, so we are seeing lots of music contests on television lately.  I hope all you voice students are taking notes out there!  There is a wealth of information being given in each show.  Here is a list of factors you should be watching with each contestant:

-  The confidence they are displaying.
-  The talent of the singer.
-  The song choice.  This can make or break a singer.
-   Whether the singer is singing on pitch or not.
-   The energy the singer is showing.
-   The movements of the singer.
-   If the singer "connects" with their audience.  Eye contact is everything.
-   Is the singer believable?
-   Are they pronouncing their words and opening their mouths?  Do they have a pleasant look?

Listen closely to the judges and their critiques of each contestant.  This is valuable information.  Take  notes because you will forget very important factors.  These shows are  a gold mine of information, so pay close attention to everything they have to say.