I’ve been encouraged (for ages) to write a blog of thoughts especially concerning those about singing but first I want to give a bit of background about me.
I coach singers and choirs, week in , week out. I help them with their songs for performances, give them vocal workouts to help with vocal technique and most importantly I help them to express their feelings about their voices during a session. I encourage. In fact I feel like a vocal psychotherapist, because if we didn’t talk about the “why” and “how” in our sessions they would never move forward and improve.
I sing as well as teach, gospel and jazz are my preferences, but I don’t see myself as “only” a singer or a singing teacher, I am a musician. I guess this statement is helped by the fact that I can read music and play (preferably by ear) the piano. So here in my first blog is a request to all my instrumentalist friends from one musician to another.
I want all musicians/ instrumentalists who play in bands with singers to think a lot more about their singers voices while sound checking before rehearsals and gigs in future. In fact make sure they have their own monitor and can hear themselves BEFORE and DURING your session or gig. I’ve personally nursed enough sore throats from singing too hard (pre-1990′s) and have coached enough singers to know that this really must be given more consideration. SERIOUSLY!
And to all my singers out there, don’t just be included in the band be more INVOLVED! Make sure you’re involved in setting the song keys, argue for more consistency with sound engineering, know what your best settings are, ask questions about the accoustics at venues – STAND UP and behave more like a musician!
Simon Cowell (we dip our heads as we say his name…) said with great disdain to Paula Abdul on “American X Factor” that singers’ voices are NOT equal to and therefore aren’t to be called instruments. I beg to differ Mr Cowell (although I respect your abilities to make so much money from so little talent, no seriously they need me on that panel or at the very least on the show as a voice coach but that’s another blog…)
Our voices ARE our instruments, we strum (sing) and get percussive (beat-box) better than any other “externally played” instrument I know. The only thing we can’t naturally compete with is the VOLUME of other instruments.
So now that I’ve introduced myself to you, expect to receive further missives (messages) concerning me the musician, voice coach, singing teacher and happy black female. Coming soon soon..more of the same.
