5 Minutes to Stress Reduction

It seems all of us have never been busier. 

Practicing your art is probably not at the top of the to-do list! 

It is somewhere on there, though, or we wouldn't be chattin' it up right now. 

So, here's a checklist of how to practice singing in 5 minutes:

• Breath

• Breath some more

• Breath before you sing

• Keep breathing while you sing

• Enjoy the stress reduction

• Enjoy the oxygen high

• Repeat tomorrow

I just made a video on YouTube that walks you through this. 

Bookmark it and sing along during your day for the singing version of mood-enhancing drugs!

Get your Stress Reductions singing warmup here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LcTo52LZe5E

If you want to dive deeper into the technique and get the most out of your warmups, check out the full Sing with Josh course here: https://www.singwithjosh.com/

I Am Not Throwin' Away My... Shot

Two weekends ago, we saw Opera Colorado's production of The Shining.

This past weekend, we saw the national tour of Hamilton.

Live theatre is fantastic. The electricity in the audience for Hamilton was spellbinding. People were screaming in joy. The actors lit up the stage, and I had a smile on my face for 3 hours.

The Shining was more like being in a museum, like looking at a piece of great art. It commanded respect and rapt attention.

Opera singers don't use microphones, and Musical Theatre singers use microphones.

Because of that, the whole medium changes.

A "no microphone" vocal production has to be different to be heard over an orchestra and to be projected to the back of the house.

There were some fantastic singers in Hamilton. Some of their bios even said they trained classically.

Classical vocal training allows you to sing everything. You can sing pop, rap, rock, opera, jazz, or whatever you want. All you have to do is adjust the vowel production for the genre you are singing.

The Vocal Academy at Sing with Josh stems from my 20 years as a professional singer in New York City and around the world. The curriculum is based on my education at Manhattan School of Music and the world-class teachers and coaches I have studied.

Not only will you get an excellent singing education through the Sing with Josh online course, but you will start to recognize the subtleties that make other singers great (or not great!). You'll start to enjoy live performances more because you'll identify vocal technique in action.

This technique changed my life. I'm excited to see how it will change yours!

Sign up here: https://www.singwithjosh.com/

Benefits In All The Wrong Places

Yesterday was an exercise in lemons out of lemonade.

The car wouldn't start, but my amazing neighbor rescued us and took the kids to school. We had a great conversation during the commute.

The dishwasher leaked and the kitchen flooded with water, but Rod, our contractor, went to YouTube University and fixed it.

A dear old friend of mine was going through a rough patch and said a few choice words to me, but it motivated me to write an original song about his situation. (demo releasing soon!)

And then, I started teaching.

I guided students through breathing exercises, which helped steady my nerves.

I got to sing all day by demonstrating vocal technique, which improved my mood.

One student recorded Moon River and Illicit Affairs while I played piano and helped produce the track on Ableton. It felt great.

A simple 5-minute singing warm-up can calm your nerves, change your mood, and give you some inspiration.

If you could bottle those benefits, you could make millions of people happy.

Wait, I think we already did that.

It's all here in the Sing with Josh online course.

It's more than just a singing course.

Inside The Vocal Academy, You Will:

• Learn professional techniques for every level of singing

• Develop the muscles that directly control your singing voice

• Develop your chest and falsetto registers and learn to coordinate between the two voices

• Overcome your fears of singing

• Learn vowels, vocal anatomy, ear training, breathing for singing, emoting, and performance skills

• Professional, hands-on guidance with an optional private lesson and four months of group coaching

• Apply your technique to songs you love

• Learn to experience the pure freedom of singing well

Read more about it here: https://www.singwithjosh.com/

Please let me know if you have any questions.

My wife can't stand Kevin Costner

I'm not sure why, but Rebecca just can't deal with Kevin Costner movies.

It's become a running joke for us.

"Should we watch Waterworld tonight? I heard it's awesome."

"Hey, the kids won't be home for 3 hours - wanna watch Dances with Wolves?"

Yeah, right.

My favorite Kevin Costner movies are a close call.

Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, or, Field of Dreams.

"If you build it, he will come."

That's the famous line from Field of Dreams.

I've always thought of that line whenever I would work on something.

I thought, if I worked hard enough on whatever it was, it would work out.

It's usually true.

Ray Liotta was the "coach" in Field of Dreams. Throughout the movie, he helped our friend Kevin like the friendly ghost he was.

He would pop out of the creepy cornfield with some wise adage, and Kevin would get back to work, tearing up his farm. Thankfully, it worked out in the end.

Everyone needs a coach, and a good coach is hard to find.

I've studied with SO many vocal coaches and teachers, and I feel like I'm that Ray Liotta ghost, wandering out of a digital cornfield, saying to you, "If you build it, they will come."

If you build your voice like I know you've always wanted to, you will find a bit of fulfillment.

I see it all the time with my students, and I'll be here for you along the way to make sure you stay on the vocal path.

The Sing with Josh online course is designed to make sure you feel comfortable in your vocal progression.

If you have a question, just call out my name (or drop me an email - that might work better).

Build yourself a better voice today.

Get started here: https://www.singwithjosh.com/

Last call to save $100 at Sing with Josh

Hello friends, just a quick note that our 20% off sale is ending today.

If you've wanted to introduce your vocal cords to the Sing with Josh Vocal Academy, this is an excellent opportunity to do it.

So many perks, so little time!

• Lifetime access to the curriculum

• Learn at your own pace

• Four months of live group classes

• Optional private lessons with me

• Performance opportunities and much more!

Grab the sale here before 11 AM Mountain Time on March 9th:

https://www.singwithjosh.com/

Only 2 days left to save $100

"I wish life was not so short... Languages take such a time, and so do all the things one wants to know about."

J. R. R. Tolkien

A student posted this quote the other day, and it made me realize how many things I want to learn more deeply:

• Spanish

• Martial Arts

• Piano

But, the Vocal Academy at Sing with Josh works on your time.

Our self-paced curriculum never goes away. How does lifetime access sound?

Our practice schedule will help you parcel out moments in your day to practice.

And, you'll get extra inspirational videos and tidbits of vocal insights from me.

Live classes are optional and recorded for your convenience.

But, the sale is going away in two days!

Sign up here: https://www.singwithjosh.com/

Volcanos of bubbles in the bathroom

"Um, Josh, did you put bubbles in the toilet? Because there is, like, a volcano of bubbles coming out of the toilet," my wonderful red-headed wife says to me.

"Huh?" I mutter in confusion and saunter over to the bathroom. 

I mean, sometimes, sure, I put some bubbles in the toilet to keep things interesting, but surely there can't be bubbles exploding out of the toilet.

Lo and behold, in our construction zone of a bathroom, there are more bubbles than I have ever seen seeping, oozing, really, out of the toilet. 

My first thought is the bubbles will clean the caulk and drywall dust for me, but then I remember that two red-headed twin boys are taking a bubble bath upstairs.   

"Booooooooooooooys!" I holler in my chest-coordinated baritone.

The water stops running, and they hobble down in their bubble suits and start cleaning up the art exhibit. 

I should have taken a photo. 

Anyway, the moral of the story is: Chest Voice is for Hollering.

One must strengthen and train the chest voice to be heard over a gushing bathtub full of bubbles. Or an Orchestra, for that matter!

The chest voice is for hollering! Use it or lose it, I say. 

If you want to get your hollering on and save a potential bubble catastrophe, slide on over to the Vocal Academy at Sing with Josh. 

Hurry on up; there's a sale happening for the next 5 days. 

After that, the sale will disappear like Bubbles sprayed by Isopropyl Alcohol. (Did you know that? Many thanks to my Mother-in-law!)

Get your elite vocal technique here: https://www.singwithjosh.com/

P.S. This story reminds me of "Singing in the Bathtub," as sung by the fabulous Mandy Patinkin (we have another great tale about him, too!)

The most nervous I've ever been!

A group of tough-looking Jets was standing stage right at Carnegie Hall. My destination at center stage was a good 50 feet away. The New York Philharmonic started playing "When you're a Jet," and I had about 15 seconds to get there to start singing my solo. 

There was a tiny walkway between the violins and the lip of the stage. 

The sold-out audience at Carnegie Hall was to the right, and the New York Philharmonic crushing the score of Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story Suites was on the left. 

One Billion Butterflies were flying around in my stomach. 

And, I walked stone-cold to Center Stage and sang my guts out. 

After the show, my singing hero at the time, Thomas Hampson, big hair and all shook my hand and said, "Great job."

I was nervous. I was terrified. But, I kept going. 

Preparation is critical for any endeavor. Singing is a little different, though, and it takes a little longer to prepare.The opportunities that help you prepare for big gigs are few and far between. 

You might not be singing at Carnegie Hall tomorrow or next year, but what about that audition for a community theatre, school play, or just a family concert in the living room? 

I want to help you prepare for those moments when you want to stand up and sing. 

The nerves might be there, but you can keep going too. (It helps to walk slowly!)

The Vocal Academy at Sing with Josh will help you become a better singer.

Learn more about it here: https://www.singwithjosh.com/

Keep Calm and Sing On!