Force Choked by Darth Tension

Force Choked by Darth Tension:

I was watching Star Wars the other day with my kids, and something occurred to me when Darth Vader couldn't take any more insults from Admiral Motti (the Death Star commander who mustered the courage to confront Vader's "sorcerer's ways”). This of course resulted in Vader’s decision to force choke Motti’s sneering windpipe from 10 feet away.

Poor Vader... the guy needs to get his emotions in check.

But as singers, we also know what it’s like to be in Admiral Motti’s shoes/windpipe. While singing with tension is a far cry from literal choking, not being able to sing the notes you want, not being able to breathe freely, and most of all, feeling scared or unable to function while on stage, are all real issues.

Thankfully I have an antidote!

In my latest mini e-book, I teach you the fundamentals of How to Sing Without Tension. Admiral Motti only wishes he could’ve thought of these tension-reducing techniques whilst Darth Vader had his grippy force tentacles around his throat.

Get it while the Grippin’s Good!

https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/ebooks/howtosingwithouttension

There is also an audio download available with the eBook, so you can practice in your car, or a crowded subway!

Singing Lessons for JEDI masters - Right here:

https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

Peace,

Josh
Boulder Voice Lessons

Man Fined $149 For Screaming In His Car While Singing ‘Everybody Dance Now’ Too Loudly

“I was thinking they wanted to pass, but they called on the speaker ‘Please go to the right side.’ I stopped and four police came, two on each side, and checked the inside of the car. Then they asked me if I screamed. I said no, I was just singing.”

I found that gem on the most hilarious site ever, FML news.

Good grief…

I’m going to get in touch with this guy and sponsor him with a few lessons.

“I don’t know if my voice is very bad and that’s why I got the ticket, but I was very shocked.”

Bless his heart…

I talk a lot about learning the vocabulary of the technique here at Boulder Voice Lessons. It’s important to know the definition of the follow words:

Chest Voice
Falsetto Voice
Head Voice
Coordination
Function Tone
Fundamental Pitch
Fundamental and Harmonic Resonances

…and the list goes on and on…

The ability to produce the sounds that these words define CREATE a complicated and beautiful tone. It’s a tone that people sit up in their chairs, or edge closer to the stage, to hear. They’ll say something like, “whoa… I don’t know how that person is making that sound, but I like it!”

That’s the sound we make here at Boulder Voice Lessons.

There are a bunch of ways to learn how to create this sound:

Private Lessons in person with yourz truly
eBooks
Boulder Voice Lessons “How to Sing” YouTube Videos
Online Singing Lessons via Skype or Facetime or Facebook Messenger

But, the most complete way to learn to sing is to combine all those options.

So, get in touch with me, and let’s chat.  There are lots of changes afoot here at Boulder Voice Lessons, and I want you guys in on the ground floor! I can’t wait to share it all with you as soon as it’s ready.

Until then, check out the YouTube Lessons, and if you haven’t signed up for the email list yet, do that here:

https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/5tips

(You’ll get a FREE eBook, 5 Tips to Sing Better, for your efforts)

Sign up for a Singing Lesson here!

https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

Pe@ce!
Josh
Boulder Voice Lessons

www.BoulderVoiceLessons.com

1 Easy Tip to Sing Better!

Once it was an 11 minute ab workout... Then, it was a 7 minute ab workout...

Same thing with razors... One razor blade used to do the trick, and now 19, or whatever the current number is, is the only way to go...

WELL! Here's 1 (ONE) TIP to make you a better singer!

Heed this info well, my good friends, for it will work!

Here's the video:

Please SUBSCRIBE! 

Let me know if you 'gots questions!

Peace,

Josh

Get some history in your ear

Jerry Hadley was arguably America's greatest operatic tenor in the 20th century.

He gave a revolutionary interview that probably ticked a lot of people off. This is required listening, so click on that video right after you finish reading this.

He talks about getting history in your ear, and learning the style of the music from the greatest singers that have ever been recorded.

He talks about how opera singers are notoriously bad for not knowing the history of the human voice, and being overly concerned with placing your voice in a specific spot, worrying too much about technique, and worrying whether not you’re doing it.

So check out the video, and then do some research... stand on the shoulders of the giants before you. Learn from them. This applies to all music, pop, jazz, opera, musical theater, whatever.

It is up to the Singer to improve and conquer the world. My favorite quote from this interview is the following:

“The teacher is only as good as the receptacle to which he is giving that information.”

You do not need anyone’s permission to sing… so go out there and get learnin’!

Start your Singing Lessons in Boulder journey today!

https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

Peace!
Josh
Boulder Voice Lessons

 

Subscribe to the YouTube Page!

12/31/2017

Last day of the year….

Here’s an update you didn’t think you needed.

Unlike Apple, these batteries won’t slow you down..

What batteries you ask? The Boulder Voice Lesson Batteries.

That doesn’t make sense - I know.

But these 5 singing tips will make sense!

Start 2018 off with a voice lesson course that is free, easy to follow, and gets results!

Help me get to 100 subscribers before 11:59pm tonight! Come on!

Visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF4FlnRG4vFLKqm-7zboKqQ

And while you’re at it - work on the exercises!

Happy New Year!

Josh

https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/

 

How Karaoke Saved My Life!

Everybody’s having a blast a karaoke... Except me.

These people were ripping out Whitney Houston, Adele, all the great Broadway tunes, and after they got done singing they were rewarded with high-fives, hugs and complimentary shots.

Not Me... just crickets.

I felt terrible, here you are all having a great time and all I got was the obligatory sideway glances and congratulatory pats on the back.

I was so embarrassed…

An acquaintance regaled this story to me after I mentioned that I was an opera singer, and had a voice lessons studio in the Boulder area.

Now, what can we do to learn from this infomation?

We don’t want to be embarrased or fail! We all wanna slay the dragon - be the hero, save the day, or just kick some serious tushy at karaoke!

I propose a few ways to move forward from here:

1.      This might seem a bit obvious, but choose an appropriate song. Do some research; sing along to some karaoke tracks at home, and see if you can actually hit all the notes.

2.      Take some voice lessons.
Voice teachers can help you learn how to sing better. Actually, these videos that I made will help you learn to sing better, and are totally free.

3.      Practice, Practice, Practice – but practice with proper technique. If you don’t know proper technique, see #2.

These ideals can appeal to all types of performing – School plays, Community theatre, Auditions…

Any more questions? Hit me up in the comments section below, or email me at info@bouldervoicelessons.com

Interested in taking voice lessons? First Singing Lessons are 50% off. All you have to do is sign up here:

https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

I can't stop starting at 'dat Class

The perks just keep on coming, my friends.

When you are in the studio here at www.BoulderVoiceLessons.com, we do an Old Skool thang that has been tested through time.

All the Singing Students in the studio, at the end of the semester, get together for a studio class.

We all gather to sing in front of each other, wall practice the same technique, and basically… we all sound awesome.

Bestable of all, we get to practice the songs we've been werkin' on in front of real life non-digital people!

This is where your skillz get put to the test.

Competition, my lovelies, is what makes the cream rise to the top…

"Anyone who imagines they can work alone winds up surrounded by nothing but rivals, without companions. The fact is, no one ascends alone."
- Lance Armstrong (The greatest, hardest working athlete that ever lived)

So, get on that bike/horse/eagle, fly over here to www.bouldervoicelessons.com, and sign up for your free eBook filled with great singing tips!

Singing Lessons live here in Boulder. Sign up here: https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

Peace!
Josh
Boulder Voice Lessons

Video Voice Lessons - Boom or Bust?

Can you learn anything from a video lesson?

Video Lessons are mainly there to peak your interest… to start a fire within you to have the desire to work towards that goal.

Take a martial art like Jiu Jitsu… it’s easy to get caught up in YouTube videos about Jiu Jitsu moves (right???? Or am I the only one here... crickets... awkward....)

You spend 3 hours (that you should have spent sleeping) going down the YouTube rabbit hole of watching matches, watching instructional videos, only to roll into the gym, and you find that all of your digital learning doesn’t really work out for you as you get chocked out over and over again (at least that’s my experience!)

If you’ve got a willing partner, you could work on the things that you learned, but the moves that a true-to-life class will drill, stick far better in your toolbox of tactics than you could ever hope for with a YouTube video instructional video.

It’s the same with the voice! You need to be able to sing for the teacher. The teacher must hear your voice, especially in the beginning, to see if you are doing the exercises correctly.

The Chest Voice Exercise and the Falsetto Voice Exercises are integral, fundamental steps to your progression. You can’t move on to the next level, or belt, unless you have a working knowledge of the fundamentals.

So get in touch, and let’s get you started off right. I’m here to help.

Josh

Schedule your first voice lesson today!

https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

By the way, I am a current student of JiuJitsu at Easton Training Center in Boulder, CO. I can't recommend it enough as an exercise regime, but it's especially helpful for singers. It's an amazing workout; you’ll learn to control your emotions, your fears, but mostly your breath. 

How many times have we, as singers, felt nervous or scared of the stage? It's different for everyone, but there's nothing like perspective to make you not worry about stage fright, and a martial art, especially JiuJitsu, often puts you in uncomfortable physical and mental situations.

I've learned so much about the breath through these situations. It might not be for everyone, but if you're interested, and in the Denver/Boulder area, check out Easton (tell them I referred you!)

Peace!

Free Demo Recording? Sure, I'll take one...

How about a free demo recording with that?

Ok… get ready… this is what I am bringing to the table:

Expert vocal technique advice - $65/hour

20 years' experience of musical style vocal coaching advice – included.

20 years' experience in the singing industry, mainly in New York City - included.

A safe, fun, exciting learning environment – included.

Access to online video singing lessons that review the techniques you learned in your lessons – included.

Is anybody else offering these bonuses for being involved in their vocal studio? I’m honestly not sure...

But, Boulder voice lessons is!

Sign up for our email list and get your free eBook today!

Schedule your first Voice Lesson here: https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

Peace!
Josh
Boulder Voice Lessons

How a child’s temper tantrum taught me to sing better

It was a simple mistake.... I should’ve known better.

I hope I didn’t mess this kid up for life, but…

I cut his pancake in half.

Cue the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown now.

This poor little snowflake son of mine tilted his head back and let out the most primal, and yet coordinated, chest voice and falsetto functional sound you have ever heard. I’m gonna have to cut his pancake tomorrow, just so I can record this for you.

My amazing teacher Franco Bertacci, talks about this sound as the natural sound of the Larynx.

With no vowel, lots of air, and a neutral sound, this is basically called - the function sound!

Try it...have somebody cut your pancake, and let out (dys)functional sound. It actually feels really good. It’s like a bombshell of emotion exploding, after seeing your sweet, beautiful chocolate-chip pancake being destroyed before your very eyes.

Don’t try this at home, kids. For real. Hit me up with the online session, and we’ll talk about it.

For those seeking a strong chest voice that you can take higher in your voice, this is an invaluable addition to your arsenal of vocal technique!

50% off your first Voice Lesson here:
https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

Pancake Destroyer Josh

Little Orphan Annie Got it Right

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The sun WILL come out tomorrow.

Actually, the sun has been “coming out tomorrow” for about 4.5 billion years. Don’t quote me on that…. ask Neil Degrasse Tyson.

The point is, that barring some total black hole collapse, the sun will continue to come out for the foreseeable future…

You can bet your bottom dollar on that.

No matter how terribly your day is going, you can count on this:

Tomorrow will come.

We can take this idea and put it towards the idea of Building Vocal Technique.

Muscles take time to grow, and if you work them out one day, the next day, they’ll probably be stronger.

It’s a simple, yet complicated idea, and different from getting 1000 likes on your new hairdo selfie, it’s certainly not instant gratification. It takes time - lots of time!

So get started on your 10,000 hours of voice building today, and check out my new YouTube videos.

You can learn any technique on YouTube, but ultimately only you can put in the time, and get stronger…for tomorrow.

For Singing Lessons in Boulder, schedule your time here:

https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

Peace!
Josh
Boulder Voice Lessons

How do I get a College Scholarship?

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So you want to take over the world, eh?

Anyone will tell you – start young....

Golf, tennis, martial arts, dance, rock climbing, whatever. Put in thousands of hours of practice of those skills as a kid, and chances are, when you grow up, you’ll be better than 99% of the adults on the planet at those skills.

As a parent, I know the importance of exposing kids to skills that are usable as they grow up. For instance, I think my twin boys should grow up wrestling each other (they already do...), and maybe they’ll get a full NCAA scholarship in wrestling! Who knows…

Or, if you want to go the music route, there are a lot of marketable skills that a singer can bring to the table. And, universities, both big and small, but especially the big ones, are always looking for talented singers that can be showcased for audiences.

Starting a singing journey in the beginning of high school can prepare the student for those college scholarship auditions.

  • A few years of singing preparation will lead to a better chance of a successful scholarship audition.

  • A successful scholarship audition will lead, hopefully, to a scholarship!

  • A scholarship would lead to reduced tuition, and a reduced debt load.

  • A reduced debt load will lead to more money in your pocket for the rest of your life.

You get the idea…

Deep thoughts for a Drowsy Sunday after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Start your journey on world domination here:

https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

Talk Soon!

Josh

How to Increase Range and Size of Your Voice

Do you want to have a louder voice?

Would you like to have more textures and tones to work with? 

It all begins by strengthening the muscles that control the falsetto. 

Don't know how to strengthen those muscles? Have no fear - Here is a YouTube Lesson that will teach you how to do it:

Sing up for your Voice Lesson Here:

https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

Peace!
Josh
Boulder Voice Lessons

, , ,

How do I "warm-up?"

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How do vocal warm-ups get you ready to sing? Are you really “warming “up your voice?

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Vocal warm-ups are the same thing as the “warm-ups” you would do before a physical work out. If you’re going to lift weights, you do a little bit of cardio or stretching to get your blood pumping, or you lift lighter weights to get ready to lift something heavier. 

It’s the same with singing - but don’t overdo it!

If we can all agree that there is a limit to how much one can sing in a certain day, we can all agree that we should not warm up past exhaustion.

We want to save our best singing for the performance - it’s important to not warm up too much.

In a vocal warm-up, we want to remind ourselves of the coordination of the muscles, of the different textures we can sing, of the idea of the falsetto, of the chest voice, and how to coordinate it all together.

For your next vocal warm up, spend about 5 to 10 minutes going through the singing exercises and singing lessons that I teach, and then go wow the crowd!

Or better yet, schedule a lesson with me here:

https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

 Peace!
Josh
Boulder Voice Lessons 

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Breath Support

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Breath Support in singing seems like it should be obvious...

The more air that is flowing over the vocal cords, the louder the sound will be.

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The muscles that hold the vocal cords together need to be strong enough to withstand the air pressure. That's where the Voice Building exercises come in (if you haven't seen the YouTube Singing Lesson, Click Here)

You want as much air as possible passing over the vocal cords...It's like the difference between a trickle of water slowly flowing out of a faucet, verses a fire hose that is consistently blowing water out of the opening. 

  • You have to be willing to let the air out

  • You have to be willing to make a loud sound

  • You have to open the jaw, and let the breath pour out.

Take a breath, and sigh out loudly and quickly. The longer you can let the air flow out, the more "breath support" you have. Time yourself - work on making the air come out for a longer amount of time. 

That's about as simple as it is. 

Questions? Hit me up with an email, or Sign up for the email list, and you'll get a free eBook - 5 Tips to Sing Better

Thanks!
Josh

 

 

Opera is.....

Opera has been around for about 400 years!

Talk about an enduring artform.

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It combines theater, music, dance, costumes, sets, foreign languages, deep-seated human emotions.... and, it’s generally very long!

An operatic technique takes years and years to work on. Do you remember the amazing singer, Jewel? She was studying to be an opera singer, and after hearing it would take over 10 years to even get the technique going, she decided to sing pop music.

The rest, is history.

But, the classical technique can give you the foundations for a unique pop, rock, or jazz, or rap vocal sound.

Listen to this song by Adele.

I hear some great chest voice, some really wonderful falsetto, some coordination between the two registers, and then some mix, which adds some more emotion to the sound.

She is using all of those techniques to add different colors, timbres, and emotions to this beautiful song. (“someone like youuuuuuuuu – great falsetto example)

The techniques she uses are possible to learn, and I can show you how!

Start by watching my two free videos on YouTube, and then send me an email to set up your lesson. I can teach online, so even if you’re in a different time zone, we can work on the technique!

Sign up for the email list and get a free eBook about 5 tips to sing better!

Would you like a scholarship with that?

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Like fries with a cheeseburger, a career, or the ability to create income, is the next logical progression after learning how to do something.

A friend of mine was telling me how her daughter basically paid for her entire college education by teaching piano during college.

She was easily able to move to a new town and start up a new studio rather quickly, leading to income, which led to no debt!

How about a scholarship with that?

Colleges are always looking for great singers to perform in their productions, and will pay handsomely for somebody that fits that description.

I currently have a couple of students in middle school, and in high school. They are learning how to sing better, and are working on their technique so they can add that extra opportunity to get some of that extra voice scholarship money.

How about you?

Want to join the studio?

Schedule a lesson here:

https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

 

 

Are singing lessons truly helpful?

Someone asked me that question the other day, and my first response was, “Of course!“

“But what if I cannot sing the melody, or harmony, or even sing in tune?”

Well...

There are lots of things that someone can do to improve their ability to sing on pitch - like ear training, or just general music education.

And, there are all sorts of ways to practice singing on pitch. If you have a piano, or guitar, or another instrument, you can practice by playing a note, and then trying to sing that note – or match that pitch.

You could also take a sight singing chorus at your local community college, or even audit a course at the local university in your town. I haven’t looked into it, but I’m sure there is a phone app that will help you with that goal.

Now, if your voice is not strong enough to actually sing in tune, or to hold a pitch, or to sing a full phrase without getting flat, then that becomes a voice building issue.

The two issues, not hearing the pitch, and not having a strong and a voice, are very much intertwined.

One helps the other.

So, sign up here for my email list, and get access to a few videos that will help you on your journey!

If you have any questions, email me at info@bouldervoicelessons.com, or sign up for an online voice lesson here: https://www.bouldervoicelessons.com/schedule

More later,
Josh