Thank you for reading The Singing Spot Ezine - Information and Special Offers for Singers
If you have trouble reading this HTML Newsletter via email visit here:
http://thesingingspot.com/Newsletters/html/09012007.htm

The Singing Spot Online Vocalist Directory Resource
THE SINGING SPOT EZINE - Table of Contents

1. Free Singing Tip
Questions Anyone? By Mark Baxter

2. Vocal Health Highlight
MyVocalHealth.com - Regular Delivery

3. Cool Stuff for Singers
Singing Freedom

4. The Music Industry
Recording Vocals

5. Feature Article
Talent Competition Tips

6. Visit our Sponsors

7. Links

Would like to receive The Singing Spot Ezine via email on a regular basis? JOIN HERE.

This newsletter has been formatted to print easily for your convenience.

Thank you for subscribing to The Singing Spot Newsletter. Our goal is to provide you with quality information on singing and vocal production, including tips, articles, lessons, product reviews, product highlights, new sites to visit and more.

The Singing Spot Newsletter is an opt-in list only. We never send unsolicited email. If you have received this email in error, please use the unsubscribe link at the end of this newsletter to remove your name. All personal information is private and never shared or sold.

BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL!!!

Want to get the lead in this year's school musical? Want to blow everyone away by getting the solo at the Christmas concert? Get started ahead of time with this great back to school special:

BUY THIS...
And get this for FREE
Singing Success
Book and CD Set
Singing Is Easy
Instant Online Download
HOW? Add the Singing Success product to your shopping cart at http://SingerCity.com and accept the free offer when prompted. Get started right away with your singing lesson instant download while you wait Singing Success to arrive in the mail! Order now.

 

FREE SINGING TIP(S)
 
QUESTIONS ANYONE?
with Vocal Expert Mark Baxter

QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL HABITS
Page numbers refer to detailed explanations in the Rock & Roll Singer Survival Manual

Q. Will one drink hurt?
A. Definitely not (page 14).

Q. How does alcohol hurt your voice?
A. Alcohol dries your vocal folds which need to be wet so the two don't mix well.

Q. Why do I sing better when I drink?
A. That's what you think. Actually it's true that liquor will relax muscles and reduce inhibitions; the trouble has always been discovering you drank too much, too late. There is an easier way......(page 193).

Q. Can I drink after I sing?
A. That depends on your schedule. Remember the drying qualities of alcohol won't take effect until you're asleep. When you wake, you'll have to work to regain the voice.(page 16).

Q. Are cigarettes harmful to my larynx?
A. Yes (page 10).

Q. What about occasional smoking?
A. Less harmful because you allow for recovery. Your body appreciates moderation.

Q. What's a good way to quit smoking?
A. (page 10).

Q. Is junk food bad for my voice?
A. Yes, it doesn't provide the lasting energy necessary to sing. Sugar eats up vitamins and leaves you depleted after the inital charge (page 27).

Q. Does eating on the run hurt my voice?
A. Your body needs to focus energy to digest efficiently. The stress of rushing around while cramming food creates mucus because the system is over-taxed. If the dashboard and floor of your car is littered with McDonald's bags, it's time to re-think your schedule (page 24).

Copyright © Mark Baxter. All rights reserved worldwide.

Questions & Answers above found in
Mark Baxter's:
ROCK AND ROLL
SINGER SURVIVAL MANUAL

Tune in next time for questions about your routine!

Also, check out these other cool vocal training products by Vocal Expert Mark Baxter. If you are a serious singer, you can never have too many qualified teachers. These should be part of your library!

Singer's Toolbox DVD
Secrets of Screaming by Mark Baxter

Sing Like an Idol by Mark Baxter

 

VOCAL HEALTH HIGHLIGHT
We get lots of questions about vocal health products, so we have devoted
a section to tell you about a new product with each issue. Back to the Top.

We get phone calls every day from singers asking which products are good for specific purposes. Below is this newsletter's featured product, CLEAR VOICE, to consider keeping on hand:

 Clear Voice Vocal Spray

Clear Voice
Have a rasp you just can't shake? This product just might do the trick for you. Available in six different flavors, this product is highly recommended by rock singers due to the strain rock "screaming" can initiate. Also, if you are in a variety show where you have to move from songs made famous by Janis Joplin to those highly recognized ballads like Unchained Melody...this just might help raise your comfort and your confidence level. You can use this product during performance...but of course we recommend using it during rehearsal first!

 


TESTIMONIALS!

"Well, short of rehearsals, I've found all I need. Clear Voice. Even in smoky bars or with a cold, Clear Voice has the ability to maintain the vocal clarity of a healthy voice, and resurrect a scratchy, cracking one from the dead."

Jim Schweitzer, Randon Maxx


"I've used [Clear Voice] every time I've gone into the studio the last few months and I'm sold on this product. It is absolutely amazing and I've recommended it to every person I know who sings."

Len Jennings

 

Remember...don't wait until you really need this product to order it. Overnight shipping costs more than the product and more often than not, arrives the day after your important gig. You can't get it from your local drug store, so visit http://SingerCity.com today! Also NEVER ASSUME that UPS Next Day Air will get to you the very next day. Many companies take 24-72 hours to process your order and ship your product!

 

COOL STUFF FOR SINGERS
Back to Top.

SINGING FREEDOM
INSTANT VOICE LESSON DOWNLOAD

by: Sally Garozzo

The Great Thing About Singing Is That Anyone Can Do It. If You Can Speak You Can Sing..." The Singing Freedom series is a step by step programme which is designed to be your practice companion and coach you every step of the way towards vocal freedom. After a few months, when your friends and colleagues hear you, they won’t believe it’s the same person!!


 

Here's What You'll Gain From SINGING FREEDOM in just 2 Weeks...

  • More confidence to sing on your own or in front of an audience.
  • You'll learn to sing from scratch or polish up your existing technique.
  • You'll gain the ability to sing higher with more strength, clarity, power and style.
  • You'll be able to extend your range safely.
  • You'll be able to move between vocal registers smoothly.
  • You'll have a more varied tone to your voice and be able to turn on different voice qualities.
  • You'll sing more in tune and to hear notes better.
  • You'll have ability to sing through nerves.
  • You'll have better vocal health.


THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
Back to Top.

The Musicians Guide to Recording Vocals
By Dallan Beck

Recording Institute of Technology instructor Dallan Beck presents a well thought-out tutorial on recording vocals that all musicians and recording engineers can learn from.

MICROPHONES, MIC PLACEMENT, COMPRESSION, EQUALIZATION, TRACKING VOCALS, EFFECTS

The accompanying CD contains 80 demonstration tracks for listening.

Click here to order now or learn just a few of the amazing bits of information available in this book.

Below is the Introduction of this impressive book from the author, Dallen Beck:

INTRODUCTION
(page 4)

When I began writing and recording this book, my original intention was to use the SSL or Neve Studios at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, California. This is where I currently record and teach, and where, on any given day, you could walk in and hear an album being recorded or mixed for any number of professional artists - from rock to pop to blues to fusion. If you haven't seen either of these two studios, they are beyond words: Each outfitted with over one million dollars worth of recording equipment. And this has become a normal recording situation for me! (Hey it took me ten long years to gain access to such high-end equipment - why would I use anything else?

However, I soon began to wonder whether it would be fair to make a book/CD using this gear. Would it be productive to the average reader/listener? What was my goal in writing the book: To impress readers? To overwhelm them with unrealistic expectations? Or to give them a goal they could actually attain?

Of course, it was the latter. So I chose to put myself in your shoes. I built my own project studio, took all the knowledge I could, and applied it to a setting that you might be using right now. I wanted this book/CD to be a text you could actually use, not just look and listen to. I decided to step back and remember when I first started recording, and wished someone would've helped point me in the right direction. Where was that book that showed me actual examples, good and bad? Where was that book that gave me great new ideas or reminded me of old ideas I had possibly overlooked?

So here it is: a basic guide to recording vocals. I hope it's valuable to you now, because it would've been valuable to me ten years ago. And when you master everything in this book, well, then it might be time for you to come down and see me at the Recording Institute of Technology.

 

FEATURED ARTICLE
With each issue we provide a featured article written by one of the world's top vocal coaches.
Back to Top.
Vocal Coach Susan Anders

Talent Competition Tips Part 1

Winning “Idol” - or any talent competition - Part 1
By Jeannie Deva

Reality TV
Popularity of reality TV in general and singing contests specifically has made American Idol a media sensation. At the same time, it has created a wonderful opportunity for aspiring performers while inspiring many to hold fast to their dreams.

Entering into a competition like American Idol however, is the modern day emotional equivalent of the gladiator fights in the old Roman coliseum. And there sits Simon, like the emperor, ready to determine your fate with a thumbs up or thumbs down. So how to you enter such a competition and not only survive but succeed in wowing the judges and an American audience well enough to eventually win?

In preparing for my appearance on “Idol Chat” on the TV Guide Channel, I have been watching American Idol with more scrutiny. Here are some of the errors many of the contestants have in common:


1) Going off pitch or “being pitchy” as the judges say.


2) Choosing the wrong song; this means that the song doesn’t easily permit them to sound unique. Instead of showing their own distinctive qualities as a singer, they sound like good but boring “record copies.”


3) They don’t have a level of certainty vocally and as a performer to put their all into the song without being self-conscious, causing them to hold back or play it safe. This results in an uncourageous and less than fully inspirational performance.

Tough Enough for Simon
Singing before a panel of judges and a TV audience may be one of the hardest things a performer would ever have to do. The pressure alone may cause you to make vocal mistakes that would otherwise never occur. In order to withstand that pressure well, a performer needs to be confident in each aspect of their talent and not just because they tell themselves they are, but because they really are.

Are You Ready?
Winning a competition or any challenging task begins with an attitude and carrying forward with a gradient approach. That means that before you go on national TV before millions of viewers and tough judges, you must master each of the simpler earlier tasks that cumulatively add up to a great performance. You crawl before you walk; you ride a tricycle before tackling a bicycle and even then someone helps you steady it before you go off on your own. Master the simpler, earlier steps before moving on to more complex skills.

In this season’s Idol top 24 finalists, the female contestants were in general, better singers than the males. More of them gave better performances as a result. They became good singers before becoming good performers. I have observed during my 30 plus years of teaching voice, that about 70% of voice students are female. Do we see a pattern here? A higher percentage of females study and practice voice and we find the women finalists on Idol are better singers and performers.

Good Singer First
Do you have enough understanding of the voice and strong enough vocal technique to sing with good pitch and tone when you aren’t under the stress of live performance? Training in proper voice technique and practice to develop your vocal muscles needs to happen before you worry about song choice and stylistic considerations. Trying to sing a song with appropriate style before developing adequate vocal technique is like worrying about correct accent in a language where you don’t even know what the words mean – or yet, don’t even know the language.

Even these actions have many steps within them, like learning to ride a bicycle, where you first do the simpler action and then build it up to more complex skills. Your voice needs to be developed and your performance skills need to be sharpened. Vocal technique should allow you to come through your songs and not restrict your personality and style. Your technique is adequate when you have attained freedom of expression and can deliver a song with good tone, consistency, control and passion. Then you have to be able to do it in front of an audience. The passion in your expression must come out without creating vocal strain or off pitch, non-musical phrases.

Seek the help of a good vocal coach or at least a self study course like my “Contemporary Vocalist” and build your skill step at a time. In Part 2 of this Vocal Tip we’ll address how to choose the right song and then how to develop your performance skills to the point of wowing the judges.

Until next time, keep on singing!

©2007 Jeannie Deva. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.

Study with Vocal Coach Jeannie Deva
in the privacy of your own home!
Harmony Singing by Ear by Susan Anders

The Contemporary Vocalist, Vol 1.

This easy and inexpensive course contains techniques designed specifically for the kinds of sounds and demands that are particular to singing Popular Music from Rock to Rap, Folk to R&B, Broadway to Blues. Packaged in an attractive plastic "travel-friendly" binder, The Contemporary Vocalist by Jeannie Deva is a fully illustrated 174-page book and four vocal exercise CDs. If you already own The Contemporary Vocalist in cassette format and would like to upgrade to CDs, contact us.

ORDER NOW
Volume 2 also available!

THE DEVA METHOD WARM-UPS AND COOL-DOWNS

One (1) Audio CD, 22 Tracks, 52:17 Minutes

Singers should always warm-up their voice before a rehearsal or gig, But how? Here it is! Just pop this CD into your car stereo on the way to your gig or rehearsal and follow the instructions by Jeannie Deva.

You will sail into the first song in your best form, with throat muscles relaxed and your voice feeling free and resonant! When you've completed singing, use this CD again for a voice saving cool-down.

ORDER NOW

Jeannie Deva is an international celebrity vocal coach, clinician, recording studio vocal producer, trainer of voice teachers, author of the Contemporary Vocalist and originator of The Deva Method. She has appeared on national TV and endorses TC-Helicon and Thayer’s products for singers. For more information about her method or to find a certified Deva Method® teacher, please visit www.JeannieDeva.com.

Jeannie Deva and The Deva Method are registered trademarks owned by Jeannie Deva Enterprises, Inc. and used with permission.

Online Music Store for Singers

 

Looking for something

NEW?

EXCITING?

SINGSATIONAL?

FREE?

CLICK HERE!

 

WELCOME LISA HERTZNER, OUR NEW EDITOR!

Contact Lisa directly for private lessons, to provide testimonials, to ask questions, to offer us suggestions, etc.

Email Lisa

The Singing Spot Ezine and Newsletter for Singers is now being edited by Lisa Hertzner of Tampa, FL. Lisa holds a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music as well as a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from SUNY Potdam.

Lisa Hertzner taught High School, Middle School and Elementary Music programs for over 10 years specializing in Show Choir, Jazz Choir, Concert Choir,Women's Choir and Musical Theater Productions. Lisa is currently working as a professional singer throughout the Tampa Bay area and teaching lessons as an associate to Yvonne DeBandi with the Sing Smart, Not Hard Vocal Training Method.

 

Thank you for reading.
See you next time!

www.TheSingingSpot.com
The Singing Spot - The Online Vocalist Resource - Link Directory, Newsletter & E-zine

Copyright © TheSingingSpot.com - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 2006
All articles reprinted with permission.