Rock Your Voice Podcast

If you sing in a choir, here are 3 things that are SO important to maintain voice health, build strength and stamina for long singing sessions.

This also definitely applies if you are in a band that rehearses regularly for long periods of time.Here are the links to the vocal warm ups and cool downs I mention in the audio.

Easy & Effective Warm Up:

Vocal Therapy & Cool Down:

If you'd like to work further on developing your voice check out the Experienced Singer VIP Program that is all taught live, by me in real time. It kicks off Sept 6th!

Here's more on the topic!

Warming up, cooling down, and staying hydrated are essential practices for anyone involved in singing, including choir members. These practices help to maintain vocal health, optimize performance, and prevent potential strain or damage to the vocal cords.

Here's why each of these aspects is important:

Warming Up:Singing is a physical activity that involves the use of various muscles, including those controlling the vocal cords, diaphragm, and supporting muscles. Warming up helps to prepare these muscles for the demands of singing.

A proper warm-up routine includes gentle vocal exercises and stretches that gradually increase blood flow to the vocal cords and surrounding tissues.

This can improve vocal flexibility, range, and overall control. It also reduces the risk of vocal strain or injury during intense singing sessions.

Cooling Down:Just as warming up is important, cooling down after singing is equally crucial. Cooling down involves gentle vocal exercises and relaxation techniques that gradually bring the vocal cords and muscles back to their resting state. This can prevent abrupt vocal strain that might occur when transitioning from intense singing to silence.

A proper cool-down routine can also reduce muscle tension and promote vocal recovery after a performance or rehearsal.

Hydration:Hydration is vital for maintaining healthy vocal cords.

The vocal cords require moisture to vibrate effectively and produce clear, resonant sound. When the vocal cords are properly hydrated, they are less prone to irritation, inflammation, and strain. Drinking enough water throughout the day helps to keep the mucous membranes of the vocal tract moist, ensuring optimal vocal function.

However, it's important to avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption, as these substances can dehydrate the body and negatively affect vocal performance.In addition to these practices, proper vocal technique and posture are also essential for choir singers.

Good technique ensures that the voice is produced efficiently and without unnecessary strain, while proper posture supports optimal breath control and vocal projection.

Remember that each individual's vocal needs can vary, so it's important to consult with a vocal coach or a speech-language pathologist who specializes in voice to receive personalized guidance on warming up, cooling down, and maintaining vocal health while singing in a choir.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Weekly Vocal Workout for more voice training every week!

Thanks for listening!

Do not drive while listening to this episode! Be sure that you are in a relaxed environment where you can stay still and focus only on your breath.

If you feel dizzy or in any way unwell while doing these, stop immediately.

In this episode we look at breathing techniques singers can use to relax your body as well as your mind and voice.

We look at a few different breathing techniques that can help you relax after being pumped up at a show or chill you out before stepping on stage.

There's an even deeper dive on this weeks Weekly Vocal Workout with a guided breath work training. You can subscribe HERE.

Here's the link to my new fall programs and the Experienced Singer VIP Program that I discussed in the episode too! I hope to connect with you soon and support you on your vocal journey!

My goal as a voice coach is to make sure that everyone who enjoys singing, has a healthy technique, a confident mindset and the understanding of how to get the best from your instrument.

There are so many amazing learning opportunities online, but sometimes it's really important to make sure you are singing correctly and in a healthy way that will get the most from your instrument.

Whether you want to learn regularly for fun, or just want one check in to make sure you are doing things safely and correctly, I am here for you! If you are wanting to try a free beginners class, check out this link to register for the Beginner Singer FREE live online class that will take place Weds August 23rd at 2pm-3pm MST. Get real time training and feedback from me as I walk you through a vocal warm up, work out and cool down and we chat about the foundations of good vocal technique.

If you are looking for more, or are looking for regular affordable voice coaching, check out the Weekly Vocal Workout and subscribe for weekly training for less that $10cad per month and get a new voice training download every week!

You can also check out more of my live group coaching programs for beginners to emerging artists HERE.

This episode digs deeper into this topic and learn why I'm passionate about helping you discover what your voice can do in a safe and healthy way! The BEST part is, it doesn't have to mean a long term commitment.

In many cases I can help you resolve issues or develop a strong practice routine in just one session.

Hiring a voice coach can offer numerous benefits

1. Skill Development: A voice coach is trained to identify your strengths and weaknesses and design a personalized training plan They can provide you with specific exercises and techniques to enhance your vocal range, tone, pitch control, and projection.

2. Confidence Boost: Working with a voice coach can boost your confidence in your speaking or singing abilities.

3. Effective Communication: Clear communication is crucial in both professional and personal settings.effectively and understood by others.

4. Public Speaking: If you're looking to become a more effective public speaker, a voice coach can help you with techniques to modulate your voice, control nerves, and engage your audience. You'll learn how to maintain a steady pace, emphasize key points, and use pauses effectively.

5. Singing Improvement: They can help you expand your vocal range, work on dynamics, and develop your own unique singing style.

6. Correcting Bad Habits: Over time, people can develop vocal habits that might be limiting their potential. A voice coach can identify these habits and provide guidance on how to correct them, preventing potential vocal strain or damage.

7. Personalized Feedback: Voice coaches provide personalized feedback tailored to your specific needs and goals.

8. Professional Goals: If your career involves using your voice extensively, such as broadcasting, acting, or singing professionally, a voice coach can be an invaluable asset. They can help you maintain the health of your voice, prevent vocal fatigue, and ensure your performances are consistently top-notch.

9. Stress Reduction: Learning to use your voice effectively can reduce stress associated with communication challenges. As you become more confident in your vocal abilities, you'll naturally feel more at ease in a variety of situations.

10. Long-Term Investment: The skills you develop with a voice coach are long-lasting. Once you've learned proper vocal techniques and communication skills, you'll continue to benefit from them throughout your life.

Whether you're looking to enhance your speaking, singing, or communication skills, a voice coach can make a significant positive impact on your journey.

Follow me on Instagram for more free tips and guidance, or to be able to reach out and chat about your vocal journey!

Overthinking while singing can negatively impact your performance in several ways. Here's why you shouldn't overthink when singing:

1. Loss of Authenticity: Singing is an expressive art form that requires a certain level of emotional connection to the lyrics and the melody. Overthinking can lead to a loss of authenticity as you become more focused on technical aspects rather than conveying genuine emotions.

2. Stifled Creativity: Overthinking can hinder your creative flow. Singing is not just about hitting the right notes; it's also about adding your unique style and interpretation to a song. When you overthink, you might become overly cautious and limit your creative choices.

3. Tension and Strain: Overthinking can lead to physical tension and strain in your vocal cords and body. When you're constantly analyzing your performance, you might unconsciously tense up, which can negatively impact your vocal quality and range.

4. Interference with Muscle Memory: Singing involves muscle memory, where your body learns how to produce certain sounds through practice. Overthinking disrupts this natural process, causing you to second-guess the muscle memory you've developed through practice.

5. Diminished Performance: Overthinking can cause anxiety and nervousness, which are detrimental to a good singing performance. Anxiety can affect your breathing, pitch control, and overall vocal quality, leading to a diminished performance.

6. Focus on Imperfections: Overthinking tends to magnify perceived imperfections. Instead of enjoying the act of singing, you might become fixated on small mistakes, leading to a negative self-assessment and reduced self-confidence.

7. Rigid Vocal Technique: While technique is important, overthinking can lead to a rigid adherence to rules and guidelines. While you should aim for good technique, it's also important to let yourself experiment and adapt as you connect with the music.

8. Lack of Flow: Singing should feel fluid and natural. Overthinking can disrupt the flow of your performance, making it feel disjointed and disconnected.

9. Unnatural Phrasing: Overthinking can lead to unnatural phrasing as you try to analyze every nuance of the song. This can result in a performance that sounds robotic rather than emotive.

10. Loss of Enjoyment: One of the main reasons people sing is because it brings them joy. Overthinking can take away the enjoyment of the experience, turning something you love into a stressful endeavor.

To counter the negative effects of overthinking, it's important to practice mindfulness and stay present in the moment while singing. Focus on the emotions you want to convey and trust in your training and practice. Remember that singing is not just about technical perfection; it's about sharing emotions, connecting with your audience and most importantly, ENJOYING the act itself!

If you are interested in the upcoming fall programs, such as Singing For Beginners, or the Weekly Check In & Tune Up, check out the information HERE,

Sign up here for the FREE Beginner Singer online class on August 23rd.

Or Subscribe to the Weekly Vocal Workout for new voice training audio each week.

Thank you as always for listening and please keep in touch via social.

I'm most interactive on Instagram @rockitvocalstudios but feel free to email me as well!

Have a wonderful day!

Emma.

The third tip can be a tough one to take on board as often we don't realize we are even doing this.

Here's a metaphor for you... When you take an amazing photo and share on instagram and it needs no filter, one of the main things people like to point out is that there is NO FILTER! #nofilter

This also applies to your voice. I

t's really common for less confident singers to add a filter to their singing voice. This is something that we can subconsciously feel is necessary to make our natural voice sound better. It's a very vulnerable position to be in when sharing your natural and genuine voice. We fear judgement and worry that people wont like the sound so we add the filter. Now filters can also be thought of as stylistic choices.

When they are used intentionally, they are great. They are fun to play with and create the tones sounds and styles you want as a vocalist. However, you need to be able to connect with your genuine voice before adding filters as you'll tire your voice and use more effort than necessary. Once you have a solid foundation, feel free to add filters that can help you sing the genres you love such as Metal, country, rock, pop or classical. But don't add things until you are ready and confident with your genuine sound.

Good luck exploring your genuine voice and making sure you are letting what is special about your voice shine through!

Be sure to check out the new programs this fall that will dig deep into connecting with your genuine voice, including Beginner Singer Group Course and the Vocal Check In & Tune Up!

You can also subscribe to the weekly vocal workout to get new voice training audio every week to keep your voice in top shape while learning new skills and techniques!

You can subscribe HERE. For only $9.99 cad per month.

As singers we fight a daily battle with our mind! We are always trying to do our best and work towards being better singers.

This gets tricky when we start to improve and our voices get stronger. This messes with your head because you no longer have to work as hard as you used to as singing becomes easier.

Like learning anything, you’ll improve as you practice, and its unnatural sometimes for certain things to feel easy.

Our first response with the singer brain is that if something feels really easy, we must be doing it wrong. Especially if it was really challenging to begin with.

This is where your approach to practice is really important as you can find yourself at a dangerous crossroad.

If you are a beginner singer and you are unaware that the voice is made of muscles that need to be trained and strengthened to create the sounds you want, you may think that pushing and reaching for a note will get you the result you want.

A lot of singers go for years just pushing at notes or using volume to reach a challenging point in a song. Over time the brain trains itself to accept that the pain, pinching and forcing is normal and that is what it feels like to sing challenging songs. This is WRONG and how you develop injuries from bad technique over time.

If you start with a correct foundation and use flexibility and movement through your range, you’ll be able to reach higher notes. They will be softer and weaker to start, but with the correct training you’ll build strength and stamina very safely and will be able to hit the notes with power and volume very quickly.

Practice Makes Permanent! Incorrect technique can very quickly get locked in place with regular incorrect practice.

Some indications that you may be doing it wrong are:

You save a certain song for the end of your set because it tires you out.

You have a scratch or a cough after working on a certain song or note.

You have to get loud to hit a note or line in a song.

Your voice feels tight and tired after singing.

You have trouble speaking or singing the day after using your voice.

If you are experiencing any of this you need to work with someone who can show you how to get the same sonic results, tones, volume and power without using your instrument incorrectly.

It will also help for you to develop a closer relationship with your instrument and understand how it works and start to trust the flexibility and movement in your range.

Don’t grip and push big notes. Allow for space, flexibility and movement.

In a very short time, you’ll have more power, add more notes to your range and be singing with ease. Controlling your voice, does not mean Locking things in place or holding them down.

When things start to feel easier, don’t panic! It just means you are getting better!

Email me with any questions or follow @rockitvocalstudios on social for more tips!

book a session or a free consult with me here.

Part one of this series looks at the first mistake singers of all levels make.

With the best of intentions and a strong desire to sing songs well, we often neglect taking the time to build a relationship with our instrument aka voice and go straight to controlling and correcting it instead of letting it flow freely and how it is meant to be used.

We jump in wanting to control our voice before we even understand it.

You don't need to be a voice science nerd to understand how your voice works for YOU.

Just being able to relate comfortably to how different notes feel when you sing them, where your breaks are and when to transition, you'll be able to get so much more from your voice.

In this episode I give you a very simple exercise that will allow you to build a great relationship with your voice and vocal range immediately!

If you have any questions or need help with this please reach out! Follow @rockitvocalstudios on instagram for more tips and be sure to listen to the next episode about how Practice Makes PERMANENT!

Good luck! Keep Rocking Your Voice!

What A Weekend!

I've just returned from the 97 South Song Sessions, where a group of Rockit clients joined me in Penticton British Columbia for a Rockit Roadtrip!

In this episode I talk about the event as well as my biggest take aways from the Song To Stage workshop where we learned from 18x CCMA music publisher of the year and 4x Grammy winning music publisher, Robert Ott.

We were also joined by Tim Nichols, who has written hits for artists like Alan Jackson for whom he penned the top hit “That’d Be Alright”, Reba McEntire, Keith Whitley, LeeAnn Womack, Blake Shelton and Jason Aldean. He also penned Dustin Lynch’s charttopper, Cowboys and Angels.  His #1 hits include JoDee Messina's"Heads Carolina, Tails California", Terri Clark’s “Girls Lie Too”,and homage to the aforementioned - “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” for Cole Swindell.    

Rik Emmet also shared stories and songs at the Storyteller Icon session, which didn't get me feeling too emotional until I recorded this episode and reflected on how beautiful it was and how important it is to share your voice as a singer.

In this episode we dig into the importance of sharing your songs with the world, removing psychological blocks as a singer and allowing the joy to flow through you and your music. Why making connections and building a genuine community with great artists and industry professionals is so important. I share why this weekend was so important and impactful to me as a singer and songwriter and talk about the amazing music and stories we heard from Tim Nichols, Wendell Mobley, Jamie O'Neal Paul Brandt and Lee Thomas Miller on the "Spotlight on Nashville" stage.

Over on the Discovery stage we heard music from

Teigen Gayse

Dan Davidson

Cole Bradley

Sykamore

What an incredible weekend it was.

Thank you to the entire 97 South Songs team for making it so special.

This episode is in no way endorsed by 97 South Songs, I just love the event so much and will continue to share about it until everyone who deserves to know about it, has heard about how great it is!

This is a question I'm asked all the time, is singing something you are born with, do people just have 'it', is singing a natural gift.

The opposite is worrying that you 'don't' have it, and not pursuing something you enjoy.

In this episode I talk about how anyone can learn to sing, and my theory that young singers perceived to have the It Factor are encouraged and exposed to music at a young age, more so than born with a 'talent'.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this and learn a little about your journey and musical upbringing, along with where you are listening from!

Here are the links I promised during the episode.

Brianne Ruelas - Reality TV Shows

The Truth About Your Voice. (Use promo code TRUTH to download for free)

Weekly Vocal Workout

Tone Deafness & Ear Training

Hi There!

Welcome to the weekly vocal workout! This episode is going to be available as a free trial for a short time.

If you enjoyed the content and want more weekly training sessions, feel free to subscribe and get a new training session every week!

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rock-your-voice-podcast/subscribe

Next week we will be doing a strength and power session, adding more stamina to your voice so that you can consistently hit notes with power and confidence, and the following week we will dig into building your range and safely adding more notes.

Those will follow perfectly from this full voice warm up, so be sure to repeat this session before digging into the next two!

In this episode I used the Singing Straws, which you can get here

As always, never push or strain your voice. If you have any questions please reach out! [email protected] or follow @rockitvocalstudios on Instagram for more content and updates.

Thanks for listening and have a wonderful week!