The raspy voice has been a signature sound for some singers with legendary careers. Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks, Bonny Tyler, Macy Gray and Brian Adams are among the artists that come to mind who have successfully used this sound. In many contemporary music genres, a degree of raspiness can add a cool, communicative factor to vocal…

Vocal vibrato can be likened to garlic... some songs/dishes call for more, some less. There are different types. Sometimes you want artichoke garlic, sometimes elephant garlic - sometimes you want faster wave vibrato, sometimes slower. Great cooks will tell you that sometimes you want to chop garlic, sometimes…

Thom Flora, Judy Rodman

singing background vocals at Eclectic Studio, Nashville

Doing your own background vocals on your recording project can be a very good idea, or can limit or even sabotage your project. Here are two big factors that should be…

I recently had a real-world refresher about how to get a voice that feels fried in shape for a long band rehearsal....because this time the voice was mine!

The year so far in Nashville is full of pollen and other allergens, even more than usual this year. My schedule has been slamming with vocal lessons, studio production, etc. The day of rehearsal, I gave several vocal lessons starting 9am, drove to the studio and did a few hours of vocal production, drove back, gave more vocal…

Breath is the power source for the voice. Not having enough breath or not having control of breath for singing or speaking can cause all kinds of vocal problems, including:

1. running out of breath (can't finish phrases well)
2. not having enough volume (weak, quiet voice)
3. strained or…

Well, actually singers can learn lots of things from master musicians, but I want to highlight this one today: The secret of the light-just-right touch. Great musicians know that pressure matters, for instance...

• When drummers hit drums too hard, they lose tone from their drums.…

Have you ever been told (or noticed yourself) that you have a numb or lifeless singing voice? Getting to the cause is the only way to change ineffective, lifeless vocal performance into a voice that is understood at an emotional…

I got a great question about allergies through my Facebook page (and if you're on FB, pls join me there!)



Rita asked about warding off allergies before a singing engagement. Of course it's best to deal with the allergens before they can trip the inflammation trigger. Here are some tips I've found helpful:



[Medical disclaimer... I am most decidedly not a doctor.…

I don't know about you, but the recent advertizements for Black Friday shopping (having to compete with  Black Friday Ninjas?!!) leaves me... well... afraid! I decided to stay home, play with my…

Did you know that talking on the phone for any extended length of time can sabotage your singing voice? Yep, it's absolutely true. Why? No one can see you. Therefore, you don't use the same kind of facial and body language that you would if communicating visually.

Here's the typical phone talker:

• Your face upper face goes inactive. When you don't use your eyes, eyebrows and mask area while sounding your voice, your vocal ceiling (soft palate, back of nasal…

There's lots of us critics critiquing artists' performances these days. From American Idol and other talent show judges and audiences, choir directors, school teachers, industry insiders, family and friends, TV talking heads, radio DJ's, bloggers, mag news reporters and other media mavens as well as the random man/woman-on-the-street, there is no lack of opinion out there. So many opinions... sometimes diametrically opposed! Just think of the love/hate differences of opinion on a performing…

• When phonating (making a vocal sound) the belly should go out.

If you are wanting to increase your usable vocal range without straining your voice, here's the best way:



Strengthen your middle or mixed voice!



This is also known as bridging or covering, mixing…

Dear friends who record and release music... I'd like to help protect your interests by sharing the following cautionary tale:

I got a frantic message from an indie artist this week. She had a very upsetting note from one of my cowriters, saying to have her attorney contact her. He had been surfing the web, noticed that she cut his song and released it to radio. Problem was, he had not received any mechanical money or signed a…

There is no substitute for experience. I've done every one of these things wrong... that's how I know what to tell YOU about giving a great performance...

1. Sing full voice when rehearsing/preparing for a gig, don't just do vocal exercises. You have to have not just correct form, but also sheer vocal stamina to
   
   perform well.
2. Wear shoes your feet feel great…