Singers, are you well, and keeping in fine voice? All in good working order, sounding smooth and wonderful, with no cracking, yodelling or insecurities? And, how about your range - confident about that? Let's discuss. Passaggio problems Passaggio (Italian pronunciation: [pasˈsaddʒo]) is a term used in classical singing to describe the transition area between the vocal registers. Arguably the most vexing of singer’s issues, the passaggio justifiably earns its hard-to-handle reputation. Let me familiarise you with its workings and how it can be responsible for the limiting beliefs you hold abo ..read more

As a professional classical singer, I write about vocal technique a lot. Of course, I would, as I am also a voice teacher. I've come to where I am now through a very natural journey of my own - study, performance, more study, woven doggedly around my other life happenings. Always a personal quest (no one was pushing me) - I have felt drawn along, pulled happily by my simple love of communicating through the physicality and marriage of words and music - and the need to do it better. It's an infectious love, that I have for many years sought to share with other like-minded souls, who have t ..read more

The Vocal Journey: never forget the basics The only way to progress your vocal learning healthily is to maintain a consistent gentle warm-up routine, covering basic and essential vocal technique tools such as posture, breathing/airflow, onset, lip trills, and sirening.  The magic 5, learning by repeatedly doing. Neuroplasticity working its magic. This video-share is #4 in a playlist on my YouTube channel.  It's taken from my singers' mentoring group 2020 teaching archive. Most weeks throughout the year I lead members online in a Saturday Morning Vocal Techniq ..read more

  Take care of your voice I hope you took a look at the video - it's short, but packed with information. Our unique voice is a valuable asset. It's like a personal brand that sets us apart from others. We should always embrace and cherish it because it's a reflection of our identity. And, we only have one, and it's worth protecting. I well remember a defining moment in my career about 12 years ago where for the first time I felt unsure of what my voice was doing. It was mid-concert, and I was singing Mozart's Laudate Dominum. It wasn't exactly an out-of-body experience, but ..read more

Shall we explore the fundamentals of breath and airflow in greater detail?  Proper airflow is a crucial element in achieving vocal excellence. However, to fully comprehend its significance and make advancements, it must be examined alongside the other 5Essentials of vocal technique. Singers often think they need to control their breath by taking in large amounts of air and holding on it for as long as possible to nail a 4-bar phrase, a high note, or the final note. However, the truth is more complex than one might expect. It usually comes down to knowing and understanding my suggested&nbs ..read more

Singing keeps me sane. Quite literally. Singing has been and continues to be both my linchpin and my salvation. It may have been challenging to maintain the learning regime at tumultuous times, but I always have returned to music - to singing - to restore my sense of balance. For centuries, humans have enjoyed vocalizing as a means of expression, connecting with others, and celebrating life. Singing, in particular, has been scientifically proven to have numerous health benefits. This article delves into the positive effects of singing on our well-being and emphatically emphasizes how this acti ..read more

Did you know? What if I told you that there are only a few very basic vocal ‘tools’ that you need to know about which will serve you well in every singing situation? Would you believe me? A good vocal sound is nearly always reliant on a firm grasp and knowledge of the basics. Simply explained in my free PDF companion guide to this article: Need Help with Singing Basics. A simple fact Getting to grips with or making improvements to your singing and the methods to achieve progress are all far easier and more accessible than you think. Consider this: we all have a speaking voice an ..read more

I know that you love to sing, because you're reading this post. You may belong (or have done in the past) to choirs and small ensemble singing groups. Perhaps you even get the opportunity to sing solo for concerts occasionally. But, I also know that there are times when you feel like the experience could be better. You know that all this singing should be paying off, but strangely it's not. Let's explore the difference between choral, ensemble, and solo singing... (I'm playing devil's advocate here... indulge me!) Choral singing is the art of singing in a lar ..read more

  In this video ... a short introduction to the knotty problem of how consonants can sabotage your sound. Everyone expects to sing vocal exercises on vowels, right? But not many singers will spend time examining how their consonants are formed, and how the articulators play their part.  For classical (if not all) singers, vocal technique issues around the interaction between vowels and consonants - and the relationship they have when it comes to maintaining the breath and keeping a constant airflow to the source of the sound - continue to be a source of frustration. Understandably, s ..read more

In any language, the tongue is a mighty muscle - and I’m sure if a cat (big or small) could talk, he or she would be truly proficient in its use. Can’t you just picture that?  Photo by Isabella Jusková on Unsplash A while back, according to Facebook, this topic was most popular - lots of likes. Everyone loved the picture of the big cat. What’s not to love? But hey! What about the content? I’m known for talking a lot about vocal technique basics. So essential, and yet in the scheme of things often very overlooked, with students wanting to rush on to the more complicated and glossy stuff ..read more