Consonants in singing can be tricky, but learning how to position them is necessary for clear and precise singing. While much emphasis is placed on sounding vowels in singing, consonants shape the words you sing so they are understood. This is part 1 of two blogs exploring consonants. Why it’s important to sing consonants correctly Incorrect consonant placement can cause problems with your voice’s tone and quality, and breath flow. And perhaps surprisingly, posture plays a part in their sound. A poorly aligned torso or head and neck can cause the jaw to jut, making consonants difficult to arti ..read more

During my singing training, I recorded every lesson, using a heavy old cassette recorder. Later, I’d listen back and mostly, it drove me nuts, itching to fix this sound, fix that move, change that vowel, get that consonant out of the way, and oh! That weak breath control! It made me wonder why I pursued singing if I sounded so ordinary. There are many benefits to recording your singing lessons and practice – once you’ve overcome the awkwardness of hearing your own voice. Firstly, don’t judge your sound based on your smartphone’s audio Most smartphones or tablets can’t accurately capture the so ..read more

In last month’s article, I introduced Accent Method Breathing (AMB), an efficient way to quickly take in breath to support singing and increase your versatility as a singer. The article included a few beginner AMB exercises, which you can try here. This month, I introduce some advanced breathing exercises for better singing. Fundamental to AMB is the concept of SPLAT (Singers Please Loosen Abdominal Tension), which reminds a singer to take a quick, low in-breath between phrases to set up for the next. On inhalation, your diaphragm quickly descends, then you engage your abdominal muscles to exh ..read more

Whether you’re an aspiring, beginner or advanced singer, you know that sustainable breathing is crucial to singing. The science of breathing and the voice has seen many developments over the decades, and recently, I’ve introduced a technique called Accent Breathing Method (AMB) into training my studio singers. Over the next two articles, I’ll share some of its concepts and benefits for singers. What is Accent Breathing Method? Danish speech pathologist, Professor Svend Smith, developed AMB in the 1930s. The technique focusses a singer’s attention on abdominal action during the breathing cycle ..read more

We humans are creatures of habit, and convenience can be key to forming good habits. This is especially true for singing training. Regular lessons and singing practice are essential to developing your vocal skills and technique, and anything that makes this easier is a good thing. This is one reason I offer singing lessons in Sydney’s CBD. Having a central location for singers who work or live in the city, east Sydney, lower north shore or inner-city suburbs is a convenient option. Being particular about location and facilities, I offer central Sydney singing tuition in a studio at the City of ..read more

There’s nothing like working towards a live concert to develop your singing and performance skills. And last month, 12 of our talented, committed singers showcased their work at our annual concert, held at The Flute Tree in Sydney’s Leichhardt, performing 24 songs to 50 appreciative guests. The concert offers a valuable opportunity for our singers to experience the work required; to use their current skills, learn new techniques – and enjoy the rewards on performance day. Here’s how this year’s singers prepared For months before the show, singers worked with me on song selection and memorising ..read more

Singing in or out of tune can make or break your development as a singer. Here, we’ll learn how interval training helps. What are intervals in music? When you sing a song, you are technically singing a group of pitches, i.e. notes. Those pitches are formed using intervals. An interval is the distance between two musical pitches. They are the building blocks of musicianship and create richness in the music you sing. Types of intervals and how to recognise them Music is written on staves; the five horizontal lines and four spaces you see on sheet music. Each line or space represents a pitch (not ..read more

Belt and mixed voice singing are popular styles, featuring in many contemporary genres. And while they are challenging to learn, you’re rewarded with a greater versatility in repertoire. Let’s look at developing these skills, using songs two of my singers are working on to demonstrate some techniques. Belt singing usually refers to a specifically female sound. For guys, it’s their falsetto or head voice they need to balance. In belt, women work toward achieving a more forward, chatty sound in their middle voice. Before attempting belt singing, you need to develop your chest, middle and head vo ..read more

In life, we’re always learning. As we age, though, we might let go of some goals, thinking we’re too old. But adages like ‘It’s never too late’ and ‘You’re only as old as you feel’ ring true with learning a new skill later in life – like singing. Sometimes we get in our own way, thinking: ‘I don’t have time or brain space to learn something new’; ‘I tried before but didn’t like the teacher’ or ‘where would I use it?’ Photo by Bogomil Mihaylov from Unsplash Creativity for its own sake adds value – and health benefits – to our lives. Singing especially enhances wellness as we enter middle age ..read more

Reflecting on 2022 makes me realise how far the studio – and you, its singers – have come. Here are some of our achievements. January – April: Student numbers more than double We began 2022 with 14 singing students. By January 31, we had 24 – returning students and those beginning singing training. Five of those 24 were working toward AMEB or HSC exams. In April, 5 new students joined the studio and I attended the international Remix conference at UTS, exploring the links between culture, technology and enterprise. Concert 2022 May – June: Studio concert returns after two years, plus new CBD ..read more