In the last few years, TikTok has transformed from a short-video entertainment platform into one of the most powerful learning tools for musicians and singers. Vocal coaches, professional artists, music educators, and students use TikTok daily to share quick lessons, warm-up routines, breathing exercises, and vocal techniques that help beginners and experienced singers improve their […]

Many singing instructors spend half their time attacking other teachers, and the other half attacking every performing singer about how they sing. This is learned behavior. We see teachers we admire engaging in this kind of behavior and we come to an erroneous conclusion that attacking others makes us seem like we know something. I […]

Vocal Exercises Anywhere! Don’t have a good recording of a vocal workout handy? No sweat! Just go to the vocal exercises page on my website. There you will find recordings of several foundational vocal exercises that will help you. To begin with, each recording is available for four voice ranges. Each vocal range has its […]

What is vocal placement? Many of the older traditions of singing described how a singer must concentrate their sound. These singers often discussed the experience of this focused point of sound which could be perceived viscerally and locally in their bodies. As a singer advanced, they would eventually become capable of willing this sound into various […]

Balanced Singing — The Singer’s Pyramid If you want to sing well, I suggest you learn balanced singing. I find it useful to think of balanced singing as being in four parts. Together, I call these The Singer’s Pyramid: 1. Build your core sound You build a core of sound using many tools, including coupe […]

Developing the pharyngeal voice The sounds I am making in the attached recording will probably sound at once bizarre and comical to you. This is especially true if you’ve never heard an old-school advanced pharyngeal workout before. Developing the pharyngeal voice in a traditional manner is a process that takes many years. Please remember, that […]

Concone If you have ever studied classical singing, it is possible that you are familiar with the Concone books of solfeggi. The most famous of these books is Opus 9: Fifty Lessons. Giuseppe Concone was born in 1810 in the city of Turin. He had his musical education in his home town, where he continued […]

In Praise of Seth Riggs The Search I didn’t start my singing education with Seth Riggs, but I was fortunate to have studied a solid classical singing technique from age 17 to age 25. It really wasn’t until I was out performing that I started falling prey to the “technique of the month club.” I […]

Most singers sing with a great deal of excess effort. When a singer first experiences easy singing, they often remark that singing with so much ease certainly can’t be right. Please understand that effort and tension do not make a better voice. Facial Muscles If you look tortured while you are singing, chances are you […]

Regardless of the style of music you sing, if you perform regularly, you are at a risk for vocal injury. You don’t have to be a statistic. If you prepare yourself properly, and follow some sound principles, you can lower your risk of common vocal injuries which plague many performing singers. Train to avoid vocal […]