Discovering The Art of the Vocal Line Singers and visual artists alike often refer to the concept of “line” when discussing their art. It makes perfect sense why this term crosses over from one discipline to the other. Let’s look at a few ways in which the notion of line has similarities in both drawing […]

    Hayden Mangum Sings “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables   My student, Hayden Magnum, is a Junior at Brea Olinda High School. He took First Place at the Brea Idol competition.  Congratulations Hayden!!  

Healthy Belting “Sing your high notes loudly and with force, as if you are calling for a taxi,” “Sing your high notes as if you are a cheerleader yelling at a game.” “Never leave your chest voice as you are singing the highest notes in your song.” “Feel as though all of your high notes are […]

Vocal Performance: Where the Rubber Meets the Road Mostly what I do as a teacher of voice technique, is to help singers train their voices to be able to emit tones that are full, rich and beautiful. We work on building what is commonly called the mix, in order that students can learn to sing over the […]

Nasal Resonance vs. Nasality In Singing When a car pulls up next to you at a traffic light, and the driver has their in-car sound system blaring (full-blast, with the bass turned way up), your own car window might buzz or rattle. What you are experiencing when this happens are sympathetic vibrations. Even though the sound is not […]

Here is my latest blog post for the Institute for Vocal Advancement: I have witnessed voice teachers in the past saying things like “I don’t hear any nodules, so you’re fine,” “I can give you some therapeutic exercises that will heal your vocal damage,” or “My diagnosis is you have a polyp and need some […]

Moving Into The Head Voice Many singers have the idea that in order to sing high notes with power, that they must stay in their chest voice and keep pushing harder and harder in order to avoid breaking into falsetto. Unfortunately this type of singing is a common reason for vocal strain, and ultimately vocal […]

A Few Thoughts on Vibrato Vibrato is a slight oscillation in both pitch and intensity that occurs spontaneously in a well-balanced singing voice. Ideally, vibrato is the result of  the interaction between the vibrations at the vocal folds and the slight vibrations at the diaphragm. The result of these two simultaneous vibrations the a vocal vibrato: a natural […]

Julianne Sexton Sings “Quiet” Here is my student Julianne Sexton, singing “Quiet”  by Jonathan Reid Gealt  

There’s a reason millions of Americans start their day with fast food—and Burger King is expertly fueling that trend. The Burger King breakfast menu is not just a collection of indulgent staples; it’s a strategic mix of nostalgia, customization, speed, and variety. With rising competition from both chains—like McDonald’s and Starbucks—and consumer demands for convenience, […]