Auditioning as a Singer... A Few Tips

Hello my little singers! Sorry for the delay on this blog but as compensation I shall make it particularly good :)

As a singer, you are invariably going to have to undertake the grim old task of auditioning before you can secure any work doing what you love, or, grab that position fronting the dream band! Auditions just come with the territory, and, whilst it is stressful when you get on the road to earning a living and turning a hobby into a career it will also be the most rewarding thing you can imagine!

Now, not everyone has the audition process down pat... so, I thought I would put a few key pointers together to help you out and take you beyond just the singing lessons... that's how good I am to you :) So, here goes:

i) Arrive for the Audition prepared!
As obvious as this sounds I bet you would be amazingly surprised by how many auditionees just don't think about the little things... that can potentially and ultimately make HUGE difference! Treat the audition like an interview. Research the band or company you are auditioning for. Find out about the role (how many times have we seen it on X-Factor where the singer doesn't even know who half the judging panel is! Very embarrassing!!). It's all very well knowing your audition piece inside out and back to front, but if it doesn't relate to the applied for role/position then it's a waste of time. Be able to chat about what they do and things you like about that they are doing. After all you went along to the audition because you liked what they are doing, right? If not, then save yourself the bus fare :)

ii) Be Aware of what is Expected from you and what you’re Committing To!
Be prepared to put in the hours... many of which may be upaid. Check to see how often you will be required for rehearsals, etc. Some productions will require a lot more time than you think.There's nothing worse than overselling and under delivering. And, if you start to become unrelaible because you have bitten off more than you can chew, or, expected to be doing less, you will quickly gain a reputation as unreliable, which in turn will quite possibly affect future potential roles. So, when you accept a position / role, be ready to put in the hours to memorise lines, learn songs, and put in several hours of rehearsal time that are necessary to make the your performance the best it can be!

iii) Challenging yourself
It's easy to fall into the repetition of performing auditions and audition pieces that aren't stretching you anymore or helping increase your vocal ability. Sometimes trying something different can be the next step to finding a new inspiration for your singing and show you new techniques to help you improve for other auditions. Push yourself to try new things, perhaps this means you get a vocal coach to help you expand your abilities, or maybe it just means you spend a little extra time singing in other genres you are not as comfortable in to help you improve.

A lot of people will be able to turn up and sing the songs OK, but make sure you keep asking yourself, how can I make my audition better. If you are consistently going out of your way to improve your voice and your repertoire, you are headed in the right direction and will be getting yourself noticed for all the right reasons.

And, that's your lot! Hope that helps and provides some food for thought. In fact, talking of food.......

TTFN

Great things to Eat & Drink if you are a Singer

We briefly touched on the importance of diet and the right and wrong things to eat in an earlier blog (check here to recap), but, it can be difficult to know what to eat if you are trying to protect your voice from a cold or if you are trying to look after your voice in general. Here are some great ideas to keep you sounding tip top and in great vocal shape.

Vegetables & fruits are a great resource for natural energy as they are natural foods – singers need oxygen in their blood as well as energy and greens in particular are great energy givers: spinach (raw not cooked), mixed greens, broccoli & peas! So, it seems your Mum is right... do eat all those greens!

Foods that are high in water are great for keeping you hydrated. Watermelon or melon of any kind is super hydrating for your voice!

Salads are a great way to stay healthy, with a bit of balsamic vinegar you can make something very appetising. And be sure to add some celery as it great for your nerves!

Fruit Juices are great! BUT, stay away from orange juice as this can cause reflux (for more on Reflux, check this). Apple Juice is the one for you, or if you are feeling up to it, Carrot, beetroot and a small amount of ginger are great things to add too.

Strawberries! Are an amazingly tasty fruit and are great for your Larynx! So, eat these little babies to your heart's content!

Vegetable based soups or broths. But not tomato or cream based as this can give you reflux.

Good meats: turkey, chicken, salmon. These are all great sources of protein and will help to keep energy levels up there with the best of them.

Ketchup has a lot of sugar and this can actually deplete energy so try to avoid it.

Sweet potatoes are better than rice or pasta for Carbohydrates. And some people even prefer them to normal potatoes. And, they're called Sweet Potatoes! I mean, come on, they're sweet dude!

And if your voice is feeling a little under the weather, have a mug of hot water with honey and lemon.

Massive special thanks to Lili who provides singing lessons in Maidstone, Kent for these great tips.

More soon folks, but until then have great Easter weekends... and, not too much choccy eggs!!

More Flipping Singing Tips.... Brighton Rocks!

We're back! And, we're bad... I don't mean bad as in naughty, I mean bad as in good. You know, it's what the cool kids from the 90s used to say... after 'wicked' went out of fashion and before 'sick' or 'phat' became the order of the day. But, we're here and we have tips... yes, we come bearing singing tips. However, I recently realised that this blog is called 'Singing Lessons in Brighton' and I have actually done very little to further this... instead, I waffle on about what the cool kids say and throw the odd bit of useful gubbins into the moshpit... so, I now have 3 tips for you below that have all been provided by excellent singing teachers in Brighton and Hove just so that I can justify my blog being in existence.

So... here goes...

Singing Tip #1 from Kate a Singing Teacher in Brighton & Hove:
Tongue twister time! See how fast you can say this to warm up your facial muscles!  

"Premium prices people pay for plump and pampered puppies" 

I'll be honest, it was hard enough to type so saying may well be tricky too :) But, start slowly and work into it.

Singing Tip #2 by Singing Lessons in Brighton friend, SuperLuke!
A breathing exercise to help you improve your lung capacity. Simply breath whilst counting 5 and then hold for an additional count of 5. Then, breath out over a count of 5. Once you've mastered this, try increasing the count to 6, 7 and see how high you can get... before you faint. Only kidding, stay safe and don't carry on if things get dizzy or you feel light headed... obvious stuff really :)

Singing Tip #3 by Sam Black (Vocademy Singing Tutor based in Hove)
A tip for nerves. If you are feeling nervous on stage try focusing on one place in the room, maybe a point at the back and keep your attention on that comfort spot. This will help you concentrate on your performance and not worry about anything else.

And, that my dears is it for today! Some useful and easy singing advice to give you a couple of pointers and to also help me justify Brighton being in the title of my wee little blog.

That's all folks, have a great day!

And There's More... More Singing Tips

That's right! More... whilst Oliver Twist couldn't get more when he asked... YOU CAN! And, you didn't even have to ask :) So, as usual with my singing tuition, I shall be brief so you can read, digest and put into practice.

First of all, if you ever find yourself having trouble singing a particular part of a song don't be afraid to alter it slightly to fit more comfortably with your voice or your style. You may occasionally find that a song has a little bit that is too high, or, too low. It could even be phrasing you have an issue with. But don't be afraid to change it slightly as I say. By doing this you not only ensure that the part still sounds awesome but you also do what the 'X-Factor' (bleurgh) judges call 'make it your own'. A little affliction along the way that is you and not the original artist will add your own personal stamp to a track so feel free to experiment.

Next up, if you are belting it out on stage and realise that you have made a mistake try to now draw attention to yourself. Just carry on and focus on the next part of the song and getting back into your correct stride. Don't dwell on the glitch, chances are most folk won't even have noticed, just dust yourself off and crack on... onwards and upwards! This way you won't be thinking about what just happened and won't make any more mistakes in a nervous frenzy.

And, there you go... a couple more handy bits and bobs to get you through the week.

Right, I'm off for a nice brew... without milk of course (why? Read this Blog).

Tatty Bye!

5 Useful Singing Tips...

Welcome to the week! Yay, it's Monday... bleurgh...! :) Only joshing, Monday is a new week, which brings lots of new opportunity and the chance to learn, practice and improve! So, in-keeping with this methodology here's not one, not two.... BUT 5 tips to help you to become a better singer! Yes, I kid you not, that's 5 free singing lessons!

1) Don't compare yourself to others. We are all different and have different voices. You should focus on your own voice and sing in a way that feels comfortable to you. This way you will give your voice room to grow and progress and develop in your own way.

2) Balloon Breathing. A great exercise called Balloon Breathing has been devised to help you with your lung capacity. All you need is a balloon and you try to fill it as much as you can in one breath! This will help you become more aware of your diaphragm and help you to improve your breathing capacity. So, the next time you're at a party try this out and see who can get the biggest balloon! hours of fun! Oh, and fainting... lol, use carefully :)

3) Slow down! Practice any lines or runs you may be having difficulty with by slowing them down! With time you will get better and be able to speed them up gradually. Then, you will master any parts you are finding troublesome!

4) Be heard by yourself. Here's a simple singing tip for helping you hear yourself when you are performing. It may be that you are singing in a group or in a loud environment and you are struggling to hear yourself. To combat this, you can put your hand beside your cheek with your middle finger in your ear and this will amplify your voice in your head and help you hear it clearly. Give it a try now and hear the difference (unless of course you are sitting at work or in a lesson when you read this... eek!)

5) Having trouble remembering lyrics? Having a lot of lyrics to memorise can be tricky! First Off, try breaking the song into sections and focusing on each section repeatedly to help drill it in and you'll be chucking those lyric sheets in the bin in no time. Try using a highlighter in your lyrics sheet to separate the sections visually. And try to incorporate hand movements or dance moves with particular words. This will help you remember certain words or phrases in a certain section of a song. After trying all these you be throwing those lyric sheets away in no time.

And, that's it! Nothing too rocket-sciency there I reckon, but some lovely tips to get you singing better :)

To Grade Or Not To Grade?

Vocademy Grades are Launched!

Just in case you hadn't noticed, I like a Brighton based singing school quite a lot called Vocademy. Why do I like Vocademy? Well, I like the ethos for starters 'Teaching the World to sing one voice at a time' - it's just awesome! In addition to this, I love the fact that they aren't scared to throw lots of free things out there... kind of like yours truly. Their website has lots of videos, warm up packs, free tips and advice about singing and comes across as warm and friendly but still professional and an authority on all things singing.

Now, why have I started to discuss Vocademy? My reason is that they have just launched a new set of grades. Have they gone for an ABRSM or Guildhall approach? Maybe a Rockschool or Trinity College style? Nooooo! What Vocademy have done is devised and designed their own set of grades that bring these rather old systems a lot more up to date and give them a completely contemporary feel.

Similar to other graded systems out there the Vocademy syllabus runs from Grade 1 all the way through to Grade 8, with each grade further focusing, helping and assessing the student's progression. How these grades differ though is that the techniques are taught, learned and developed through learning songs by Jessie J, Ed Sheeran, Emili Sande and Bruno Mars. How cool is that!

As well as learning these songs from the perspective of becoming a stronger singer, the grades are designed to help students understand how their voice works and give them specific singing techniques to learn and practice.

Now, here's the crux... why would a rebellious soul like me who blows raspberries in the face of authority, sometimes will try to eat 3 Shredded Wheat and almost never washes out the bean tin before sticking it in the recycle bin endorse something as traditional and unexciting as exams and graded systems? I'll tell you why...

These grades are not only going to help you become a better singer, but they are FUN! And, that is what it should all be about. Learning music and singing technique through songs you like and would sing along to 'just because' is a fantastic way to breed the great new singers of tomorrow. If you can blur the lines between fun and learning you are always going to get better results because people will be doing something they 'actually' want to do! I used to go to piano lessons as a kiddie and because I was being taught music by Mozart and other composers who had been not of this planet for a gazillion years it felt like torture! Practicing in the week before each lesson was just extra homework! Pants!! So, I soon lost all enthusiasm and the piano lessons ceased. But, I can guarantee that if I was being taught riffs like 'The Final Countdown' (it really was cool in my day... honest!) or something else really cool :) I would have worn the keys out!

So, I say good on Vocademy for doing this! It's about time this kind of thing was done :)

Just as a side-note, I do like the idea of grades anyway, I think they provide a benchmark that you can say I now know this, or, I have achieved this level or recognition. It also gives you something to strive for and adds a little incentive to keep you going and practicing. So you see, I'm not at all really that rebellious I just like things to be done a bit differently and with a bit of excitement and passion.

Anyway, to find out more about Vocademy Grades check out the website.

Until next time.... nanu nanu :)

The Peak of the Week Singing Tips

Well, it's the peak of the week and so here are a couple of tips for the old singing lesson shizzle :)

A Hove singing teacher I know recommended an an exercise to warm up your lower range. This is a particularly useful warm up technique for both female and male and should enable you to be picking out and hitting those low notes in no time at all. Add this exercise into your usual warm-up routine if you are performing a song with particularly low notes as it will really help you nail it.

Here's a useful video from the www.vocademy.co.uk guys to show you exactly what I am on about.

The next piece of super, smashing, great (you won a Speedboat) singing advice is to Cool / Warm Down at the end of a performance. This is easily just as important as warming up beforehand. If you think Gym, you'll know that before any good session you will warm up and stretch out and then at the end you will warm down. This little nugget was provided from a Canterbury and Maidstone Singing Teacher called Morgan. The advice is a perfect to help you after you've strutted your stuff on stage and to get your voice back in a normal state.

And, that be it for now! Thanks for reading....