Let’s talk about what to say and do on stage… It’s always difficult as a new artist to know what to do on stage. Getting the singing part down is hard enough and now you have to move around and be entertaining too…. Sheesh!
Here are a few tips that will make your show look and feel like a professional show and it will make it a little easier for you to plan how your show should be paced.
1.) Move the mic stand…
When you take the mic out of the stand, which I always think is a good idea, please move it behind you. Somewhere in front of the drummer would be fine. Otherwise you have to constantly work around it and can never take the hot edge or downstage center. And when you are in the power position on the stage… guess what…. There’s a mic stand in front of you… people are bothered by looking at something in front of you… they want to be able to see you without looking around something.
2.) Stories
Stories about your songs are a great idea. If you are comfortable with telling personal things about your life, I say the more personal, the better. Your fans want to get to know you and this is a great opportunity to let them know something about your life and who you are. I saw a show recently and the artist did a great job telling stories. They were truthful, some were funny… always a good idea, they weren’t too long, they were relevant to the songs, and they were very personal. It gave her audience a chance to get to know something about her life. It was endearing and the audience responded to her more personally because she was open and let them in… very nice job!
Try to come up with different ways to start the stories so that the beginnings are all different, and make sure you are not over doing the stories. Try a few stories, maybe some different musical elements, maybe a costume change, maybe a dance breakdown. Keep the show interesting. Remember even too much of a good thing can make a show slow down…
And speaking of slow…. slow your speaking down but make sure to keep your voice energized so that people can understand you. If you talk too low or too high in pitch it makes it equally as difficult for your audience to understand what you’re saying. And since you want them to get to know you… that would defeat your purpose.
3.) Gestures…
This is a big one for me. If you are going to move on stage, ONLY MAKE MOVEMENTS THAT ARE ON PURPOSE. If you want to move your arm, intend on getting it somewhere. If you don’t move with purpose, you just wind up looking not confident and uncomfortable. Not all gestures need to be grand gestures, some can be small, but make sure you are moving with a purpose in mind. However, if you are making grand gestures, and these are also sometimes difficult for new artists to do, make them big. My mom used to say get some space in your armpit… get your arm away from your body, if you don’t, she used to say that you wind up looking like you have a chicken wing at your side… use your stage, take your space. It’s your stage; don’t be afraid to claim it. I had a producer tell me once that he told his talent that if they were going to put their arm up in the air to pretend they were throwing a 10 lb weight… I agree! It gives your arm a definite place to go… it’s purpose to make a strong movement. Remember the Bon Jovi video… if you’re old enough you know the one I’m talking about…
4.) Your show opener…
It is my opinion that you should always open your show with an up-tempo, energetic two or three songs, that roll back to back with no talking. Then take your first opportunity to speak to your audience… Please….please… please…. Don’t start your show with a slow song. Unless you are in a coffee house, doing an acoustic set (and even then I probably wouldn’t) grab the attention of your audience. This is your opportunity to say hey, this is something your gonna wanna stay for…
Can you imagine if a James Bond movie opened with James just having morning coffee, reading his next case file for five minutes… NO… You’d turn the channel or leave. You want to be entertained and that opening sequence is always exciting… right… well, why not follow a successful model… Grab their attention right away… Don’t give the audience a reason to leave before you’ve had a chance to win them over. You may be fantastic, but if your first impression isn’t powerful, you run the risk of them walking out before they get to know you.
On the reverse side of that, please don’t make every song over the top. You want to show depth and range as a singer and performer. All of your songs don’t need to be over the top. Use dynamics during each song and through out your set…. It keeps it interesting….
Have fun designing your show. Put some thought into it, don’t just go up and wing it… trust me… the professionals are not winging it!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Am I talking too much?
Have you ever noticed that sometimes people sound completely different when they sing and speak? It’s because people get used to used-to a certain pitch level when they talk. This pitch and placement becomes routine or habitual and if the pitch is too high or too low can mean the voice is being misused. As in my classes we talk about voice quality and how it is affected by pitch and tone focus or placement. A voice that is being used improperly may have one or more of these qualities: nasal, thin, weak, breathy, hoarse or scratchy, or squeaky. I have had a few questions lately regarding talking and how and
why it can be so damaging to the voice. In reality how you talk, how much and how loud you talk can definitely affect your singing voice. So lets take a look at some techniques and exercises you can do to help your speaking and singing voice.
Take heart, if you have some of these challenges going on in your voice, by learning good breath support techniques and correct tone focus or placement of the voice, these problems can be successfully avoided and in many cases, reversed. If you are experiencing severe vocal abnormalities, you should visit an ENT to get an accurate understanding of exactly what damage has potentially been done, and what your vocal teacher needs to know in order to help you and your doctor rehabilitate your voice properly.
I like thinking of the voice in thirds: the bottom, middle, and top thirds of the voice.
The Upper third resonates in the head. Imagine your head just from the nose up. The middle third is around the philtrum, that vertical groove right under your nose above your upper lip, and the front top teeth. This is also where the center of the pitch is located. And the bottom third is around the larynx and even vibrates into the chest cavity.
Good voices should have balanced upper and middle resonance with a natural bottom resonance. Too much top is nasally, too much bottom is guttural or swallowed, and too much mid can be harsh.
Watch also that you are using correct volume. Volume when speaking should be produced at a moderate level, one that is comfortable and doesn’t produce strain.
So how do you find your correct pitch and placement for your voice… everyone is built differently and will have slightly different center pitch… would you like to know… close your lips and say ummm hummm.. as sincerely as you can… feel the vibrations up around the lips and nose… close your lips and say “ummm hummm” one more time… feel it? This should be right in your natural pitch…. Try saying this in response to people through out the day when they ask you questions and feel this placement or tone focus up front in the top two thirds of the voice.
Here’s another technique you can use to help you find your natural voice. While standing, place your finger just under your sternum about where your ribs come together. Now press gently with a quick, short staccato movement and while making a sound with your lips closed. The sound you are producing is your natural voice. Now say “ummm hummm” in that same voice. Keep the pitch and tone focus in the same place.
Now say “ummmm hummm hello” and keep everything in the same place. Do this a few times… now raise your arms over your head and say … “ummmm hummm right” and “ummm hummm hello” then let your arms down for a short rest and repeat this exercise a few more times.
Next say “ummmm hummm one” then “ummm hummm two” and so on till at least 10. Remember to feel the tingling or vibrations on your lips when you say the “ummm humm.”
You may feel as if the pitch is higher than you normally speak, and it may be slightly higher. However, don’t worry… no one will think you are talking like you’ve just inhaled helium….
Creating a pleasant speaking voice is a must for any singer who is going to be doing any talking when they’re on stage… and lets face it… that’s all of us… just some talk more than others… You need to have a vocal tone that projects with out staining the voice or being annoying or inaudible. And you need to find the proper rate of speech for your circumstance. If you talk to fast on stage you run the risk of making your audience nervous or uneasy and if you talk to slowly… you might… run the risk of being a tad bit boring…. Neither is good…
You want to be captivating and engaging while on stage, so develop your natural speaking voice and be both a singer and a speaker that everyone wants to listen to!
why it can be so damaging to the voice. In reality how you talk, how much and how loud you talk can definitely affect your singing voice. So lets take a look at some techniques and exercises you can do to help your speaking and singing voice.
Take heart, if you have some of these challenges going on in your voice, by learning good breath support techniques and correct tone focus or placement of the voice, these problems can be successfully avoided and in many cases, reversed. If you are experiencing severe vocal abnormalities, you should visit an ENT to get an accurate understanding of exactly what damage has potentially been done, and what your vocal teacher needs to know in order to help you and your doctor rehabilitate your voice properly.
I like thinking of the voice in thirds: the bottom, middle, and top thirds of the voice.
The Upper third resonates in the head. Imagine your head just from the nose up. The middle third is around the philtrum, that vertical groove right under your nose above your upper lip, and the front top teeth. This is also where the center of the pitch is located. And the bottom third is around the larynx and even vibrates into the chest cavity.
Good voices should have balanced upper and middle resonance with a natural bottom resonance. Too much top is nasally, too much bottom is guttural or swallowed, and too much mid can be harsh.
Watch also that you are using correct volume. Volume when speaking should be produced at a moderate level, one that is comfortable and doesn’t produce strain.
So how do you find your correct pitch and placement for your voice… everyone is built differently and will have slightly different center pitch… would you like to know… close your lips and say ummm hummm.. as sincerely as you can… feel the vibrations up around the lips and nose… close your lips and say “ummm hummm” one more time… feel it? This should be right in your natural pitch…. Try saying this in response to people through out the day when they ask you questions and feel this placement or tone focus up front in the top two thirds of the voice.
Here’s another technique you can use to help you find your natural voice. While standing, place your finger just under your sternum about where your ribs come together. Now press gently with a quick, short staccato movement and while making a sound with your lips closed. The sound you are producing is your natural voice. Now say “ummm hummm” in that same voice. Keep the pitch and tone focus in the same place.
Now say “ummmm hummm hello” and keep everything in the same place. Do this a few times… now raise your arms over your head and say … “ummmm hummm right” and “ummm hummm hello” then let your arms down for a short rest and repeat this exercise a few more times.
Next say “ummmm hummm one” then “ummm hummm two” and so on till at least 10. Remember to feel the tingling or vibrations on your lips when you say the “ummm humm.”
You may feel as if the pitch is higher than you normally speak, and it may be slightly higher. However, don’t worry… no one will think you are talking like you’ve just inhaled helium….
Creating a pleasant speaking voice is a must for any singer who is going to be doing any talking when they’re on stage… and lets face it… that’s all of us… just some talk more than others… You need to have a vocal tone that projects with out staining the voice or being annoying or inaudible. And you need to find the proper rate of speech for your circumstance. If you talk to fast on stage you run the risk of making your audience nervous or uneasy and if you talk to slowly… you might… run the risk of being a tad bit boring…. Neither is good…
You want to be captivating and engaging while on stage, so develop your natural speaking voice and be both a singer and a speaker that everyone wants to listen to!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Help my student, Shelby Downing, out by voting for her song... "Rebel Child".... lets get her the top spot! Thanks....
http://ping.fm/7hthG
http://ping.fm/7hthG
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