Exercise 1

Take a deep breath...

No matter what your level or experience, my lessons always begin with the breath. Deep breathing eases the path for your voice to enter the world, and usually solves a lot of other perceived problems along the way.

Take 2 minutes daily to lie down and focus all your attention on the simple in- and out- of your belly as you inhale and exhale. You can definitely breathe for longer if you’d like, but consistently doing it for just 2 minutes daily will help it become a habit. Belly breathing enables you to get a full breath for every line that you sing, and helps ground you into your body. Breath work is simple but often feels difficult, which is why sticking with it is a conduit for real shifts in your voice, life, and energy.

Exercise 2

Where are you sending your sound?

Whenever you speak or sing, it’s important to feel the resonating space where you are sending sound out into the world. Not only will your voice carry more easily, singing will feel more effortless and powerful.

As another exercise, smile and say the word 'yeah' as brightly as possible. Then slide that ‘yeah’ up and down in pitch; it should sound like a fire siren. While doing this, move your hand up and down a few inches in front of your face, between your upper lip (lower notes) and your forehead (higher notes). See if you can feel the space where the resonance shifts with the pitch. Feeling this space and aiming your sound to it will make singing easier, and give you a more engaged vocal experience.

Body-based vocal technique works with your physiology to prevent injury and allows you to speak and sing freely and safely no matter how often you use your voice.