The Intelligent Vocalist

In this episode, John talks with Jeff Alani Stanfill, an accomplished vocal coach, and singer, about how weight loss can affect someone's singing voice.  Episode Highlights: Jeff talks about his musical journey and how his health played a part in his decisions around weight loss John and Jeff share similar experiences of how, as they began to lose a certain amount of weight, they noticed changes in their voices After weight loss, compression of the vocal cords and alignment of breathing support can change due to the physical changes in the body The importance of continuing to work on your voice as you go through physical changes, either due to life stages or weight loss To learn more about Jeff Alani Stanfill, visit: voicesoaring.com To learn more about John Henny, his best-selling books, courses, and the Contemporary Voice Teacher Academy, visit: johnhenny.com

In this episode, John talks about how breaking down your vocal study to the core elements and getting back to basics can solidify fundamental vocal techniques and essentially lead to better singing. Episode Highlights: Dialing down the difficulty level to isolate and focus on core elements of singing can reinforce good habits Breaking down "Air, Cord, and Vowel" Journalling and how it can help you tap into more awareness of your voice Something even as simple as a "hum" can isolate imbalances To learn more about John Henny, his best selling books, courses, and the Contemporary Voice Teacher Academy, visit: johnhenny.com

In this episode, John talks about how in this day and age, although we have access to so much information, sometimes trying to apply high-level knowledge before learning core concepts can slow down one's progress or end up being just confusing. Episode Highlights: The importance of fundamental techniques High-level concepts can be distracting Steps a new singer can take to prepare for high-level concepts Reading about the voice and techniques is good, but singing is better To learn more about John Henny, his best selling books, courses, and the Contemporary Voice Teacher Academy, visit: johnhenny.com

In this episode, John talks about our relationship with time and how to re-evaluate where we are with our singing to then be able to take steps to reach our vocal goals sooner than later. Episode Highlights:  Time is fleeting, and there is no better time than now to embrace your vocal instrument and start working towards your goals Coming to terms with who you are and where your voice is right now Who can help you reach your goals? And what habits can you change or acquire to help you develop? How to shift your mindset to understand that the reward is not the destination but the journey To learn more about John Henny, his best selling books, courses, and the Contemporary Voice Teacher Academy, visit: johnhenny.com

In this episode, John talks with Aliki Katriou, who has extensive knowledge of classical technique, and contemporary styles and is world-renowned for her expertise with "extreme" vocals, about what singing with distortion is and how to start to introduce this technique into your singing. Episode Highlights: Aliki's inspiration and path to singing with distortion The different ways you can introduce distortion into the voice Do languages and voice types affect how easily you can find distortion? Guidelines for how to approach singing with distortion safely   To learn more about Aliki Katriou, visit: www.aliki.katriou.com To learn more about John Henny, his best selling books, courses, and the Contemporary Voice Teacher Academy, visit: johnhenny.com

In this episode, John talks about the importance of listening to your body and your singing voice to recognize when you need to take a step back to rest or regroup.  Episode Highlights: The signs that you are hitting the wall, either physically or mentally The voice is an instrument where a positive mindset is as important as mastering vocal technique How to figure ways in a busy life to re-charge mentally  What to watch for in your voice if, physically, you need to rest it To learn more about John Henny, his best selling books, courses, and the Contemporary Voice Teacher Academy, visit: johnhenny.com

In this episode, John talks about what is meant by singing with an "open throat" and how to approach this vocal technique with balance in mind. Episode Highlights:  How to tell if you are using excess muscle  There is a balance to having an open throat  How to gain awareness of your resonant spaces How tongue placement can help boost resonance To learn more about John Henny, his best selling books, courses, and the Contemporary Voice Teacher Academy, visit: johnhenny.com

In this episode, John talks about how singing is not just about mastering vocal techniques but also about mastering our mindset. Episode Highlights: There is more to singing than just "cause and effect" How overthinking about technique or a bad experience in the past can get in the way of your singing today Isolating exercises and how they can help you "let go" in your singing How meditation and reflection can help you look at your singing objectively and without harsh judgment  To learn more about John Henny, his best selling books, courses, and the Contemporary Voice Teacher Academy, visit: johnhenny.com

In this episode, John talks about setting yourself up for effective singing practice.  Episode Highlights: Create a schedule for your practice - it can be a ritual  How long should you practice? The importance of creating a good practice space and tools that can help you Getting your mind clear and relaxed for good singing  To learn more about John Henny, his best selling books, courses, and the Contemporary Voice Teacher Academy, visit: johnhenny.com

In this episode, John talks about how vocal imbalances can creep into our singing and how we sometimes have to dig a little deeper to find these imbalances to be then able to correct them.  Episode Highlights: Maintaining balance in singing is a constant practice More advanced singers can sometimes discover imbalances after time off, introducing new styles of musical material or illness Subtle imbalances can lay below our awareness Get some outside ears listening to your voice - Even having a diagnostic check-up once in a while can help you find imbalances before they snowball into a more significant vocal issue To learn more about John Henny, his best selling books, courses, and the Contemporary Voice Teacher Academy, visit: johnhenny.com