The Intelligent Vocalist

Our minds can be a terrible place to live. Constant chatter, worry, and criticism are the opposite of what we need to practice and create music with our voice. In this episode, John discusses how to calm the mind and find a state of flow to help you practice and sing at your best.

Getting stuck in chest voice or the lower register is a common problem for developing singers. Much work is devoted to lightening this part of the voice to reduce yelling and strain on higher notes. But many singers develop a fear of their chest voice and avoid its full power for fear of overloading and straining their voice. In this episode, John discusses the need to initially get the chest voice under control and then bring it back in for vocal richness and power.

Interruption has been the theme of this past year. The lack of performances and general uncertainties has led to many of us taking a break from our singing. In this episode, John discusses how to carefully and properly return your voice to peak shape and performance.

Vocal tension is one of the top issues singers deal with. However, not all tension is bad. We need a certain amount of tension to produce sound. Knowing good from bad tension is essential for singers. In this episode, John discusses how to identify and correct tension to sing at your best.

We all have likes and dislikes; however, we need to keep our musical minds and options open. Every song is a form of art created by talented people who wish to express themselves in a unique way. In this episode, John discusses the importance of learning from a variety of music and singers and why criticism is a negative force best avoided.

Mix singing is one of the most sought after singing skills, but there is much confusion about the topic. In this episode, John answers your top questions about mixed voice and how to find and develop your mix.

Although most people are uncomfortable listening to their recorded voice, singers need to constantly listen to and analyze their singing. In this episode, John discusses how to incorporate self-recordings into your practice and how to analyze the results for continuous improvement.

There is only so much we can read and study about a physical skill. At some point, you need to establish the sensations and balances in your nervous system and awareness. In this episode, John discusses the need to experience singing and performance at higher and higher skill levels and establish a path of continuous improvement.

Change is inevitable but rarely easy. In our current turbulent times, change is accelerating at a breakneck and often frightening pace. In this episode, John discusses how change can be positive and how to start creating future singing success.

In Part II of John's interview with Steve Giles and Chris Johnson of the Naked Vocalist Podcast, they discuss the ultimate question: "What's the secret of singing?"