The Intelligent Vocalist

We often like to think of our musical heroes as being more than human, imbued with supernatural talent. This belief is unfair to both our heroes and ourselves, as it ignores a great deal of the hard work and constant learning all singers and musicians must go through. In this episode, John discusses the myth of pure talent and why education and practice is a vital part of the process.

No matter where you live, you have likely heard Gerald White sing. Gerald is a first-call session singer in Los Angeles, whose voice has appeared on numerous TV shows and major motion pictures. Gerald is also a highly skilled voice teacher, and sight-singing instructor. In this episode, Gerald discusses the demanding world of session work and how he keeps his voice in top shape. EPISODE LINKS Gerald's Website Sight Singing Online Course

It's the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, and social distancing has already begun in earnest. In this episode, John discusses online voice lessons and how to get the most from your remote study.

Sam Johnson is a leading online voice teacher whose YouTube Videos have garnered tens of millions of views. John talks with Sam about his journey to teaching voice, the current state of pop singing, the role of voice science in his teaching, and much more. EPISODE LINKS: Sam's Website Sam's YouTube Channel

We spend so much time depressed about the past or anxious about the future that we often miss the miracle of the present. Every moment you get to spend with your voice should be treasured and experienced fully. In this episode, John discusses the mindset of gratitude and awareness that will bring a new sense of joy to your singing and practicing.

When you get serious about singing, it's not uncommon to go through periods of feeling like you are getting worse instead of improving. The path of learning to sing is not a straight one, and we often need to take detours that can lead to frustration. In this episode, John discusses why we may need to take a step back in our singing before we get better, but also how not to get stuck there.

Body acceptance is a growing trend, freeing us from attempting to fit into narrowly defined concepts of attractiveness. Yet this often doesn't happen with the voice. Singers struggle to make their voice some it's not, often to frustrating results. In this episode, John discusses the concept of vocal acceptance, and why your natural voice is more than good enough.

We speak much more than we sing, yet while we work to have a dynamic singing voice, we can often neglect these qualities in our speech. By utilizing the concepts of music in speech, we can be more convincing and exciting to our listeners. In this episode, John discusses the elements of great speakers and how you can develop these qualities in your voice.

"The results a person obtains are inversely proportionate to the degree to which he is intimidated." - Robert Ringer Being a singer is to face constant intimidation, real or imagined. The fear of criticism or the idea you need to wait until it's your turn can stymie and choke your goals and progress. In this episode, John discusses why you shouldn't be intimated by anyone or anything and how to push through on your singing journey.

Brute force learning is a concept taken from computing. The idea is to approach a problem or area of learning from multiple angles. With singing, it can be highly beneficial to get a wide array of sources to increase your understanding and skill. In this episode, John discusses how brute force learning has helped him and why it might very well work for you.