The Intelligent Vocalist

East is East and West is West - so went the Kipling poem and opposing voice teacher camps. But now the walls between educators are crumbling as science and knowledge are creating a common language and understanding. In this episode, John discusses the bridges between the classical and contemporary voice teachers and why it's a great time to be a singer.

We are born with two voices - one that flips into high falsetto and one that can speak and yell. These voices work great for communicating, cheering, or calling for help. But for singing strong high notes? Not so much. In this episode, John discusses these two natural voices and why we need to navigate the middle between them in order to expand our vocal range and color.

Singing is a skill that can frustrate even the most gifted musicians. Part of the problem is the tenuous connection between our brain and instrument. In this episode, John discusses how to approach your brain and singing, and how the right thoughts can help you improve as a singer.

We are surrounded at all times by incredibly cheap and tempting foods that are destroying our health and lifespan. In this episode, John discusses how to eat for maximum creative health and energy so you can keep singing and teaching for years to come. EPISODE LINKS: Healthspan Solution Book  

Higher and Louder! The battle cry of singers everywhere. Singing higher is an important skill, and there are common mistakes singers make when attempting to increase their upper range. In this episode, John reveals the most significant mistakes and how to avoid them. EPISODE LINKS: Free Straw Warmups Course

A nasal sounding voice is a common complaint of singers. In this episode, John discusses what is (and isn't) a nasal voice and gives some simple methods for making your voice sound richer and more natural. EPISODE LINKS: IVTOM Conference

There is much current discussion of social media sites compiling your private data - but that's not what they want to steal from you. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube....what they want is your attention - the very fabric of your life experience. In this episode, John discusses the battle for your attention and how to guard your creative work time.     EPISODE LINKS Deep Work by Cal Newport Pomodoro Timer Waking Up Meditation App Self Journal Evernote

Working in voice over used to be a very select group of people in major metropolitan areas. Now, the internet has created new opportunities for singers. Liz Hill is a gifted vocalist and voice artist who has built a thriving voice-over business from home. In this episode, John and Liz discuss how to prepare and launch a voice-over career, as well as Liz's best tips for success.   EPISODE LINKS Liz Hill Website Liz Hill YouTube Find Liz on Instagram @lizannehill @b0bandnanz

We all want to create our best work, reaching for an ideal. But when we attempt to attain "perfection," we can often end up spinning our wheels, afraid to show our creative work to the public. In this episode, John discusses how you can avoid the perfectionist trap and get your voice, songs, and teaching out to the world.

Singing is such a high-level skill that it can be a struggle to know what to think about or focus on. In this episode, John breaks down the different levels of mental focus, from the practice room to the stage to help you get clarity of mind when singing.