As the year flies by, music can help us reconnect with the present. Whether exploring vocals, songwriting, or simply enjoying music, take on a personal challenge—Album, Artist, Song, or Genre—and rediscover joy and inspiration. (5-minute…
If you go to bed straight after a big singing day/evening, then find yourself waking up the next day with a tired throat, husky voice, and take a long time to warm up…doing a vocal…
Warming up the voice can often be unpopular. But whether you do it through sequential repetitive patterns, or the song you’re belting, you can’t escape the warm-up process. (3-minute read time) Photo by Stepan Kulyk on …
It takes intentionality and realistic expectations to connect the dots between your dreams and your daily lived experience. These goal-setting activities aim to be that connective tissue for you as a singer. (6-minute read time)…
Have you ever stopped listening to your own recording, shocked it was YOU? Transform this moment by planning: evaluate your equipment, goals, and language to celebrate progress and inform your practice choices. (4-minute read time)…
Do you cringe when you hear a recording of yourself – yet somehow you need to get used to it? Try these insights to discover new ways to listen to yourself and improve your self-coaching….
Creating a dedicated space promotes effective and mindful singing practice by reducing distractions, fostering focus, and encouraging experimentation. Personalise the space with motivational elements, necessary tools, and acoustic considerations. Start small and refine over time….
Recount an issue where students experience vocal strain from passionate car singing, describe the symptoms and consequences of vocal fold swelling, and provide practical advice for safe car singing and recovering from vocal strain. (5-minute…
I did a series of posts in the Winter of 2023 regarding myths surrounding the management and maintenance of vocal health when you are unwell. If you missed it, here they are … Myth #1…
Singing myths debunked: there’s no single way to sing; age doesn’t hinder singing; regular practice is essential; mouth shape affects resonance; high notes come from faster vibrations, not ‘head voice’; singing lessons benefit everyone. Singing…
Debunked: talent isn’t innate; high notes don’t require force; vocal range can improve; warm-ups vary; warm liquids don’t guarantee performance; diaphragm use isn’t stomach pushing; posture isn’t rigid; singing and talking use the same muscles….
Changing perspectives can help solve singing problems; stepping back provides clarity while zooming in allows for detailed work, and applying this to vocal challenges can lead to effective solutions and renewed motivation. (4-minute read time)…
Amid winter and health surges, vocal flexibilty is key. Defined as readiness to vocalise fully, tips include loving warm-ups, stretching vocal skills, and balancing consistency with variety to enhance flexibility and explore new vocal possibilities….
(3-minute read time) In 2018, I was at a conference for singing teachers in the Blue Mountains (NSW, Australia). As usual I was sharing a room with my bestie and we were regularly dining with…
(6-minute read time) Woohoo….Glengrove Studio is 20 years old!!! Well, to be fair, there is no singular date that I fix this anniversary to. It could be when I was inspired to study vocal…
You need to manage your cough for 2 reasons: To minimise post-viral complications To minimise how swollen your vocal folds get. The more swollen they are and the longer the cough lasts means you- a….
There is a silent battle going on in each of us. The battle between our muscle memory and our conscious, discerning choices. This battle exists in thousands of areas of our lives – such as…
If your goals feel off, consider if you’re overstretched or too comfortable. Singing should be fun and fulfilling, so adjust your approach if needed to find the right fit and balance of stretch and comfort….
“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again….
According to Christopher Sutton, active listening is “thinking while listening”. He proposes that asking yourself questions as you listen can begin this process of focussing your mind. Choose a song or piece of instrumental music…
Laaaaadies and GentleMen….drumroll puh-lease….I present for your wonder and amazement…the most magnificent listening device ever invented. It weighs around 1300-1400 grams and is about 15cm long. With state-of-the-art networking functionality, memory back-up systems and a…
Can I trust what I hear? I just heard two crimson rosellas calling to each other. The first was in our yard. A clear 3 note call like the swung upbeat to downbeat opening of…
A thesis about practice is brewing in me….but you’ll be pleased to know this blog ain’t it…LOL! Still, I hope you enjoy this collection of concepts and get at least one idea that might make…
Why Does This Help a Singer? “Both attention to detail and attention to the whole are essential…Your task is to wake up the sensory receptors in each structure, adding layers of awareness as you go”….
Being a living, breathing musical instrument means that the fuel we give it makes a difference. That means that recipes and meal prep is an important tool for singers. If you have ever been part…
Do you ever have trouble getting started on your singing practice? Or maybe you feel like you arrive at a lesson, rehearsal or gig with your brain still firmly lodged in that last activity at…
Decades ago, I discovered this evocative photograph, Un musicien sous la pluie (Musician in the Rain) by Robert Doisneau. Taken in Paris in 1957, to me it is the embodiment, heart and soul, of a…
“We breathe and we voice – the first two activities of our life. Spoken voices feel like an extension of personality, flowing effortlessly out of our heads and hearts, our thoughts and feelings. For many,…
WAYS TO DISCOVER, DEVELOP AND DELIVER YOUR VOICE IN TIMES OF CHANGE If you’re looking for a fresh way to approach your voice and your singing; a way that leads to new acceptance, growth and…
Two and a half years after writing my first (ever) blog on Reset, with the world in the grip of the Coronavirus pandemic, my mind has turned to another type of reset. I find myself…
“No one move, no one speak Please don’t say that it’s just me It’s not just me And even though I won’t forget Just don’t want this to end just yet, not just yet But…
“Learning how to make the delivery of every song full of detail and excitement is vital if you want to consistently capture your audience’s attention.” Matthew Edwards Welcome to a blog that is chock-full of…
This blog is the third in a 4-part series which aims to explore the way your voice is the interface between mind, heart, body and soul. We will explore how this interface can give your singing…
“What you can do you can imagine, and what you can imagine you can do.” Moshe Feldenkrais Your body is an engineering marvel! With its upside-down weight distribution, it is elegantly designed to resist gravity…
“We all have issues with our own voices, whether we are listening to our speaking voices on a recording or judging our singing voices. Singing makes us feel especially vulnerable, and being vulnerable takes courage. So as…
“Mucus is our body’s equivalent to fly paper, it lines the nose trapping the dirt and germs stopping them from damaging the lung. But it does better than just sticking to them – mucus is…
Context Why does it feel like sometimes our own mind and body are working against us? “In many ways singers face a ‘double whammy’ when they perform. Assuming mastery of the instrument and mastery of…
Why write another blog on auditioning? It’s certainly a much-covered topic already! And yet…it is a type of performance that strikes equal parts of exhilaration and trepidation in us. So, it is worth considering what we do that…
I can think of several reasons why you might want to learn a song quickly. Maybe you have a theatre call-back tomorrow and they’ve sprung an unexpected song or selection on you. Or perhaps the bride has…
Bring on tomorrow Let it shine Like the sun coming up on a beautiful day It’s yours and mine. “Bring on Tomorrow”, from Fame, by Steve Margoshes & Jacques Levy It’s Sunday morning…no, wait,…
If you have already read Part 1 of this blog, you’ll have a clear understanding of what Production Week is likely to throw at you. This blog gives you some ideas on how to plan for…
“If anything makes a show jump from good to great, it is clarity.” Rachael Beck, Director & Performer And the time when that clarity arrives for an amateur musical theatre company is during…
Top Tips on preventing voice loss at school swimming/athletics carnivals. I have lost count of the number of times a school-aged singer has arrived for their after-school lesson with so much hoarseness following their sports…
As a singing teacher, I spend a reasonable amount of time talking about the perils of too much and too little mucus (not as gross as it sounds, trust me). It is currently spring in Canberra,…
One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself as a singer is self-awareness about your vocal instrument. This tipsheet will introduce you to the understanding that exists around how muscles work and help you plan your vocal training so you will move towards development and away from fatigue and injury.
The global spread of COVID-19 has presented a plethora of challenges, with lesser and greater degrees of trauma, for every member of the human race. In Australia, a tremendous response to the need to stay home…
Help…I’m a singer!What do I do when my air quality is HAZARDOUS??? Today is Friday 10 January, and I look out the window at a sky that is bluer and clearer than it has been for…
This amazing image makes me think about preparing for a sporting adventure – one that is extreme and physical. A lot of people might not think of singing in public as an extreme sport or adventure,…
Why is it that your vocal coach often asks you about how much water you’re drinking? Is it really that effective in helping the voice? The body? The brain? Can I count juice, soda, tea and…
Human brains love to have patterns, formulae, methods for working stuff out. We search for reliable ways of making decisions for our own welfare and to enable us to live the life in front of us. But…
Is your self-talk a friend or an enemy? It’s time to be curious about the power of your communication with yourself and how it can positively shape your singing and performing in the future. You have more…
*Updated August 2021* I wonder if you feel like I do about the new year? I gave up on making resolutions years ago and goalsetting is an elusive fish whose tail I’m still trying to…
Join our mailing list and stay up to date with the latest news, updates and resources.