The Latest Music News in Downingtown, PA

Quite a few of my students this week have been under the weather.  It takes a while for the voice to bounce back from illness.  Many times the vocal cords are swollen and the sinuses are congested which leads to problems with resonance and reaching higher pitches as well as tone control.  Wondering how to practice singing when you aren't feeling well? Read more to find out! 1.  Colds or other sinus related issues (including allergies):  you can practice gentle exercises such as hummi... read more

We’ve all had those days.  You wake up, congested, with a swollen throat and possibly, (gasp) a fever.  Does this mean practice is off the table?  Not necessarily.  Here's how to know when your singing voice isn't healthy: Congestion is not necessarily a deal breaker for practice or for lessons. Congestion may mean some difficulty finding the resonance in your voice… (ever tried to talk with a clogged nose?)…but you should still be able to phonate (fancy word for sing or speak) w... read more

As back to school rolls around, you are probably thinking about your child's education and after school activities. Music lessons are an important supplement to your child's classroom. Here are a few important music lessons benefits for kids: Learning a musical instrument improves focus. Research has demonstrated that learning a musical instrument can help a child learn to attend to one stimulus without distraction by allowing their brains to discriminate effectively between activities that r... read more

As a voice teacher, I come into contact with many young and beginning singers throughout the week. Performance can be a scary thing, and sometimes we can forget common sense!  So to make it easier I have compiled a list of the ways to be prepared for an audition (by avoiding the most heinous audition mistakes!): 1. Not bringing your music. You think: "Hey my accompanist will bring a copy and I don’t need mine so it will be fine!"  Keeping your accompanist happy is the best thing you can do... read more

When thinking about voice lessons, maybe you've asked yourself  "Am I tone deaf?". Oftentimes people avoid taking lessons because of certain preconceptions they have about learning music.  Well, guess what?  Anyone can learn!  I’m here to bust the myths and take away the excuses!  Here are seven common reasons potential students give up on their dreams of learning an instrument.   Music is for everyone, folks!  Not convinced?  Read on… “I can’t sing, I’m tone deaf!â... read more

Preparing for a college audition?  Trying to become a professional performer?  These practical resources, skills, attitudes are what you need to have so you can understand how to make it in music. 1.  The ability to sightread and understand music theory. Yes, there are some musicians out there who have magical ears, who can hear a song one time and perform it perfectly.  They are the exception and not the rule.  Having a good ear is important too, but in order to work with other music... read more

 One muscle we could all do with working out as musicians is that of sight reading.  Reading music is truly like reading a foreign language.  In order to become fluent, you must understand the structure and patterns of syntax.  Total immersion begins with sight reading experiences.  Sound scary?  Follow these tips on how to sightread well and you will be fluent in no time! 1.  Put some time in each day to work on your sight reading skills. Practice makes ... read more

When singers and performers are evaluated, often one of the phrases that comes into the topic of conversation is that of stage presence. But what is stage presence and how can a performer develop it?  Oftentimes it is presumed to be something you either have or you don't.  But as with most things with voice and with performance, it can be groomed and developed.  For the purposes of this blog here today, I will define stage presence as the ability to perform with confidence and... read more

Ever wondered which voice part you are and which artists most sound like you?  Read on to find your vocal doppleganger! Finding your tessitura (comfortable singing range) is easy.  Your teacher will listen to your voice as your complete some ascending warmups on one pitch and listen for your passaggio (aka your "switch"), the place where you switch from more robust chest resonance which vibrates in the chest to lighter and airy head resonance which vibrates primarily in the skull.  The place... read more

The curtain rises, the lights brighten, your palms sweat and your heart races.  Suddenly you forget your words and your feet become frozen to the floor.  What do you do?  Below are some tips to prevent, control and recover from performance anxiety. Let go of stage fright for good and focus on enjoying your performance!   1.  PREPARE AHEAD The best way to tackle the on stage jitters is to get ahead of them with strategic preparation.  You want to be able to ... read more

When they first started lessons, their fingers were itching to strike the keys. But now the hard work has started and you are struggling to find ways to motivate your kids to practice music!   School and extra-curricular activities are piling up and its a struggle to get them to practice even once a week. Never fear! Here are some tried and true strategies for reigniting your young ones passion for playing and singing.   1. Have a reward system in place. Some kids are re... read more