While I was posting an article on my studio Facebook page, I was going to use the hashtag #ProTip and #ProTipTuesday came up. Which is, apparently, a thing!
So (and i know a lot of people are annoyed by people who start sentences with “So,” but I do, so – so?) I thought about the Pro Tips I could offer today and possibly on subsequent Tuesdays. Here are a few, off the top of my head, gained from my XYZ number of years of performance and teaching experience (both personal and observational):
- Try to remain upright while singing
This may involve:- Not locking your knees
- Making sure that you have eaten enough
- Ensuring that your shoes are stable or that you are stable in them
- Checking to make sure that your hemline is not loose anywhere so that you won’t put a heel through it as you are walking (this can apply to pants as well as skirts)
- Having your hemline adjusted so that you won’t step on it, especially if there are any steps involved (I speak from experience here)
- Be a good colleague
- For more specifics on this, you can either check out Cindy Sadler’s ASK ERDA column in Classical Singer Magazine from February 2005 OR
- Always have a pencil
I’ve been really bad about this because I have been using my iPad Pro for scores, and with that I use my Apple Pencil, and – I haven’t really gone anywhere for the last year where I actually needed a real pencil. I’ve found myself at rehearsals with actual paper music in front of me – and no pencil. Not professional. - Stay healthy – check out this lovely blogpost and video from February 2020 (before we knew what was going to happen and before my hair turned purple and teal) to read about my approach to vocal health and watch me irrigating my sinuses
Neti Pot Pro Tip!
This is my first #ProTipTuesday! Do you have any tips you’d like share? Feel free to add them in the comments!
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If you’re interested in more Pro Tips one-on-one (and not just on Tuesday), find out how to work with me in 2022!