Last week, I wrote about Why I Quit. When my husband read that title, he blanched, thinking that I was announcing that I was quitting teaching (without telling him first). Not quite. As I said last week, that wasn’t the intended focus when I sat down to write. What I wanted to talk about wasContinue reading “Why I Moved (I’m Not Done Yet)”
Tag Archives: singing
Help Someone Find Their Voice (or your own) in 2023
Have you always wanted to take voice lessons? Or do you have a child, sibling, or really close friend who has always wanted to try a voice lesson? This year, Mezzoid Voice Studio is offering a gift certificate that you can buy for a loved one (which also be yourself, because self-care is a goodContinue reading “Help Someone Find Their Voice (or your own) in 2023”
Not too late
On this day 9 years ago, I moved back to the East Coast from Milwaukee. I moved because I wasn’t performing anywhere, and I wanted to sing somewhere before it was too late. Because I felt as though a singer’s shelf life varies from person to person (depending on fach, health, and other circumstances) andContinue reading “Not too late”
Borle & Hicks – Together Again!
Last year, Mezzoid Voice Studio hosted actors Christian Borle and Adrianna Hicks as the master clinicians for World Voice Weekend. Their master classes were incredible, and they offered terrific insight for their singers. We were fortunate enough to get them, in large part because Broadway was shut down. Now that the Great White Way hasContinue reading “Borle & Hicks – Together Again!”
You are NOT the weakest link!
There was a TV show on about 20 years ago called The Weakest Link. It was a winner-take-all game show that was a cross between Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Survivor. The host back then was a British woman, Anne Robinson, who insulted the contestants by sneering at their wrong answers and questioning theirContinue reading “You are NOT the weakest link!”
Comfort Zone vs. Danger Zone
People are always saying, “You gotta break out of your comfort zone.” And I believe that is true. Growth comes from trying new things, taking risks, doing what’s outside the box. A very common graphic that is used in psychology and in personal coaching is one showing the four zones involved in growth. Source: UniqueContinue reading “Comfort Zone vs. Danger Zone”
Hitting the Right Chord: How Music Programs Boost STEM
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Technology) Education has become a major focus for schools, often to the detriment of a school’s music program (although somehow the athletic department always manages to keep their funding). As I’ve written recently, March is Music in Our Schools Month. But what if your school doesn’t have a solid musicContinue reading “Hitting the Right Chord: How Music Programs Boost STEM”
Teacher, Coach, or Mentor?
Teacher, Coach, or Mentor? What do you need? And what is the difference? I defined the differences between the services offered by voice teachers and vocal coaches in a previous blogpost (which was actually the content of a page I decided to keep as a link instead of separate page). I’d like to go aContinue reading “Teacher, Coach, or Mentor?”
Be a GOAT
Several years ago, videos of goats screaming like people hit the internet and became an obsession. People shared the videos of the goats just plain screaming, or cross-cut them into videos of people singing opera or missing a high note in “Let it go” in Times Square on New Year’s Eve (you know who you are,Continue reading “Be a GOAT”
Holding vs. Sustaining
There are two words used in singing (especially choral singing) that I think should be stricken from the face of the earth: HOLD CUTOFF We’ll deal with cutoffs another time, but right now I’m going to focus on the word “hold.” Often, I find that my students have trouble “holding” a note. They run outContinue reading “Holding vs. Sustaining”