I am always so thrilled when students taking my online course 'Reboot Your Singing Voice - Level 1' have great success. Thank you Norma Elmore for taking the course and giving it FIVE STARS!
"Congratulations, Beth, for creating a singing course that focuses on the very foundation of singing. Your concepts about breathing and open throat are major building blocks for singers as well as speakers. Through the years, I have developed bad habits such as not singing with energy, not opening my throat,and clenching my jaw. Your steps were a real break through for me. My voice is healthier and stronger than ever. I am looking forward to Level 2." Norma Elmore
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After several months of shooting video, writing content and Beta testing -- Reboot Your Singing Voice - Level 1, my ONLINE course is LIVE ON UDEMY!
CLICK HERE TO PREVIEW THE COURSE. If you want to learn how to have a healthy voice for life, this foundational course will help you solve all of your vocal problems and get back to joyful singing. This is a fun quirky video I shot this summer while in New York. Canal Boats and Vibrato? You decide…... When you're not feeling so chipper, and we all have down days, check out what Johnny Cash had to say about feeling BETTER.
Dry, Summer Throat?
Are you suffering from a dry, summer throat? Do you run, bike or play tennis outdoors in the hot, dry air? If so, you may be suffering from a scratchy voice due to drying out your vocal chords. Allergies can also dry out the vocal chords and irritate the throat. If you're having any 'dry throat' symptoms, why not try my 'Viva La Voice Tonic' recipe? It's fantastic for soothing and hydrating the voice, cleansing the system, and cutting phlegm. And best of all, you can now get this fantastic recipe online for free! I'll send you the recipe and an article about how I developed the Tonic due to years of professional singing in sometimes hostile conditions! And as an extra bonus you’ll get both my monthly Voicegram and the Blissential Buzz newsletter – natural remedies for voice, mind and body!! You'll love what this Tonic will do for your voice, whether you're a singer, speaker, salesperson or outdoor athlete. Enjoy! Get your Viva La Voice Tonic Recipe and have a wonderful Summer. I’m a Holistic Voice Practitioner, and I have one question for you: Are you using your voice correctly? It's not only singers who develop vocal problems. More and more service personnel who use their voices all day long are suffering from a new syndrome called REPETITIVE VOICE INJURY. Folks in call centers are particularly at risk, especially when they are straining their voices by speaking incorrectly. If you're a teacher, clergy or salesperson who's on the phone, or using your voice extensively during your work day, you could be at risk for developing this syndrome. Here are a few tips to protect and preserve your voice from my Book From Shower To Stage…7 Easy Steps for Singing Like A Pro!: - Keep hydrated! Working in an air conditioned building can dry out your vocal chords. - Breathe fully! Make sure that you are consciously breathing and actively supporting your voice - Sit up straight! If you sit while you're speaking or on the phone, make sure that you 'pull up' and maintain your posture. - Don't push! Trying to speak loudly or 'project' your voice will only lead to strain. Instead, use your breath support for vocal power. - Use your body voice! Visualize your voice resonating in your body, not your head. - Relax your jaw! Unclench your jaw and let it drop naturally as you speak. - Open your mouth! You'll be surprised at how much more volume you'll get from this one simple trick. - Take breaks! Give your voice a rest. Stop talking when you're not 'on the clock'. - Get coaching from a Holistic Voice Practitioner! Most importantly, learn the basic skills that will help you to speak correctly so that you won't suffer from a strained or fatigued voice. With just a bit of conscious effort and some basic voice coaching you'll be able to avoid Repetitive Voice Injury. For more information on Voice Coaching and avoiding vocal injury, see my website articles at vivalavoice.com The next time you sing a song, or give a presentation, become con-scious of 'opening up your words'. So many times I'll hear a singer or speaker, and can't understand most of the words they're saying or singing! What you've got to realize is that people may not have heard your song before, so all your words, your entire story, is new to them. If you're presenting, everything you'll be saying to your audience is brand new! Do your audience a favor and let them CLEARLY UNDERSTAND YOU. No one will be focusing on your message if they're straining to hear your words. The way to make yourself clearly understood is to open up your words. I don't mean to open your mouth in a phony, exaggerated movement. All you have to do is simply make more space INSIDE your mouth. By imagining an orange (or some other small fruit!) inside your mouth, you'll lift up the soft palette and open up the words. Elongating your vowels will also make it easier to hear every word. It's also important to slow down your speech, or slightly overemphasize your pronunciation. What is clear to you may still be hard to understand for someone who's unfamiliar with your words and topic. Singers, especially, need to open up vowels and make space for their words so that lyrics are clear and understandable. If you're telling an important story with your song, you want it to be understood; otherwise your audience won't be able to relate to your music and you will have lost a very important emotional connection. There’s a whole chapter in my book From Shower To Stage….7 Easy Steps for Singing Like A Pro! on this important concept. I call it the ‘Legato Line’. Remember that what sounds clear to you in normal speech or singing may not be clear to an audience who has never heard your presentation or music. Open up your words to clearly communicate your message and the emotion that is the key to your success as an effective performer! Cheers, Beth I'll be in New York this summer teaching my B# Sharp for Health Balance class. It's a 'balance' class because it helps restore balance to both sides of our brain while enhancing cognitive function. And it's a great cardio workout; we dance, sing and meditate. So you come out of the class relaxed, energized and totally balanced on all levels. Class begins July 8, 2014 at New Health in Essex, NY in the gorgeous Adirondacks. I love recommending fantastic, healthy products to my blog readers. I recently discovered a fantastic toothpaste that is ALL NATURAL. Why is this important to a singer? Because the less toxic you are, the healthier your voice will be. A vibrant body equals a vibrant voice. A weak body leads to a weak voice. So it's important to maintain a healthy diet that limits the toxic load you take in each day. Redmond Company, based in Utah, has some wonderful products that I use and love. I recommend that you try their EARTHPASTE. It's really neat because the base is CLAY! Yes, clay! Animals as well as people have been ingesting CLAY for millions of years. It contains important minerals that our body needs. And while you won't be swallowing the Earthpaste, it's nice to know that it comes from a natural source that is not filled with chemicals. I am using the Lemon Earthpaste right now and really love the delicate lemon flavor from Essential Oils. Learn more about Essential Oils for Singers. It's sweetened just enough with Xylitol, which may sound like a chemical, but is actually a natural substance. About Xylitol: "Over 25 years of clinical testing confirms that xylitol is the best sweetener for teeth, which has led to official endorsements by dental associations in Finland, Norway, Sweden, England, Ireland, Estonia and the Netherlands of products containing high levels of this sweetener. It’s Natural Xylitol is right here, inside, already. Our bodies naturally produce from 5 to 10 grams every day from other food sources using established energy pathways. It is not a strange or artificial substance, but a natural, normal part of everyday metabolism. It is widely distributed throughout nature in small amounts, with some of the best sources being delicious fruits, berries, mushrooms, lettuce, hardwoods, and corncobs." The clay also makes my teeth feel really clean -- almost squeaky clean, which makes me know that its slightly, gently abrasive quality helps remove plaque. And no, it doesn't taste like DIRT, although essentially, it IS dirt. It tastes really good and makes brushing a pleasure. I feel good knowing that I'm not putting damaging chemicals into my mouth, and into my system. Here's the Redmond link to find out more about Earthpaste and order some! Cheers, Beth I recently took a trip to Hawaii, where I discovered that the 'Hang Loose' attitude in the Islands has a lot in common with some of the basic concepts of the Lawrence Vocal System. When you sing, you always want to be relaxed, and minimize constriction and any tensions in the body. So watch this short video shot at Diamond Head to learn my Island secret for 'singing with Ease'. Please sign up for my bi-monthly Voicegram and get my Blissential Buzz newsletter free! Healthy voice information, holistic health, and valuable information for Singers, Speakers, and anyone who wants to have a healthy, vibrant voice. |
From Beth LawrenceIf you're serious about singing then you've got to take care of your voice. Here are some healthy ways to do that! AuthorBeth Lawrence, Award-winning singer, songwriter and author of "From Shower To Stage...7 Easy Steps for Singing Like A Pro!" |