ABOUT THE COURSE
WARM-UPS
VOCAL TECHNIQUES
VOCAL PRESENTATION
VIRTUAL KEYBOARD
DOs and DON'Ts
FAQs
ARTIST PROFILES
LINKS
Does it make
a difference if I sing sitting down or standing up?
Can you sing if you are tone deaf?
Do I have to pay for tuition?
Will I need to know anything for the first course?
Do I have to know how to sing already?
Can I sing with a cold?
Does my bodyweight affect my singing?
Is my image important?
Can anybody be a singer?
How do you get noticed?
How can I get work?
What happens if I flop on stage?
What if I lose my voice?
Yes, sitting squashes your diaphragm. When you stand, your posture allows more room to deliver the note. When you sit, the notes will be shorter, but you can still deliver a good, full-bodied notes with proper breathing technique.
NO, NO, NO! You need at least to be able to tell the difference between one note and another note, and be able to reflect that to some degree when you sing.
Usually yes – sometimes you can get sponsorship or funding (e.g. the Prince’s Trust). Networking may help you find sources of funding or sponsorship.
Well, you do need a good voice, but that’s it!
Yes, because you will have had experience from other course of from singing at events or family get togethers, etc.
Yes, if you take some natural remedies and use breathing techniques. If you are bunged up, you can use steam to relieve congestion. Steam inhalation, with a gentle ‘aaah’ sound on exhalation, helps loosen up and clear the vocal chords.
Body weight is not the issue, but being fit and healthy does help. But mostly it’s a matter of technique. Excess weight may also restrict your movement on stage.
Yes it is – for marketing and self-confidence. It is about how you look and sound. Some people will judge you on your looks before they have even heard you sing. If they hear you sing first, they will then want to see who you are, how you look. So yes image is very important.
No. Anybody can learn techniques to be able to express themselves vocally, but people have different degrees of natural talent, ability and confidence. Not everybody has what it takes to be a professional vocal performer.
To be seen you have to be visible – you have to be out there where it is happening. Karaoke bars and open mike nights are great opportunities to try out and get exposure. Alternatively, go to a live venue and beg for a spot. Part of making it is about being in the right place at the right time – so the more places you go to the more chances you have! Some of it is who you know and not what you know (but you need the ‘what’ in order to back up the ‘who’).
Network, network, network. Make a simple business card, fliers etc. and hand them out. Don’t be afraid to talk to people and ask questions. Use technology, like the Internet, to get your self and your profile seen by as many people as possible.
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and learn to live with it. Basically, just carry on. If you make a mistake, keep going. If you give a bad performance, embrace it, smile, learn from the experience and move on.
Avoid shouting and whispering (which causes as much damage as shouting). Drink warm liquids and natural soothing remedies; wrap a warm scarf around your throat to keep the muscles warm. Rest and be quiet.
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