- How to Practice
- Practice mindfully. Singing is 99.9% thinking. Think! Remember what we have been working on in the practice room. Register shifts. Phrasing. Dynamics. Tempo. Expressiveness. Think!
- Practice the hard stuff first. We all have aspects of our talent that is easy. So thank the creator for it….and go right into the hard stuff first. Make the hard interval, phrase, register easier. Then thread this new idea into the other lines.
- Go slow. Investigate and come in with those better questions for us to dig up.
- Recital etiquette.
- Be calm. Listen to instructions. Realize that you are just as distractible as the next student. So be calm and open to directions.
- Give it your best. Realize that we are all on a continuum of learning. Make your performance mindfully better than the last time. We will all fall into old habits under pressure. Simply just notice them. Forgive them and let them go. Stay focused on progress.
- Bow graciously.
- After your shining moment, I have no problem having you sit with your family. Remember however that the show is not over. Others are still nervous. Be the faces that you wished you would have seen while it was your turn. Smile. We really do see you!
Additional Tips
*Microphones* I do not use them. I believe that the voice is a natural instrument. It deserves respect. The authentic voice is a real voice. I stress to all my singers not to shout for volume. I work on the color of their sound and the ease of their production. Both will increase naturally as they developed slowly. Try to force open the petals of a flower and see what we get. So if a child is timid…lean forward, be quiet, and really listen!