I Will Always Love You

Whitney Houston. What an amazing and inspiring vocalist! Houston has always had a love for music. At age eleven, she became a member of a junior gospel choir. She was discovered by Arista Records when she began singing with her mom at night clubs in New York City. Her first album was released in 1985 and was a best-selling debut. From there she went on to do even bigger and better things in the music world.

Her vocals in her song "I Will Always Love You" have always amazed me. This heart-touching song has always been on my list of songs that I would like to perform. After this song was released, it quickly become one of the worlds best selling singles in history. Wow.

Click on this video to hear this amazing vocal selection being sung by Whitney Houston.

Out of breath?

When I first began singing, I would always run into the same problem no matter what song I was singing; I always ran out of breath. I would get to the end of a long phrase and feel as if my lungs were collapsing. I found out that my "running out of breath" problem was not permanent and that it could be fixed. From one of my vocal teachers I learned that there are a few different causes for running out of breath when it comes to singing. Two causes that come to mind are 'airy' singing and shallow breathing.

Airy breathing is when a person's singing voice sounds like their words are wrapped in layers of air. A few styles of music require this type of singing, but it needs to be used correctly. If it is used wrongly, 'airy' singing sounds frail and dull. This was not the problem that was causing me, personally, to run out of air. I was having trouble with how deep my breaths were going. So, I was dealing with the second cause: shallow breathing. How to change my breathing style was hard at first, but then I got used to it.

To get rid of shallow breathing, imagine that your diaphragm is a big balloon. Fill your "balloon" full of air. Then, as you sing, imagine that there is only one tiny hole at the top of the balloon that the air gets let out from. By imagining these things, your air will last much longer. I remember the first time that I tried this; it was an amazing change. Give it a try!

Carnegie Hall

The feeling that I felt as I stood on the Carnegie Hall stage in New York is indescribable. All that I could think about were the thousands of talented musicians (including some of my musical heroes) who had stood on that same stage. Looking into the audience, I felt a sense of accomplishment as I thought about what my choir and I had done to get there. Much work, stress, practicing, and heartfelt love for music took place on the journey to that moment.

Carnegie Hall was built in 1891 and is one of the most famous performance halls in the United States. It is well-known for its beauty, it's history, and it's acoustics. From personal experience, I truly can see why it is well-known for those things. Performances are constantly taking place at Carnegie Hall. More specifically, about 250 performances take place every season.



I would love to go back to New York someday and be enlightened by watching a performance take place in that magnificent Hall. I would highly recommend the same for you as well. Let's put in on our "bucket lists." Ticket prices range from about $100-$650, depending on where you sit and what performance it is. For a listing of Carnegie Halls event calender, click here.

Whether you go next month or in 15 years, enjoy your life-changing trip to Carnegie Hall in New York City. Maybe I will see you there!

Breath in... Breath out

Where am I going to breath while singing a song? How do I remember when or when not to breath? Personally, I keep track of where I breath by creating a "breathing map" I am able remember more easily when and how large or small those breaths are. You are probably wondering what a "breathing map" is? A breathing map is made by marking in the sheet music exactly where to breath. The breathing spots can be marked with any mark that will help you the most. I prefer to use a breath mark ( ' ), but there are many options. Shelley Kristen, from the "Complete Singing Voice Lesson Series," teaches her students to use a "B" to indicate a big breath or a "b" to mean a small/quick breath. She gives a very good lesson in the following video on Breathing Maps.

I also am a fan of vocal books that give helpful breathing information that I can read while singing at the piano or standing at a music stand. There are many great vocal books out there that can help with breathing techniques. Some examples would be,

Vocal Coach Jamie Vendera's breathing guide

Cost: $17.95

Click here for more information

Berklee Workshops "Vocal Technique"

Cost: $19.95

Click here for more information

To Hear or Not To Hear

My husband is never afraid to sing along with the radio, sing loudly in church, or sing "Good Morning Beautiful" to me as I open my eyes in the morning. I absolutely LOVE his singing voice. He can always bring a smile to my face when his vocal cords make music. After reading these past few sentences about how much I love my husband's voice, you will be surprised to find out that he is tone deaf. Using his voice to match a note being played, whether it is on the piano or on the radio, is a very difficult task for him. As his wife, the sound of his off-key singing voice is beautiful music to my ears. But, at the same time, someone in my position may wonder, "Is it possible for my husband to learn to sing on tune?" The answer is YES. With training, even the most off-key singer can learn to sing in tune.

A person wanting to learn to sing well would begin with "ear training." To someone inexperienced, "ear training" may sound like a silly phrase, but they would be pleased to know that that "silly phrase" could change their singing voices for the better. When doing ear training with beginners, start with the basics. For example, play two different notes on the piano (one at a time) and ask which note was higher and which was lower. Once they can identify that successfully, ask them if the notes are close together or far apart. From there, you can go up in difficultly and ask them to identify octaves, dissonance, major/minor chords etc.

Even though my husbands voice is beautiful to me, I would love to teach him technique and do ear training with him. We have already talked about it, and he is willing. I am connecting a picture of my husband to this blog so that you will recognize him when he is a famous vocalist, well-known for his perfect pitch.