As many of my students know, I love to cook and you can always find me in the kitchen. The other day I visited 3 West Indian markets with my friend, Kristin. It’s so much fun to discover new foods and spices. I have a pantry full of spices from around the world. Depending on the combination, it will complement a specific ethnic dish. Many of the spices crossover into dishes found all over the world.
You should approach your songwriting like a chef inspired by international recipes. Listen to different genres outside of your comfort zone. Try and use these sounds in your own songwriting. After all, I believe music is the spice of life!
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A student came in this week and is on the road to getting her voice back after dealing with health issues. She wants to belt songs as she did before. She reflected on past auditions where she had her repertoire down solid. My advice to her was not to fall into the trap of defining herself as a singer by how high she used to belt.
As someone who has gone thru cancer and chemo treatment, I know exactly how she feels. A lot about my body image and singing changed, but that does not define the essence of who I am and what I can contribute. Sometimes life throws us curveballs and we can’t regain what we had. But we can start from this moment and move forward and gain things we never dreamed possible. I keep up on my vocal studies so I know I am the best teacher I can be for you. Today I had a class and the teacher asked if I understood this week’s topic. Without hesitation, I said “yes, no problems at all!” Then class started and I realized I was way off base in my understanding.
Even if you think you have all the answers, chances are you don’t. So always question your own confidence. This is the time of year when many music conferences are starting around the country. As a recurring speaker at the Launch Music Conference and Festival one of my favorite things to do is listen to all the performers online in advance. That way I can plan my schedule ahead of time so I can listen to as many artists as possible from different genres.
It should be easy to Google an artist and find a link to hear their music. If I find them on Facebook I look for the Music or BandPage tab. If I see none of their music listed there, I do an alternate search online. If I still can't find their music, I wonder how serious they really are. If you want to be in this business, then make it your business to be found and heard easily on all channels. I want to support you! Are you performing at Launch this year and need a tune-up for your voice? Contact me here for a free warm-up session. Too often we regret the choices we’ve made or the road we’re on. Did you ever stop to think you’re just looking in the wrong direction? Turn your head and see the view from the other side. You might just find you’re on the right path after all.
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