Vocal Freedom in 5 Easy Steps


By Cari Cole

Vocal freedom. It’s what all singers want. But how do you get it when your voice is stuck in your throat. Or when it wears out too quickly. Or when it doesn’t respond the way you want? Are you stuck with the voice you have, or can it be improved?.

The latter. Your voice is an instrument. You just have to learn how to play it. It’s a sensitive and invisible instrument. You can’t buy it at the store. It’s inner processes are tucked away. You can’t see it working. As a result it’s tougher to navigate, tougher to control. The problem is, so many singers think you’re dealt a deck and that’s it. But there is soooo much you can do to improve your voice it’s astonishing.

Over my 30+ year practice of teaching voice out of my studio in New York (and by Skype) I have seen mediocre singers become amazing singers. I have watched people transform their voices and become incredible artists — and they started out with meh voices. So don’t fool to yourself and tell yourself that you’re just stuck with the cards you’re dealt ~ ‘cause that’s a LIE.

The other day, I worked with an indie artist (whom I adore) for the first time. As the session progressed she burst into tears (as often happens at my studio) — sobbing about how her voice was the bane of her existence. How she always wanted to have an amazing voice, but never won contests or got picked for parts. My mouth dropped open because I am a big fan of her voice – but to her, it was sorely lacking and caused her a lot of anxiety. I told her not to worry, that Mama would fix her right up. I told her about the marvels of vocal technique, what it had done for me and for the tens of thousands of artists who have come through my studio. I explained in great detail how a good technique works and what to expect. I welcomed her with open arms. Technique is the path to vocal freedom. And yes, there are emotional blockages that come along with that. It’s all part of freeing your instrument. We use technique, emotional expression, developing inner confidence, vocal remedies, whatever the doctor orders to bring it full circle. I believe every artist can step into their brilliance vocally following these steps.

Here are my Top 5 Steps for Freeing Your Voice.

Start today. 3 months from now you’ll be so glad you did ;).

 

1. Commit to improve yourself. You are more than your limitations

The terms: “fixed mindset” and a “growth mindset”. The first means you are stuck with what you are born with and the second meaning you can improve upon it. Start there. Do you think that Michael Phelps started at an Olympic level? Absolutely not. He swims every single day. If you want to be good at something you have to commit to doing it every day for as long as you want to reign at it. Believe you can and you will.

 

2. Train with vocal technique for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 21 days.

Looking for vocal freedom, power, and breath? It takes 21 days to develop a new habit and to feel the full on effects of it in your voice. Make it non-negotiable. This is where it starts. This is where your freedom lives. This exercise series is about opening up your voice, eliminating tension and freeing your instrument. It paves the way for your real voice to show up. #doitforyou #discipline. This will seem like a plug, and I guess it is, but I’ve gotten such amazing results with this program over 30 years of training my voice and my artists, that I want you to have the opportunity to experience it too www.caricole.com/singersgift. It works. And it’s not just my opinion, read what grads are saying on that page ;).

 

3. Breathe.. More.

Breath is the fuel for your voice. Without the right breathing practice, your voice is tense, weak and stuck in your throat. Don’t breathe into your chest, breathe into your belly, your ribs, your abdomen and your back. Start with your hands clasping your ribs with your fingers pointing towards your upper stomach and your thumbs wrapping around your back. Exhale and press your hands together. Now inhale slowly as you breathe directly into your ribs. Use the pressure of your hands on your ribs to breathe into. Like your ribs are wings and you are slowly opening them sideways. Then just when you are fully expanded, push the remaining air into your back. As you breathe like this, you begin to stretch the intercostal muscles (muscles that wrap around and between the ribs). This frees the diaphragm and fills your lungs with air. There is more to this but this is a good start. It’s important to free your diaphragm and open your breathing – it helps to free your voice and give you more power.

 

4. Connect to Your Emotions When You Sing

Don’t just sing notes … communicate. Yes, practice your notes and your phrasing to make your singing smooth, but what audiences REALLY react to is your emotion. Matter of fact, a perfect voice void of emotion will not move people as much as a voice with imperfections but strong emotions. Monologuing your song is a way to help connect. It works ;).

 

 

5. Releasing Tension

When you carry a lot of tension, your voice doesn’t perform well. It gets tight. It cracks and breaks up. Tension in your neck, jaw, back, tongue, laryngeal muscles and breathing muscles causes vocal problems and issues and constricts the voice. Releasing tension is an approach we use to free up singers voices. I recommend deep tissue massage, vocal lasers (www.amycutter.com – tell her I sent you for a discount), yoga, swimming, aerobics, Feldenkrais and Alexander technique. Careful to stretch before and after weight lifting as it constricts the vocal muscles. Free your body, free your voice.

 

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Hi, I’m Cari Cole.

You’ve got talent, but you want to become great at it. You’re in the right place! My mission is to help you refine your unique artist vision to bring to the world.

About Cari Cole

Cari Cole is the CEO / Founder of caricole.com and CCVM: Label Without Walls. She is a Holistic Vocal Coach, Artist Development Expert, A&R Director, and Songwriter based in New York City helping artists for the past 38 years. She is a mentor for Women in Music and The Association of Independent Music Publishers.

Her latest venture, CCVM a label services company, provides artists with a seamless path from creation to completion. After 30+ years of observing the overwhelm and challenges that artists face, Cari pulled together the best top creative professionals and designed a new approach to supporting our artists.

Disclaimer:
The information provided on Cari Cole's website is informational only and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on Cari Cole's website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.

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