From Listener to Songwriter: Finding My Voice Through Music with Anna Altman
In this spotlight, we are featuring Anna Altman—a dynamic singer, songwriter, and now playwright. In this article, we interview both Anna and her coach Arabella.
Ten New Years Resolutions for Singers
While having a basic understanding of vocal anatomy can be helpful for grasping how your voice works, memorizing facts alone won’t make you a great singer. However, knowing key concepts—like the role of the respiratory muscles, vocal folds, and resonators—can be highly beneficial. This knowledge allows you to better understand the techniques you learn in voice lessons and gives you more control over your voice.
Improvisation is Music as in Life
Improvisation is the art of making music happen on the spot. For many musicians, it can be very difficult and intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. With the right mindset and practice strategies, anyone can learn how to improvise.
Learning Functional Vocal Anatomy
While having a basic understanding of vocal anatomy can be helpful for grasping how your voice works, memorizing facts alone won’t make you a great singer. However, knowing key concepts—like the role of the respiratory muscles, vocal folds, and resonators—can be highly beneficial. This knowledge allows you to better understand the techniques you learn in voice lessons and gives you more control over your voice.
Why You Only Sound Like You: Harmonics, Timbre, and Formants
What are Harmonics?
Harmonics occur when a sound-producing object, like a guitar string or your vocal cords, vibrates. It doesn’t just vibrate at one frequency; instead, it vibrates at multiple frequencies at the same time. The lowest frequency is called the fundamental frequency, while the higher frequencies that naturally occur alongside it are called harmonics or overtones.
Vocalizing Theory: A Musical Guide
A lot of successful singers, even those leading bands or recording albums, sign up for lessons because they feel that a lack of understanding of music theory affects their confidence when performing. At Arabella’s Voice Studio, we’ve developed a “practice flow” centered on vocalizing theory that you can easily incorporate into your lessons or home practice routine.
How to Find Your Voice
The number one question we get asked as voice teachers is, “How can I find my voice?” Well, the good news is that it’s already found! Only you sound like you, and we believe that is one of the best reasons to share your voice with the world. That’s why, at Arabella’s Voice Studio, we don’t just help you “find” your voice—we celebrate the one that’s already within you.
Quentin’s Vocal Journey: From Research Fellow to Aspiring Vocalist
Meet Quentin! In this spotlight, we are featuring Quentin. Quentin is a dynamic force working as an MIT research fellow by day, a vocalist by night, and an around-the-clock full-time dad! A Birthday Surprise Quentin is no novice to music. He composes classical piano pieces, despite never having received a formal education in music. For […]
Pitch-Matching Exercises to Enhance Your Singing Skills
Pitch-matching is a fundamental skill for any singer, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned performer. The ability to accurately match pitch ensures that you stay in tune with the music and harmonize well with other singers or instruments. In this post, we’ll explore some effective vocal pitch-matching exercises that can help you improve your singing precision and confidence.
3 Ways to Improve Your Musicianship
As a singer, it can be challenging to find time to improve both your singing technique and your overall musicianship. The following methods will not only keep your skills sharp but also deepen your general understanding of music.