As we're nearing the end of the agility series on YouTube, the final few videos offer a singular challenge that will have a dramatic impact on your success. I don't think I bring it up at all in the videos, so here it is:

Be light on the bottom.

What I mean by this, is that if the scale starts at ...

Hello all!

For those of you who have been working along with my Agility series on YouTube, I thought I would offer a few additional points that I don't mention in the videos.

Divide and conquer. Another way to think about this that we're going to rotate our attention as we work the exercises.

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Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. - Thomas Edison

How we practice singing is the most important aspect of whether or not we achieve our goals. Singing the 'right' exercise without good technique is not useful.

In the agility series that I'm...

Hello all!

Agility for singing requires balance. Specifically balance between the air pressure that you're creating, and the closure of the vocal folds. In vocal pedagogy this is the balance between sub glottic air pressure and vocal fold adduction.

The tricky part is that that relationship change...

I blinked, and January was gone.

It's February now, and statistically speaking, most of us have given up on whatever resolutions or aspirations we made.

But it's only February.

The hardest part about missing a day of practice is the next day. Re-establishing the practice. If January flew by, and ...

It's getting cold here in the northern hemisphere, and it reminds me to briefly mention that since our bodies are our instruments, staying healthy is a key concern. As I am fond of doing, however, I'd like to approach this from another angle.

Yes, getting a cold is a nuisance, and recovering from i...

I'm like anyone else, in that I sometimes need inspiration. I also like to try to understand why I do what I do, both in teaching, and in making music as art.

I listened to an interview with Rick Rubin, a famous record producer, on the Rich Roll Podcast, and immediately resonated with much of what ...

'Finish What You Start' can have many meanings for us as musicians, and is scalable. The trick is to identify the appropriate goal for the situation.

If, for example, you are just getting started on a new piece, this may mean learning the notes for a difficult passage well enough to get it correct ...

Hello!

Sorry I've been quiet for awhile! I've been consumed with a few other projects, but I should be offering thoughts and advice more regularly once again!

To start off, I came across this excellent metaphor for what it is to be a musician. It talks of incremental growth and skills sets in the ...

Ever try to eat an elephant in one bite? Ridiculous I know. How about lifting a house? A task for a super being, but not us. Okay, let's be reasonable, ever eaten an entire 12" wide apple pie in one bite?

I know, I'm being a bit silly, but here's the thing:

Focusing entirely on your end goals with...

I really enjoy talking about clichés as I imagine you've noticed, so here we go:

You miss every shot you don't take

In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take

Life is inherently risky, there is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is doing nothing.

Don't fear fail...

Habits take time to form. It also isn't enough to experience something once, and expect to be able to repeat it consistently. This is why we practice, and it behooves us to practice with intent.

I had a teacher who told me that the acquisition of new skills took six months. That once you could expe...