Can you believe it’s almost summer? Hello, sunshine!
I cannot wait for longer days, outdoor fun, and getting a jumpstart on music for the upcoming academic year. I love using summertime to think about what I should be singing in the upcoming year: choir concerts, solos, auditions, various productions, etc. I also encourage my students to think about it, too! By planning out audition songs way in advance I have more time to plan and practice. Nothing says calm, cool, and collected like feeling super prepared during an audition or concert performance! So, how can you prepare for this? Sing with me! This summer we can build your foundations in technique and learn new repertoire. On average, we can cover about 2 songs a month which amounts to 4-6 songs over the course of the summer! How cool is that?!? How would it feel to absolutely dazzle your choir teacher or drama teacher with your newfound vocal knowledge next year? Want to get cast in a bigger role in your school or community theater production? Take lessons! Students who are guided by a teacher always have a leg up…think math tutoring! From personal experience, I always scored better on tests (and my SAT!) after math tutoring sessions. It’s the same with the voice! I can’t wait to hear you sing!!!
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Maria recently had the honor of performing with Kentucky Opera in their production of "The Pirates of Penzance!" It's a hilarious operetta about a band of tender-hearted pirates and the comedy that ensues when they intend to give up piracy and marry the beautiful daughters of a Major-General.
Check out this article for pictures (Maria is in purple)! The most famous number from the operetta is I am the very model of a Modern Major-General You have probably heard this incredibly fast patter song before. It has been featured or quoted in the Muppets, Family Guy and even the musical Hamilton! Up next for Maria is Mozart's Requiem with the Philadelphia Orchestra in April. Stay tuned! It's a terrific time of the year! Family and friends will soon gather around the table to share a meal and give thanks. Inevitably, once your family hears that you've been taking voice lessons, they will demand a performance! There's nothing worse than the pressure to sing and not having anything prepared. It's a great time to start thinking about this in your voice lesson. You still have a couple of weeks until the big (turkey) day!
I have a couple of "go-to" songs myself: O mio babbino caro for the Opera lovers or Till there was you for the Broadway lovers I recommend picking out a couple of songs you could easily perform a cappella and from memory. I also highly suggest warming up the morning before your family gathering, as well. You just never know when you might need to *perform!* We hope you enjoy a happy and safe Halloween! Each year Finely Tuned Voice Lessons puts together a virtual costume cabaret. This year you'll see performers from Kentucky, Arkansas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and New Jersey! Thank you for watching, and a HUGE thank you to everyone who participated! We hope your school year is off to a singing start! Here at Finely Tuned Voice Lessons we have had many students auditioning for select choirs, musicals, and solos already! It’s always so exciting to help folks through the process of preparing for, auditioning, and nailing a singing performance of any kind. It’s what we do best ;)
While the process is super exciting, one commonality we’ve noticed is an abundance of stage fright, audition anxiety, etc. Singing in front of people is always an adrenaline-producing event, so it’s no surprise that a singer may feel some jitters. Here are a few ways to prepare for and cope with those fears:
We hope these tips will allow the singer to trust themselves, their voice, and their artistry! Have fun auditioning, out there! There are so many wonderful reasons to take voice lessons! I have noticed that the following are at the top of the list when working specifically with high school students.
Improved test scores Dr. Kyle Pruett, clinical professor of child psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, says “People who have had formal musical training tend to be pretty good at remembering information stored in memory.” Who knew that you could train for the SAT/ACT away from a book and desk? Encourages collaboration and communication skills Singers rarely perform alone. Typically, they collaborate with a pianist, guitarist or another instrumentalist. This act of collaboration practices the social skills required to communicate effectively with someone. I have seen high school students make tremendous strides in their communication and their listening ability by taking just a few private voice lessons. It teaches discipline They say that practice makes perfect, but I have learned that practice makes permanent. What you practice with your voice will become second nature. Practicing also requires a bit of a self-starting attitude, as sometimes practice isn’t fun at first. I define Finely Tuned as "making precise adjustments for optimal performance." Once a student internalizes how to Finely Tune their voice in lessons, they can then apply these same principles to other activities in their lives. It promotes self awareness Let’s face it…what high school student couldn’t benefit from a little bump up in their self-awareness? These can be trying years, but learning how to sing creates self-awareness by noticing and recognizing how you create specific sounds using your body. It forces the brain to work harder A singer must use many parts of the brain to create their art. They are constantly internalizing notes, words, and rhythms, all while trying to convey a message. This is multi-tasking at its finest! The focus required to take a private voice lesson forces a student to be engaged the whole time, as opposed to hiding in a class with 30 other people as so many high school students do in band or chorus classes. The Bottom line: Taking private voice lessons not only allows high school student to pursue a hobby, but also helps them develop habits that are applicable to everything they do in life. Visit our Voice Lessons page to learn more about our approach. About Finely Tuned Voice Lessons: Finely Tuned Voice Lessons (FTVL) is a private music studio located in Mercer County, NJ. Our studio offers 5-star rated private voice lessons to singers of all ages and abilities, with a special emphasis on high school students. You can learn more about about our voice studio by visiting our website, sending us at an email at finelytunedvoice@gmail.com. My family and I have moved to Louisville, KY and I am very excited to welcome singers into the studio for in person lessons!
I offer voice lessons (singing lessons) to anyone regardless of age or ability, but I truly specialize in middle school and high school singers. I love preparing singers for musical auditions of all kinds: choir, jazz, musical theatre, pop, regional/state chorus, etc. Come take a lesson with me, I can't wait to hear you! This Independence Day, I hope you are able to hear a STELLAR version of our National Anthem. You may even be asked to sing it somewhere! This is my all-time favorite version, I know you'll enjoy it. Her choices to use head voice, chest voice and mix are so well executed. She sings this the way it's meant to be sung---it's not about her flashy vocal fireworks, but about the cost of freedom. This is a masterclass in one listen: The weather is getting warmer, the sun stays up for longer, and all of a sudden your kids have so much free time---hello, Summer!
Summer is the perfect time to introduce your child to a new activity that they may or may not have time for during the school year. If your child is enrolled in choir/chorus, musical theater, or drama/theater classes they may absolutely love the chance to take voice lessons! Here at Finely Tuned Voice Lessons we offer flexible scheduling to accommodate busy lives. We also offer either in person or online lessons to keep things even more flexible. A few fast facts about Finely Tuned Voice Lessons: -We are female owned and operated -We are active professional singers and voice teachers -We love teaching many different genres from pop to opera -We have a studio dog (Vinny, the black lab) who makes appearances during online lessons Sign up here for your trial lesson or click here for more info! Happy singing! Often, when I tell my students I have an upcoming audition I’m preparing for they say, “Woah, you still have to audition?” Yes, even professional singers still audition. I’d like to share with you my most recent audition experience. In September, I was asked to re-audition for a gig that I’ve held since before Covid. It is not strange to be asked to re-audition…things change in a year and a half! I was thrilled to get the chance to sing live for humans again! In preparation, I took 2 lessons with my own voice teacher (YES, I still take my own voice lessons as the voice is always growing and changing…and aging!). We warmed up, and worked through technique for my chosen repertoire. The company asked for 1 aria/art song in English and one in either French, Italian, or German. I chose “Joy” by Ricky Ian Gordon and “Du gai soleil” from the opera Werther. I love singing both of those pieces, and they fit my voice well. They are also just different enough to be exciting and show off a couple of higher notes where my voice sparkles! The company also asked that we prepare to sight-sing. This is always so nerve-wracking! They give you several lines of notes and a starting pitch. After 30 seconds of looking over it, you must begin! I look for the key, any tricky rhythmic places, wide intervals, or accidentals. I trust my musicianship and use a combination of solfege, pretend piano playing with my fingers, and interval recall to sing through the line. My best advice is to just keep going! Try not to judge yourself as you’re singing through. Did I sing the lines with 100% accuracy? No way…but I did keep going, trying to nail the rhythm and accidentals! As someone who is a much better “preparer” than “on the spot” singer, I was relieved when I came to the end! Auditions are always nerve-inducing, but if you prepare fully you’ll be less nervous. Allow yourself to really become your character, so you’re not thinking about anything else. You can’t truly be present as your character if you’re thinking about your dress, what the conductor is thinking, or what you’ll have for dinner I walked out of my audition feeling grateful and fulfilled. I sang for an actual human being!!! It was truly thrilling. |
AuthorMaria Palombo is the founder of Finely Tuned Voice Lessons, a private voice studio specializing in voice lessons for middle and high school students. Archives
May 2024
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