Jeanie’s Blog

In the Christian tradition, one of the qualities of someone who is purported to be wise is discernment. This quality implies that the individual can discern one thing from another without confusion or struggle. The idea is that someone who is wise is someone who is able to tell the good from the bad, the ...

Some people never question anything, least of all themselves. They assume that they are just fine, thank you very much, and that if things in their life are not quite right they should just ignore them or blame something (or someone) else for what’s wrong. If you have been taught that strength means that you should ...

When and if we actually understand vocal function fully (and for the most part, teachers of singing are far away from such a reality), we might be able to establish some kinds of norms for voice types, for CCM styles, for age groups and for vocal health in performers. If we were to successfully take that ...

It’s not unusual to hear a soprano sing a classic music theater song or an American Songbook jazz piece in a key that is simply too high. Not for her voice, not for her comfort, but for the song. The key of a song makes a big difference to the way it feels when it’s ...

We all encounter “needy” students. A needy student is one who brings more than interest in singing to a lesson. A needy student is going to spend lesson time talking about things that do not have to do with singing. A needy student is going to want you to “take care of” things that you aren’t ...

What, in a voice, is manipulation? It’s moving things around in your throat deliberately. It’s doing things with your throat on purpose that don’t normally occur. Why would that be bad? Isn’t that, in fact, what most voice teachers are seeking? After all, how can you create a different kind of sound if you don’t ...

“Relaxation” is a big word in training singers. This is so because it is typically too much muscle activity that causes vocal problems. Squeezing, tightening, pressing, holding, swallowing, choking, and generally constricting the sound is problematic because the vocal folds don’t do well this way. It also restricts airflow making it harder to breathe fully ...

There is much confusion over the word “mix”. This makes sense, since most people do not know the difference between chest register and head register except in terms of range. Chest is low and head is high. This is the most simplistic way to view registration and, in a skilled singer, it is no longer ...

What is musicality? The dictionary says it means “fond of or skilled in music”. That doesn’t make it, really. Most people who are musical use the word musicality to mean something much more than that. Musicianship is the skill of being a good musician, one who understands how to read and play music. You can ...

What inspires you? What makes you feel better, lifts you up, gets you to expand and think positively about yourself and life? What is it that gives you courage to go forward towards your heart’s desire, your highest dream, your greatest goal? The word inspire means both to stimulate to activity and to inhale. Why ...

Each week millions of people watch American Idol, The Voice, Glee, The X Factor and MTV. That means that millions of people watch others sing. In fact, there is a lot of singing on TV right now, but it doesn’t cover very much ground. You don’t hear Broadway songs, you don’t hear much folk music, ...

These days there is increased awareness about how the body functions in both sports and dance. Many approaches to both work with body mechanics in order to increase efficiency and lessen the possibility of injury. There are also sports psychologists who work to make the mental attitude of those who compete at the highest levels ...

The primary and most significant instrument is the human voice. It costs nothing. It is always available. It is capable of making a very wide range of pitches, vowels and sound qualities and volumes and carries within it all the emotions that human beings experience. A person is known by her character. This is the sum ...

If I had a dollar for all the referrals I’ve made in my life, I could retire. I have sent countless students to other teachers for all kinds of reasons. I don’t get any money or publicity for doing this. I do it because it is the right thing to do. Sometimes the student wants ...

Muscle Tension Dysphonia or MTD is a rather newly labeled diagnosis of vocal function aberrant behavior. It is common in those who are professional level singers, sometimes very high level singers with long successful careers. The symptoms of MTD are wide ranging. It can be hard to get this diagnosis if you are seeing an ...