Be who YOU are!

The sound of your voice can be an incredible tool to find out more about

yourself and to get connected to yourself. You will feel happy when you

use your voice correctly and vice versa. Your own voice is a healer for

your body, heart and mind.

When your voice vibrates inside you with freedom it will affect all

the cells of your being. It will make you feel wonderful.

Therefore listen to your body and your heart when you work on your voice.

Does it feel liberating? Does it heighten your senses?

If yes, then you are on the right track.

My advice is don't force yourself away from your comfort zone too much.

Find your sweet spot and expand from there. If your middle is golden

then stay there and expand gradually and very gently. Don't force high notes

just because you want to sing a song you love that has a high note.

Only if you have someone by your side that can show you how to get there

effortlessly should you challenge your range. Start from where you feel

comfortable to begin with. Too many singers force their instrument.

It is a rape. Have you ever seen the tentacles of a snail? They are so

delicate and when you touch them they pull back their extension immediately.

You have to wait until the snail stretches them out carefully again.

It takes time and patience. The same with your head voice, it is a very delicate space.

Any force applied and it will close down. Yes, you can still sing and push

into it but the more you push the more it will feel like singing into a brick wall.

It is a vicious cycle. Step back and take a break. Don't push.

A wonderful exercise for high notes is:

Sit with a straight spine. Relax your jaw until the lips come apart slightly.

Choose any pitch and play it on whatever instrument you have available.

Listen for the vibrations inside that one tone.

Do you hear the overtones in it? Try to hear the higher frequencies inside the

note and then the lower and slower ones. How fast does the pitch vibrate?

There is an amplitude to each sound we make. High notes have a faster

and definitely a more shallow amplitude. Once you are tuned into that

movement you imagine that every cell of your body is picking up that

vibration. That speed. It requires concentration but once you are "inside"

the sound you might feel the top of your head just opening up and your face muscles

are likely to relax and "melt". Once you sense the pitch you focus on vibrating in your body

try singing it. It will feel more open now.

Please take time. If you rush you won't get any result.

It takes the time it takes. You will feel when the space is open.

The trick is when you really listen to something your head voice opens up.

You can have the same effect by doing sight reading or solfege exercises.

When you practice that way you will think and listen with your inner ear.

You will be ahead of the actual making of the sound by imagining it first and that will open

up your head voice. Really listening to a piece of music is also great.