SHAPESHIFTING & SHEDDING SKIN

When the title for this blog came to me I wrote it down immediately. There were a number of synchronous conversations and personal events that made it feel utterly palpable. However, as I have been writing this over the last few weeks, the writing itself has continued to change shape. 

When I began my thoughts centered around the personal churning of citywide cocoons brought on by  covid but then with the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others my heart shifted to address a much deeper pandemic. This blog has literally shed skin many times over. Beware what you name a thing:)

I been shapeshifting

I been

I been shapeshifting

I been 

I been shapeshifting

Since the very very beginning

-Shapeshifting, Pyeng Threadgill, May 22, 2020

There is a song currently being sung. This song is abrupt, unsettling, imploding, exploding, no bottom. The sounds are:

yells and hollars, 

cries and screams, 

repeat 

repeat 

repeat 

louder and louder 

exhaustion 

fatigue 

numbness 

delirium 

everyone-playing-at-once 

because this song is in-your-face bleeding truth. 

Hope and anger. 

Open your eyes “we’ve been telling you but you wouldn’t listen” lyrics.

I thought I knew about shapeshifting. About phoenixes, Anansi and Brer Rabbit, about being here and there and “here before” at the same time. But these days, these last few weeks?... I think everyone is learning a new definition of what it means to transform. 

Being Black in America, growing up in predominantly white institutions and many white social settings I learned to change shape, if you will. Being a Black woman ….I have learned to flip my cover, adjust my size, move in, move out like camouflage and still make magic. We all do. 

The people in the communities I was raised in, my aunts and uncles, my parents and their friends were adept shapeshifters as well. And they learned to play the shift as they lived it. My passion for teaching singing and movement comes from them as well as my desire to live and aid others in this honest expression and transformation. 

The Black Lives Matter movement could be thought of as an enormous group song too where we each play our own solo simultaneously. Where we are hearing the individual and collective voice at the same time. Hopefully, now we will remember the wisdom of music in order to become a new version of ourselves and the world that we truly want to live in.

SING YOUR WAY TO BETTER BREATH SUPPORT

Learn how to exhale, the inhale will take care of itself. 

– Carla Melucci Ardito

Nowadays as we climb, crawl, stumble and even finesse our days living during quarantine there are more and more events to shock/startle you and potentially disrupt your breathing. Some news feed, the mail, a conversation at work or with family and what has happened to your breathing? 

Every Thursday at 11am I gather and guide an intimate group of performers through a series of movement and breath awareness explorations as well as writing prompts in a workshop called “Tuning In”. Throughout the weeks I have been steadily guiding this group to sing/play with more of their heart but also with the best use of their instruments...themselves! 

It’s easy to forget, whether you are a performer or not, that each and every one of us is constantly training our bodies and minds for better or…(I don’t want to say “for worse” but you get the point). One area I see many students needing more support with lately is their breathing.

Over the weeks I can literally hear the sitting in students’ voices!! I know it sounds strange but it’s as if I can hear a damper or lingering grogginess that says students just aren’t getting the same amount of movement they normally would.

And while this is what we need in order to take care of ourselves and our communities, there are things you can do to continue conditioning and enlivening your respiratory system in a fun and stimulating way. Yes, you can sing!

When you are learning to sing one of the things that quickly becomes apparent is that you MUST breathe! Before each vocal exercise, before each musical phrase, whether the singing is soft and sultry or loud and in your face, you need to breathe with intention. Not only that but if you are singing with a holistic approach you can actually remind your body that singing is a physical activity and MOVE too!

So right now lean into the fact that YOU are the instrument and worth investing in. Boost your system, center your mind...and sing. Your work, relationships, body and mind will all thank you for it.

To schedule a free consultation call to learn more about supporting your breath, write here.

DANCING WITH YOUR DEMONS

“Anyone else feeling hella lethargic but then creative and spiritual,
cranky then peaceful?…” -
- Kassa Overall 

I just saw this post on social media from drummer Kassa Overall the other day and I had to laugh out loud. If you know Kassa, then you can probably also hear his voice asking this but in addition I FELT this. So I had one of those full hearted “Yes! Right there with you” knee-slap laughs.

I have been hearing from lots of students and friends lately saying that they are feeling numb, anxious, tense, tired, relaxed….A close friend of mine recently said to me that they felt as if they were “unraveling...in a good way”.

In a lot of ways covid19/quarantining feels like some version of ourselves/our demons have been let out without our permission. Like someone left the tap running or forgot to close the back door and now we find ourselves with more mental and or emotional overwhelm and less options to release the noise if we are not conscious. 

In times like these I am so grateful that I have been building and refining an Embodied Artist practice for the last 15 plus years. While my voice and movement training help my voice to sound clear, loud, strong, steady, on pitch... it’s also actually what I use to balance and regulate my thoughts, my mood, my fears and my excitement.

Another way of saying this is WHAT THE SONG NEEDS YOU ACTUALLY NEED AS WELL...if that makes sense. The song, whether original or a cover, needs your voice to be healthy, your throat to be open, your breath to be free yet supported, your mind to be present, your heart open and your body strong yet flexible.  

This is what makes an Embodied practice SO valuable and it's what allows my students to dance with their own demons when they show up. 

 Want to learn more about how to dance (or sing:) with your demons? Email here to find about my group and private offerings 

WHY YOU WANT TO GROW AN EMBODIED VOICE & MOVEMENT PRACTICE?

It might seem obvious or maybe you have no clue at all why nurturing a daily embodied practice is crucial to your success as a person and as an artist. (Hint: Things which nurture you as a person, nurture you to also be an empowered artist:). If you don’t already have a daily practice with your voice, here are some reasons why it is SO valuable!

1. Consistent practices are calming for the nervous system. Just like children we all crave some thing we can depend on. Committing to building or continuing to show up for your music practice on a regular basis is a REAL way to take the edge off and build some feel good endorphins nowadays. 

2. Warming up your voice and body regularly will improve your pitch so that you can focus on other things like styling and interpretation while singing/performing. 

3. In order to hit those high notes without straining you need regular warm-ups to help you get there with ease. Ideally these warm-ups will be specifically catered to your vocal needs.

4. Consistency will help improve your vocal tone and the clarity of you vowels which will in turn help  your pitch when you are in the midst of recording, performing or auditioning.

5. Daily practices bring insight that you can’t get in a one shot practice session. It’s the regular return to a movement/vocalization that deepens self awareness and allows you to  better understand your voice, your VOCAL HEALTH and your artistic impulses so that you can own your voice.

Want more tips and tools join my Embodied Artist Facebook group?

STAYING TUNED & TUNING IN: TOOLS FOR EMBODIED ARTISTS

While everyone is checking their phones, the news, the radio and twitter:) for updates...it is equally important to remember to CHECK IN WITH YOURSELF. It is one of the reasons I am making a point to be a voice for self "tune-ins" these coming weeks. Another way to phrase this would be for you to take stock of what you are needing mentally, physically and emotionally to help you feel best in this moment, day or week.

So HOW DO YOU STAY TUNED TO YOURSELF and the world around you in order to be a more EMPOWERED artist? It seems everyone I know is feeling just slightly or even extremely agitated by the coronavirus and all of the unknown changes being thrown our way.

But I want to remind you EMBODIED PERFORMANCE PRACTICES ARE THE WAY OF THE FUTURE. Actually they are the way RIGHT NOW for performers who want to live sustainable lives earning what you desire, having time to create your original art, eat well, have nourishing relationships, tend to the needs of your voice, body and mind and more. Growing up in a community of artists my entire life this is what I have observed to be the REAL DEFINITION OF SUCCESS.

So this week I am offering short, daily practices that you can weave into your regular or growing toolkit. Want more tools for your embodied practice? ask to join my Empowered Artist Facebook group.

Make Self-Doubt Your Ally...But How???

You can do nothing
or you can do something
If you do something, you will be told you are doing it imperfectly...
The only alternative is to do nothing, and nowadays that's exactly what nobody needs...
-Amanda Palmer

Okay you all, so here it is...the truth. These past several months I have been having an aching time, a freakin, annoying inner and outer battle with getting my solo performances up and running again. It feels like a long shot ‘tho I know I have done this before and will do it many more times. 

The fact of the matter is, I, like many of you, doubt myself quite often. Fortunately, the creative spirit, or universe juice (as Kung-fu Panda would say:), has a hold on me and I on it..because I LOVE making music. I love MUSIC! I love SINGING and I LOVE singing MY OWN ORIGINAL MUSIC!

I love the FEELING of sound in my throat, in my body. It feels like breathing. It feels like air. (I guess my mom was right to make the meaning of my name "of the air":). 

But what to do with the doubt? Why does that good feeling have to be interrupted by a crappy reality? It’s like waking from a good dream or vacation ending too soon. All I know is performance is not final. It IS just another practice. And there are TOOLS (hint hint) or practices one can collect to serve your inner demons when they start gnawing at your insides.

Over the next few months I will be offering a delicious buffet for your inner demons and all of you art lovers alike. I hope to see you somewhere online or in person soon:).

*To find out about Pyeng's online workshop series "Own Your Voice, Own The Stage" EMAIL HERE

Storing Away For A Harder Day & Other Things Performers Ought To Learn From Squirrels

It can be hard to sort out which battle to choose  as a performer/artist. Do you remember the squirrel from the animation trilogy Ice Age? Oftentimes being an artist can feel a lot like an endless journey that is constantly slipping through your hands...or paws:) 

Should you be making connections within the industry, training your voice, producing more material, getting out and performing, working on your brand...Ugh! The list just goes on and on! Just like that acorn in Ice Age. art is constantly calling you. Yet if you are a creative type, it’s probably VERY easy for you to get pulled in a variety of directions because your mind is always generating new, creative ideas...  

But let’s assume that you have been starting to get out and share your art in a way that feels good to you. Be it with close friends in your home, at open mics, perhaps writing with a friend/collaborator, but you still have this very important thing to keep up with. Your instrument!

Your voice still isn’t where you want it to be. You are having trouble with high notes as well as your breath control not to mention that anxiety that keeps coming up when you decide to sing in front of other people! When you are at home singing alone, you sound fine...even amazing at times but in front of other people, your voice quivers and shakes. Well, no matter what you are working on you want to be regularly tending to and nurturing your instrument. It is the core of everything you are developing as an artist. If you are an aspiring or professional singer, rapper, spoken word artist or actor, your instrument is YOU!:)

TENDING TO YOUR INSTRUMENT 

You want to be tending to your vocal practice on a consistent basis. I like to think of this in the same way that squirrels and other animals pack away their hearty food of sustenance for the winter. In this example the winter is your performance and the nuts are your singing tools and technique. Winter may not come everyday...but as a performer...it is coming. So you want to be prepared to perform at your best.

HOW TO LOVE YOUR INSTRUMENT

If you are the instrument, that means you want to start identifying the things that help you to feel better, inspired and energized verses the things that make you feel depleted. This is why it is so vital to have a voice teacher and team. As a voice and movement teacher/mentor part of what I help students sort out is not only their vision but how to build a sturdy foundation for your artistic vision.

So this holiday season what steps can you take to store away for another day?

Holistic Voice Training Is The Way Of The Future!

How do you TRULY combine your desire to sing with actually getting onstage and doing it? I know for most people this desire, while super exciting and titillating, can also bring up a lot of fear, anxiety or even nausea. So let’s just think about it (while stakes are low:)…Where do fears live? Fear often lives in your body and your mind. That mixture of “butterflies” of excitement, stomach cramps of uncertainty and thoughts of “I suck!”/”I can’t do this!” are just a few examples of fear showing up in your body and mind. 

So maybe you notice these physical/mental signs but you really don’t know what to do with them. It’s like your body has a mind of it’s own. No pun intended. So what’s a good way to say access your body and interrupt this steady stream of butterflies? Research has shown that one of the most efficient and effective ways to ”train” your  mind is by connecting to your breath and body. 

But we’re talking about singing right? The thing is your voice is also inside your body. So even your voice requires your conscious thought. Practicing vocal warm ups to work on pitch, improve tone quality and clear vowel sounds as well as emotional intention and confidence in a song. These are all things that require thought. 

In order to make an impact on your singing, your singing dreams and even your singing fears, you need to acknowledge the fact that your voice is an integral part of your body. Therefore in order to truly address the full spectrum of who you are (or want to be) as a performer, you will benefit most from an integrated approach to training your voice. Holistic voice training aims to address the various aspects of your vocal freedom, singing desires and unconscious/conscious fears. There are multiple ways to get there but almost all include the breath, movement and self-awareness.

I don’t know if this is exactly you. But very often when I talk to prospective students and ask them what it is they are attracted to about singing they often say things like they have always loved to sing, always wanted to learn more about their voice or wondered what kind of vocal potential they have. 

Then when I ask what else they are interested in working on, they often list a bunch of things related to their singing fears such as:

-feeling insecure/terrified to sing in front of others
-feeling worried about singing on pitch
-clueless as to how to make a song their own
-being told their voice/presence was too much/too big
-being told by a teacher or person that they couldn’t sing

So when a new student shows up, they arrive with both the desire and self-doubt and part of my job is to help guide them to work through both. The holistic voice programs I offer work one on one teaching beginners to professionals healthy vocal technique for all styles of music/experimentation while also staying true to the person’s emotions. We do this by taking time to learn how to free the body and breath for more confident singing and stage presence.

Because I feel SO passionate about wanting to offer people more tools to interrupt their singing/fears next year I am going to be offering a NEW component in breath and body awareness. This will be a group experience to help students in my programs as well as the general public learn how to access more grace and grounding. To find out more, email here and let me know if this article resonated with you in any way.

What Do You Really Need To Feel Your Best?

This week I have been talking a lot in my classes and workshops about what it means to know what you need to feel your best. When your head or back hurts or you always wind up sick before an important performance, could there be a useful message your body is sending you?

Studying voice training with a holistic approach doesn’t just mean learning vocal exercises and physical stretches. In order to truly accomplish your goals you need a free voice, to feel good about it and to become a student of your own body and it’s messages.

So often as performing artists we push down the signs from our body that may actually be pointing us in the best direction for our whole health and happiness. For example performance jitters are totally normal but are you glossing over symptoms that are telling you that you are  taking on too many gigs, needing to change your eating, get a good night’s sleep or that you actually don’t want to do this project because it’s not a match for what you believe in?

When singing lessons and performance coaching only focus on vocal technique, sometimes we override the personal and forget to live from an empowered place. Plus if you are anything like me you probably have a wish list of 5- 10-20 things that you want to accomplish at any given time. So you NEED a process for slowing down and checking in that is literally woven into the fabric of your voice training.

One of my specialities is helping people to create a daily practice (or at least a consistent practice) that is truly tailored to them and their needs both as a singer and as a person so that your artistry has real longevity. This means learning vocal exercises to help your voice grow stronger while also staying flexible and free, finding music that moves you and is at your level. It also means tuning into what you need to calm your nervous system and what you need to find your best alignment so that you aren’t compromising your breath/body and thereby sabotaging your own performance abilities.

If you are looking for longevity and versatility as a performer or if you are looking to just feel confident expressing yourself in the world, then just try this simple exploration. Take a few moments each day to listen to what you need to feel at your best...or even better schedule a call to find out more about my voice and movement programs. I promise you won’t regret it:).

SOUL CARE VS. SELF-CARE

Some days I wonder what the idea of self-care would have meant to my great great grandmothers. What it would have meant for Black women living in an openly racist and sexist society in the 1850’s and 1860’s in Texas or Mississippi  to take time to rest and restore?. Where did they carve out space for softness, ease and flow as well as anger and grief?…Surely, it would have required ingenuity and confidence to assert oneself in a culture that said (and often still says) being Black and woman was less than human. It would have required spirit and creativity. 

Nowadays in our Western culture we have grown accustomed to the term “self-care”. There is a fairly common list that one thinks of when hearing this hyphenated phrase. A string of recommendations from magazines to self-help books suggesting meditation, walks in the park, a getaway with close friends, a nourishing meal, journaling and of course physical exercise. But there was no list like this (that I know of) for our ancestors. Yet, there was one thing that most people had and still have access to anywhere in the world, something which human beings have used for centuries: singing. 

One of the things that I have been most interested in as a voice and movement teacher is the idea of singing for self-care…singing for the Soul. Of course there are a myriad of practical reasons to study with a voice teacher. Studying voice with a teacher on a consistent basis will help you to learn how to sing without straining, to sing without big breaks in your range, to improve your pitch, to get an accurate understanding of voice anatomy (for example you can’t literally sing from your diaphragm, you breathe from your lungs, the diaphragm is an involuntary muscle), to build a basis of healthy vocal technique in order to learn new repertoire from, to improve older repertoire, to improve your performing, to improve your own interpretation and original expression. These alone are some pretty damn good reasons to study singing !...plus... it’s FUN!

But while all of this is happening there is a simultaneous and equally, if not, arguably greater result that begins to occur. One of the seemingly miraculous benefits of singing (although it’s not miraculous because you are putting in  the time, attention and effort) is the part where you start to experience YOU, your soul singing. (This is also one of the JOYS of TEACHING singing!) This is where you start to hear your voice louder, fuller, higher, lower than you have heard it before. As the student you don’t fully recognize it because it is MORE than you imagined, and it is also easier than you believed singing to be. And as a result you start to feel the power of your voice as tension unravels. It is poetic, sometimes emotional, playful and just like life, ordinary. But that power, that new you, is as addictive as it is soothing. Sticking with the process and even warm ups start to become a way to release stress, increase of oxytocin (those “feel good” hormones) rest and restore. 

So learning how to sing can help you prepare a solid foundation for that upcoming tour, recording session or performance. You can also sing to strengthen your voice for the innumerable peoples and places where you will need to speak up and sing out. You can even use singing to connect and communicate with other vocalists and musicians without words. But moreover you can sing for your health, for your spirit, for peace of mind, for Soul-care.

Can't Stand The Sound Of Your Own Voice?

Do you ever get turned off, feel defeated or just cringe from the sound of your own voice? It’s hard to motivate to sing, practice or show up for lessons, let alone perform when your voice doesn’t match your expectations. You don’t know why or when your voice may sound breathy, hoarse or as squeaky as it does. It’s literally like someone else is controlling your voice, even tho you are doing your best to steer!

Well, if it’s any consolation, you are not alone. Most people don’t know how to predict what their voice is going to do, nor do they understand what is happening (technically speaking). And as a result of not knowing what is going to come out of one's mouth, people tend to focus solely on how their voice sounds (i.e.. good or bad) or what they are able to do (Can you sing this riff? Can you belt like so and so?) Instead of how singing feels and what your body/connection feels like while singing. 

For example do you practice difficult sections of a song over and over pushing to try to “hit the notes” ? or Do you squeeze your throat as you approach each note you are unsure of? 

Teaching Somatic Voicework, the LoVetri Method, and the Alexander Technique has made me an avid lover of vocal technique and holistic voice training. Part of the reason I love training in a holistic way is that as singers and singers in training you need to become aware of the whole with a good dose of vocal function…and fun! Singing is not just the sound of your voice but also the way you are standing, the way you take an inhale to prepare to sing, the feeling of your throat while vocalizing, the sound in your head and body. It’s important to know what is normal and healthy so you can begin to understand your natural voice with the least amount of interference, or tension.

Having a good grasp of healthy vocal technique and vocal function is amazingly liberating not only vocally but mentally! It frees you from obsessing and guessing and instead you can learn how the voice works. You don’t have to focus on the sound NOT being what you want and instead you can allow yourself to experience the ease in your voice you’ve been looking for. But for most people this is easier said than done…. 

It helps to have a trained professional there to witness and guide you, especially for when you hit those road blocks and frustration that could take you off your vocal journey. As a result of working with an experienced voice and movement teacher and keeping a home practice, your voice will work wonders for you. 

So yes, even YOU can go from cringing at that one part of your range to savoring it and honoring your love of music and singing. Sign up for your next set of lessons today so your singing can become healthy and enjoyable and you can finally sing the songs that your Soul has been yearning for. 

Songs For My Daughter

Last week my daughter turned 15 and I feel a bit shocked, happy and super proud. There are so many qualities I admire about her, so many which I don’t possess and others that we share. One of the things that I am proud to say I helped instill in her is a strong connection to her African-American heritage. 

There was a time, not so long ago when I remember searching for animation movies and tv shows that featured a Black girl or boy as the protagonist. (This was pre Word Girl and Doc McStuffins). I scoured the internet, ordered DVDs from far off places and wound up vaguely satisfied. At least I was making an effort I thought. But truthfully I felt disappointed and defeated. I had to go out of my way to supplement my daughter’s world with positive images and narratives of Black women, men, people. If I had to go out of my way, that meant the world was still working against this reality.

Raising a biracial child of African-American and Austrian and Jewish backgrounds it became very clear to me that I would need to make a concerted effort to create positive images and conversations around African/African American culture/identity. I would need to talk to my daughter about race, about our traditions, our…Blackness so that it would be clear to her that there was a rich fabric that she was a part of and which held a path for her to weave her own way through. 

When I started writing Head Full Of Hair, Heart Full Of Song I began it both as a testimonial for myself and also as a remedy for my daughter and for what is often lacking in our mainstream culture. The culture that fortunately or unfortunately is partially raising and educating our kids...of all backgrounds. On the one hand Blackness is often upheld as the cool, funny or most badass way to be, while the wisdom, power, pleasure and pain of our cultural contributions are very often overlooked, undermined and degraded. 

I couldn’t allow the values beneath so many images on tv and in the media to have the final say with my daughter. Images that said white was better or more beautiful, images that said Black girls don’t get to achieve their dreams, Black girls are always the side kick, or Black girls don’t even have dreams of their own. 

I couldn’t let my daughter think that all the intellectual and artistic contributions that we should aspire to have their origins in Europe. There are, after all, countless traditions from farming methods to music to design to dance, literature, storytelling, cuisine and more that have their roots in African/African-American and Native American culture, quiet as it may be kept. One must be very careful, so as not to give the mistaken impression that Black and Indigenous people had nothing to do with the current world we live in.

So my solution was to create a songbook, a digital and analog experience, where I hoped she would envision herself in bigger ways. Ways that the mainstream culture might not encourage her to think possible. I created an album, installations and stories of her history and my history, hopefully leaving space for her to fill herself in. Head Full Of Hair, Heart Full Of Song is my sonic offering and reminder to my daughter and other young Brown and Black women that their talents, their interests, their beauty even their self doubts and fears deserve to be sung.

A Note...About Practicing

I just want to confess that I was not the kid who enjoyed practicing music. No, I was one of those teenagers (and I think it's bit more common) who only wanted to sing songs, make up melodies, day dream about lyrics and forget the warm ups! And this served me pretty well. By the time I was in high school I was performing around New York City with other high school musicians and we were playing clubs we couldn't even get into at our age! BUT a lot of the time I felt I was straining to sing and I didn't know how to make singing easier nor how to get through those trickier parts of my vocal range like my head register. 

I am mentioning this because I want you to know that when I tell you to practice along with your lesson recordings or to consider the way you are moving and the amount of force you are using (for those of you who are current students of mine), I want you to know that I have been there....I am there! I think it's actually pretty ironic that a huge portion of my work and life is spent teaching other people about HOW and when to practice:). But in all honesty IT’S MY JAM!!

However, that doesn't mean I haven't sat in practice rooms (very expensive ones!) and stared at the ceiling for HOURS! But I have to tell you the issue that I eventually discovered later on was that I didn't know HOW to practice and by that I mean I didn't know how to break things down and still get satisfying results. No one was giving me bitesize tips for success. I had to learn from the Alexander Technique.

Becoming an Alexander Technique teacher taught me how to break activities down. And tho it sounds simple I don't see it very often. In combination with Somatic Voicework, the LoVetri Method I learned how to hold space for myself and my students, to enjoy the space, to be patient, to wait much longer than the student might normally wait and take pleasure in what arises. It has also given me a way of accessing my voice like no other. And this approach has created countless voice breakthroughs for my students!...as well as for myself.

I have to tell you the challenges that come up in your music don’t just go away by singing your songs over and over the way I used  do in high school. They start to shift and move using consistent warm ups based on healthy singing for the body, vocal function and an ability to break things down and stay interested in the process. That way you can sing without stress or strain and have fun expressing yourself! So what do you say to practicing now? Make sure to schedule your voice lesson today so you can remember the ease of singing.

Is Your Voice Calling You?...

Do you ever feel like a miniature version of yourself is whispering ideas in your ear...or from deep inside of you? If you do, I get it! I feel the same way. To be honest most of the time I don't even feel like I can keep up with the creative ideas that come to me in a week! But there are a few ideas that continue to come to me so I know they are the ones I truly need to listen to. 

Years ago when I was a college student at Oberlin I remember feeling this way about music and dance. I was always zig zagging between the two looking for a way to integrate them with the kind of healthy technique that would allow me to write my own brand of authentic music. And then more recently I had this idea to make an album about natural hair and this summer it became a reality!! So trust me your voice is worth listening to. 

Whether your voice is calling you to start performing, recording an EP of your own originals or Jazz covers, writing a musical or your own lyrics, I support you! I also wonder along with that dream is there a part of you that just knows your voice is not up to snuff? You know you need your voice 

• to be in shape so you can deliver your music, writing, video, spoken word, etc in the best way. 

• to be strong and open so you can figure out how to translate what it is that you are imagining/hearing in your head.

This is really part of what calls me to mentor and teach voice technique and performance coaching. One of the things that is closest to my heart is being able to offer students of all backgrounds and experience a sacred place for you and your voice.

I know that it is overwhelming and a little bit terrifying too trying to figure out what steps to take to realize your music and performance goals but it really is possible. Your voice calling you is a reminder, as cliche as it sounds, that your voice truly matters.

In 2019 I am going to be offering several voice programs that will give you and your voice the time, tools and care to develop with strength, confidence and consistency. To find out more, send a message here

What Your Voice & Singing Might Be Missing....

As an aspiring, emerging or even professional singer you probably feel pulled if not COMPELLED to share a huge piece of you…the whole of you really! You have a big feeling or a big vision, that you see in your mind and feel as you go through your day. While you are commuting to and from work or school, you are often carrying a creative vision in your heart and head. And it kind of gives you goose bumps but it also kind of makes you crazy too! But that’s because it’s big and you feel passionate about it. 

The thing is as much as you want it…this dream, this album, this performance, etc…you are also pretty terrified. There are the logistics. Like how are you going to pay for materials, the band, rent the studio or rehearsal space but also how are YOU going to stand up in front of a whole room of people, centerstage and sing or SPEAK with confidence? Eeeeek!

Well, believe it or not a huge piece of the puzzle actually comes from sensing, observing and mindfully moving your body/mind. But when did you ever find a process to help move through your anxiety while still allowing your voice to live and THRIVE? 

In my years of teaching and studying the Alexander Technique I have learned how immensely valuable it is to slow down and notice what is happening under the surface of our movement and expression. And in order to speak and perform more confidently you need a practice for unearthing what is going on and allowing it to MOVE THROUGH YOU.

This is where incorporating movement into my private voice lessons evolved from. Out of my desire to support singers in getting their unique voices and visions out into the world.  As you connect on a deeper level with your breath and body there is greater space for you to really get to know what you are feeling and not get stopped by things like performance anxiety and overthinking.

If you really want to sing your heart out, then you are going to need to get through your body to HEAR what your inner voice is saying and then actually MOVE that emotion through your system with sound. (Hint: This is where the killer vocal technique comes in). 

The Embodied Voice Program offers just that! 10 individually tailored lessons teaching you healthy vocal technique, body awareness, and performance feeling set so you can sing honestly and powerfully. Doesn’t sound too bad right? If you’re feeling all the feels reading this, then write here to find out more.

Behind-The-Scenes Of An Empowered Artist Practice

It occurred to me that if you're an artist, aspiring artist, or even a supporter of the arts, you might be curious as to what a day in the studio looks like for a performing artist like myself.

Maybe you're curious because you're interested in finding a deeper connection to yourself as an artistic person, or your study of music, or even just understanding your body so you can avoid being in pain or stressed, and feel more ease to express yourself more authentically and stand out as the unique person you are.

My commitment to all of the above is how this process that I call “being in the studio” has evolved and continues to evolve.

Last Saturday I had a concert therefore my studio time was directed towards preparing for that evening.

My goals were

1. to have my voice feel full and flexible so that it would be easy and FUN to sing my songs and express myself.

2. to feel connected to my body so that I was breathing easily and feeling centered within myself as well as centered on the message of the music. 

So on my studio day I woke up and started by going for a restorative practice to begin because my back was feeling tired. I was also feeling a bit groggy so I began by lying on the floor with my head supported on two books of course (a la Alexander Technique style:) and let my legs rest up the wall. I wanted to do this to allow both my back and back body to open so that again I could connect more easily to my goal #2. I stayed there for a long period of time (maybe 10 or so minutes) to let my body fully unwind and gradually wake up.

Then I allowed myself to go through two different postures, or shapes. One was with my lower legs in a butterfly pose but still along the wall. This was to find more openness in my hips but without loosing the connection to my lower back. People often don’t realize how loosing the connection to their lower back and entire back can greatly diminish one's ability to breathe deeply and move as freely. Second I let my legs lengthen up the wall into a split to allow my hips to continue to open with support. Then I lay down flat on my back with my knees bent and my legs parallel to one another to see what the experience was like for my entire back and torso paying close attention to what I noticed in my lower back.

The thing that I have to tell you which makes this first portion of my studio day particularly different is HOW I paid attention to myself. As a result of being an Alexander Technique teacher I REGULARLY CHECK IN WITH MYSELF. I notice the top of my spine seeing if any part of me wants to stiffen or hold in my neck. I also regularly check in with my front body and notice whether I can allow it to soften more towards the floor and also into length. I consider that I can always release more into my length physically and also spacially in the room and that I can release into my width physically and spacially as well.

Thinking in this way, moving mindfully, helps me to create a deeper connection to my breath and my body for singing onstage or in the studio. It helps me to see clearer when I am staring at the audience when I am performing and it helps me to connect to the space that I am performing in. It helps me to not breathe as shallow and also to have a relaxed, natural stage presence which is INVITING for an audience. It’s easier for me to connect with the audience and for the audience to connect with me because I’m not freezing up or overly tensing my body. If you want to learn more about how to use the Alexander Technique and awareness of your breath and body to improve your singing or music making or studio time, drop me a line. And feel free to share what your studio day normally looks like. You can tag me on social media @Pyengthreadgill.

To learn more about the next steps of my studio day make sure to read my upcoming blog.

Solving The Mystery Of Your Voice

Sometimes there is a moment when you are singing in the shower or in the car when you feel the magic. That magic potential of your voice. Usually no one is around:). So you can’t really prove that this happened but you know it did because you felt it. It’s kind of like the feeling you feel when you watch an amazing singer perform live or on some voice competition show. Your heart gets all buzzed, you start to feel hot, or cry or get goose bumps. But most of the time you may feel like you are just searching for your voice, searching in the dark. It would be nice if you could feel that powerful connection that professional singers seem to have and make look so easy. But the truth is you just don’t feel it. Even in your everyday speech it can be difficult to stand out and communicate what you really want to express.

I remember years ago when singing felt like a mystery to me  (And I love mysteries don’t get me wrong. It’s part of what I love about teaching voice and the Alexander Technique. But I also love SOLVING my own mysteries). Even tho I have been singing and performing since I was 3 years old, singing was a mystery to me at one time too. But just so you know your voice does not have to be a mystery. Finding freedom in your singing, in your breath, in your movement is actually achievable. Right now you may sing along to your favorite songs but the feeling or desire in your body is stronger than the actual sound of your voice. You want that song but your voice is not delivering it the way you want to. If you are honest, you kind of cringe to hear the sound of your own voice on your outgoing message.

I swear singing can be WAY better than that. It can feel good. It can sound good. It can literally be therapeutic to just do vocal warm ups!.. let alone sing an actual song that you love. But you need an experienced teacher to guide you along the way to finding your voice. And you if you want lasting results, then you are going to want reminders and ways to connect with your body along the way. You want to be willing to invest in the process because it is going to give back to you enormously! Music is truly the gift that keeps on giving….for a lifetime. It grows and grows… and grows. To find your voice with all the honesty, confidence, fullness and body that you seek, reach out here.

Versatility, Or The Need For True Self-Expression

When I talk to new voice students one of the first things that I mention is my desire to offer students the ability to have the most versatility with their sound and voices. I don’t know how often other voice coaches talk about this…versatility. But for me it is one of the top aims besides students feeling their voices are healthy and free ( i.e. “feeling good” as Nina Simone sang:). And by good I mean that I want students to be injury free and able to connect with themselves on a whole body, emotional and energetic level. As a result hopefully, if they weren’t already, they will be loving their sound and the experience of making music.

So as much as I care about vocal technique and musicianship building, I also care deeply about self expression. Most of what truly touches us in music is the expression of a person’s spirit and that happens best when the throat/neck/body is not forcing or overworking.

For most of us self self-expression can be quite a varied thing..which is why being an artist (if that is something you seek) or fully expressing yourself can be sooo interesting.

Some days you may feel like kicking and screaming, you may need to get your Punk Rock on, other days you may want to soothe yourself, so a Jazzer’s croon or Bossa Nova may be your medicine of choice, and other days you might just long for spacial and physical connection through sound with no set melody at all. On those days free improvisation could meet your need. And THAT is why learning to sing can be so freakin fun! You can have access to ALL of those things and more. You can find musical and emotional expression through singing and hopefully even surprise yourself with what you thought your voice was capable of!

So how do you strive for true self-expression in your art or in your singing? If you are looking for more versatility and more fulfilling expression in your voice practice or music, let me know. Drop me a line to find out more about voice coaching lessons.

The Power of Your Voice, The Power of You

There is great power in your voice, in your words, your vocal tone and inflection as well as your intention and ownership of that intention. It can be a lot to fully own all the parts of this thing called your voice. Maybe if you were a loud/outspoken/goofy child you allowed your voice to ring out and enjoyed the pleasure of that expression and perhaps attention. Or if you were a quiet/observant child the expression of your voice might have come through sharing your feelings one on on, dancing, drawing, being close to animals or writing. Sometimes you may feel the power of your voice for long stretches of time, other times it comes in and out like radio waves in a static filled area. Sometimes you are fully present to your power in one area of your life...and in another you feel totally powerless. The Empowered & Embodied Voice Program uses movement and body awareness, breath and sound exploration as well as writing and the sequencing of these modes of expression and awareness to help you better tune into the power of your voice. 

The Empowered & Embodied Voice Program is a 10 session program experienced over 4 months built to give you an understanding and skills to sing as well as tools to connect more deeply with your breath, body and even emotions while singing. So that you can access greater confidence and genuine expression on and offstage. In addition to vocal and movement exercises and explorations I offer reflections and support by connecting your self-observations to make discoveries more concrete and quicker to absorb. This program is open to beginning and professional singers. If you or someone you know would like to know more about the Empowered & Embodied Voice Program, please contact me here. Also, if you are wondering whether this program is for you, send an email so we can set up a phone call to discuss what would be best for you and your voice.

New Porch Music: A New Kind of Album...

 

When I was a young child I had all kinds of stories, ideas, and dreams that were continuously whirling through my head. If I could have been a professional daydreamer I tell you I would have. Probably because the majority of the adults around me were also whirling with songs, words and dance so I didn’t think to censor the melodies that started to make their way from my heart, to my head, to my mouth. Sometimes I think that all we are after is to hear the song that our heart is singing. As much of a vocal technique geek as I am (and I am) my interest in vocal technique has always been in service of expression. How can I best help someone to say all that they have to say without restriction? 

Completing a project like “Head Full OF Hair, Heart Full Of Song” has been a journey on very new land. The changes in my writing and sound were unexpected and somewhat scary. I couldn’t define my artistic impulses and I wanted to separate them, file them in another creative box. But the more I listened to the message of the album reminding me of the importance of Black women's legacies I started to resist less and enjoy my impulses more and more. Soon I realized that I had been leaving myself a trail of creative crumbs that were just waiting for me to pick them up. Even more I had a band of musicians ready to play them! Did I worry about how things would come together? Of course. Do I worry whether the album will find it’s desired audience/whether an audience will find it’s desired album? Yes…but I also know regardless of how things play out I had to let these stories make their way from my heart, to my head, to my mouth to someone’s ear.

If you get what I am writing about at all and you are looking for a new kind of album. One that is both song and theater, hair-story and her-story, community and connection, I hope you will come out to the record release party next Tuesday, July 17th and receive your copy of “Head Full Of Hair, Heart Full Of Song”. Tickets are right this way.