Now Accepting New Students

It's that time again!!

I have spots open for 4 new students!!  

Get them before they are gone! 

July Newsletter

 

Hello Students!!

June went by super fast!! I hope you are all enjoying your Summer!!!

There are just a few- but important- announcements for July.

·       I’m MOVING!  I’m pretty sure that I have talked to everyone about this.  I will be moving to California on August 1.  This doesn’t affect online students.  You will all have your lessons as scheduled.  Utah students are welcome to make the transition to online lessons, if you would like. Please let me know ASAP if you would like to.  I am hoping to compile a list and send instructions to you.  Also, please don’t feel like you have to commit to a certain amount of lessons.  If you want to try  it for a month and see how it goes, that is just fine!

·       There are NO LESSONS the week of July 27-31.  This is a 5^th week and will not need a make-up.  Students with lesson times on Monday and Tuesday will be using June 29 and 30^th as “July lessons” instead of June.

·       When arriving to lessons, please make sure you arrive as close to your assigned time as possible. You are welcome to come in 5 minutes before your lesson time. Any earlier can make the student before you a little uncomfortable. The same should be applied to staying after your lesson time as well.

·       Finally, I know that you want to have as much time as possible to sing during your lesson.  However, please do not wait until the END of your lesson to inform me of scheduling changes that need to happen.  This takes time away from the lesson after you. Also, please be considerate of my personal time. I often receive texts or phone calls early in the morning, or late in the evening or night. I thought it might help if I set OFFICE HOURS.  Therefore, you may contact me from 12:30-2:00 daily, and from 5:30-6:30 on weekdays.  Outside of those hours and on weekends, I will be spending time with my family and will not respond until my earliest convenience. HOWEVER, the BEST time to work out scheduling conflicts is DURING YOUR LESSON TIME!  If it will only take a few minutes, I suggest taking care of things at this time. Otherwise, please try to contact me during the early afternoon or evening.

Thanks so much! Again, let me know if you are planning on online lessons.  I have been teaching online for 5 years and find it to be successful.  I do believe that it takes a certain personality though. If you choose not to do online lessons, I am contacting other teachers in the area and requesting their help in placing you.

Please let me know if you have any questions!! 

Cindy

June Newsletter

In SUMMER!!!!

Hey folks!  Welcome to SUMMER!!  Time of crazy vacations, swimming, and total “boredom” all around!

Just a few reminders for voice lessons during the summer.

1.    Lesson times will remain as scheduled.  I have adult students that take lessons, and they can only come after work.  So, I keep everyone in the afternoon and early evening.

2.    If you go on vacation, make sure that you let me know so that we can reschedule your time.  Remember, lessons are NOT made up if you forget a lesson or cancel after the 3 hour grace period.

3.    I will NO LONGER be calling students to remind them that of their lessons.  This means that if you forget, you won’t get a text or call from me, and you will STILL be charged for the lesson time. This also means that you will want to double check lesson times if you aren’t sure of your slot.

Other than that!  I hope that everyone enjoys their summer!!!  Don’t forget June payment is due by the 1^st!  Get it to me by the 5^th to avoid a late fee!

Cindy

JANUARY 2015!!

Oh my goodness!!  The year is almost over!!

I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season! Here are some reminders for the end of the year and the beginning of next year!

• There are NO LESSONS for the next TWO WEEKS!  We have made these lessons up throughout the past few months, so don't worry about make-ups. I will see you the first FULL week in January!
• Monday Students:  You should have worked out a make up or credit for January 5th.  We will not be having lessons that day.
• January payment is STILL DUE by the 1st!  Make sure you drop it in the mail or to my house to avoid the LATE FEE!!  *insert dramatic music*
• Look for a new and revised LESSON POLICY starting in January! Don't worry, I'm not raising my prices!!!  ;) 
• Thank you for the wonderful Christmas gifts and treats!  You guys are the best!

You ALL should be singing a Holiday Song for the family at your party!  I can't wait to hear how it went!

See you NEXT YEAR!!!  HA HA HA!! or is it HO HO HO!! 

Cindy

December Newsletter

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

Sorry that this is a bit late getting to all of you! Just a few reminders for this month!

• Unless I have said otherwise to you directly, payment for December will be the FULL amount! We will only have THREE (3) lessons this month, but we had FIVE lessons in September/October to make up for the missing lesson this month. 

• There will not be lessons from December 21-Jan 3.  NO MAKE UP NEEDED.

• MONDAY STUDENTS: I will be gone on January 5th and would like to make up that lesson later on that week if possible. We can schedule that lesson as it gets closer, but I wanted to give you a heads up. 

Congratulations to the Upscale Singer Scholarship winners!!! You guys make me so proud!  

          Sophia Humbert- 1st Place 

          Ally Lane- Honorable Mention

I hope that you all had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and that this Christmas season gives you even more time to spend with your families!  Let me know if you have any questions!

November Newsletter

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! 

• As October comes to a close, and the leaves change on the trees, I am reminded that the holiday season is upon us!  Although that means gratitude, giving, and happiness, it ALSO means choir concerts, Christmas parties, and re-scheduling lessons!  AHHH! Let's try to get as many of your conflicts taken care of ASAP.  Remember, if YOU cancel a lesson, you get a make up or can choose to forfeit, but you do NOT get a credit for it. So, you will want to make sure that you are "on the ball" with scheduling.

• I have openings in my studio for students 16 years of age and older. If you refer someone that signs up for lessons, YOU get a FREE lesson!  Spread the word! Thank you to Ashlee Dorius who referred a new student this month! Take that credit Ashlee!! 

• We have some students that are auditioning for their very first time this month!  We also have some experienced students waiting to hear back on some other important auditions!  Keep your fingers crossed for them! 

• Congrats to Sonia Tomaso for making the Arizona All-State Show Choir!!  You are AWESOME! 

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

• The week of Thanksgiving is always CRAZY!  As a reminder, I WILL be teaching on Wednesday November 26th and Friday November 28th. If you would like to reschedule your lesson, please do so ASAP.

• If your lesson falls on Thanksgiving, I will be re-scheduling those lessons for the following Saturday, November 29th. Those will be scheduled over the next couple of weeks, during your normal lesson time. 

• Tuition is DUE BY THE 1st!  Be sure to get it in the mail, PayPal, etc. Due to my illness this past month, a lot of you chose to take a credit for November. If you have questions about how much you owe please contact me. 

POLICY CORNER

With schedules getting busier, it will become harder to find time to practice!  Try singing in the car, in the kitchen while baking, or in the shower!  :) The important thing is that you get your practicing time in!

Is there something that you would like to see change in the lesson policy or in your lessons?  Drop me an email and let me know about it!  I'm always looking for ways to make things easier or better for you guys!  (No, I won't assign rap songs.... so, don't ask.)

Here's to an awesome month of November!!!

The Anatomy of Singing

So, how exactly does the voice work?

Well, as we inhale, the diaphragm muscle contracts causing the lungs to expand and air to be drawn into the lungs. As we exhale, the diaphragm will relax and move upward reducing the size of the lungs and causing air to be expelled from the lungs.

This exhaled breath is then forced out along the trachea, and through the vocal folds, which are capable of vibrating at an incredibly fast rate. For voice to exist at all, the vocal folds must vibrate and it is at this point that the vibration of the vocal folds, coupled with the power of the exhaling breath gives rise to the creation of vocal sound.

This sound is then shaped by the manipulation of the various structures along the vocal tract, such as the position of the tongue, and the larynx, etc. The articulators are the cheeks, tongue, teeth and lips and they all contribute to vocal articulation, whereas the sinus, chest, laryngeal and pharyngeal cavities all act as resonating chambers for the voice.

It is through the repetition of exercises, designed specifically to strengthen the larynx and the diaphragm, that the voice is trained. The singer is able to control the muscles in the diaphragm and the vocal tract resulting in increased quality of vocal tone and more power of vocal projection.

The Vocal Folds

Sound occurs as a result of vibration. This is true throughout all of Nature and is evident in a myriad of different forms. The human voice is no exception.

We have all heard of the term “vocal chords”. Current pedagogy, however, describes them as Vocal Folds, due to the malleable nature of their ligament-like structure.

The vocal folds attach to the front of the larynx at the Adam’s Apple (or thyroid cartilage) - and at the rear of the larynx, via the arytenoids, to the cricoid cartilage. Here the folds can come together and move apart, allowing for breathing and sound production.

The Larynx

The primary function of the larynx is to protect the airways and stop food entering into the lungs. The larynx itself is protected in the neck by an increase in muscle, cartilage and bone. The provision of sound is a secondary function of the vocal folds.

The vocal and vestibular folds close during the acts of swallowing, coughing, excreting, giving birth and when pushing or lifting heavy objects etc. This closing is called constriction. 

As we can see here, the vocal folds are suspended over the open space of the trachea, where they act as a sort of portal, through which all the air that comes into and goes out from the body must pass. We can also see the vestibular or false vocal folds which sit just above the delicate vocal folds, protecting them from damage through strain and swallowing. This is where constriction of the voice and the optimum retraction of false folds occurs.

The Lungs and the Diaphragm

Breath is crucial to the fundamental workings of the voice. Without breath there would be nothing to power the voice, or even to ensure that the vibration of the vocal folds can be heard. The Thoracic Diaphragm is a trampoline-like rainbow-shaped muscle stretched across the abdominal cavity, separating the organs of the chest cavity from those in the lower abdominal cavity. The movement of this muscle allows the lungs to expand and contract during the process of breathing.
The commonly heard phrase “Singing from the diaphragm” means that by expanding the abdomen during inhalation, increasing the rate of contraction in the diaphragm and taking more air into the lungs, the singer is able to provide more power, through increased breath support, and control through strengthening of the diaphragm muscle. We will cover proper use of the diaphragm later on.

The Sinus Cavities

Sinus cavities are found within the bone structure of the face, where they act as acoustic resonating chambers, adding higher frequencies and increasing the brightness and vitality of the sound.

The Sinus cavities are spaces in the skull which have various purposes such as airflow, drainage, etc.
Allowing the sound to come forward into the sinus cavities can help a student with volume as well as make it easier to sing certain pitches and placements.