The Engaging Performer

What comes to your mind with the word opera? For many people, it can be a negative thought or at best neutral. Tara shares with you today some history and snippets on what opera is really about and why it can be a very likable entertainment option. She also talks about the singers and what makes them so amazing!

Tara didn't really grow up with opera and had somewhat of a a distaste for it—in her lack of knowledge and experience.

• Opera started in the 16th century.
• Dafni was the first drama considered a "real opera".
• Operas was built somewhat on Greek dramas (oral storytelling acted out
• Opera is made up a musical singing and based on a script (a libretto)

The music of opera is broken down into two parts:

• Recitatives ( like spoken singing)
• Arias—melodic singing/songs
• The libretto is often in another language besides English

Opera is similar to:

1. Shakespeare Stories
2. Broadway Theater
3. Pop/Rock/Country concerts of today in huge stadiums and auditoriums

Opera can be about:

Comedy, Tragedy or Love

Where do we see opera in everyday life?

TV commercials, movies, cartoons, weddings

The Singers in Opera:

• "People are not mic'd in opera."
• "The singers in Opera are the Olympians of singing!"
• Opera singers: efficient, trained in technique, disciplined, able to sing other languages

"Singing this amazing genre and musical art of opera requires discipline, amazing technique and a commitment to keeping the voice healthy and able. It truly desmans as much physicality as being an Olympian…"

The other beautiful part of opera is that it is reasonably priced now-a-days, so go take in one!

**I've got a special product for you that I've been using. It's called THE SINGING STRAW. You can get your very own set of straws using this link:

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My code for 10% off is simply: tarab

For more info, go to:

www.theengagingvoice.com

You can find this and other episodes at Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart radio, and Apple Podcasts.

Think of your own voice – how it sounds and how it comes across in your performing. There is such uniqueness in it because you are, YOU! In this episode you will find help to narrow down your very own niche. It may lead you into more assurance of your style and possibly may launch you into even other genres of music that fit your voice and lead to our goal of ease, health and pure singing enjoyment!

• Why classify a voice? For comfort and ease. Adriana Festeu writes on the online article Voice classification: System or Art: "One of the main reasons for the importance of classification is that regardless of repertoire, singing is ultimately about vocal comfort."

• There are 5 things to consider when classifying: Tessitura, Color/Timbre, Range, Flexibility and Weight.

• The most familiar classifications are: Soprano (1st & 2nd), Alto (1st & 2nd /contralto), Tenor (1st & 2nd) and Bass (baritone & bass).

• The Germans broke it down further into Fachs meaning compartments. They are Coloratura, Lyric, Spinto, Dramatic, Helden, Verdi and Basso-profundo.

• Do not label yourself or others; you may end up feeling trapped. But we can hone in on our strengths and music that fits our voice.
• To see and hear these different types of voices online, please go to: https://www.theopera101.com/operaabc/voices/

For more info, go to:

www.theengagingvoice.com

For a free PDF of Ways to Practice the Voice Consistently,

please click here and grab your download:

https://mailchi.mp/16a4bd648eac/getfreevoiceinfo

You can find this and other episodes at Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart radio, and Apple Podcasts.

Please go to Apple Podcast and click on RATINGS AND REVIEWS to rate this podcast. I would be so grateful! Thank you!

Apple Podcast Review

To continue with the subject of harmony, Tara takes us deeper into the different ways it can be put together. If you know what is happening in a musical piece, it will help you to hear individual parts and then be able to make it up. She breaks down the components that you hear in everyday songs – the complexity is inviting and a delightful challenge.

"Harmony is much about training our ears to hear a musical part that is different from the regular melody"

• Intervals - a measurement of the distance between notes. A good portion of harmonies are thirds apart. Explanation of Thirds, Fourths and Fifths and then chords that are triads.

"The more that you're able to sing intervals, the more helpful it will be to finding and holding harmony."

• Solfegging - a system where every note of the scale is given its own unique syllable which is used to sing that note every time that note appears - like Do Re Mi

Recommended Apps

1. Sing Harmonies

2. Atonal Ear Trainer

3. Sacred Harp Singing

4. Solfeggio (Training Your Ear and Voice)

5. Relative Absolute Solfegg Ear Trainer

• Music Theory and Keys – getting this basic understanding on these will help round out the understanding of harmony.

Harmony is learned. It also can be done "by ear". Try it and experiment - Harmony IS POSSIBLE! Try these ideas:

1. Find parts of a choral song or hymnbook
2. Join a choir
3. Analyze songs
4. The Orchestra Song - 5 parts/different melodies (you can find on YouTube)

For a free PDF of Ways to Practice the Voice Consistently,

please click here and grab your download:

https://mailchi.mp/16a4bd648eac/getfreevoiceinfo

You can find this and other episodes on theengingvoice.com and at Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart radio, and Apple Podcasts.

Please go to Apple Podcast and click on RATINGS AND REVIEWS to rate this podcast. I would be so grateful! Thank you!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-engaging-voice/id1448497465

Today's episode explores that wonder called Harmony. It takes some practice, but to the active listener or performer, harmony bursts out of its "shadow" and is found. Tara gives example sound bites to help aid the listener to find that sometime-hidden harmony in so many songs. You will learn the beginnings of harmony and that it really is an attainable goal - step by step.

• Tara's own definition of Harmony - "Musical harmony works well together - it fits and makes sense."

• The Beginnings: Gregorian Chant —900 AD is made up of what we call monophonic music (one note at a time).
• 1150 AD Polyphony– more than one sound or harmony! Fourths and Fifths emerged in harmonies and is what we call Organum.

• The big question: why is harmony hard for people to find/sing? 1) Melody tends to dominate. 2) You did not grow up with it. 3) You may have not sung in choirs. 4) No choirs were offered. 5) Harmony is not natural.

• Harmony definitely can be learned! Only takes some practice and time.

Action Steps:

1. PRACTICE ROUNDS. These are songs with one melody but sung at different times.

2. START WITH: Rounds with others or record yourself.

3. LISTEN TO FAVORITE ARTIST for HARMONY: pick out the harmony.

For a free PDF of Ways to Practice the Voice Consistently,

please click here and grab your download:

https://mailchi.mp/16a4bd648eac/getfreevoiceinfo

You can find this and other episodes on theengingvoice.com and at Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart radio, and Apple Podcasts.

Please go to Apple Podcast and click on RATINGS AND REVIEWS to rate this podcast. I would be so grateful! Thank you!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-engaging-voice/id1448497465

Bree Noble is a well known name in the music business industry in mentoring other singers and artists. In today's show, Tara chats with Bree about her own singing journey and how she still stays healthy and motivated in continuing to be a performer alongside being a marketing and biz expert.

• Bree's first public outlet for singing was in a kid's church choir in some musicals where she soloed.
• Her introduction to choral music was in her 8th grade English class where some older choir members visited her class and sang to them.
• Bree started as an alto first and then transitioned to becoming a soprano, as she explored more of her voice through the years.
• Bree's glaucoma affected her sight but not her spirit or commitment to be deliberate in her singing journey.

Here is her take on having to memorize music:

"I could always deliver and connect with the audience more and really think about the phrasing and interpretation verses always having to look at something."

"Your whole body is your instrument."

"Being aware of how my voice feels in certain ranges will help me not over sing."

On using your head and chest voice:

"Depending on where you are coming from, if you are coming from below or above (how the phrase is), you have to be able to make that choice in a split second."

Bree's advice to other singers:

"I just think it's so important to get in some kind of community because a lot of musicians are operating as an island and not having that encouragement daily, weekly, monthly that you need to keep going!"

You can find Bree Noble in many places online:

Her music is available here: breenoblemusic.com

The Woman of Substance Podcast is: www.wosradio.com

Bree's podcast: www.femusician.com

To get information about the free workshop for her Female Musician Academy, check out this link: www.musiciansprofitpath.com

You can also find Bree on Twitter:

www.twitter.com/breenoble

And Facebook:

www.facebook.com/breenoblemusic

For a free PDF of Ways to Practice the Voice Consistently,

please click here and grab your download:

https://mailchi.mp/16a4bd648eac/getfreevoiceinfo

You can find this and other episodes on theengingvoice.com and at Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart radio, and Apple Podcasts.

Please go to Apple Podcast and click on RATINGS AND REVIEWS to rate this podcast. I would be so grateful! Thank you!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-engaging-voice/id1448497465

In continuing the journey of wholistic health for our voice and body, Tara chats with a pro musician who takes us on a little different journey of the singing voice. This episode features Fiona Flyte, the Singer's Biz Coach. Fiona shares her story about how she became a singer and entrepreneur and how her journey has led her to help other singers. She delves into the mindset behind being a Singerpreneur and gives singers some ways that they can start a vocal studio. If you are a singer and want to look at why you sing and how you can stay healthy in your mindset as a singer making a living, this is the episode for you.

(4:06) While Fiona didn't grow up in a musical family, she still had parents who took her to musical theater and plays. She developed a love for musical theater.

(6:22) Fiona was shy and struggled in high school with letting herself perform. She really didn't do any performing in public until college.

(7:33) A voice teacher who came to her glee club in college inspired her to take voice lessons and was the catalyst for Fiona pursuing some opera.

(12:18) Performing and coaching happened simultaneously for Fiona.

(13:56) "Don't discount the other ways in which you make money as a musician."

(14:05) "In teaching you are providing so much service. You are lifting other people up."

(15:20) "A singerpreneur is somebody that really understand that making a life in music is not so specific to just performing…we're CEO's of a business."

(20:50) Fiona has created a video series on YouTube on helping people launch a vocal studio.

(24:49) "We only need to be a couple of steps ahead of whoever is our student."

(30:49) "The more we believe that we have to be perfect, the more our ego will tell us that we shouldn't put anything out because we're not perfect."

(34:16) Mindset, marketing and monetization are the three pillars for Fiona's coaching.

You can find Fiona on YouTube where she has many coaching and performing videos. Search for Fiona Flyte.

Website: www.fionaflyte.com

Instagram: @fionaflyte

For a free PDF of Ways to Practice the Voice Consistently,

please click here and grab your download:

https://mailchi.mp/16a4bd648eac/getfreevoiceinfo

You can find this and other episodes on theengingvoice.com and at Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart radio, Apple Podcasts and radio.com

Please go to Apple Podcast and click on RATINGS AND REVIEWS to rate this podcast. I would be so grateful! Thank you!

Podcast Review

Today, Tara shares her journey of singing—how it started when she was a wee little girl and how it was woven through the years of being raised in a Minnesota pastor's family. Her growing up years gave her a love for singing that eventually solidified to became her passion. She shares how she got into teaching and the journey from teen pop singer to adult classical and jazz singer.

Music was all around Tara growing up—in church, at home through records and the radio and gathering around the piano. She was introduced to many genres, including jazz, classical, choral, pop, sacred and more.

Tara's family traveled starting when she was age 6, doing concerts in churches in Northern MN and parts of Ontario, Canada. She began accompanying the family around the age of 8 for some songs and also started singing harmonies with her brothers. Music was a full fledged part of her young life and kept on through her high school years.

One of Tara's favorite times to sing and listen to music was during Advent and Christmas. It fueled more of her love for music and singing because there were so many songs that she learned and enjoyed. It helped paved the way for future musical pursuits.

Tara's early influence of Amy Grant kept a drive inside her to want to be a professional singer.

College was a time that was a shift for Tara in her musical tastes and listening. She became open to learning more about her voice and in particular the classical voice. She started to discover a bigger range and capability of her voice.

Teaching is another aspect of Tara's singing that came into swing at age 22. She started a journey of learning and loving to help other singers. She has enjoyed the process of gifting singers with the ability to bring out their best voice and give them confidence.

"Anyone can keep up their voice, it it's taken care of properly."

Here is the link for the video of Angelo Lo Forese:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5JU95a2Z0o

We also are celebrating almost 1 year of The Engaging Voice Podcast today!!

For a free PDF of Ways to Practice the Voice Consistently,

please click here and grab your download:

https://mailchi.mp/16a4bd648eac/getfreevoiceinfo

You can find this and other episodes on theengingvoice.com and at Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart radio, Apple Podcasts and radio.com

• If you have Alexa just tell her : "Apple Podcasts" and then tell her "The Engaging Voice"!
• I am so excited for this!

One last thing, if you would be so kind, please go to Apple Podcast and click on RATINGS AND REVIEWS to rate this podcast. I would be so grateful! Thank you!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-engaging-voice/id1448497465

In this episode, Katie Zaccardi helps us look at what it means to have wellness in our life as a musician. She talks about how mindset and beliefs can affect our physical health and cause anxiety or stress. In singing, this can exacerbate having tension in the voice or the voice not working properly. Join us for this discussion about our life as musicians being balanced in wellness.

(3:31) Katie started as a musical theater nerd and quickly morphed into taking non-traditional piano lessons.

(5:39) As early as third grade, Katie found her way into musicals at the Catholic school she attended.

(11:08) In college, Katie branched out to be a singing performer in solo performances.

(12:02) Katie herself (sophomore year of college) started struggling with anxiety. She then trudged a path to find out what she was feeling and how she herself could cope with it. She researched and did experiments on herself to try and find answers.

(15:57) As time went on, Katie felt stuck and not well in her full time job. Her stress and health were not good.

(17:00) Katie came to the conclusion that there was not enough tools or resources for mental health and wellness in music.

(17:45) "If you are stressed out and trying to build your career, your stress is impacting your career."

(19:10) A mindset block like self doubt can plague musicians and that can cause much stress.

(20:22) "You can have all of the strategies in the world but if you are waking up every day and have these negative thoughts running through your head, and the self doubt on repeat, ongoing, constantly nagging at you…you are not gonna be successful."

(24:38) Fear of failure ca be a huge mental roadblock for musicians.

(25:29) "Take messy action."

(27:55) Katie stated that we are at the beginning of doing preventive care verses sick care in the music industry today.

(29:00) She does 1 to 1 coaching. Her pillars are:

1. Focus on goal setting

2. Wellness routines and habits

3. Mindset blocks and then freedom

4. Another set of strategizing

You can get ahold of Katie on her website:

www.katiezaccardi.com

Instagram: @katiezaccardi

Her podcast is called "The Out to Be Podcast".

And her one on one coaching can be found here:bit.ly/outtobecoaching

For a free PDF of Ways to Practice the Voice Consistently, please click here and grab your download:

https://mailchi.mp/16a4bd648eac/getfreevoiceinfo

You can find this and other episodes on theengingvoice.com and at Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart radio, Apple Podcasts and radio.com

Please go to iTunes/Apple Podcast and click on RATINGS AND REVIEWS to rate this podcast. I would be so grateful! Thank you!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-engaging-voice/id1448497465

In today's episode, Tara explains what SOVT exercises are and then gives the listener a sampling of these type of exercises to sing along with at home. Singers can use these vocalises for warmups or cool downs on a daily basis.

(1:02) SOVT—semi-occluded vocal tract exercises

Semi-occluded = partially blocked

(2:23) Voice Science Works says without the back pressure of singing, our vocal folds couldn't maintain vibration.

(3:10) Positive air pressure pulls vocal folds apart—abduction

Negative air pressure pulls vocal folds together—adduction

(4:50) Exercise Lip buzz/trill. 1-3-5-8-5-3-1 and 1-3-5-3-1

(6:05) Straw exercise 1—blow into straw and sing 1-3-1 as a slide (slowly)

(7:50) Straw exercise 2—blow into straw and sing 1-5-1 as a slide

(8:55) Straw exercise 3—put your straw in a water bottle with water in it

Blow through 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1

(10:46) "mm" or "hm" mm-ah-mm-ah-mm-ah, etc 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1

(12:22) "ng" (like a muppet sound) Say "ng", then sing ee-ah-ee-ah-ee-ah on the same note

(14:16) "v" using vvv 1-3-5-3-1 sustaining the vvv

(15:18) "z" using zzz 1-5-1 in a slide, sustaining the zzz

(16:29) "zing-ah" 1————-5-4-3-2-1

For a free PDF of Ways to Practice the Voice Consistently, please click here and grab your download:

https://mailchi.mp/16a4bd648eac/getfreevoiceinfo

You can find this and other episodes on theengingvoice.com and at Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart radio, Apple Podcasts and radio.com

Please go to iTunes/Apple Podcast and click on RATINGS AND REVIEWS to rate this podcast. I would be so grateful! Thank you!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-engaging-voice/id1448497465

At 81, Micheal Trimble is still helping the vocal world with his great knowledge of the voice and singing in operas through the years. He reiterates time and again how breath is the core of the everything in singing—how the way you take the breath and where you take it affects everything!

(2:30) MIchael didn't sing until he was 19. He had been on a football scholarship to college at the time.

(3:45) "The bigger the drum, the bigger the sound"

(6:39) The secret for MIchael in staying vocally healthy was doing what the Great Singers taught him. "Breathe, breathe, breathe!"

(7:54) "You either know what you are doing when you sing or you are not going to last."

(9:55) "The breath makes the voice or kills the voice…it's your worst enemy, or your best friend."

(10:39) Micheal stresses singing way down low in your back.

(12:16) Key to healthy singing: no action in the throat and no change of emission.

(13:35) You maintain the open throat through the power of the respiration.

(18:27) The traditional way to sing was to "breathe way down low in the back and then lean the breath against the diaphragm." (from the Great Singers)

(24:29) Breathing + Good Phonation = healthy full sounds

(27:49) Michael says that the singers who have lasted for a long time are not busy in their throats.

(32:04) "Once I start singing, what do I do to not get tired?"

(39:09) Michael describers singing on the breath as only down bowing on a stringed instrument—no up bowing.

You can get ahold of MIchael Trimble on his website:

www.trimblevocalinstitute.com

Or on Youtube, his channel is MichaelTrimberTenor

His email is: tvi@ biwifi.com

Fundamentals of Great Vocal Technique: The Teachings of Michael Trimble

by inside_view_press

Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0991087607/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_ReZQDbCXMMXP4

Caruso's book that Micheal spoke about is called: Caruso and Tetrazzini on the Art of Singing

by Amazon.com

Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1511730749/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_4HYQDbSXV9TVY

For a free PDF of Ways to Practice the Voice Consistently, please click here and grab your download: https://mailchi.mp/16a4bd648eac/getfreevoiceinfo

If you want to be a part of a community that talks all things vocal, pop over to The Engaging Voice Singers (Facebook)

Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/275720043147345/

You can find this and other episodes on theengingvoice.com and at Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart radio, Apple Music and radio.com

Please go to iTunes/Apple Music and click on RATINGS AND REVIEWS to rate this podcast. I would be so grateful! Thank you!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-engaging-voice/id1448497465