Take singing lessons with a vocal coach in Nelson

Tips for a good vocal training

When you begin your vocal practice, there are a few things to have in consideration before starting so your practice goes smoothly and your body is ready to sing.

Tip number one: avoid eating one hour before your vocal practice. This will help you avoid having acid reflux when practicing your breathing or when holding long notes. For example your breathing exercise in which you inhale into your diaphragm and exhale on a hiss can trigger heartburn specially if you have just had a spicy meal or a heavy dish, such as meat, beans, spaghetti, etc. Instead, make sure to eat at least one hour before your practice and lean towards light meals such as salads, steamed vegetables, etc.

Tip number two: make sure your body is relaxed before starting your practice. It is extremely important that your body is relaxed before and during the practice. This is a conscious effort to survey areas of your body that might involuntary tense up. Keep an eye on your shoulders, neck and jaw and make sure that you have a straight posture when practicing your exercises and repertoire. You can practice in front of a mirror to make sure that you are not raising your shoulders when breathing, as well as keeping an eye on any tension on your jaw or neck. You can also practice with your back against the wall: this will help you keep a straight posture.

Tip number three: keep your body hydrated. Make sure to drink water before your practice. This will help your body be hydrated throughout your practice of exercises and repertoire. Also make sure the water that you drink it at room temperature because cold water can cause your throat to tense up. As your practice, make sure to have water with you and take sips continuously throughout your practice.

Tip number four: make sure to warm up before your practice and warm down after your practice. There are several exercises to warm up and warm down. Be sure to learn them and to do them before and after your practice. Also, make sure to stretch your neck, shoulders, arms, and back before and after your practice, that way you will not have any issues in the future. It is also advisable to practice a sport to keep your body with no hold up tension: swimming, yoga or any full body activity will improve your practice enormously and will help you to stay relaxed.

Remember that your practice is a repetitive physical activity. So make sure that your habits are good.

Learning music in Nelson

Nelson is the birthplace of a great number of musicians, artists and bands in a great number of styles. In the world of Classical Music, the name David Childs is the most prominent when it comes to classical artists. David Childs is one of the finest brass soloists in the world today and the highest regarded of his  generation. In Rock and Alternative Music there are a great number of bands and solo artists: Graeme James, Minuit, Rhian Sheehan, Robinson, Tex Morton and Sharon O’Neill are just a few examples of band and solo artists that have reached a great audience in New Zealand and in the world. Nelson has been the place for the  beginning of musicians and bands and the number of exponents that have come out of the city is just extraordinary. If you are a music student, having classes regularly and striving to find your connection and creativity in the art of music, the City of Nelson and its many exponents of successful musicians can be a great inspiration to you and to your journey in discovering music and your voice.

The benefits of learning how to read music

Music is a language, and just like any other language signs and symbols are used as the primary elements for communication. Therefore, by learning how to read music you will open the door to a grand catalog of music that has been established for the last four hundred years, just as if you had learned how to read in a certain language and now you have the ability to crack open any book written in that language. But music notation and the practice of music reading will not just allow you to read music written for your instruments, it will allow you to read music written for any instrument. Because our music notation system has been established in a general sense, the skills of reading music sheets will allow you to read jazz standards, symphonies, classical pieces, song books of your favourite bands, musical show song books, etc. And if you are a kid and you are learning how to read music, you will have a better chance of developing a stronger relationship between what you read on the music staff and what you hear. Reading music, analysing or sight reading with an instrument are great practices that will create a strong bond between the theoretical and the practical. 

The therapeutic benefits of learning singing and music

Music is an extraordinary discipline. The practice of learning how to sing has incredible benefits for your brain and body. Conditions such as Dyslexia or difficulties with a person’s motor skills can be profoundly helped by learning to sing or play an instrument. Beyond that, in general terms, learning music and practicing your voice is a great workout for your brain.

Research shows that most people with a stutter are able to speak more fluently if they were to follow a melody or a musical line. This is because your brain uses the melody as a form of thread that can conduct your words and your focus, making it easier to connect words and ideas.

In 2015 a study showed an improvement in adult life as they engaged in a consistent practice of  music. 15 adults who were learning music were recruited via community music groups and private teachers. Analysis of transcripts of semi-structured interviews identified adults’ prior experiences in music, their motivations to learn how to sing or how to play an instrument, and learning goals, learning strategies they employ, the benefits that they attribute to their engagement in musical activities, and challenges faced. The study suggests that music was a cultural practice which helped with fostering health and life satisfaction.

Finally, regardless of your age and your condition, people who learn to play an instrument and to read music benefit enormously because the practice of singing, playing and reading music creates different routes and connections between the two brain hemispheres. The result is the ability to solve problems more efficiently and creatively in academic and social settings.