Build Vocal Confidence With These 20 Affirmations

Build Vocal Confidence With These 20 Affirmations

by | Jul 2, 2018 | lessons, music, singing

Let’s face it. We all battle with self doubts…even the most trained singer or our musical idols who “have it all together” struggle with times of doubt. We all need to affirm ourselves when it comes to sharing who we are. And having the courage to sing can certainly require you to bare your soul and be comfortable with who you are. Build vocal confidence this summer with these 20 affirmations:

  1. I am a singer.
  2. I love my voice.
  3. My voice is unique to me no one else has the same voice that I do.
  4. I speak therefore I can sing. (It’s the same muscle being used!)
  5. I will let my voice relax and do its job.
  6. I deserve the confidence to enjoy singing out loud.
  7. Singing is for everyone!
  8. Singing is not just for the talented few.
  9. I believe I can sing.
  10. The person who told me I can’t sing is wrong.
  11. My voice is beautiful.
  12. I am actively practicing good vocal technique.
  13. I am actively taking steps to work on singing in tune.
  14. My commitment and effort to singing will reap results.
  15. I am committed to becoming a singer.
  16. I want to share my voice with others.
  17. I am a strong beautiful singer.
  18. I believe in the power of my unique voice
  19. I am committed to developing my voice.
  20. I accept the confidence that I am building with my voice.

Fear is a choice. You can let it control you and shape your destiny or you can turn around, face your fears, and conquer them. Choose to let go of fear and self doubt! Download these 20 vocal affirmations and post them in a visible spot. On your bathroom mirror or in your practice area. Repeat them to yourself ever morning and watch the power of positive thinking get to work!

3 Opportunities To Strengthen Your Vocal Muscle This Summer

3 Opportunities To Strengthen Your Vocal Muscle This Summer

by | Jun 11, 2018 | lessons, music, singing

There’s something nostalgic about vocal music and summertime! Summer is a great time to invest in yourself and enjoy singing! Even if it’s not something that you normally spend time doing summer can be a lovely time to invest in yourself and enjoy some great vocal music. Here are 3 ways that you can involve yourself in music over the summer:

Summer choirs

Find a summer singers choir in your area. You’ll find summer choirs/intensives for adults as well as children. Most of these choirs are non-auditioned and so there is minimal pressure to be “perfect.” You’ll get to know new people in your community and learn some great music! Search for “summer singers” or “summer choirs” in your local area.

Voice lessons

Summer is a great time to invest in yourself and take voice lessons! You’ll be able to spend 4-8 weeks exploring your vocal capabilities and learning some songs that you’ve always wanted to sing. Be clear about your expectations when you sign up for lessons and your teacher will be able to tailor the learning to your short-term summer goals. Ask about summer discounts as often teachers will be looking to encourage enrollment throughout the summer.

Choose a favorite vocal song to learn & study over the summer

We all have those songs that we say “if I could sing I would sing ____.” (Side note: we all can sing! If you can breathe you can sing!) Choose one of your favorite songs from childhood or your teenage years that you dreamed of singing, buy some sheet music, and have fun living a dream!

What ever you choose to do use the summer to fulfill dreams. So often I hear people regretfully say they wish they could sing. Everyone has the opportunity to make choices to fullfill their dreams but we let our fears hold us back from taking the first step. Don’t let that be you!

Are Summer Music Lessons Right For Me?

Are Summer Music Lessons Right For Me?

by | May 28, 2018 | lessons, music, parents

Are music lessons over the summer a good fit for you and your family or is it better to take two months off?

First, as a general principle continuous learning is better than dropping for long periods of time. You’ve probably heard the saying “If you don’t use it, you’ll loose it.”  It’s just the way learning works. When you quit study and practicing for a long period of time there will be a decrease in skills that will need to be built back up when study is resumed. It’s just the nature of learning!

The biggest drawback to “taking a break” that I’ve experienced with my students is that they get out of the routine of practice.

Ultimately though, we all lead different lives and we must make decisions based on our families needs and lifestyles.

 

Pros for summer music lessons:

  1. Music study over the summer is a great way to focus on practicing and advancing levels quickly.
  2. Your child may have more time to practice without worrying about homework & tests.
  3. You could take advantage of flexible scheduling and negotiate to take longer lessons for two months.
  4. Maintaining music study during the summer reinforces all the hard work you put into getting your child to practice this past year! When you start again in the fall you won’t have to tackle that battle again.
  5. Sometimes teachers offer incentives & discounts if you continue music lessons during the summer.

Cons:

  1. If you travel a lot during the summer months then your schedule may actually more hectic than during the school year.
  2. If you don’t have the time available to devote to practice then there will be no continuity in learning.
  3. Depending on your child and the schedule that you keep during the school year they may need a mental break from all the extracurricular activites.
What Is My Role As A Parent In My Child’s Music Lessons? (How to set your child up for success with these 5 tips)

What Is My Role As A Parent In My Child’s Music Lessons? (How to set your child up for success with these 5 tips)

by | May 1, 2018 | lessons, music

Until your child reaches a certain point of maturity you are the driving factor behind your child’s success in music. You CAN help your child have an unforgettable experience with their music lessons. Even if you are not musical yourself (or don’t remember the 1 year of lessons you had as a kid) you can still help your child be successful! Remember your child closely observes you and they take their cues from you. In fact they will be more successful (and you’ll get your ROI) if you are involved in what you child does.

Five things you can do right now to help your child be successful:

1. Show interest in music & what your child is doing.

Show personal interest by sitting in on their lessons and taking notes. (This has an added advantage because you will know what the teacher told them to practice) Your kids take their cues from you. If you appear bored with what they are doing they will soon lose interest as well.

2. Practice with them!

Practice time does not mean “Go sit down and practice now!” What it really means, is that you need to sit down with them and help them set achievable weekly goals. Goal setting: Sit down with them and go through their lesson notes with them. Help them define clear goals for the week that they should  work on. Then help them break these goals up into individual practice session goals that your child can achieve each practice. Make a commitment to sit with them during their first practice of the week.

3. Have your child teach you what they are learning in lessons!

Kids love to show their parents something that they know that mom or dad doesn’t! Plus, we always learn more when we can teach others something new.

4. Create a music friendly environment.

Don’t put your kids in the attic or basement to practice! If you truly want your child to be sucessful with music make music part of the family environment and have your child practice where you can hear them. Setting up a practice station can greatly affect the amount of time your child wants to spend there. Make sure you have a pencil, paper, the books, and the instrument all together. You may also need to invest in a sturdy music stand to help facilitate practice.  

5. Clear your schedule before you start.

Success will happen if you give it time. Make sure you clear both yours and your child’s schedule before you commit to taking lessons. It’s so easy to juggle things around and make to many time commitments. Then we get overbooked and overloaded with all the things we need to do. But if you don’t make lessons, and practice time, a priority you are going to be wasting your money. Make sure that your child has the time in their schedule to devote at least 20-30 minutes to music everyday.

3 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Your Child Starts Music Lessons

3 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Your Child Starts Music Lessons

by | Apr 17, 2018 | lessons, music

3 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Your Child Starts Music Lessons

Questions to ask yourself before commiting your child to music lessons:

Music instruction can be an incredible experience for your child and you but only if you are prepared for them.

1. What is my end goal for having my child in music lessons?

Do you want them to be a world famous concert pianist? Do you want them performing frequently for competitions? Do you want them playing for your local church? Maybe you just want them to experience piano/violin/voice etc and learn to enjoy making music. Maybe you are using music lessons to help your child build self-esteem through learning a skill. Every parent & student will have differnent goals that you want to acheive through music lessons. Also, goals will change as your child grows into loving music. The great thing is that every goal is valid! What you need to do is make sure you find a teacher who will support your goals that you have. Communicate to the the teacher that you want your child to be learning Mozart sonatas or let them know that all you want is your child to grow to love music! Both are great goals to have. Once you know what your end goals are you can match your commitment level to what your ultimate goals are.

2. Am I ready to make a long-term commitment?

Time, time, time! How much time are you personally willing to put into music lessons? You will need to get them to lessons (if driving is an obstacle consider remote online lessons, wink wink). You will also need to make a financial commitment of at least 3-6 months of lessons to begin seeing results. Most importantly you need to be ready to invest in reminding your child to practice. Practice time does not mean “Go sit down and practice now!” What it REALLY means is that you need to sit down with them as they practice. Then, help them make goals that they can accomplish during their practice sessions. Trust me, the time you invest at the begining to helping them establish great practicing habits will help make the most of your investment. Ask yourself, am I willing to make the commitment of time and finances to making these lessons sucessful? If YOU not your child is committed to making the lessons successful your child won’t be either.

3. Is my child physically/emotionally ready to start music lessons?

Are YOU ready physically and emotianlly for your child to start music lessons? You can find a teacher to start your child at any age and there is no right or wrong age to start lessons! There are definitely age factors that influence physical abilities and concentration levels but most importatly you need to know if you are ready. A few factors that will influence if your child is ready to start are:

  • Is your child able to concentrate for at least 15 min?
  • How old are they and what instrument are they wanting to play?
  • Developmental milestones
  • How quickly are you wanting your child to catch on to their instrument? You can start a child very early but they might be very slow at catching on to reading music if they aren’t ready to learn to read.

Of course, speaking with a teacher can help calrify your questions and help you come to a decision. If your child loves music and you want them to experience it there are often community classes for kids like Kindermusick, Music Together, and others that will help develop a love of music  in your child. If you are interested in voice lessons be sure to sign up for a FREE voice lesson with me! I can help answer your questions and help you decide on a course of action.