What should I wear for auditions?
This is a very commonly asked questions in our studio! The best answer we can offer is to always wear something that really flatters your body type. Buying audition clothing is like buying a bathing suit. You want your outfit to totally flatter you and reflect your sense of style and self. We recommend against wearing white and overly busy patterns because white can make a person look much heavier then they actually are and busy patterns make the adjudicator focus on your outfit rather then your singing. When you go shopping, take someone with you that you can really trust to be honest with you about how you look and stick to bright solid colors and jewel tones. Also, remember that if you have a specific look that is important to your brand then you have to stay within that style. As we always say, JVS offers a holistic approach to teaching our students. Email us today for lessons and be assured we not only will help you sound great, but look fantastic, too!
It’s OK to say NO!
We would like to talk again about the subject of vocal fatigue. One way you can get into trouble is when you are touring or doing multiple performances without getting enough downtime and vocal rest. This can be very draining on you physically and vocally. It is incredibly important that before you leave, you are comfortable with your schedule. Many people will want you to sing more and more throughout your careers and while that is what we all are after, we must learn to manage our schedules and how often we sing. We tell our students NO, is an important word to learn. It can be very difficult to say NO to people when we want to please them and continue getting more and more opportunities to sing. Remember, when you say NO to something, you are actually saying YES to something you value more! At JVS, we offer a holistic approach for our students. We don’t just deal with matters of vocal technique, but rather the whole person, seeing each one of you individually and doing our best to meet your needs. Why don’t you send us an email and start learning not only a great vocal technique, but how to manage the many challenges of your career, successfully! Say YES to SUCCESS!!
Collapsed Rib Cage
One of the things we see a lot of singers do incorrectly is drop the rib cage. We call this collapsing and what that usually results in is a jutting out or sticking out of the jaw. Sometimes we say to students, “You’re leading with your jaw” It’s the wrong position to have your instrument in. What you want to do is pick up your rib cage. It’s difficult to do this because under our rib cage is our abdomen and we don’t have a spine like we do in our back to hold us up. We can drop or collapse into the abdominal area which is really incorrect for great singing. Instead, imagine a string that is tied to your sternum and up to the ceiling pulling your rib cage up which automatically puts your head in a better position and gives you better posture through the vocal tract area. Make sure, by looking in a mirror you never collapse your rib cage while singing!