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Marzuki Grinage Vocal Studio - STUDENT TESTIMONIALS -
"I was introduced to the SLS method and with that Marzuki not only taught me how to use my gift in a better way, he made it incredibly easy for me to get better at singing. My first aid from him came in preparation for American Idol 2010 season (which I made Top 135 out of estimated 10,000 in Los Angeles) which I know wouldn't have been possible with out Marzuki. My success from the auditions is only what I hope to be the beginning of my progression as a vocalist. However I owe a tremendous deal of my progress to Marzuki, for his patience, positive feedback and support. I recommend his teachings to any singer that is serious about singing and wants to take their voice a step further."
Jason Hunter - "My voice teacher Marzuki Grinage - Speech...

 
So many voice teachers out there... but choosing the right one can be short and simple!
1) There are many different techniques and approaches to teaching voice... far more then you might imagine! See which teachers appeal to you on the phone or by e-mail and if you...

Your voice is a precious thing.  Choosing the right voice teacher is vital for developing the natural beauty that your unique voice has. 
Training the voice to sing classical music or opera is not a common skill.  Finding the right voice teacher may be challenging, require time, and several interviews. 
Here are some tips to help you sort through your choices:
1.  Don't choose a voice teacher for her likeability.
Some of the best teachers are toads, socially.  Just because you like a teacher doesn't mean she'll teach you well.  You're not taking voice lessons to have another friend, you're here to learn and be well trained.
2.  Ask yourself, Why is she teaching voice?  Does her livelihood depend on it or is she doing it because she truly wants to?
This is an important factor to root out early.  Unfortunately, there are struggling musicians out there trying to make an easy buck teaching.  Listen to your intuition here, do you get the feeling that the voice teacher is greedy?  Or do you get the genuine feeling that she is teaching because it is her passion? 
3.  Does she talk about her own illustrious past more than you and your voice?
It can be inspiring and informative to hear stories of your voice teacher's past.  A teacher who speaks nothing of her life is a red flag, but even worse is the teacher who spends half the lesson talking about herself.  You want her focused on you.
4.  How well does she economize the time of your lesson?
Is she squeezing the most out...

This article originally appeared at The Voice Box blog (http://kristenramervoicestudio.blogspot.com)
Monday, June 29, 2009
 
Just Breathe
NPR's "Morning Edition" program featured a terrific piece on breathing this week. Allison Aubrey interviewed a soprano and her breathing coach, an Alexander Technique instructor. One of the many interesting excerpts:
"If you've ever been in your car when suddenly the person in front of you slams on the brakes, the typical reaction is to gasp — taking a quick in breath.
'It's a natural response,' says Edward Bilanchone, a long-time instructor of breath and movement using the Alexander Technique. The quick inhale brings more oxygen in and sets off a flood of hormones that heighten our senses and help us respond quickly. 'It helps us survive.'
The trouble comes when chronic stress sets in. Under stress, a lot of interactions start to feel like near-collisions. 'It becomes a part of us and we never release out of it,' says Bilanchone. When we're stressed we may cheat the exhale or even hold our breath for moments. As adults, we can develop these bad habits that...

 
It has been long believed that voice lessons were not recommended for young voices due to the fact that the voice is the last part of the body to...

Voice teachers are there not only to teach you how to sing; they can improve your speaking voice, too. There are a number of common voice problems: your voice may have a crackly sound, called "glottal fry", which sounds like something is frying in your vocal cords; you may have a breathy voice, an immature-sounding voice, or a nasal voice. Any of these conditions can affect your career and your health. All of these problems can be corrected by a voice teacher. Here's what your voice teacher should be telling you.If you have any of these conditions, you should see a voice teacher to correct your problems. Long-term misuse of your vocal cords can lead to edema, nodes, or polyps on your vocal cords, sometimes requiring painful and expensive surgery!

 Nasality is caused most often by a lowered soft palate. To correct this, see my article "How to Breathe for Singing and Speaking."  Discuss that article with your voice...

You know you're laughing, and saying, "I already know how to breathe!" That's true, but this is a way to breathe that is more efficient and makes better use of your body. You'll have a lot more air and energy, and feel much better.
1. Take a deep breath and watch yourself in the mirror. If your chest moves, you're not breathing efficiently.
2. First, stretch your arms over your head. This exercises the muscles that is in between each rib, called the "intercostals". You should really stretch until you feel a pull between each rib.
3. Holding those ribs apart, place your hands on your head as if you were putting on a beanie at the crown of your head. You should feel a pull stretching your ribs...

It can be humbling when you have to make good on what you say. It's one thing to hand out advice like candy but another to actually live what you teach. Really, we all try to do this but often times, we teachers are advising students from our experiences in the past. It makes it so much fresher when our wisdom actually originates from current practices.Four years ago, I had a the chance of a lifetime. I had written an article on "Starting a Studio from Scratch" for Classical Singer Magazine. It was so well received that I was invited to present a workshop on "Promoting Your Voice Studio" at the 3rd Annual Classical Singer Convention 2005 in NYC. I combined my business and marketing background with my experience of starting...

This article has been republished from my blog: http://www.findingmysingingvoice.com.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what age is the best age to start singing lessons. I recently interviewed for voice teaching positions at several community music schools, and this issue came up in every interview.
Actually, the question wasn’t, “What is the best age to start singing lessons?” but rather, “What is the youngest age you will teach?”
In past, I’ve always stuck to the conventional answer that a student should not begin formal voice lessons until after puberty (between ages 8-13 for girls and 10-15 for boys). But I’m beginning to think differently now.
A voice lesson for an seven year old should be very different from that of an eighteen year old. However, as long as the lesson content and length - along with parental expectations - are appropriate, I think it’s OK to teach younger students.
So what exactly are the differences in how to teach pre- and post-pubescent singers? Here are some of the ideas I’ve come up with.

Shorter Lesson Length (20-30 minutes): Young voices don’t have the stamina to sing for long periods of time. Any beginner should start with shorter lesson times (30 minutes max), but this is especially important for younger singers.
Simplified Explanations: A third grader doesn’t need to know the function of the intercostal muscles during breath support or the location of the hyoid bone. Technical concepts should be described in simple terms. “Your tummy should expand like a balloon when you take a breath.” Vocal exercises should be fun, even silly!
Age-Appropriate...

Here is a video I created with a performance technique called "The Off-stage Bit."  It literally refers to a process of preparing your...