Tips for Songwriters from a Vocal Coach

I have no confidence in my voice. You'd think I'd stress about it before presenting a new song, but I don't. Apparently I should.

 Here are some tips from Songwriters: Pump up your vocals! A Q&A with vocal coach Siobhan Quinn

1. Start your day by stretching (yoga’s great!) and vocalizations (no words, start with humming. It’s the  best simple thing you can do, gently running slides through your entire vocal range)
2. Hydrate with room temperature water — no ice! — and clear liquids (not soda) throughout the day
3. Watch your food intake, make sure you get protein.
4. Warm up your voice thoroughly.
5. At the gig– get some room temperature water for the stage, stretch again (you’ve just lugged in your equipment), vocalize again a little so your voice gets used to the microclimate you’ll be in.
6. Enjoy yourself!  Try to sing with as little stress in your body as possible and don’t concentrate on your vocal technique at a gig…that’s for your home studio…concentrate on the emotional meaning of your songs.

Resolved: The next song circle meeting will begin with 15 minutes of yoga. Or not.

The August Song Circle will be held at Flagstaff School of Music

Terry Alan has offered to host the August song circle at his school, the Flagstaff School of Music.

Click the "Directions" link in the map below if you don't know your way.


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Subscribe to our list to get a reminder as the date approaches.

Song For Woody

This song was written in five minutes (if you believe that).

Songs are Quantum

David Lowrey (Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven), had this to say when discussing the origin of his song Guarded by Monkeys:

Songs sometimes don’t have linear and specific narratives, that is why they are songs and not short stories.  Elements remain unformed and ambiguous, and that is what makes a song interesting. Songs can have multiple parallel meanings and they can all be true.  They are quantum in that way.

I find it very difficult to write a non-linear song, yet my favorite songwriters are adept at it. When a song I've written is not tied together as a clear narrative, I find myself wanting to apologize or explain.

Note to self: Get over that.

   

The New Old Schedule

Looks like the last Monday of each month is the winner.


To get back on schedule, we'll be having two meetings this month.  The next meeting will be July 26, this month.

Get writing!

I Googled "wrote song in one hour" and this is what I found:

Ch...ch...ch...ch...ch...changes...

For the longest time, we met on the last Monday of the month.  Then something happened that shifted our schedule to the first Monday of each month.  I can't remember what it was.

Mayan calendar? Chronosynclastic infundibulum? Or maybe Matt Hall wrote a song that lasted into the following week. But something happened.

The first Monday works for some of us, but perhaps not all of us, or not even most of us.  So at our last meeting, we decided to put up a poll.

It's clear that Mondays are preferred. But which Monday?

The first Monday conflicts the monthly meeting of the Grand Canyon Guitar Society and possibly another regular meeting which our members may wish to attend.

Take the poll at the right, and help us decide whether to change to a new Monday, or keep the schedule as it is.

Leave a comment below if you have a different idea.

Thanks.

Working hard to make things easy

Rather than creating music, I've been creating some Internet services for the Song Circle.

So now we have a Web site, e-mail addresses, an e-mail list that people can join without assistance, and a calendar.

Hopefully this'll make running the song circle easier, and we can get more songwriters involved.

If you would like your Web site added to our links, or if you have a gig you'd like in the calendar, there are three things you need to do:

1. Show up to a song circle event at least once.
2. Sign up for the list (if you're not already on it).
   
3. Let me know about the gig and/or Web site. (If you're on the list, then you know how to reach me.)
   

Strangers in the Night need not apply.

Ted