Want to Perform in Public?
Looking to Polish Your Performance?
Try a Little Coaching!
TRUE STORY: I was having a chiropractic adjustment and my doctor was making small talk. His son was getting married, and he wanted to do something special for the ceremony, like sing a song there. Trouble was, he didn't read music or know how to do anything about it. I told him I could help him with that, and a new star was born!
We started off by reviewing the songs he liked and narrowed it down to two choices. Then we did some vocal exercises to see where his voice sounded best -- what range of notes he could sing with his native ability. Then he chose his favorite song. He worked hard by coming to the studio to practice where to breathe, how to stand, how to use his body to have a good column of air to support his singing, where to articulate the lyrics, and so on.
On his son's wedding day, he gave an amazing performance, and his whole family ran up to him after his song and exclaimed, "We didn't know you could do that!!!" It was awe-inspiring and a dream come true for him.
WHAT KIND OF PERFORMANCE DREAMS DO YOU HAVE?
MY TRUE STORY: I remember spending most of a day practicing and going through songs to prepare a demo CD for an audition. It was hideous. Something was missing and I couldn't figure out why my sound was so b-o-r-i-n-g. Then my coach listened to what I was doing and in ten minutes he had me completely transformed. What did he say that was so great?
He quoted Wynton Marsalis from a master class he'd attended: "From the moment that you play that first note, you have to tell the story and connect with your audience." This isn't news to most performers, but I had forgotten to shift my focus to my listeners instead of what I was doing "wrong." Was I giving my listeners something worth listening to?
This is an example of why having a coach is more than merely helpful. Just like Olympic athletes have the talent and drive to perform, musicians also work their craft to the best of their abilities. And, like athletes, musicians can develop blind spots about their performance. Having a coach will help you see what you might not know or may have forgotten.
This is not the same as videotaping yourself. If you're missing something, the video may not show it, or you may not be looking for it. A video will let you know if you've developed any bad habits, like tics or stammers or muddy sounds in your lyrics. You can see if your head is down too often or your costume fits poorly. You can tell if the balance is good between you, your instrument, and your band.
All of these things are important, and a good coach should be able to spot those issues for you with or without a video. But only a coach will help you with the finesse of musicianship: careful phrasing, avoiding unintentional note slides, milking each vowel and consonant for its emotional impact, and other mechanical and artistic factors.
I do performance coaching for amateurs who want to add polish to their expression, whether they're setting up for an audition, entering a contest, looking for another person's opinion, or trying something new (like my chiropractor who wanted to sing at his son's wedding). Feel free to contact me about what you're up to, and let's discuss how coaching might help you!
We started off by reviewing the songs he liked and narrowed it down to two choices. Then we did some vocal exercises to see where his voice sounded best -- what range of notes he could sing with his native ability. Then he chose his favorite song. He worked hard by coming to the studio to practice where to breathe, how to stand, how to use his body to have a good column of air to support his singing, where to articulate the lyrics, and so on.
On his son's wedding day, he gave an amazing performance, and his whole family ran up to him after his song and exclaimed, "We didn't know you could do that!!!" It was awe-inspiring and a dream come true for him.
WHAT KIND OF PERFORMANCE DREAMS DO YOU HAVE?
MY TRUE STORY: I remember spending most of a day practicing and going through songs to prepare a demo CD for an audition. It was hideous. Something was missing and I couldn't figure out why my sound was so b-o-r-i-n-g. Then my coach listened to what I was doing and in ten minutes he had me completely transformed. What did he say that was so great?
He quoted Wynton Marsalis from a master class he'd attended: "From the moment that you play that first note, you have to tell the story and connect with your audience." This isn't news to most performers, but I had forgotten to shift my focus to my listeners instead of what I was doing "wrong." Was I giving my listeners something worth listening to?
This is an example of why having a coach is more than merely helpful. Just like Olympic athletes have the talent and drive to perform, musicians also work their craft to the best of their abilities. And, like athletes, musicians can develop blind spots about their performance. Having a coach will help you see what you might not know or may have forgotten.
This is not the same as videotaping yourself. If you're missing something, the video may not show it, or you may not be looking for it. A video will let you know if you've developed any bad habits, like tics or stammers or muddy sounds in your lyrics. You can see if your head is down too often or your costume fits poorly. You can tell if the balance is good between you, your instrument, and your band.
All of these things are important, and a good coach should be able to spot those issues for you with or without a video. But only a coach will help you with the finesse of musicianship: careful phrasing, avoiding unintentional note slides, milking each vowel and consonant for its emotional impact, and other mechanical and artistic factors.
I do performance coaching for amateurs who want to add polish to their expression, whether they're setting up for an audition, entering a contest, looking for another person's opinion, or trying something new (like my chiropractor who wanted to sing at his son's wedding). Feel free to contact me about what you're up to, and let's discuss how coaching might help you!
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