This inaugural post, How to Sing Better the Right Way, is your foolproof guide to life-changing progress in your vocal development – for all styles of music.
You have the benefit of my 36+ years of expertise, including five clear, simple steps for reaching your personal singing goals. And I’m always here, offering the guidance, support, and encouragement you need!
Welcome to SingingAndYou.com!
Beyond excited that you are here!
Why this blog? Well, you love singing, right? And you’ve just found one of the very finest resources for free singing instruction that you can rely upon, for truth, accuracy, and clarity. I really do care about you, and I consider it an honor and a sacred obligation, to share my knowledge and experience, so you can learn how to sing better.
All Styles: It’s All Music!
As mentioned, all styles of music are welcome. I am a retired classical singer, trained in the tradition of opera and classical concert music.
The instruction provided here absolutely can and will enable you to sing better, in all styles of music!
Renowned conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein is famous for saying: It’s all music!
Private Lessons On Demand
I offer private lessons, “on demand,” meaning available on request. It’s a super convenient way, because no appointment is required. More on this in a moment. And please know that you can also benefit hugely, just by using the information and instruction provided here.
Your Source for Relief from Bad Advice
Have you been subjected to the avalanche of horrible –yes—harmful misinformation, so abundantly found all over the internet (and from some private singing teachers, who sadly are not qualified)?!
If you have been misled, burned or cheated, by singing instruction that caused you frustration, setbacks, and possibly even vocal health troubles, and maybe you reached the point sheer misery, causing you to believe you ought to quit singing, then please know you are not defeated! And give this website a chance to help!
The percentage of singing instruction that is the most lousy, hideous, worthless, and potentially harmful is unfortunately far greater than the truly good quality, valuable, helpful instruction. And before the internet, the situation was the same – always far more genuinely bad, harmful instruction and advice about singing tremendously, nearly drowning out the truthful, valuable instruction.
SingingAndYou.com exists to shine a light, so you can personally experience the very best, most accurate, reliable, healthy, life-changing, joyful singing instruction.
Only the Finest for Your Voice!
Indescribable! You deserve to experience the sensational rush of new self-confidence and special joy you feel, when you truly learn to sing. It is a unique thrill, when your singing teacher has taught you to discover your best singing – that miraculous moment when suddenly your voice sounds and feels it is actually coming into its own! And this blog is your resource for finding what you need to learn how to sing better – and how to enjoy singing even more!
On this blog, you get the benefits of my 36+ years of performing and teaching – absolutely free of charge. And it’s a ton of expert knowledge, real world wisdom, professional experience, and reliably good advice.
How to Sing Better for Beginners
You love singing and you would love to learn how to sing better. You already know that singing is your humanity – an essential part of the person you are. Music is your soul. Expressing yourself through singing is deeply healthy. Singing music is not a luxury; it is a necessity.
If you feel this way, there is no question that enjoying your singing, learning how to get better at singing, is what you deeply need to feel right, to feel good, to be whole, and to live authentically.
The great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said (translated from his native German):
Without Music, Life Would be a Mistake.
For those of us who were born wanting to sing, and for those who need information on how to sing better for beginners, this entire blog is for you!
Improving our singing is a healthy and wise goal: your self-confidence will skyrocket. Plus, it’s so much fun and feels sensational – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, singing feels so right – because it is right!
Guidance from a Respected Teacher
Having questions, concerns, fighting through doubts, frustrations, feeling like your well of creativity is running dry, or that you have gotten stuck in a rut – all of this and more is a normal part of your artistic and vocal development.
Be assured it’s a good thing that you now have me to help guide you through. Keep it right here and get the very best, most trustworthy information and guidance toward finding real solutions, where your singing is concerned. No guarantees, of course. But it’s my mission in life to do my very best, using my knowledge and expertise, drawing on my past experiences as a professional classical solo singer, and as a respected teacher of singing, to provide everything in my power to help you sing better.
I can guarantee you will be offered the full gamut of my know-how and that I will work hard, teaching you how to sing better – the right way!
Vocal Hygiene, Vocal Health: Numero Uno!
Without good vocal hygiene, we have nothing. Careful, constant attention to your vocal health will rapidly improve your singing. Put vocal health first and you will be astounded with how much more beautiful and responsive your voice is!
I am a walking encyclopedia of natural remedies for singers’ special needs. Stay tuned to this blog for so much more to come!
Here are five life-changing action steps, toward singing better quickly and naturally, with emphasis on vocal health.
1. Drink More Water
Unless your doctor says otherwise, singers should be drinking at least 70 – 90 ounces (about 2 – 2.6 liters) per day of clean, unflavored water.
The fact is that singers need more water than people who are not singing regularly.
Even if you are not medically “dehydrated,” the vocal anatomy is more delicate and fragile than we realize.
Please, for those of you who would dismiss this recommendation as unnecessary, I encourage you to ask any physician, especially an ear nose throat specialist doctor, if a singer needs to drink more water than someone who does not sing very much. No question any good doctor will explain that with the mouth and throat open and the amount of exercise of the lungs, plus the extra wear and tear on the vocal anatomy, water is absolutely crucial.
The normal thin layer of mucus on the surface of the tissues forms the lining of the nose, throat, and lungs (as well as other organs of the body). This mucosal lining must be kept moist. If it becomes too dry, the body produces lots of thick mucus as a defensive response. And then you have a situation that instantly becomes a major problem to sing around (or through): thick mucus that won’t budge. Singing suddenly feels like wading through a swamp!
Good Hydration Equals Smart Prevention
Your best solution here is prevention! — But how are you going to prevent thick mucus from getting into your throat?! How are you going to have a clear singing voice?!
To answer this, we go back to the question of what triggered the mucus. And there certainly can be more than one cause for excess mucus production. In this post, we look at how to best determine which symptoms are being caused by which underlying health issues – and when we should be asking questions of our doctors.
In this example, we assume the cause is dehydration: lack of water.
Consistently drinking plenty of water can be easier said than done.
Your first step is realizing that unless you drink your water, then you will likely be aggravated by thick mucus in the throat. As a result, your singing will suffer. Get ahead of the situation by always carrying a flask of water.
Here’s one you might want, because first of all it’s an excellent quality product. The last time I checked, this water bottle comes in 32 different color choices and a few different sizes. Plus, it’s reasonably priced!
Sip on your water all day, keeping in mind how many refills of your water bottle you need to get, in order to drink your 70 – 90 ounces, per day. And make it good clean unflavored water!
Your voice is going to thank you by feeling and sounding a lot better!
2. Get More Sleep
VITAL! There is no substitute for sleep! If we don’t sleep enough, it is a medical fact that the vocal anatomy swells. When this happens, singing becomes strained. The quality of your voice can sound husky, too deep, and your high notes can and do usually suffer greatly. When we insist on “powering through” this, the swelling immediately gets a lot worse. Usually what comes next is hoarseness and voice loss. And suddenly you are faced with the frightening question of how to get your voice back!
I could write much more on this one, about the many ways sleep deprivation is harmful. But Dr. Andrew Weil is especially helpful, focusing on prevention. Dr. Weil is a Harvard-educated MD and Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine in Tucson, Arizona. He has decades of experience studying and recommending natural remedies to patients. Here he discusses natural remedies for insomnia:
Essential Natural Remedies for Insomnia
Sleeping is fundamental to your vocal health! Insomnia plus singing can and frequently does result in actual physical damage to the fragile vocal anatomy, and sadly sometimes the damage to the voice is permanent. Please get your sleep!
3. Contact Me Directly
Write down a description of what sort of difficulty you are currently having, interfering with your singing. Send this info to me by email: Gretchen@singingandyou.com. Your name will be kept in strict confidence. I will personally respond by posting on this blog with my suggestions/instructions for overcoming the issue. And if you would like, we can open up the discussion to other readers, sharing our different, various remedies and techniques, ideas, routines we all use, to nurture our voices, when the chips are down. (By the way, it is normal to have challenges and struggles, when it comes to wanting the voice to work optimally. – Been there, done that. And I’m here to help!) We will only invite comments from readers with your permission, so please specify your preference.
4. Ask for a Free Voice Evaluation!
Use email to send me a video or audio recording of your singing, demonstrating your whole singing range. No forcing or straining, not ever! There is no forcing or straining in singing. If forcing and straining – yelling on your voice – is the way you sing and you are not open to finding a better way, please find another teacher.
When you send me your recording, I will listen very carefully and will respond with my expert opinion, about what your true voice part is. Note that determining voice type depends upon not only your vocal range, but just as importantly the special sound quality and “timbre” of your unique voice. I will create a written voice evaluation of the recording you send me and will send your free voice evaluation to you by email. This is a free service I’m offering to my blog readers, for a limited time only.
5. Intensive Progress with Private Lessons
Decide on having some “on demand” private singing lessons with me. Here’s how it works: use email to send me an audio or video of your singing. I will listen with great care and will respond by email, giving you specific instructions toward making real progress, significant improvements in your singing. No appointment necessary: this is done at your convenience, and I will get back to you within 48 hours.
People are talking!
Don’t miss this feedback from my students!
This is your opportunity for having individual attention, expertly tailored to your own stage of vocal development and to your own needs for singing advancement. Private lessons are the most intensive and targeted way to learn, so you can expect reliable, consistent advancement in your singing and throughout your whole musicianship. There is no substitute for individual private singing lessons. Please consider if now is your time for seizing this opportunity for private lessons with me as your singing teacher.
“Lessons on demand” is a paid professional service I offer. A package of lessons is purchased in advance. We can discuss the details, when you contact me. Use this email: Gretchen@SingingAndYou.com
Don’t delay! Email me now for a free voice evaluation and to schedule your singing lessons online!
Eager to hear from you!
So then, our inaugural post has been an overview of instruction on how to sing better. There is so much more coming throughout this entire blog, and I cannot wait to share it with you!
Even more, I really can’t wait to hear your singing and begin helping you learn how to sing better!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure here.
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