Rob Lowe On Shower Singing

My new book From Shower To Stage....7 Easy Steps for Singing Like A Pro! is written both for the shy, shower singer, to the working professional.  Here's what Rob Lowe says about 'shower singing':

 "Everybody knows that the shower has the best acoustics. There's no two ways about it. I actually have a recording studio in mine. So look out, Kevin Bacon. You think you've got your fancy band. You've got nothing on my shower band."

David Burger, SL Tribune, Blogs about my Book!

Thank you to David Burger, the music critic for the Salt Lake Tribune. He blogged about my book "From Shower To Stage....7 Easy Steps for Singing Like A Pro!" today, and talked a bit about how I help shy singers 'come out of the closet'!!

David's Entertainment Blog

President Omama Talks About Singing In the Shower!

Here's a bit of what President Obama said when announcing the Kennedy Center Honors recipients.  You see, even the President sings in the shower!  I should gift him my book From Shower To Stage.....7 Easy Steps for Singing Like A Pro!


"Now, at first glance the men and women on this stage could not be more different. They come from different generations, different walks of life. They have different talents, and they've traveled different paths. And yet they belong here together. Because each of tonight's honorees has felt the need to express themselves and share that expression with the world.

It's a feeling that all of us have at some point in our lives. That's why we sing, even if it's just in the shower. (Laughter.) It's why we act, even if we never get past the school auditorium. That's why we dance, even if, as Michelle says, I look silly doing it. (Laughter.) It's one of the downsides of being President: Your dance moves end up on YouTube. (Laughter.)

But tonight's honorees take it a step further. By expressing themselves, they help us learn something about ourselves. They make us laugh. They move us to tears. They bring us together, and they push the boundaries of what we think is possible. And each of them has been blessed with an extraordinary gift. Tonight, we thank them for sharing that gift with us."

Read more: http://broadwayworld.com/article/STAGE-TUBE-President-Obamas-Kennedy-Center-Honorees-Remarks-Barbara-Cook-More-20111204#ixzz1ffj8PXY7

Stop Commanding Your Voice!

I've been listening to many of my old tapes from voice lessons with Giuseppe Balestrieri the man who taught me BEL CANTO singing, and saved my voice.  He used to make the most profound statements in lessons.  On one recent tape I heard him tell me:

 "You command your voice too much.  Let it go!  Be gentle!"

Wow, I really got that because I teach my students the same thing!  When you're singing correctly, you don't have to 'do' anything with the voice.  You don't have to push, force, or try to make the voice reach the notes.  You just 'let it go', release it, let it be free to soar.  That sounds simple, and it is.  Singing should be simple.  It should feel good, it should be easy.

So stop commanding your voice.  Get out of the way and let your body do what it does naturally - produce a clear, rich, powerful voice that doesn't need you pushing or manipulating it.  Really, stop thinking, stop trying.  Just let the voice flow.  When you develop that kind of trust you will develop a beautiful voice.
Thanks Maestro Balestrieri!

Viva La Voice Welcome Video

I've been tweaking my websites lately and uploaded a 'welcome' video on my Viva La Voice site.  I had shot the video in Hawaii, and have learned a good videographer lesson.....don't shoot your video near rushing water!

I love waterfalls, the ocean, running streams etc., so I think I have a penchant for shooting my videos near these hazards!  My Viva La Voice welcome video was shot in a gorgeous hotel lobby, but as you'll note, there's a lot of water noise.  I hope it won't be too annoying to you all.

I like to shoot things on the fly....no preparation....just find a lovely spot, point, and shoot!  I guess that's my signature....videos shot in interesting, beautiful places that aren't necessarily quiet or private.  I think that's okay - that's me - informal!  Enjoy!

Advice from a Bel Canto Guru!

My dear voice teacher back in the 80's - Giuseppe Balestrieri - the man who saved my voice and career said:
"I don't teach 'voice'.  I care nothing for the sound. I teach breath......breath and mind."

If you've ever studied Bel Canto singing you will know what that means.

New Viva La Voice Tip - on Inspiration!

I just posted this new video on Youtube!

Singers - Pitch Problems Solved!

If you're a singer who has been told you have 'pitch problems', my Lawrence Vocal System offers a simple solution! Take a look at my newest article on Muse's Muse in my Viva La Voice column on how to get on pitch and start singing with confidence!

Muse's Muse Book Review!

Here's a wonderful review of my new singing book! Thank you Anastasia!

Book Review by Anastasia Karalekas for The Muse’s News.
"From Shower to Stage! 7 Easy Steps for Singing Like a Pro" by Beth Lawrence
www.vivalavoice.com
www.from showertostage.com
I’d like to introduce you to my new singing coach, Beth Lawrence, author of the book, “From Shower to Stage! 7 Easy Steps for Singing Like a Pro”.
Beth has quite an impressive bio. She has been studying singing for over 30 years, and the result is this gem of a book she has published to teach us her singing method, The Lawrence System. With this book, you will learn 7 simple steps to improve your singing, and help to correct anything you may have been taught wrongly in the past.
If you’ve taken singing lessons somewhere along the line, you may very likely have been taught wrong things, and therefore developed bad habits which have caused you to not enjoy singing as it should be enjoyed – joyfully! Beth accurately describes the most common mistakes taught by many singing instructors, and then tells you how to do it the right way.
The exercises in the Lawrence System force you to focus on things other than hitting the right notes, and before you know it, you’re able to sing notes you didn’t think you could, and without straining. The improvements come easily, but you do have to make the effort to practice the exercises, to replace old habits with new ones. If you have about 15 minutes a day, the end result will all be worth it. You’ll forget about producing a perfect tone, but rather focus on releasing your natural voice. And that’s when you find yourself wanting to sing, no matter who’s around… or whether you’re in the shower or not.
Relax… Beth’s method promotes relaxation, because, not only is it important in our everyday stressful lives, but it is also important to be relaxed in order to sing properly. Being nervous doesn’t help us do anything well, singing included. However if you relax, and know what you’re doing, you’ll sing like you never imagined you could. You may be hiding the next Beyoncé or Steven Tyler, (or fill in your own blank here) somewhere in there; and if not, that’s okay; the one thing you will certainly learn is to be confident enough in your ability to sing, and that’s really all some of us may be striving for here.
This book is not only about the ABC’s of how to sing. Beth gets you to involve your whole self – body and mind – in your singing. I found that these 7 steps were all I needed. The exercises are simple and effective. And you can practice them anywhere – in your car, in the kitchen while cooking, even when you’re in the shower!
Finally, you’ll definitely want to read this book more than once. I read it the first time, just soaking up all the information. Then I read it again, this time actually doing the exercises as I went along. And I'm not done yet. I plan to keep reading it over again until I no longer need to consult it, until all the information becomes second nature to me. (And then I’m going to lend it to a friend of mine who recently claimed she has the worst singing voice ever.)
This book comes with a CD for vocal exercises based on the Lawrence System. These exercises are so well explained, they’re not just there for you to mimic. In fact, before each exercise, Beth describes the exercise, she then explains the purpose of it, and then guides you along, sitting at her piano while you stand beside her.
I believe I have found the only singing teacher I’ll ever need. And I highly recommend her to you, too.
PS: Beth has a Viva La Voice column in The Muse’s News. Check it out at http://www.musesmuse.com/menu-columnists.html

New Article on Musesmuse.com

Just posted a new article 'The Alchemy of Singing' in my Viva La Voice column on Musesmuse.com http://www.musesmuse.com/col-vivalavoice.html

Living On In Your Music - The Passing of a Friend

I'm very sad to tell you that my friend, Phyllis Molinary (lyricist for 'Here's To Life") died today due to complications with emphysema in Los Angeles. She was such a great lyricist who always knew her craft. I lived with her when we both came to Las Vegas in 1989, and she has remained a friend and fellow artist through the years.

I am sad today because Phyllis represents so many writers/musicians who spend their whole lives working at their craft, out of love, but may never really see monetary gains from all their efforts. There are so many talented people out there who never get the recognition they deserve, and it always amazes me that we artists will go through hell and back; endure relentless rejection; and see others profit from our efforts; and still we remain true to our Artist's Path.

So it is with love and respect that I say goodbye to my talented friend Phyllis, knowing that her hard work, dedication, and love for her music will live on in the lyrics she leaves behind.