Chanting for Stress Relief

There is so much ancient wisdom that can be applied to today's stress-related disorders.  In the earliest cultures, chanting was used as a healing tool by individuals, Shamans, and in a group setting.  There's something very powerful about chanting in unison; the vibrations are incredible and wonderfully healing.

Dr. Ranjie Singe, author of the book Powerful Self-Healing Techniques, found that chanting causes the release of the hormone melatonin. In many studies, low melatonin levels have been shown to lead to depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Years ago, Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School observed that chanting helps to cause reduction of heart beat, brain waves and respiration - also known as the “relaxation response.”

On an energetic level, Dr. David Shananoff-Khalsa has found that reciting some specific sacred mantras enables the tongue to stimulate the acupuncture meridians inside the mouth, balancing the flow of chi through the body - especially the pineal gland - thus helping the body to relieve stress.

Chanting Relieves Stress

Why Take Voice Lessons?

One excellent reason for taking voice lessons is simply to get the vocal skills that will become second nature to you.  As you begin singing better, without thought or stress, then what happens?  You stop thinking about your voice, and start focusing on your story.

Your story is what underlies the lyric and is your means to inspire, instruct, or touch your audience.  Never forget that you are a storyteller, first and foremost.  Being a technically good singer is just icing on the cake.  The mark of great singers is not how brilliant their techniques are, but how adept they are at eliciting emotion from their listeners.

Take voice lessons to learn how to sing better and overcome your vocal challenges so that you can stop thinking about technique, and begin thinking about the character who is singing through you.

Voice lessons allow you to stop thinking about technique
 and start thinking about the story you're telling

What to Do with Your Hands

Beginning performers always ask 'what do I do with my hands?' Usually, their inexperience makes them stand like a stick with their hands at their sides, or inside their pants pockets; even with hands clasped behind them.

What you do with your hands when you're singing is not a big mystery! Very simply, if you're engaged in the story you're singing, then your hands will just naturally follow the action and emotion of the story you're telling.

When you speak, you use your hands unconsciously. It should be the same for singing - just focus on your lyrics - your story - and tell the story. Your hands will physically follow your action.

If you focus not on your hands, but on what you're singing about, you won't even think about your gestures. They will be authentic and natural.

Use Your Hands Effectively

Pronunciation

One thing I work on a lot with my singers and speakers is pronunciation.  I remind them that even though they may feel that they are speaking or singing clearly, usually they are not being clearly understood.

When you take the stage, you've got to remember that your audience has probably never heard you before, the topic you are speaking about, or the lyrics to your songs.  When you introduce yourself, most of your audience will be hearing your name for the first time, so you want to make sure that they understand your name and what company you are with!  Don't just toss it off like it's a grocery list, say your name as though it's very important to you, and important for the audience to know, also!

Most singers think that their lyrics are very clear, but it's my experience to the contrary.  I rarely understand someone's lyrics.  So I work with singers in opening up their words.  Not to over-pronounce and be phony or exaggerated, but to make space inside their mouth for the words to come out clearly.  When you don't do this, you smash your words down and they aren't understandable.

To practice, just experiment with exaggerating your lyrics or spoken word, and test it out on your friends.  Ask them if you sound over the top.  If so, back off a bit.  But I'll bet you'll be surprised that they'll say 'I understood you fine - you weren't exaggerated at all!'  What feels too open to you, is probably just about right in the real world of singing and speaking!  Be confident enough in yourself to speak or sing in a way that you will be heard, and understood.  Don't be afraid to pronounce your words.

Open up your words

At Long Last, Trader Joe's In Utah!

This isn't on the topic of singing, or songwriting or public speaking.  But this news DOES make my heart sing --- Trader Joe's is finally coming to Utah, and all is right with the world.  Milk chocolate covered potato chips; sushi you can afford; healthy meals you can prepare in minutes; and gourmet goodies that make you want to belt out 'Halleluja'!

Source: ksl.com via Beth on Pinterest

Having Trouble Hitting High Notes?

Hitting the High Notes

One of the most common complaints I hear from singers is 'I can't sing high!'  Usually when they try to hit 'high' notes, their throat closes up and they can't squeak out the note!

The culprit is almost always the larynx, or voicebox.  It's connected to the base of the tongue, so that when the larynx raises, the base of the tongue generally raises. If the tongue is raised then your sound gets blocked.

But that's only a part of the problem!  The real issue is the position of the larynx, and how it affects your vocal production.  If your larynx jams up when you do an ascending line, or 'high' note, you are essential 'strangling' the tone, and not only does that cut off the sound, but it's really uncomfortable, too!

In Bel Canto singing, on which my Lawrence Vocal System is based, the larynx is supposed to stay in a relaxed, lowered position throughout your range.  Thinking of keeping a 'yawning' feeling when you sing opens the throat and keeps the larynx in the right position.  It will take some awareness and practice, but once you learn to keep the larynx in that correct position, your singing will be unbelievably easy!

                                                      

Got Vocal Nodules? Rest Your Voice!

Vocal rest for Singer's Nodules - http://allaboutvoice.com/healthy-voice-blog.html

Cure Vocal Nodules Naturally

Here's a great article from the Healthy Voice Blog on vocal nodules and how to cure them naturally.  Before you have surgery, read this article.

Singing Can Improve Your Memory!

If you want to exercise your brain and improve your memory, try learning a new song!  Not only will you have to learn a new melody, but singing a lyric without looking at the words on paper will certainly help vitalize your memorization skills.

Memorizing is a brain exercise, so start singing if you want to keep your brain cells firing and active throughout your life!

Exercise Your Brain

My 'Featured Article' on musesmuse.com!

My article 'Why Songwriters Should Be Fearless Singers' is a 'Featured Article' this month on musesmuse.com - a great website resource for Songwriters.

 Part of your job as a speaker/singer is to know how to control the equipment you use onstage, and be able to articulate what you need from the sound person.

I've been on tour with big name acts (male and female) who could not (after long careers onstage!) tell the sound person what kind of reverb they'd like (long decay/big room etc.); what frequency panel they'd prefer for their vocal quality; or what they wanted to hear, or not hear in their monitors.  I usually had to play interference explaining to the sound booth easy directives like 'boost the mids, drop the highs' etc. just so that we could finish the sound check!

I once saw a concert with Petula Clark, who at that time had been a seasoned veteran for many years.  Her mic cord came unplugged, and SERIOUSLY, she looked around helplessly until a tech came and plugged it back in!  I was stunned at her lack of professionalism.  I can't believe that she wouldn't know how to plug the mic back in, and it really was too stupid to chalk up to being a Diva!

I think it goes for everyone to KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT, and know how to talk to your crew on a technical level.  That's the best way to assure that you'll get the sound you want, and the respect and cooperation of those working being the stage to make you look and sound great!

What Is Your Song About?

When I'm working with students and they've just finished singing a song for the first time, the first question I ask is - 'what is this song about?'  Shockingly, most people say 'I don't know!'  How can you tell a story, when you don't know what the story is about?  Well, I guess you could, but if you don't have a clue about what story you're telling, don't expect your audience to care a bit about your song!

Singing is about communication, and in order to have your audience feel something you have to be feeling something yourself.  Otherwise, you're just spouting empty words and phrases with no emotion behind them.  You might as well be speaking a foreign language or gibberish!

Look at your lyrics.  Understand the point of view of the character who is singing through you.  Get to the subtext of the lyric….what emotion underlies the words you are singing?  Then, feel that emotion, don't just sing the words, feel the words.  Your audience will not only understand your story, but they will relate to the emotion contained in the lyrics that you are expertly delivering.

So before you even start singing a song, ask yourself 'what is this song about?', making sure that the lyric is appropriate for your age, as well as your life experience.  A ten year old girl shouldn't be singing a song about divorce or a lost love, but strangely I hear this with students all the time.  Pick a lyric that you can relate to emotionally, then let those emotions carry through the story of the song.  You will connect with your audience in a way that will make your performance emotionally supercharged and unbelievably memorable!

So, 'what is your song about?'

Let Emotion Help You Hit Your Notes

A really amazing thing happens when you lock into the emotion of your song and stop thinking about technique -- you can easily hit notes that might be a challenge for you.  Why does this happen?  First, because since singing is 90 percent mental, when you stop thinking about your problem notes, your emotion gives you the vocal power to hit those notes easily.

Second, when you're singing in the emotional moment, your fear disappears!  Fear keeps you from going fully for a note, and without total conviction and full support, your fear will keep you from your best performance.

 

So get into the emotion of your song, stop thinking, and let your voice fly free!

                                                              

Today I spoke at the Granite Young Parent's Graduation - a program supported by the Salt Lake Soroptimists.  So inspiring!  These are young women who are either pregnant or have a child and they graduated from High School today!  Good for them.  I spoke on 'Divas Decide!' - deciding on a goal, committing to it, and having the courage to see it through.  They earned their Diva Status!

Nothing in life is easy, and I am proud of these young women who had a lot of challenges, but still completed their high school education.  I wish them all the most success!

Don't Sing Like a Trumpet Player

I recently worked with a man who had played trumpet all his life.  He had bought my book From Shower To Stage….7 Easy Steps for Singing Like A Pro!, and when he got to the breathing section he hit a snag.

When you sing, you have to have a soft belly, and essentially breathe from the diaphragm, allowing the tummy to be relaxed.  He was so used to making his stomach tight, and pushing out the sound while playing trumpet, that it was a major adjustment for him to breathe with a soft belly.

If there's any tension in your body there will be tension in your throat.  In the Lawrence Vocal System you let all that tension go, relax the tummy, relax the jaw, relax the throat, and just allow your unimpeded voice to flow out.  It's that simple!

But most of my students have to do a lot of work on letting go of past conditioning, both mental and physical.  They have to learn that the way they used to sing no longer works, and they have to be open to adopting a new way of approaching their vocal production.  Their willingness to let those old habits go will speed their ability to sing easily without strain or stress.

So if you used to play trumpet and push your sound out with a lot of force; if you used to support your tone by pushing your stomach out; if you used to make your voice louder by putting more pressure on your throat; just know that those are old destructive habits that no longer serve you. Let go of the idea that you have to sing like a trumpet player. There is a better way!

Can You Say 'Ahhhhh?'

One of the secrets to great singing, which also happens to be one of my 7 Easy Steps for Singing Like A Pro!, is keeping an open throat while singing.  In order to get a rich, full sound, you want the soft palate raised while the back of the tongue stays relaxed and flat.  This gives maximum 'space' for your tone to exit the mouth without obstructions.  Many times when the throat is not fully open, you will get a sound that is pinched.  When the tongue is raised in the middle, your sound shoots right up the nose, giving you a very nasally sound.

So how do you develop an open throat?  Simple!  Start practicing a fake 'yawn,' feeling the throat open and widen as you do this.  When you've mastered the 'yawn,' then just adopt that same open feeling before and during your singing.  This will raise the soft palate, flatten the tongue and lower the larynx.

Remember when the doctor would look in your throat with the tongue depressor?  Same thing.  He was flattening your tongue as your 'ahhhhh' raised the soft palate!

So the next time you begin singing, think of how your throat feels when you say 'ahhhhh' and keep that open feeling as you sing.  A simple concept, but one that takes practice and awareness.

To sing well, just say 'ahhhhh'!

Press the Easy Button!

Technology is here to make our lives easier, right?  But if you're like me, you sometimes feel like anything new you try is not as 'easy' as it should be.

Today I'm bravely linking all my blogs and other social media musings together - at least that's the intention.  So essentially, this post is a test to see how well I've integrated Google+ with my Viva La Voice blog.

Last week I attended the Extreme Income Explosion Summit hosted by the Buzz Boosters and Michele Scism, and all the speakers had mastered this 'fluid integration system' that made their lives so much EASIER!

It's my turn now to press the 'Easy' button!  I will keep you posted as to my tech progress!

Singers & Speakers - Know Your Equipment!

 Part of your job as a speaker/singer is to know how to control the equipment you use onstage, and be able to articulate what you need from the sound person.

I've been on tour with big name acts (male and female) who could not (after long careers onstage!) tell the sound person what kind of reverb they'd like (long decay/big room etc.); what frequency panel they'd prefer for their vocal quality; or what they wanted to hear, or not hear in their monitors.  I usually had to play interference explaining to the sound booth easy directives like 'boost the mids, drop the highs' etc. just so that we could finish the sound check!

I once saw a concert with Petula Clark, who at that time had been a seasoned veteran for many years.  Her mic cord came unplugged, and SERIOUSLY, she looked around helplessly until a tech came and plugged it back in!  I was stunned at her lack of professionalism.  I can't believe that she wouldn't know how to plug the mic back in, and it really was too stupid to chalk up to being a Diva!

I think it goes for everyone to KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT, and know how to talk to your crew on a technical level.  That's the best way to assure that you'll get the sound you want, and the respect and cooperation of those working being the stage to make you look and sound great!

Confident Speaking!

When I work with my clients, it's all about focus.  You come on stage with confidence; begin your program with confidence!  You are focused on your message, never on whether your AV equipment is going to operate correctly.  That is someone else's job - yours is to focus on the value you're giving your audience.  If there's a problem with the mic, your audience will let you know right away, and your AV person will fix it.  You then confidently start your program again, after, perhaps, testing the mic by speaking until the problem is fixed.  Unruffled, you launch into your program without putting any focus on the mic issue.

Barack Obama Slow Jams!

I just love that our President is able to be accessible, fun, hip, and still completely presidential.  Nobody since Kennedy has been able to do that, and really NOBODY has been able to do that.  I so admire that the president allows us to see him as a real person, not a removed elitist.  He is so Hip!  

Featured Article in Muse's Muse - Songwriters

Muse's Muse 'Featured' my article 'The Importance of Being Real' in this month's Muse's News!  http://www.musesmuse.com/col-vivalavoice-beingreal.html

Do Senior Singers Live Longer?

This from Bryant Stamford, professor and chairman of the department of kinesiology and integrative physiology at Hanover College:

"Research tells us, there was a study of senior singers, average age 80 years, in which they were tracked over a prolonged period and their data were compared with folks the same age in the general population. The researchers found that the elderly singers experienced less depression, took far fewer than the typical four prescription medications and a like number of over-the-counter meds, and they were more socially active.

Does this mean the older singers will live longer? Hard to say, but it’s not a far reach to suggest the answer is yes.

We know, for example, that the mind-body connection is very important, and that health and longevity of the body can be influenced by mental state (depression, etc.). Medications and their side effects greatly impact the quality of life, and if there is poor quality of life, the zest for living goes out the window. And those with a strong social network are likely to be happier, better adjusted in old age, and more accepting of change, and therefore likely to live longer and healthier lives."

So I say, again - get out there and sing, no matter what your age!  You will feel better, and just possibly live a longer, healthier life!  Want help with your singing?  My new book From Shower To Stage...7 Easy Steps for Singing Like A Pro!  can help!

Dedicated To Whitney Houston - An original Song

A song I wrote that I think is a perfect tribute to Whitney.

A Valentine Song From Broadway

Here's a nice love song to play for your sweetie on V Day!  "I'll Send You Roses"

'Sing & Dance Through Life - Viva La Voice Tip'

My Viva La Voice Tip of the month with a Video of the Month!

'Sing & Dance Through Life - Viva La Voice Tip'

New Music from Broadway's ' Marilyn'

Listen to new music I just posted from my Broadway musical "Marilyn, An American Fable'.  NBC's 'Smash" is fiction - I lived it!

Here's some music from the show - just piano, vocal and a little sweetening by Nyle Steiner.

http://bit.ly/As3kM6

Smash - Marilyn Monroe Video

'Smash' airs Monday on NBC with tons of buzz.  Have you seen this video??

'Relax and Lower Your Pitch - Viva La Voice Tip'

'Relax and Lower Your Pitch - Viva La Voice Tip'

How Musicians Really Make Money in One Long Graph - The Atlantic

How Musicians Really Make Money in One Long Graph - The Atlantic

Residual income is great; but the money is in the big volume you've got to generate. It's all about numbers!

Huffington Post Confirms the Truth About Singing!

You've got to read Jane Peyton's article in the Huffington Post which confirms what I've been saying all along.....singing promotes mental and physical health!


In my own article,  10 Ways Singing Can Change Your Life I talk about the health benefits of singing, like giving you more mental focus; oxygenating the blood; release of 'feel good' endorphins and so on.

It's a fun and informative article, read it here.

About Cymatics from Richard Learmont

This from sound healer Richard Learmont about Cymatics:

"Cymatics was re-discovered and coined it’s name in the 1960’s by the Swiss doctor Hans Jenny. With his invention of the tonoscope, he was able to see how sound structured matter. With the use of audible frequencies he was able to witness the animation of various powders, liquids and pastes into sacred geometry patterns, life-like forms and figures found in art and architecture of the world’s sacred traditions.
Hans Jenny’s research also discovered how uttered vowels of ancient languages of Sanskrit and Hebrew arranged the various powders to emulate the written symbols for those vowels, while on the other hand did not generate the same result for our modern languages.
Cymatics shows how vibrations interact to create the world we experience ‘out there’ and it reveals principles that are fundamental natural processes. Understanding these principles can help us to ‘cleanse the lens’ through which we perceive our world, thereby clarifying our outlook on life. Once you’ve objectively observed the rhythmic interplay of chaos and re-integration in simple powder, you may view your own tumultuous circumstances a bit more objectively (and with far less apprehension!) as a purposefully evolving process leading toward greater personal coherency and equanimity."

Beautiful Phrasing - 'how to'!

Speakers and Trainers - beautiful phrasing is essential to presenting your message. Here's a tip on 'how to' enhance your communication!

From Diario de Morelos - Alchemy!

This comes from 'Diario de Morelos':

"Everything in the universe is in a constant state of vibration, including our bodies. Sound is vibration translated by the delicate structures of our inner ear, but it moves more than just those tiny receptors. It’s part of the spectrum of energy vibrations that also affect us on the mental, physical, and spiritual levels." In my book From Shower To Stage.....7 Easy Steps for Singing Like A Pro!, my 7th Step is ALCHEMY.  I talk about the miracle of transmuting air, breath - that pass over the vocal cords - creating sound vibrations that are received by the ear of the listener then interpreted by the listener's brain - and finally transformed into thoughts and emotions.  To be a great singer is to understand that your voice has magical power.  You can turn air into pure emotion!

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.

How To Mentally Prepare for a Performance

Check out this quick Viva La Voice Tip shot at beautiful Lake Champlain in the Adirondacks!

IAMA Magazine Publishes my Article!

The Intermountain Acoustic Music Association published my article "Don't Worry, Sing Happy!" in their September magazine. Check it out!

Don't Worry, Sing Happy!

Here's my August Voicegram. Would you like to receive my Voicegram by email every month?


Don’t Worry - Sing Happy!
©2010 Beth Lawrence

If you’re like most people, you worry. Throughout the day you may be seized with ‘fear thoughts’ which cause you anxiety. I call these ‘what if’ thoughts....‘what if I lose my job?’; ‘what if my proposal isn’t accepted?’; ‘what if I’ve gained three pounds this weekend?’ and on and on. We’re all plagued with worry, most of it so habitual that it has become our way of being.

You can think of worry as ‘a negative prayer’ - in other words, instead of visualizing and expecting good things to happen, we dwell on the negative, putting energy into something that hasn’t even happened yet! This does nothing but cause stress, further draining our vitality. Most importantly, when you put your focus on something, it tends to manifest in your life!

So let’s apply this state of worry to singing. Most of my adult clients have two main issues: they worry that they ‘can’t sing high’, and they fear that their voice will crack when they do. This sets up a cycle of anxiety that taken to an extreme, literally keeps people from singing at all! They just give it up because their fear completely overrides the joy they used to have as a free, unself-conscious child.

When you are focusing on, and fearing a particular note or ‘high’ section in a song, you are not focusing on the story you’re telling. Have you ever seen a singer whose eyes go blank as they enter a tricky section of a song? They get that ‘deer in the headlights’ look as their anxiety forces them to think of ‘technique’ instead of ‘emotion’. When you’re fully connected to the emotion of your song, there’s no space in your head for worry because you can only think one thought at a time!

So how do you stop worrying and start singing? There are four steps that will take you from fear to fabulous:

Become Aware.
Pay attention to your anxiety and learn to identify it when it comes up. Monitor your focus - where are you putting your attention? On the phantom fear of something that may happen in the future, or on the real emotion you’re feeling dictated by the lyric? Start being in the moment and putting your attention where it needs to be...on the story you’re telling.

Don’t focus on individual notes that may scare you. You are singing in phrases that are telling a story so there should be no fear of ‘notes’ within a phrase. Think in complete sentences!

Take Action!
If you’re having vocal challenges, take charge of your mind and your voice! Invest in voice lessons so that you can get over those mental and physical blocks that are holding you back from joyful singing. Wouldn’t it feel wonderful to learn the skills that would help you end your cycle of anxiety once and for all? What would that be worth to you?

Start vocalizing every day so that you strengthen your voice and reinforce the new vocal skills you’ve just learned. Not only will you speed your vocal growth, but daily vocalizing will energize your mind and body as well!

Visualize!
When a worry thought comes up, take control of your own mind and turn your fear into an opportunity to visualize a positive outcome. Rather than seeing yourself go for a high note and crack, see, feel and hear yourself hitting a clear, powerful, gorgeous note that just flows to the end of the phrase with tremendous emotion. See your audience moved by your heart-felt singing. Imagine your song-story unfolding with you totally focused on the emotion of the story, not your technique.

4. Surrender It!
Once you become aware of your habitual worry habits; and having taken action steps to remedy whatever is causing you to worry, then it’s time for the fourth step which is simply to let go of the perceived problem, and turn it over to a higher power, whatever that may mean to you. That may be ‘God’; the Universal ‘Is’; a Guardian Angel; Nature; ‘Source’ just something outside of yourself that you can conceptualize as a greater power than yourself. You are being willing enough to surrender your problem so that you don’t bear the entire burden yourself. You are allowing the power of the universe to help you. In doing this you will have a sense of empowerment and well-being!

If you don’t believe in a power outside of yourself, then simply surrender your perceived problem. Give it up, let it go. You’ve taken action, now there’s nothing more for you to do, is there? Now you’re free.

Think of singing as surrendering to the emotion of the story you’re telling. You must BE the character who is singing the song. When you are totally immersed in your story you transcend space and time....you are connected to Source! This is the magical alchemy of song.....a truly inspired performance comes through you from somewhere else, your voice is just a channel for this beautiful energy to flow through, out to the listener’s heart.

Happy Singing!
So now that you have the four steps for ending the cycle of worry, what action are you going to take? If you want to sing, if you want to play guitar, if you want to learn to fly a plane, what steps do you need to take to make that happen? Before you answer that question, have you already created worry thoughts that tell you why you can’t do what you want in life? Go through your four steps and create what you want in your life, not what you don’t want. I really believe it is all up to you....your thoughts create your life. Rather than continuing to live in fear, wouldn’t you rather take charge and be free of your anxieties? Then all I have to say in conclusion is:

‘Don’t worry....sing happy!”

© 2010 Beth Lawrence.  Please feel free to pass on this message to others, leaving our copyright, logo and web address intact. Thank you.



‘DON’T WORRY...SING HAPPY’ OFFER!

Complimentary 30 minute Online Skype Coaching Session!

Get rid of fear.....let me help you ‘Sing Happy!’

Go ahead, Do It! Email me for details:
beth@vivalavoice.com
(put ‘Skype Session’ in the subject line)

UPCOMING EVENTS:
“New Thought Mondays...the positive path illuminated” Mondays, beginning August 9th, 2010: : http://bit.ly/cpXeUH
“Voicework for Parkinson’s” - September 16, 2010, Central Utah Parkinson's Support Group, Specialty Hospital, 306 W Riverbend Lane, Provo
“The Successful Voice for Speakers” - September 21, 2010, Salt Lake City
“Sing To Your Baby” - September 28th, 2010 Salt Lake City
“Conscious Speaking for Parkinson’s”, September 30, 2010, Salt Lake City

Beth Lawrence has developed"The Lawrence System for Vocal Excellence”, a singing system that takes a holistic approach to voice coaching and therapy honoring the connection of body, mind and spirit.  Beth is the CEO of Viva La Voice!, a company offering private and online coaching for singers, songwriters, and presenters in all walks of life. To learn more:  www.VivaLaVoice.com   800-567-1718

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