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

Article reprint requirements:

• You may reprint this article, electronically in free-only
publications in it's entirety in an Ezine, blog or
web site.
• You may not use this article for commercial purposes
without our written consent.
• You may not use this article in Unsolicited Commercial
Email. This article can only be distributed in opt-in
email lists only.
• Whenever this article is used, it must include the
authors byline with an active link back to our web site.
• Courtesy copy of ezine or URL on web site is appreciated.
• Ask for changes you'd like made, if any.
• Request permission from the author to publish this
article in print or in a paid for arena.
• Contact the author: Beth Lawrence, CEO, Viva La Voice, beth@VivaLaVoice.com

Set Personal Policies!

What I used to call 'personal boundaries' I now refer to as 'policies'. Do you have policies in place for your business, as well as your relationships, family, friends AND yourself? Policies help you keep on track. They help you say 'no' without feeling guilty. Create policies to remind yourself that some things are 'non negotiable'. Personal policies allow others to be responsible for their own happiness!

Stage Skills - Stand Still!

Never underestimate the power of STANDING STILL! When you're singing or presenting, don't feel pressured to move; constant movement is distracting. Only move when you're impelled to emotionally, or if you want to utilize a different area of the stage. Move naturally, then stop! Standing still is just as important as motivated movement!

Singers -Don't Think Too Much!

It's important not to think too much when you're singing! Really - if you're thinking about technique; thinking about the audience response; thinking about anything but the story you're telling then you will never be emotionally connected to your song, OR your audience. Get out of your head and start FEELING your music. It doesn't matter if you're 'perfect' -just share an emotionally memorable performance and your audience will love it.

Get More Vocal Power - Open the Throat!

Singers & Speakers - if you want more vocal power without any effort, here's a Pro Singing Tip that will help you do that.

I'm Proud To Be A Mentor!

It's so fantastically gratifying to see your current and former students succeed! I'm so proud of former student Christina Lowe, Miss Utah 2010. On to Miss America!

Effortless Vocals in 3 Steps!

Want an effortless singing or speaking voice?  Do my three step process:
1. Breathe 2. Relax 3. open and release the voice without trying to manipulate or control it.  Try it, you'll find it easier to sing/speak, and you'll increase your range, too, as relaxing equals 'no tension', and tension constricts the vocal mechanism!

Clarify Your Message!

If you're having a challenge getting clients or growing your business, think about how you can CLARIFY your message so that what you offer is clearly understandable, and the benefits to the client are obvious!

Profession Speakers - what's your first impression?

If you speak for a living, and that could be anyone, from a Corporate Trainer, to a Minister, to a Teacher - then one of your most important assets is your actual physical presence.  And what says 'confidence' more than GOOD POSTURE?!

Here's a great tip for making a first impression that will grab your audience's attention.

Rose Breasted Grosbeak in Utah!

Yesterday saw the most beautiful birds near my pond....found them to be 'Rose Breasted Grosbeak', which are not common to Utah!  This is a photo of the male, the female is creamy, yellow with beautiful stripes on the head.

A Singer's Posture Indicates Confidence!

Every time you take the stage, whether it be in front of a classroom, or Carnegie Hall, you have an opportunity to present yourself with confidence and charisma. An easy way to do this without ever opening your mouth is to simply develop 'A Singer's Posture'!

Good posture indicates confidence, so immediately your audience will view you in a positive way. The first step in professional presentation is to take the stage with body language that says "I am a Diva!" or "I am a Divo!"

This video will give you some simple tips on developing 'A Singer's Posture'!

Stowaway

If you like B movies and 50's Sci-Fi, you'll like this song featuring myself, Norman Thalheimer and Nyle Steiner on EVI!

Singing Tips for Songwriters

It's really compelling when a songwriter sings their own music, as they are usually the best 'storytellers'. Unfortunately, a lot of songwriters are either too shy to sing, or don't think they're good enough. I say 'it's better to be a great storyteller than to be a perfect singer!'  I've posted some 'Viva La Voice Singing Tips' on my YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/vivalavoice - please check them out!

Singing During the Birthing Process

Singing is a fantastic thing to do during pregnancy and the birthing process. It releases endorphins, to reduce pain; it oxygenates the blood; stimulates the system; calms mother and baby; focuses the mind away from pain - and lovingly on the baby; and the belly breathing can ease and speed the birth process! Singing should be taught as an integral part of every birth, without fear of negative judgement. A mother's voice is perfection to the child she is carrying, even if SHE doesn't think she has a good voice. Totally therapeutic for mother AND child!

Singers & Speakers - Be Clearly Understood!

So many times singers and speakers forget a crucial element that will mean the difference in either a spectacular connection with their audience, or one that leaves their listeners unmoved.  That element is simply being heard clearly through a relaxed, dropped jaw combined with open pronunciation!

I tell my clients that they must always present their material as though their audience has never previously heard what they are singing or speaking about.   9 times out of 10, this is truly the case!  Over the years  singers and speakers tend to develop bad vocal habits which are generally overlooked by someone who can ask them to repeat what they've just said, but when in front of an audience, a performer doesn't  usually have that luxury.  You must be heard, clearly, the first time.  If you aren't understood, your listener will have no connection to what you are saying or singing!

Very simply put - you must open your mouth when you sing or speak to allow your sound to freely flow out to the audience!  You also have to open up your words so that they are easily understood by someone who may never have heard your ideas or lyrics.

So remember to err on the side of overly clear pronunciation with a dropped, relaxed jaw.  This will insure that you are heard, understood and successful in connecting with your audience!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxLDt6kSVkA

Music Business - Lessons In Life

Being a musician has helped me develop 'gracious acceptance' - rejection still hurts but I understand it now, and realize that it's not personal, it just IS. Being adaptable, being optimistic against all odds, being able to get back up and dust myself off are all hard lessons I've learned from the music business - but lessons necessary for life. Nothing ever stays the same; our path is ever winding and weaving, taking us to places we never dreamed we'd go. The sooner we release our hold on 'how it should be' and just let it be, the easier our path becomes. Our dreams are like a beacon on that path, and once we stop dreaming, the world becomes a very dark place. To dream is to live fully!!


This blog was inspired by a blog entry from fellow musician and co-composer, Richard Souther.