Final Blog of the Semester!

This semester has been a really good semester!  I have learned a lot both in voice lessons, studio, and vocal pedagogy!  The final week of practicing I really worked on minor details and also having all my pieces memorized.  I am really happy about how my grades are this semester too.  I am so thankful for you Dr. Hepworth, you really inspire me!  Hopefully everyone else had a good week of practice and good luck on everybody's finals.

Lesson 6 with Curt

This is our last lesson and Curt has really made alot of progress during these six lessons!  We worked on some warm ups using forward singing and working into our head voice.  I told him to think lighter and it is going to feel a little weaker when you sing.  That seemed to help him make it into his head voice.  I also told him that you got think natural and not push when you sing into your head voice.  We also worked on Amazing Grace and worked on the diction again with the r's and legato singing.  He did a great job and I am really proud of my friend Curt!

Lesson 5 with Curt

This week in lessons we sang our first song and that was My Country Tis of Thee.  We worked on diction especially with the r's because Curt wass having a hard time with r's because he was using the retroflex r or midwest r alot.  Curt was telling me he likes to listen and sing to alot of country and I think that could be why this is kind of a little problem.  As we practiced the song Curt got alot better with the r's and was flipping them and making them silent where need be.  I also showed him some excercises like a duck a duck a, which helped as well.

Lesson 4 with Curt

This week we worked forward bright singing again!  I told Curt to show a little teeth when singing higher and also I explained to him what his soft pallet is and how you want to keep that high and you go up in your register and to keep the pitch from sagging or going flat.  He is working really hard and I can see a major difference in tone and how he sings!  He is doing a really good job!

Lesson 3 with Curt

This week in lessons we worked on more of the same warm ups and then introduced a couple more to help legato singing and connectivness.  We used the hand in our lesson to make a kinestetic tool for singing and it really helped bring out the legato singing as well as making the dipthongs and words connect.  We also worked on our posture and I helped him to not tense up when he sings!

Lesson 2 with Curt

Curt is really progressing!  I am using different warm ups to help him sing a little brighter and more forward and it is coming along pretty well!  I am using alot of sng-Ah, i and oh warm ups and also some sirens.  He is working really hard and improving alot!

Week Twelve of practicing

This week I worked on memorizing Heavenly Grass and also I am keeping on working on matching the vowell and dipthongs throughout I Wonder as I Wander.  It seems to be getting alot better I just have to remember that is what I need to do.  I have been running through all my rep and going over any spots that are troublesome or need a little work on.  Overall it was a good week of practicing and a very productive and good weekend!  I got my research paper done and the binder is almost ready to go, I just have a few more adjustments to it!  Hope everyone else had a good week!