Category: Observations/Philosophy of Singing
Inside The Actor's Studio: Dave Chappelle
Published July 3rd, 2013 by Brad Jenks
Inside The Actor's Studio: Dave Chappelle Not specifically to do with singing - This video (link above) is nevertheless interesting for its candid perspective on show business. Many people who have only a passing acquaintance with Dave Chappelle might even be surprised to know that he had ever been a guest on Inside the Actor's […]
Read Post Inside The Actor's Studio: Dave ChappelleTell Me A Story......
Published June 26th, 2013 by Brad Jenks
Even though it was over 22 yrs ago, I can remember my very first voice lesson. My teacher asked me to define singing. I shrugged. He looked at me and said, “Singing is sustained talking on a tune.” He asked me to repeat that back to him, and I have never since forgotten those words. […]
Read Post Tell Me A Story......Success According To You....
Published June 4th, 2013 by Brad Jenks
My last post took as assumed something that we all tend to do from very early in our lives: The equating of success with fame. I began from the standpoint of taking renown as the marker of success, and correspondingly, my choices of artists for comparison were illustrious performers of former and present eras. My […]
Read Post Success According To You....Aww... But you're just a baby!
Published May 31st, 2013 by Brad Jenks
Not too long ago I was invited to sit in on the Young Artist Program auditions of a company for whom I used to work. It was an interesting time, and there was plenty of conversation about the people auditioning. Having once upon a time been the audition coordinator for this same company, I was […]
Read Post Aww... But you're just a baby!That's a lovely image.... but how?
Published May 16th, 2013 by Brad Jenks
“Remember to bring the top down” - “Bring it forward, get a more forward sound” “Try to get it into the pocket” - “Sing in the mix” “Don’t bring the chest too high” - “Turn it over. Flip it” - “Focus the sound” “Try to find that higher placement” - […]
Read Post That's a lovely image.... but how?A Sing-Along Culture
Published March 14th, 2013 by Brad Jenks
Oh, if only life could truly be like it is in the movies........ Well, maybe not. For one thing, life would be a lot shorter. “Cut to....” takes out quite a chunk. But what is being cut? Answer? Real life. In my time as a teacher, a student of singing, and frankly, as a person […]
Read Post A Sing-Along CultureNow official: Academic stamp of approval on.... almost anything.
Published February 16th, 2013 by Brad Jenks
I recently attended an academic seminar where I heard a teacher speak at length about a variety of things to do with voice, technique, pedagogy and style. Needless to say, there were some things with which I agreed, and some things with which I disagreed. But as he addressed questions of technique as it related […]
Read Post Now official: Academic stamp of approval on.... almost anything.Reasonable Expectations, pt.2
Published January 29th, 2013 by Brad Jenks
In my last post, I spoke about singing in terms of time spent. I want to continue that same line of thinking with the following observation, aimed at those struggling with changes to your singing: Think for a moment about how long you have been singing. How long have you been singing more or less […]
Read Post Reasonable Expectations, pt.2Reasonable Expectations #1
Published January 11th, 2013 by Brad Jenks
This one goes out to the many young singers who feel destined for the stage! Let’s take a candid look at your practice schedule...... how much do you actually sing? Consider for a moment the hours of a full-time job. On average, 40 hours per week. For the sake of argument, let’s halve that, so […]
Read Post Reasonable Expectations #1The Digital Pupil.....??
Published December 19th, 2012 by Brad Jenks
While not a new idea to me, I have recently become conscious of the prevalence of lessons-via-media, specifically the Skype lesson. It seems that they are not just an "option" as they once were. They have apparently become positively mainstream. Personally, I am wary of this phenomenon. Perhaps more than wary. In […]
Read Post The Digital Pupil.....??