Vocal Tip of the Day

Breath is the fuel for the voice.  Without adequate breath control the voice does not function properly. If you are having difficulty with higher notes, gently push out on your diaphragm while singing the note or phrase in question.  Most higher range notes and phrases are often over-pushed with too much breath by pulling the stomach muscles inward with a great deal of force, causing the vocal folds (cords) to tighten and thereby making the note harder to produce than is necessary because of this extraneous air blast.

Our approach

We only have one voice to last us a lifetime, so the best way to preserve that life-long gift is to care for it, nurture it, exercise it, and use it to our best ability.  For many, the gift of singing is the greatest gift we have to give to our family, friends and the world. What we do at the Tom McKinney Vocal Studios is to show a student how to best utilize their gift.

We work with each student at the level they are when they come to us. We ask each student to give us an idea of what they perceive to be their vocal issues, and we then examine their voice objectively to determine where they are in terms of pitch, range, flexibility and endurance. Each student will sing at least 3 or 4 songs at each lessons to utilize the exercises learned in that particular lesson. Finally, we devise a program to address their particular vocal needs.