How To Unearth The Gems In Your Voice

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It’s a little counterintuitive but listening is a crucial part of your practice. As singers, songwriters, and sound explorers we can often become absorbed in making sounds without fully listening back (often because it can make people feel uncomfortable to hear themselves).  But there are gems there for you to uncover. Those of you who regularly attend my monthly, vocal warm-up, Vocal Gym,  know that I am a big advocate of doing your vocal exercises consistently to make singing whatever material you most enjoy easier. (Sidebar, I have a student at NYU who began practicing her vocal warm ups for seven days in a row and when she came in for her lesson practically all of the technical things we were working on the week prior had worked themselves out. That’s how effective consistency is and Somatic Voicework). But what about the parts that vocal warm ups don’t seem to fix, or fix right away? Things like vocal color, emotional interpretation or rhythmic phrasing.

Some of you might still be thinking “Wait, Pyeng I don’t have time to do vocal warm-ups seven days a week!” (Don’t worry we can get to that later. It’s literally the reason I started offering programs like my 3 month program). Well, that’s completely understandable, and exactly where your listening can serve you. When you’re commuting, doing household chores like folding laundry, washing dishes, or just going for a walk, this is a perfect time to review your voice lesson to hear the cues and feedback to understand what your voice is actually doing! 

So much of the time if you’re singing along with yourself or a recording, you can’t hear all the results that you’re getting from an exercise.  You might miss the explanation for why a certain exercise has been suggested or notice that you weren’t breathing or were straining to hit a note. This kind of insight is directly applicable to improve your vocal timbre,  emotional conviction and phrasing. In addition, you ought to be spoiling yourself with the music of others for inspiration.  If you’re wanting to uplevel your vocal routine so that you can sing the songs that you love and share them with all of your heart with your desired audience, then reach out to find out about my 3 month program , I would love to see you and hear you :-)

Those Voices In Your Head

If you’re a person with a dream, it’s highly likely you have an accompanying doubting voice somewhere inside. What do you do with the voices in your head? Is it possible to separate the helpful ones from the harmful ones? Sometimes I wish I could just press an on/off switch to mute those unrelenting, negative voices but maybe that would cancel out my deeper instincts. And my deeper instincts provide me with so much helpful insight and creativity which I rely on and need to tune into for life and music. Last week I launched the first episode of my mini podcast Lost & Found: Behind The Book and one of the first topics I discussed with my guest and beta reader Nikolai Moderbacher, was how he identifies (or HEARS) his intuitive voice. (By the way if you don’t yet own a copy of my book Lost & Found: Finding The Power In Your Voice, you can get one here. The first entire section of selected writing is based around the theme of one's intuitive voice). 

I believe one of the first steps with intuition is hearing, or learning how to listen to your instincts, which is why you can see that as the subtitle for this first section of the book. When you develop a stronger capacity to hear yourself, you can better recognize what things your voice is saying that are helpful, or supportive, and what things are less helpful, or even destructive. You can also gather next steps for that artistic dream that’s been wanting you to take action. 

If you want support so that you don’t get deterred from your music dreams, then I highly recommend you take a listen to this conversation. And hope to hear you and see you at the next one!:)

How To Shatter Self-Doubt and Fully Own Your Power

“I’ve learned that I’m most powerful when I’m doing my art”

Andre 3000

There are two things that have motivated me to sing pretty much all of my life, pleasure and power. But when I think about power I don’t mean power in the maniacal Despicable Me kind of way I mean power in the Moana “I have a special thing” kind of way. We all do. Performing can be a way to connect to your own power, your personal power and unique voice and story. It’s part of why I love teaching singing/songwriting from a holistic perspective.. 

Most people would love to feel more power in connection to their voice and even their body as a whole. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who said “I’d really love to feel less confident and powerful when I’m speaking or singing”. Even the “best” or “most talented”or skilled singers are open to accessing greater freedom as well as strength  and authenticity when using their voices. But how do you do this? How do you go from wanting your music, presenting, communication and leadership skills to improve and actually arriving there?

Like most things (counter to what Capitalism, White supremacy and Patriarchy says) it’s often a bit of a zig zag path. In order to connect to your power, you need to own the fact that you want to feel your power and for some people just that might be uncomfortable or scary. But let’s assume you’ve identified that you want to own the power of your voice. Here are some steps to guide the process.

Step 1: Find a safe and supportive place to grow and explore your voice. A voice teacher, program,  institute, school, class or even band to  collaborate with on your singing journey. 

Step 2: Establish a consistent vocal practice so you can start to experience the cumulative changes that will begin to happen with your vocal development.

Step 3: Make sure you have some form of accountability (this leads back to Step 1) for those inner voices that may pop up doubting you from time to time. Also, it’s equally important to have a group to celebrate your progress. Remember small wins matter just as much as the big ones.

Step 4: Connect to your body. Many singers forget this and it can also be one of the big challenges in performance anxiety. There are many ways to sense the whole of your physical/energetic body but I find slowing down and noticing your breath as well as your emotions is hugely helpful for you and your artistic expression. 

Step 5:* Extra Credit: Bring all of this into your experience while singing. Bring your connection to your body, movement, breath and emotions into your song/performance. 

Want some support with these steps? Find out more about my 3 month program here.

What Does Being In The Studio Look Like?

Despite the fact that I grew up around all kinds of multidisciplinary and multi-hyphenate artists (before we were even set on using those terms), it took me a long time to find and value my artistic voice, particularly after graduating from college. I’ve shared this many times, but growing up with a composer for a father I became accustomed to watching him sit at the piano and write for hours at a time. I never really looked at the other things that he was doing which were influencing his process like reading, researching, going to see live theater and dance, visiting museums, going for walks, and other activities. I mainly observed him focused on pulling music out of that piano and his brain, to continue putting out more and more music. 

So when I graduated college and started performing with my own groups, I thought I too had to sit for hours and hours at a time at the piano. But there was a problem, one I hated sitting still for that many hours, two I wasn’t a great pianist, three I wasn’t great at transcribing music! So for years, I actually cut myself off from a multitude of musical ideas because I thought my process should look the same as my father’s. 

Fast-forward to one day many years later when I decided I wasn’t going to call composing composing anymore. I instead chose the term “studio time”. For whatever reason redefining composing helped me to expand my definition so that I could actually be a part of it. Nowadays I switch back and forth between either phrase composing or studio time. Here’s a list in no particular order of what my composition/studio time/artistic process looks like: 

Sitting at the piano and playing, 

Singing and recording into my phone at the piano, 

Going outside to walk and singing ideas into my phone, 

Writing and rewriting lyrics, 

Listening back to dozens of voice memos to discern which ideas to delete and which  I want to continue developing, 

Recording demos of my songs, 

Creating harmonies, 

Researching , 

Cleaning my studio, 

Puttering around the house, 

Staring at the wall, 

Listening to podcasts, 

Listening to music that I specifically want to learn something from,

Listening to interviews with other artists or musicians, 

Warming up my voice, 

Rehearsing my original music

So, as you can see, there are so many different ways in which I generate, develop and refine my own music. If you’re looking to strengthen your voice and boost your confidence so you can feel grounded and like your true self, reach out to me about my 3 month program. I hope to hear and see you soon!

What Kind of Voice Do You Have?

In getting to know one’s voice, people often wonder what voice type they are, meaning how high or low they’re able to sing. Since the 19th century and even as far back as the 16th century in Italy, we’ve used titles like bass, soprano, baritone, alto, mezzo-soprano or tenor to describe this. So one category of voice type is the actual range of your voice which you can often hear in peoples speaking voice as well. But these labels don’t really matter for most contemporary/popular/experimental artists. For example, if you’re a singer/songwriter or even a Jazz singer, you might notice that you always sing and write songs in your lower register, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t also sing up high.

Another category that most people are trying to distinguish is figuring out their style of music. I would put this in the category of your artistic voice. Your artistic voice has more to do with your musical taste. Your likes and dislikes but it’s not just limited to your favorite artists. You may LOVE Beyonce but actually have a voice and style more similar to Sade. All things are possible when it comes to musical style and expression.

Lastly there’s what I like to call your intuitive voice. This is the place from which you gather your artistic ideas and impulses as well as your deeper insights and reflections. Your intuitive voice can be very helpful for building your artistry, deciding how you want to put your voice out in the world or for general decision making. In order to learn more about what kind of voice you have and how to align it with your musical goals, order a copy of my book here or even better email to learn more about my 3 month program. I hope to hear or see you somewhere soon!

How Do You Make An Audiobook?

How, you might wonder, does one make an audiobook? When I started writing Lost & Found: Finding The Power In Your Voice I knew it would also be an audiobook. Additionally, a lot of people that I teach express a desire to use their voice in a variety of ways from singing to songwriting, presenting to voiceover. So I thought I would take this week to share some of the behind-the-scenes from my experience recording my first ever audiobook!

Truth be told, it’s not my first time recording an audiobook (you can purchase Dreamland Burning or The Evening Road both of which I read for here), but this is my first audiobook. 

So my day usually goes something like this: I wake up, walk my dog,  come home, shower, get dressed,  eat breakfast and pack a lunch. At some point during the process of showering or while I’m in the kitchen, I’ll do my vocal warm-ups because amplified speaking  picks up all the nuances of your voice. So you don’t want to sound extra groggy, raspy or have a dry mouth. Then I pack some water, tea, my hard drive and iPad, which has the Kindle version of my book and head to the studio.

Once I arrive at the Clive Davis Institute, where I’ve been recording (and currently teach) Charles McCrorey, who is engineering this project, handles all the technical set up and after about 20 minutes we’re ready to record. We always do a test to check that the levels and tone of my voice match the first day of recording. I then go through the book, reading chapter after chapter. Charles follows along on his laptop making sure I don’t misread anything. If I do, we stop and I re-record or “punch-in” in the moment. I decided early on to block out 3 hours for recording because I wanted an amount of time where I could make headway and also stay peppy and clear headed. I usually read anywhere from 40 to 50 pages. Just like with singing I’m super focused on the message behind the text and revealing it through the tone of my voice, articulation and energetic intention. 

For more behind-the-scenes for this audiobook, make sure to join the mailing list and Instagram. And to start your own voice journey, email here to find out about my 3 month program to expand your range and the impact of your voice in the world.

Your Inner Critic Is Not Creative

It may be mischievous and persistent even destructive but really your inner critic is not the creative one, you are. You’re the one creating time in your busy schedule to practice music, you’re the one listening to your favorite songs and new artists to study this expansive discipline.  You’re the one writing original music that sometimes you like or sometimes you love. You’re the one risking safety to share how your heart really feels through music. You’re the one thinking of band names, song titles, and what to wear. You’re the creative one, so don’t give that inner critic more credit than they deserve. They’re trying to keep you safe by any means necessary and that means playing mind games with you. You can appreciate their effort so thank them and be on your way creating good, bad, odd, provocative, and wild work!

Do you want some help making music your way? Do you want to listen to your heart and your body while tuning your voice? Email here to find out more about my 3 month program. I would love to see you!

How To Wine & Dine Your Voice

When you care about someone or if you’re just interested in a person, you naturally start to enquire about their likes, dislikes, and habits. What things a person is drawn to is like knowing what part of your vocal range you most often sing in and what kind of music you’re drawn to. 

In order to “find” your voice you need to spend time with it in the same way that you might if you were beginning a romantic relationship with someone. You want to know how your voice behaves when it feels good as much as when you’re stressed or tired or afraid. What does your voice sound like in your upper register and what does it sound like in your lower register. You want to study how much time your voice needs to get ready (i.e. warmup for a performance or recording). Does your head voice need 5 minutes or does it prefer a longer slower session? Is it different on different days? 

Remember your voice also has feelings. It may need some encouragement and patience from time to time when it’s not performing as you expected. So do things to take care of your voice like getting a good night’s sleep, exercising,  drinking lots of water, and eating healthy meals. 

And of course your voice needs quality time! Consistent time doing warmups, time to explore different kinds of music, and even time discovering your artistic voice. This will give you the best relationship results with your voice.

Now don’t you want to build a stronger connection with your beloved voice ?

Here are 4 ways to get started!

1. Order a copy of Lost & Found: Finding The Power In Your Voice and start reflecting on your voice journey.

2. Schedule a free phone consultation to talk with me about your music and voice dreams for 2024.

3. If you are a woman/non-binary person, sign up for my 3 Month Program to commit to honing your singing and performance skills while honoring your authentic self.

4. Buy one of my 4 solo albums and listen to some incredible musicians to start thinking about your artistic vision and what you want to put out into the world.

Sing Something Scary

“At some point, some part of your wild has got to be let out onstage.”

Lost & Found: Finding The Power In Your Voice

Remember that teen classic Say Anything starring John Cusack and Ione Skye ? I don’t know about you but I must have watched that movie at least half a dozen times! I was obsessed with seeing people so moved by love that they could hardly control themselves. Singing is quite similar in how it demands you show up willing to be vulnerable.

Oftentimes when I speak to people wanting to explore their voices, they share that there has been a block on their part. Maybe they haven’t had the time or finances (real challenges that can make it difficult to commit to singing) but also they fear what others might think or say if they really let their voices ring out. Sometimes that ringing out isn’t just performing in front of others but it might actually mean standing up for something you strongly believe in. There is an equal sense of adrenaline and fear.

This is the reason that I believe in marrying vocal technique with mindset, and physical and emotional self-awareness. If you want to feel fulfilled and empowered when you step onstage or give a public presentation, then grab a copy of my latest book and schedule a free phone consultation so you can learn what ways I can support you on your voice journey.

4 Ways To Prep For A Show

Living music is back you all! So how are you preparing your instrument and your full to shine and move people? Very often when singers/sounders reach out to me one of their main concerns is getting support to prepare for a live performance or recording. So I thought I would share some tips for fine tuning your voice, body and mind in order to go onstage or in the studio.

1. Develop a solid vocal routine. Make sure you have a good, consistent vocal warmup so you can hit your high notes and low notes and smoothly execute anything in between. Having good technique allows you to fully focus on the meaning of the story and the emotion you want to convey.

2. Play your music A LOT. Play your set or material on your phone or stereo and play through it live. Whether you play an instrument, use a track or have a band, practice singing your music so much that your brain knows it even when you’re half asleep and delirious.  

3. Slow it down. I often recommend people practice a version of their song in a much slower tempo in order to work out where they’re going to breathe and to articulate each word to get the best clarity and resonance from your voice.  

4. Dance to the music. As Sly said, dancing is where it’s at. I don’t fully trust a musician who doesn’t dance. Moving to the music is integral to our human experience and if you’re feeling or appearing stiff, practice dancing to your songs to release your breath and to unearth your onstage movement persona.

5. Visualize how you want to feel. Similar to playing through your set often, visualizing your performance is something that can truly help a performance day have that extra pop or feeling of everything falling into its right place. Take time in the weeks leading up to a performance or recording to fully see things play out as you would like. See and feel everything from your self-confidence to your clothing and your connection to the audience. 

If you want more help working through any of these points or maybe an additional one, please reach out to learn about my 3 month program for women/non-binary folks. Building a voice routine can feel super empowering both on and offstage.

Does Anyone Really Like The Sound of Their Voice?

Years ago I was working with a student who wanted to free her voice and connect with it from a place of ease. She was a professional dancer and had always struggled with the sound of her voice. Of course this made singing even more challenging because whenever she opened her mouth to speak a part of her contracted or pulled back because there it was again, that sound. I knew right away when this person joined one of my programs that I wanted to give her a positive and new experience of her voice. My main thought was “it’s got to be playful and it’s got to be easy”. 

So I went along as I often do in first lessons and in the first several months of working with a student. I introduced her to vocal warm ups focused on releasing the voice. And I often broke the patterns down into even simpler exercises because she was new to singing. However, despite being new to voice lessons this student had a great ear for copying the sounds I made. After a few warmups her voice would start to glide and follow mine with great skill. It was still a bit harder for her to capture this smoothness when speaking but over time it didn’t distract her as much.

Then one day  I invited her to enjoy the sound of her voice, to enjoy the feeling of singing. She looked at me like I was a little crazy. Pleasure and the voice had been two entities that never overlapped but I put it in the context of connecting to her body. As a dancer and mover, she was accustomed to the pleasure of listening to her own body through movement and even stillness. So we began the same kind of witnessing while singing.

Low and behold she started to focus less and less on how her voice sounded and more and more on the release of breath and the joy of singing! Are you yearning for a simple and pleasurable experience of your voice? Email here to find out about my 3 month group program. 

How To Have A Vocal Breakthrough

So often people want a breakthrough with their voice to get over it sounding thin, or raspy, or too quiet, or not feeling authentic. But in order to get to your dream voice, you need to sit in the parts of your voice that often make you feel most vulnerable, scared, and or even embarrassed. Many people would love to learn to belt out their favorite song and touch others deeply while feeling deeply connected to themselves in the process. But in order to reveal yourself through music, you have to literally reveal yourself in your training and know that it’s okay if it’s not always “pretty”.

Here's the thing: in order to have that kind of magical breakthrough in singing, you actually need to show up and show up and show up. Part of the magic comes from your consistent commitment. It doesn’t have to be hours everyday, it can even be minutes. But this isn’t like a tik tok video or movie montage scene where everything comes together in less than a minute.  Many people lose their ability to focus during their vocal practice (I used to be like this) because they may sound off in the beginning and negative feelings can come up. If they don’t have additional support like a mentor, teacher, coach, therapist, like minded community or all of the above, then they’re likely to stop practicing and therefore have mixed results.  

I want you to get the artistic results you’ve been dreaming of! Part of my mission as a voice and movement teacher is to create spaces for singers/sounders to stay true to their artistic goals and also see them blossom. So if you’re wanting a positive process with positive results in your voice and overall confidence, then I suggest choosing a space or program where you can regularly show up even when it seems that your voice has a mind of its own. Joining my 3 month program is a great way to prioritize your voice and its deep connection to you so that you can fully express yourself while staying grounded and confident. To find out more about vocal breakthroughs, email here.

Healing Through Music

What is it about singing that can create so much fear and also so much satisfaction?

Last weekend a colleague and I helped prepare several upperclassmen at the Clive Davis Institute at NYU for their end of the semester performance. These singer/songwriter/producers rocked it and yet throughout the Fall they went through many hills and valleys of uncertainty to put themselves fully out there. For many people that I speak to, their longing to sing is deeply related to a desire to heal their connection to their voice as well as the power which their voice holds.

I can wholeheartedly relate. For years I struggled off and on with voice loss and it was an ongoing heartbreaking and fear inducing situation until I started training in Somatic Voicework, the LoVetri Method. 

The great thing about music is that it’s an incredible way to heal while also just having fun (that is if you center fun in your practice). Even for the highly successful and in demand musicians that I know, making music is as much about joy and liberation as it is about paying the bills.

If you’re wanting to start connecting more deeply to the power of your voice, one way to begin is to sing something that you 100% resonate with. Whether it’s a favorite album from your childhood, a spiritual song and or chant, improvising in the shower or writing your own composition, this will inevitably open your heart. (This is one of the reasons I love singing my original music). Another crucial tool is having a simple and effective vocal warm up to regularly free your voice and any constriction affecting your vocal range or life. 

If you’re wanting a fun and easy way to heal through music or just a way to have fun and ease singing, consider joining The Embodied Voice Starter Kit. I know for myself as well as others it can be extremely fulfilling to make an official commitment to an area in your life which you want to prioritize. Hoping to hear from you soon!

How To Unlock Your Sonic Color Palette

Every couple of years I get more insight into why I became infatuated with vocal technique. In the beginning it was the final relief and confidence that singing freer and without strain gave me. My original music and covers became SO much easier! I wasn’t worn out at the end of a night of performing and if I was, I knew what to do as a “cool down” to bring my voice back to “neutral”. As a result I became even more passionate about making music but also how the music making process could be easier for other singers and instrumentalists alike. 

In recent years I’m more and more taken with the array of sounds one can create with their own voice. I realize that this infatuation and pursuit of various vocal sounds has always been my true north ever since I was little. Unfortunately, I think that sometimes people limit their potential in this capacity because of the genre they may sing in or maybe because they might have labeled themself (or been labeled) a particular voice/type. This tends to feel like singing has a finality to it, like one’s voice is stagnant when it’s not.  

If you ask me, vocal technique, singing and improvisation are incredible tools to help you discover and expand your sonic palette. And why does that matter? It matters because the timbres, or colors, in your voice tell a story and that is in great part what singing is about. Whether you’re telling an abstract or non-linear story or a more direct narrative, storytelling and the human experience resonate and captivate humans and even animals:)

So how do you discover your sonic color palette? By building a consistent vocal routine that includes vocal technique, exploratory singing (or improvisation) and also regular music making (whether that’s performing with a group or recording or just singing in your own living room). You can build a wide sonic color palette and vocal routine through my Embodied Artist Group Program starting next January 2024. To schedule a free phone consultation, email here.

How To Finish What You Started

Do you ever get tired of your creative projects? Like you start composing music for a new album and after three songs you feel like you’re repeating yourself or you wonder if anyone will like what you’re doing. I know from personal experience that often the start of an artistic project is just sooooo much more alluring than sticking with it and actually finishing. 

It’s been so heart warming to receive the messages of encouragement from friends, family and colleagues for writing and releasing my first book. I sometimes have to remind myself that it’s real because life moves on after you hit a finish line. 

One of my biggest achievements recently (besides my daughter rocking it at college) was not just writing on a book, it was letting myself finish it! Can I get a head nod and a “uh-huh”? Because perfectionism seethes through this culture (and many peoples’ minds) including my own. But when I started writing my book I specifically told myself this would be the main creative focus of my life for the next few years until I finished. 

I can’t tell you how hard that was for me you all!! I’m a person who gets lots of ideas. I had ideas for screenplays, art installations, new bodies of music and I so wanted to carry them out but I knew I would feel so let down  if I didn’t actually complete this particular thing which has meant so much to me. I knew that I would make myself proud if I could keep on keeping on until the end.

So how about you? Do you have a music project that you’re desperately wanting to finish? Have you been trying to improve your singing to record/complete an EP or full album yet you keep starting and stopping ? Well that’s okay. I created The Embodied Artist Group Program because I know how easy it is to get distracted with daily responsibilities, passion for life and art and also bogged down by some fear as well. It’s easy to become disenchanted with continuing.

However, I discovered one of the secret pills for finishing. Being part of a group!! One of the most valuable pieces that helped me complete my book was joining a writing group to support me along the way. Even if you’re incredibly disciplined on your own, being a part of a like minded, safe and encouraging community can help with other blocks that may come up such as fear of promoting yourself and your music for example. So email here to find out about The Embodied Artist Group Program. 

The beauty of completing one creative project is that you get to carry on with others. So now that my book is done I feel very happy releasing myself to play in other creative pastures. The main one being making music:) If you haven’t already, make sure to save the date for my show on Sunday, November 19th at Rizzoli’s Bookstore. Until then see you in person or online!

Music As Prayer, Music As An Offering

It is said that playing music is like praying twice. Add that music has the potential to double the power of envisioning. Every musician should be playing for peace at this point in the world”

-John Shannon, guitarist/composer

Sometimes the noise of social media, the news, relationships, and financial obligations, can be overwhelming. Sometimes the struggles of day to day life can make it difficult to remember the healing power of music and art. Even with the best of intentions as a teacher and performer the muck of living can be distracting from what’s really important  - why we choose creativity

For whatever reason my parents didn’t raise me with any specific religion. We didn’t go to church or temple or say grace before each meal. We celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas and birthdays, and my mom was an enthusiast for all spiritual gatherings and religious traditions. A chance to gather, break bread, sing, pray in any form was universal to her. It didn’t belong to one group or text. 

The main thing that was emphasized in my home growing up was creative expression of all kinds. Dancing in the morning, singing in the afternoon, listening to salsa in my dad’s pale yellow Ford as we rode over the Manhattan Bridge to school. Even in their 70s my parents continue to look for creative outlets and something new to learn that lights them up.

And light is crucial in this time of political/darkness. This last week and a half the news reports have grown only more horrific than the past months. I know family and close friends who are battling challenging court cases, add to that war, earthquakes, flooding and the day to day challenges of life, and it’s really not easy to sort out why anything matters. 

However, this is when I’m reminded of the energy of music and what it does for a person and a community. Even when I watch a fictionalized funeral in a tv show and a person gets up to play a song at the piano, I feel how music helps us articulate pain and connection. Being a performer and also mentoring and teaching other performers I regularly see how music enables people to communicate things they might not have otherwise been able to because of differing opinions, language barriers or just the inability to express complicated emotions. 

Next month on November 19th at 5pm I’m going to be sharing a bunch of songs at Rizzoli’s Bookstore in Manhattan. Some old and some new works inspired by my book. I hope that you will come out to support music that is alive, living and breathing and to also join minds and hearts to envision something better for this planet and humanity.

Why You Need To Prepare For “The Haters”

Have you ever watched a star athlete perform on tv or in an arena as the crowd booed incessantly? Ever wondered what your threshold for being disliked is? Most of us aren't performing in massive arenas but many people (between the ages of say 13 and 60) spend a fair amount of time on social media these days accumulating likes for their various interests and accomplishments - from graduations to awards to lunches with friends. Although it's nice to imagine that this isn’t affecting us, it’s been scientifically proven that each time we see an additional like, it boosts dopamine, that addictive happy chemical, in our brain and body. And that’s just social media. We’re not even talking about in-person likes. So what’s your stamina for “the haters” like?

I don’t know about you but I generally don’t enjoy or look forward to other people disliking me. However, I recently watched a film that made me re-consider one’s tolerance for outside criticism in relation to artistic success.

When I was a child admiring my favorite music artists it never occurred to me that they were enduring a large amount of negative onlookers along with their swooning fans. But the truth is if you want to be seen and heard, then you’re going to attract more like-minded audience members as well as folks who don’t appreciate what you do. 

I spend so much time encouraging my students to give themselves a break because we all know that WE are usually our biggest critics, but there are outside critics as well. So it’s good to know that as you are growing an artistic project, that you may have a few trolls groaning under the bridge too. 

With the launch of my first book and stepping back into performing with a new vigor, I thought I’d share some of what’s been coming to me, so that neither of us get stopped on the creative journey. 

If you haven’t purchased a copy of Lost Found: Finding The Power In Your Voice, you can grab one here. And if you’re wanting support on YOUR voice journey, reach out to schedule a free phone consultation so we can discuss where you want your voice to take you next:)

Happy Travels!

Flowing Into Fall

Ready or not, it’s Fall. Ahhhhh! Anyone else feeling some hints of summer longing, dread or even a little fear as we head into this new season? Fall can be soooo beautiful, especially on the East Coast, but it’s often the part of the year that also feels like we’re white water rafting for the first time every time. Not that I’ve ever been but the speed, rises, dips and sharp turns make it seem relatable. 

After quite a FULL summer, I’m refocusing on how to slide into Fall. Remember Baloo from the Jungle Book riding on his back down the river? That’s what I’m looking for. Anyone else interested?

Last week I taught my second to last Embodied Artist voice, movement and writing workshop where we centered on flowing into Fall. We explored what kinds of messages one’s deeper self could offer to make the beginning to this season feel a little smoother, aligned, easeful, creative and perhaps abundant 

Well, one thing I can usually count on for opening my creative energy and shaking out the overwhelm, underwhelm and or stress is to sing. So I’m starting this season with several offerings where you can indulge your senses in the joy and pleasure of music. This coming week I’ll be singing at the opening for my husband, Nikolai Moderbacher’s, latest sculpture exhibit. It’s only two days long and I’m performing two  sets this Thursday, September 7th at 7p and 8p. For more details check here. For those of you wanting to get your sing-on, I will be offering my first LIVE and IN PERSON Vocal Gym session at the same location of 386 First Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Brooklyn. I hope to see you at one of these Fall festivities!

The Top 8 Ways My Mind Makes Music The Monster

Sometimes my worries can transform music from a healing, empowering force into a bit of a monster exaggerating many of the fears I wish I still didn’t have. But I’ve worked with enough people and know enough artists to hear them say the same. These are some of the ways my mind can blow things slightly out of proportion.

1. Over Preparing

I know, I’m feeling stressed when I start over checking my work, or creating multiple upon multiple back-up plans. Preparation is great but so is remembering the intention and experience you want to create as an artist/musician.

2. Trouble Turning Off 

Sometimes inspiration strikes and I want to follow, but other times I can’t turn-off and it’s because I just don’t feel there’s ever going to be enough time in the day. That’s when I know I need to have a talk with myself and say “self, thank you but it’s time for you to take a back seat”

3. Forgetting To Eat

As much as my friends and family like to joke about my commitment to carrying food with me wherever I go, I had to learn to do that because of my tendency to overly focus on work and forget to eat. Now I recognize maintaining my energy enhances my focus and ability to create more impactful work. 

4. Forgetting To Step Away 

You know that feeling when you know you’re not making great creative decisions anymore but you just won't step away from the computer/piano/etc? I think this comes back to that fear that there isn't enough time. The irony is I always feel such a sense of relief and shift in my perspective if I go outside and take a walk or dance break or something unrelated for a little while. 

5. Skipping Time With Friends

If I don’t manage my time well, I can easily get too drained to even want to spend time with friends. And while I know I have to honor time alone (because I need it to refuel my energy), I also need community to fill up and feel right again. Scheduling time with family/friends is a good way for me to prioritize self-care in how I plan my work week. 

6. Beating Myself Up For Not Being “farther along”

This is a big one! I hear it from my students and I know the trappings of my own thinking as well. It’s really easy to fall down the rabbit hole of “I’m behind and everyone else is getting things accomplished but me”. The truth is art takes time and honoring your own pace is one of the biggest components to being a thriving artist. 

7.  “Everything Needs To Be Better!”

I have a vivid imagination and very often my mind gets a spool of ideas that I am left trying to sort out. Once I select something to focus on however, my imagination can often go wild thinking of bigger and bigger things to do, leaving little old human me to put more and more pressure on myself to “make it happen”. This is where breathing and breaking down my goals into smaller steps is crucial.

8. “I’m Not Good Enough For This”

I’ve gotten over the initial big hill of this self critical idea but it still pops up from time to time and that’s when I often remind myself of what I regularly say to my students. The reason you are questioning yourself is because you care for music that much. In fact it’s a sign of love and respect for music, so why not start again with the intention to share your love for music through music? This always feels so much better and genuine.

So let me know if you can relate to any of these dementor-type thoughts. If you’re looking for more reaffirming experiences around the challenges of art making and finding your artistic voice, check out a copy of my recent book Lost & Found:  Finding The Power In Your Voice. Hope to see you or hear you somewhere soon.

Why You Need To Do Something Unrehearsed

Do you ever just want to get out of your head and in the zone ?

One of the things that really inspired me to write a book was that it was new and unexpected…meaning I didn’t really have big expectations (especially in the beginning). Expectations can sometimes get in the way of the creative process. Writing was primarily a relaxing way for me to be in my creative flow.

I don’t know about you but as much as I LOVE music, there was a point where working as a bandleader and releasing original recordings while being a young mother pushed me to a point of burnout and perhaps near break down. My health started going awol and I could never get to the top of the hill or music mountain that I was aiming for. This made music amazing but also disappointing and depressing at the same time. 

As a result I started doubting what the heck I was good at. Because it was difficult balancing my time with family, touring and performing, I started pulling back on performing and that lack of visibility made me sort of doubt myself even more. (Ugh, damned if you do and damned if you don’t!)

So I have spent years and years cultivating practices and rituals that help me quiet the monsters of my mind and the habits that they would like me to take on. I’m not saying I’m perfect at this at all but there are a lot of things I’ve figured out that I WISH someone could have taught me when I first graduated from college and wanted to make a living as a professional artist. And just to clarify I’m not talking about being a struggling artist, I’m talking about being a thriving artist. If you’re interested, I invite you to pick up a copy of my newest book Lost & Found: Finding The Power In Your Voice. I’d love it if you sent me a “belfie” ( a selfie of you/your book:) and or a comment about something that you enjoyed.

Hope to see or hear you soon!