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February 12, 2017May 30, 2025

February Challenge

Here’s something I thought would be a fun feature, a challenge for you once a month, where I pose an idea to you, and (if you’re game, which I sincerely hope you are) you give it a go…

This month’s challenge:

Learn a song in a COMPLETELY different genre to your usual selection.

If you like rock, try some RnB.

If you like classical, try some pop.

If you like musical theatre, try some singer-songwriter material.

These are not restrictive choices, just some genre pairs that don’t typically go together to give you an idea of the direction to go in.

Step 1: Browse YouTube

Whatever you normally sing, try spending 15 minutes browsing Youtube (or even my blog!) for suggestions that might sit outside your normal repertoire choice.

Step 2: Listen to an album or playlist on repeat

Immerse yourself in an alternate genre. Notice how the music and singers have to do things differently. Either longer held notes, or shorter/more staccato notes. Perhaps the timbre is more aggressive vs more genteel. Whatever you’re used to, different genre’s ask different things of your voice.

Step 3: Have a go

Then, have a bash at it. And by that, I don’t just mean sing it once and give up or remain satisfied. Spend a bit of time learning it every couple of days, and try to polish it to a similar standard as your other songs. You may love it, you may hate it, but every song has it’s own little nuances that can make even the most hardened ear go ‘ahhhh, THAT’S new!’.

You’ll be surprised what you discover about music when you really try and capture another genre’s little idiosyncrasies.

Some of you will find yourself still not especially digging the song, but finding there’s certain things that are tricky or even cool about the alternate genre. Some of you may even want to modify how you do some of your more established pieces based on the new things you find out about the alternate genre… and in some cases you may even find an entirely new genre you want to turn your attention to… I had that exact experience when someone suggested I check out some old soul ballads – SO wonderful to sing.

Give it a shot, see what you come up with.

June 15, 2015December 2, 2017

Elton John Philadelphia Freedom

Elton John Philadelphia Freedom
In one of my practice sessions to further my piano playing, an obvious pitstop was to look at Elton John’s amazing piano work.

I grew up listening to a lot of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Elton John. It’s amazing listening to this material now how I can hear so much of what I love to do mirrored in both of those artists’ back-catalogs.

Elton’s Songwriting
I remember watching a short video dissecting Elton John’s piano playing, and the comment someone made was that Elton always tries to write ‘hymns’. And he didn’t mean religious songs, it was more a reference to the incredibly simple chord progressions that he’d then tweak very subtly to turn them into an anthemic piece. Good hymns tend to do the same thing – they start out functionally very simple, then the odd harmony note starts to turn it on it’s head… Elton is a master of doing this.

Take this song, Philadelphia Freedom.

You may not hear it, but there’s two key changes back and forth every time they move from verse to chorus… and yet it’s so musical! He’s also got a load of smaller modulations/side-stepping to throw in chords that don’t belong in either of the two keys he moves between. I won’t bore you with the details, but he writes very differently to most artists… then or now!

And that’s all at the same time as having a pretty catchy melody. Love it.

Enjoy it! See if you can spot the subtle key changes!

November 20, 2014December 2, 2017

From Indian Lakes – Absent Sounds

From Indian Lakes

I came across this band – From Indian lakes – a few months back and I’m really impressed with them. I’d describe them as soft rock, but I’m useless when it comes to sub-genres!

I really like the softer and lighter vocals scattered across the tracks, and I love the soundscape that flows by underneath them. From Indian Lakes is definitely a sound that is growing in popularity at the moment, and well worth checking out if you like the intensity of rock but also want something a bit softer to go along with it.

Check out this video and their whole album, and enjoy!

As an aside, one of the things that troubles me about today’s music is how much we focus on having the SAME sound as everyone else. As a voice coach I get a lot of people in wanting to sound like X, Y or Z, which leads to frustration when they don’t sound EXACTLY like that person.

However the reality is that no two instruments sound alike. As such, you simply can’t expect your own voice to be the same or even in the same ballpark as your favourite singers. That’s not to say that you sound BAD, simply that you will have a beautiful but different tone once a certain amount of training has been undergone.

What I love about this growing genre is that it celebrates a desire (in my opinion) to make music irrespective of whether an existing vocal sound already subsists in the audiosphere. From Indian Lakes has relatively light vocals. They are not jamming their voices as hard as they can ala hard rock, Zeppelin/Cornell style vocals. They are also not singing super low or dark ala Vedder or the like. Equally so, despite singing soft they are not going for the crooner sound ala Michael Buble. Instead there’s a sound that’s wholly different, so we have no preconceived notion of what they should or should not sound like.

Now, with today’s music being what it is, this could easily lead to us dismissing such music. However I feel they’ve managed to write something that grabs your ear and makes you want to pay attention to the whole song. This is critical to good artistry, and something I deeply respect.

I hope that’s made you think a little more deeply about songwriting and what you hear on the radio today. Til next time! Enjoy!

DIRECT LINK HERE

October 30, 2014December 2, 2017

Brett Domino How to Write a Hit Pop Song

Those of you who are in for lessons regularly know about my love for a songwriting guru called Ralph Murphy, but I’m also a big fan of Brett Domino and his hilarious satire on hit songwriting.

While this is not quite the same sort of intellectual level of that sort of songwriting advice, this video by Brett on ‘How to Write a Hit Pop Song’ is VERY funny.. and remarkably catchy… maybe it says something about the pop industry?

Check it out and enjoy!

Brett Domino How to Write a Hit Pop Song

June 26, 2014December 2, 2017

Sam Smith How Will I Know

Another voice coach in the US brought my attention to Sam Smith How Will I Know cover, i.e. this awesome song – check it out!

Listen to the quality in the voice.

Sure he goes intentionally light towards the top end of his voice, but listen to how it serves the song. There’s the odd two-to-three note riffs, but nothing ostentatious… it’s ALL about the song… and this is rare in today’s world.

Sit back, relax, and let Sam’s dulcet tones soothe your savage beast!

Sam Smith How Will I Know

NOTE: As an aside, this is a GREAT example of a singer who perhaps bucks today’s current trends of singers needing to sound as LOUD and as POWERFUL as possible. Sam has a fantastic voice, but not because his instrument is hyper-developed in terms of volume, power, riffability, etc, but because he has spent time FINDING his voice. He has worked on the weaknesses, capitalised on his strengths, and his instrument is unlike anyone else’s… i.e. his Unique Selling Point IS that he isn’t the same as the current crop of singers.

How awesome is that?! This is a mainstream artist strutting his stuff in a way that is counter to everything we see on the current roster of international singing superstars… so don’t discount your voice just because you don’t sound like singer X – celebrate what you have, build on your strengths and learn to fix your weaknesses, and see how you could have a voice that is as unique and loveable as Sam’s…

Just some food for thought!

(for those who the embedding doesn’t work – here’s a direct link)

December 7, 2013December 2, 2017

White Christmas – Michael Buble and Kelly Rowland

I had a student bring this in the other week to look at, specifically because of the vocal riff that the wonderful Ms Kelly Rowland sleighs (ho-ho-ho) us with a minute or two in. Love this White Christmas!

I had about 10 minutes to identify and break down the riff in question, and I just managed to solve it for the student. Twas a toughie!

In any case, it’s a great rendition, so why not Christmas-ify your day and check it out!

(or click here to open in a new tab)

August 5, 2013December 2, 2017

U2 Gospel Choir – Rock Lead and Gospel Backing

U2? and a Gospel Choir? a U2 Gospel Choir?

I was at a training event recently, and as part of this I did some testing. Some of those tests involve teaching people I’ve NEVER met or even heard sing before, and I have 20 minutes to make them sound better in that time. Pleased to say I passed!

Another part of it is a voice test, where I basically get a voice lesson but we also focus on what’s going on in my own voice in relation to teaching as well. There’s always stuff to work on.

In this case I decided to work on U2’s ‘Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’. This is a beautiful song – rich vocals, strong lyrics, gorgeous and powerful melody, and the arrangement is wonderful.

Afterwards I had someone who’d observed the lesson mention that U2 once did a gospel version of this song (say whaaat?!) with a proper black gospel choir – a ‘U2 Gospel Choir’ if you will!

I looked it up, and was absolutely astounded by what I heard….

Talk about merging of styles… truly, a U2 Gospel Choir!

When was the last time you sought out a song done in a merging of two or more styles? When was the last time you tried one of your favourite songs in another style? It’s sometimes tough to imagine these things, but it’s a real doorway to finding some cool sounds you would never have stumbled across otherwise… sticking songs and styles in a particle collider and seeing what comes out is a fantastic way to develop your artistry and understanding of what makes certain songs work in particular styles.

Check out the video and see what you can come up with in your own repertoire!

August 1, 2013December 2, 2017

Josh Groban – Drummer, then singer?

Josh Groban was a drummer?

So, believe it or not, I don’t get THAT much Josh Groban brought in to the teaching studio… quite surprising given how great Josh’s voice is and how popular he is.

Nevertheless! Here is a great video someone posted on a forum I’m a member of.

Turns out Josh studied with Seth Riggs, the guy who started off the technique of Speech Level Singing (the method I initially trained and Certified as a singing teacher in) and which principles underpin the IVA teaching method.

In this video, he talks about his own background, how he actually started as a drummer (YES! a DRUMMER!), how he started getting coaching with Seth, and how his first gigs were massive concerts. Crazy stories but utterly true. He’s also one of the most humble guys you’re ever going to meet.

Check it out.

For those of you who are also musicians, but perhaps feel that because you started singing AFTER getting decent on another instrument you are somehow disqualified from being classified as a true singer… or that you can never become a great singer… Josh is a living testimony this is not true.

Whatever you think is stopping you from achieving your goals, is not what’s actually stopping you. It’s you THINKING something is stopping you, that is the thing that’s really preventing your progress.

Watch the video and hear the hidden nugget in there.