So Long, Farewell, To You My Friends

Sadly, this semester is slowly coming to end. As the semester closes, it is time for me to take a break from everything. It is time for everyone to relax and start enjoying the holidays, singing Christmas carols. 

But before we all go our separate ways, let me remind you of what singing consists of. I’m sure all of you will be singing during this holiday season! 

• Singing consists of four different voice types: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. Sopranos usually sing from middle C to a high A, while alto usually have a range from typically between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C. The tenors vocal range is between the C one octave below the middle C and, the A above middle C while basses are ranged from the second E below middle C to the E above middle C, the outer most lines of the bass clef. These ranges will help you find where you are comfortable singing and determine what type of voice you are.

• One of the most important things to remember while singing is your posture! You want to make sure you are standing up straight with a relaxed body! Your chin should be parallel to the floor, shoulders held back and down, hands relaxed, knees should never be locked, and your feet should be shoulder width apart.Having a correct posture will highly improve your singing by letting you sustain your notes and making it easier to breathe.

• I also encourage everyone to learn foreign language songs. Although it may be hard to learn at first, it benefits you in many ways, according to Benny Lewis. Learning different languages will not give you a variety in music, but it will help you learn more about the different cultures.

It’s crazy to think how fast this past semester has been and how much we have covered. There are plenty of other things I would love to tell you about, but unfortunately we have ran out of time. With that being said, unfortunately this blog will also be coming to an end. But if I feel like there is something important I need to share, I would gladly share it with you all here. 

Although some of you will only be singing in the shower or just in your rooms, I highly recommend that you all at least try and perform outside of your house. You will gain more experience by performing outside. At the end of the day, you will feel good about yourself because you learn how to build courage and confidence. 

But before we go and start off our Christmas break, let me share with you some music from our school’s choirs. 

A La Nanita Nana: SFSU's Women's Chorus 

Swing Low: SFSU's University Chorus 

During this long Christmas break of ours, will you consider singing outside of your home? 

P.S. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! 

Some member's of SFSU's Chamber Choir: Carol of the Bells 

Let Me Try And Get You to Sing

Do you guys sing in the showers? I’m pretty sure everyone does! You sing at the top of your lungs and pretend no one can hear you. Do you pretend to have a little concert in your room? Where you close your door, turn up the music, and just go crazy? Well stop hiding your talent and get yourself out there. Show the world your talent! Even if you think you can’t sing, you should go out and sing! 

One main reason that I think everyone should try singing is that it lets you express yourself. When I am in doubt of words to help me express myself, I always turn to singing. A main component of singing has to do with expression. With singing, you are able to express yourself in ways you can’t do with words. Music is something everyone can relate to. There are plenty of songs to choose from to express how you feel. They vary from happy songs to love songs and to sad songs. 

Another reason why I think people should sing is because you not only benefit yourself, but you benefit those around you. When you sing, you make others happy. For example, after performing for concerts with my choirs, people would always come up to us and tell us that we just made their day even better. You can tell that that were really moved with the performances by their faces. You can see the audience smile at you while you perform. Making someone smile and happy after performing is the best feeling you can get after performing.

According to Chris Rowbury, singing can be good for your health because: 

• warm-ups improve the body’s flexibility, sense of rhythm, balance, self-awareness, etc.
• breathing techniques help to reduce stress and relax the body
• expressing yourself through sound helps to release emotional blockages
• being part of a group working together creates a sense of belonging, community and shared endeavour
• singing is an aerobic activity that increases oxygenation in the blood stream and exercises major muscle groups in the upper body
• singing has a positive effect in reducing stress levels through the action of the endocrine system which is linked to our sense of emotional well-being
• singing can increase lung capacity, improve posture, clear respiratory tubes and sinuses, and can increase mental alertness through greater oxygenation
• singing promotes both a healthy heart and an enhanced mental state as well as improving your immune system — so you will live longer!
• recent Swedish research has shown that choral singing has strong effects on well-being, in that positive emotions increase significantly, and, in turn, negative emotions radically subside. Choral singers, particularly women, are happier, more alert, and relaxed after a rehearsal.

As a singer, I encourage people to go out and sing! Don’t keep your talent hidden, go out and spread music with the world, sing anywhere and everywhere you go. Singing is a fun activity where many people can take part of. It brings people together as they share their love for music. 

English or Foreign Language Songs?

Foreign Music from Sincerity Girls Ensemble

When I first started singing, I would always prefer singing English songs because it was easier for me to learn the song since it was easier to read. As I continued to take singing lessons, my teacher started teaching song in different languages such as Spanish, Italian, French, etc. At first I was scared to learn them because I wasn’t able to read the lyrics since I didn’t know the language. But as the years went on, I found that learning more international songs helped me in my singing career. When I learn a new song, I would prefer to learn an English song rather than a foreign song. 

Learning a song in a different language can be really complicating, especially if you know nothing about that language. When you first learn a new foreign song, you have to make sure you know the words and how to correctly pronounce them. Not only do you need to know how to pronounce them, but you also have to know what they mean. If you don’t know what it means, then it will be harder to sing because you don’t know how to express the song. According to Benny Lewis, there are 7 reasons on why you should sing in foreign languages: 

• Music connects across cultures and can break down barriers.
• Getting to know the music is getting to know the culture and language.
• Learning the lyrics of a song helps you expand your vocabulary and teach you some slang/typical phrases.
• Singing can actually help you reduce your foreign-sounding accent.
• You can use music and singing to help you learn to speak simple basic essential phrases to get by in a language much quicker.
• You can take music with you anywhere and learn and practice it on the move thanks to your MP3 player / mobile phone, making sure you listen carefully to the words
• You can really enjoy yourself by singing and it helps to improve your mood.

When people first start to sing, they would prefer to sing English songs since they already know the language. Because many of us already speak English, they would think singing in English would be just as easy because it is easier to understand. When you sing English songs, it is easier to relate to the song because it is easier to find a connection with the song.

When I learn a new song, I would rather learn in English because it is easier for me to understand. Because singing is all about expressing yourself, I find it easier to express myself with an English song rather than a foreign song. I love to learn foreign songs in order to learn more about other cultures, but if I had to choose what song I would learn next, I would choose an English song. 

If you were to perform a song, would you rather sing in English or any foreign language? 

Solo or Choir?

When people hear me sing, the first thing they always say is, “I wanna hear you sing!” But I always end up saying, “I’m too shy....” How can I be a singer and be shy about it? Weird right? To me, I prefer just singing in a choir rather than doing a solo. Don’t get me wrong! I love to do solos too, but there’s just something about being in choir that makes me enjoy it more. Singing in a choir and singing solo are two different things to me. 

Photo  by: Susan Brizick

Singing in a choir isn’t as easy as it seems. There’s more work to it than just singing. The more important thing when singing in a choir is to listen to the rest of the members. You have to make sure that you stay in tune and not off pitch. If someone is off tune or singing something wrong, it can throw someone off which causes everyone to be confused. When everyone is confused, the sound of the voices will not blend together. Choir singing also consists of blending, where you make sure all voices work together. One person can’t be louder than everyone else and another person can’t be quieter. Everyone has to be at the same voice level unless there is someone singing a solo. When singing in a choir, you have to make sure that everyone knows the notes of the song because if someone doesn’t, then it will mess up the song. Knowing your notes is important because if you are singing a wrong note, it will make the group sound flat or sharper.

Singing a solo is easier than a choir. With a solo, you don’t have to rely on anyone but yourself. The only voice you have to worry about is yours. With solos, you are letting your own voice be heard instead of others. Many people will be able to hear YOU sing. You are giving yourself bigger opportunities by putting yourself out there.With a solo, you have more freedom to do what you want with the song. You are able to improvise with the notes and make it your own style. Sometimes a solo performance can be very nerve wrecking for many people, which help you build self confidence. Because you are performing by yourself, you learn how to perform in front of others and build courage and confidence.

Choral Singing

Why do I prefer choral singing rather than solo singing? Singing with a choir is more of a challenge. It benefits me more than solo performances because I am able to learn more from it. Because choir singing consists of many strategies, it gives me more opportunities to not only improve on my singing, but on working together as a group. Choir singing also helps you improve on your social skills because it allows you to interact with others and create more friends. 

If you have to perform somewhere, would you rather do a solo performance or sing with a choir? 

"Stand Up Straight!"

The correct singing posture
By: Bettina Sheppard

Posture has always been an issue to me while singing. I would always slouch and not stand straight and my teacher would always get mad at me for it. He would always tell me to stand up straight and have my chest out because that is the proper way to stand. People always think that singing is just about the voice, but many of them don’t know that it also has a lot to do with your posture. With proper posture, you will be able to control your breathing, making it easier to sing. 

The first thing you should always do while singing is making sure your body is relaxed. According to The Secrets of Singing: Posture by Janak Ramachandran, we want our muscles and chest to be relaxed and loose, relax the muscles around the jaw, forehead,and cheeks because that will help you create a beautiful and powerful voice. Having your body relaxed will make it easier for us to reach the high notes and sustain our notes longer. 

While performing you want to make sure you never have a slouched back because it will be harder for the air to come out, making it harder for you to breathe. The chin should be parallel to the floor, shoulders held back and down, hands relaxed, knees should never be locked, and your feet should be shoulder width apart.You always want to stand up straight because it gives the diaphragm enough air for you to breathe properly.  Standing up straight is important because it will make your body feel more relaxed and lets the air for the vocal chords enter and exit properly.

It takes time and practice to get the perfect posture. According to Suzanne Brittania in Correct Singing Posture, you can do these exercise on a weekly basis and it will help you improve your posture, which can help improve your singing. 

• Standing up against a wall: Stand up straight with your back against the wall, keeping your shoulders back and not allowing them to rise up. Stand against the wall with your head against the wall, chin parallel to the floor, and your feet shoulder width apart. Inhale deeply to see how much air you can get and you should feel not only your abdomen moving, but you should feel your back rising against the wall. With this exercise, you should be able to breathe the correct way with the correct posture. 

• Lie flat on your back: Lie flat on the floor and try to press your lower back into the floor to straighten your spine, then breathe in expanding your rib rage. You can also place a book on your abdomen while you lay down. As you breathe in and out, watch the book as it rises and how it falls back into original position. You should feel that you are able to receive more air into the lungs.

• Balance a book on top of your head: This exercise will help you stand in the correct posture without getting too tired or too stiff. Balance a hard covered book on top of your head with your head straight up and feet shoulder length a part. If you are slouching and not standing up straight, you will notice that it is harder to balance the book. With a straight posture, you will notice that it is easier to balance the book.

Having the correct posture is essential in singing. With a correct posture, you will be able to have better breathing techniques. With better breathing techniques, you will become a better singer.

Try out these exercises and see you can feel the difference in the amount of air you are able to take in with a correct posture.

Wait...What Voice Am I?

Photograph of Mindy King

When people first start out to sing, they normally don’t know what type of voice they are. They usually just sing in the range their voices can reach and where they are most comfortable with. A voice type/range is where your voice reaches the highest or lowest capabilities. Many people are able to sing really high or low notes, while other people are only able to reach the middle notes. According to Voice Parts and Ranges by Yori Broze, there are four different types of voices - soprano, alto, tenor, bass - where your voice will fall into.

For ladies, the highest type of voice is called soprano. Their vocal ranges are usually from middle C to a high A. There are two type of soprano’s - Soprano I and Soprano II. Soprano I’s are the ones that are the most comfortable singing in the highest notes possible without having any trouble. Soprano II’s are the ones who are more comfortable singing in the middle notes, but are comfortable singing with a few high notes every here and there.

Vocal Range Chart

The lowest type of voice for females is called altos. There are also two types of alto’s - Alto I and Alto II. Alto I’s have the ability to reach higher notes, while alto II’s have the ability to reach the lowest note. These alto’s usually have a range from typically between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C.

A mezzo-soprano is another type of voice between a soprano and an alto.

For male’s the terms for their voices are different and more striking in the differences.  The highest voice type for males is called the tenor. It is most common to find tenor’s in choirs. Tenors are usually more comfortable singing high notes using their full voices. The tenor's vocal range is between the C one octave below the middle C and, the A above middle C.

Vocal Ranges
Photograph of Karyn O' Connor

Lastly, a bass is the type of voice where you can sing the lowest note possible. Basses are usually hard to find in choirs because there are not many males that can reach low notes. Basses are usually ranged from the second E below middle C to the E above middle C, the outer most lines of the bass clef. 

A baritone is a type of voice between a bass and a tenor. 

Many of our favorite artists today are either sopranos or tenors. They are able to reach the highest notes at their vocal range. An example of a famous artist today who is a soprano are Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. A famous tenor artist are Justin Timberlake, Usher, and Bruno Mars. 

 When I first started to sing, I was first placed as an alto because all I was able to sing was the low notes. As I kept practicing and practicing, my vocal range became bigger, which made me change my voice to soprano. 

Everyone can always change their vocal type by practicing. You can either raise your range, so that you can be a soprano/tenor or you can practice singing the low notes to be either an alto/tenor.

Small Girl With A Big Voice

My brother and I as we created a band. 

Singing has had a major impact on my life. I first started singing as a young girl during church with my dad in the choir. Ever since then, I found my love of singing. As a child, my brother and I would pretend to be a little band, where he would be the guitarist and I would be the singer. I started to sing karaoke every opportunity I was presented. Every family gathering, I would always be asked to sing something for everyone. I would also join the school choir to sing during our school masses and school events. Of course, I would always sing my heart out while I would shower, just like everyone else. Singing has not only become a hobby, but it became a passion.

Sincerity Girls Ensemble: Ireland 2012

Sincerity's Trips.

 Around 2004-2005, I started to take voice lessons at Music Repertoire, a local music studio, to help improve in my singing strategies. I would perform at recitals every couple months with other students. Music Rep would also have musicals where students would be able to join and perform. Ever since I started taking voice lessons, my love for singing grew even bigger. Being a student at Music Repertoire gave me many opportunities in my singing career.

As a student at Music Rep., I was able to join a girls ensemble called Sincerity. Sincerity is an all girls ensemble choir, ranging from the eighth grade to senior year of high shool. Sincerity has been a big part of my life because it allows me to share my talent with those around me. Sincerity would perform not only locally, but would travel to many different countries to spread our love of music. We traveled to Spain in 2004, to Italy in 2006, to the Philippines in 2009, and recently to Ireland during the summer of 2012. Being part of Sincerity, gave me the opportunity to go out from my area and share my talent and love for singing with other people around the world.

Story and Song Alumni Concert 2012 - Seasons of Love 

Story and Song LA Tour:  St. John Bosco High School

Another experience that made my love for singing grow was my high school choir, Story and Song. I enjoyed being part of this choir because it gave me the opportunity to share with the school our talent and show what we love to do. Story and Song let us celebrate our faith through music. We would always perform during school masses. We were able to travel to Los Angeles to share our love for music and our faith with our Salesian family. Before our big LA trips, we would always host a cabaret, where we would perform all the songs we have been learning throughout the school year and seniors are given the opportunity to do a solo performance.

Singing has been very important to me because it is my escape from all my problems. I sing when there is something bothering me, when I am stressed out, when I need to get away from the world. It is my way to feel relaxed. When I need to be alone and away from everyone, I always turn to singing. I find songs that express the same emotions when I find a hard time expressing how I feel. Singing is my passion and I enjoy it.

The purpose of my blogs is to share with you the proper techniques of singing and show you the different styles of  voice.

Everyone loves to sing! What singing experience did you enjoy most?