SONGS FOR MY DAUGHTER

Last week my daughter turned 15 and I feel a bit shocked, happy and super proud. There are so many qualities I admire about her, so many which I don’t possess and others that we share. One of the things that I am proud to say I helped instill in her is a strong connection to her African-American heritage. 

There was a time, not so long ago when I remember searching for animation movies and tv shows that featured a Black girl or boy as the protagonist. (This was pre Word Girl and Doc McStuffins). I scoured the internet, ordered DVDs from far off places and wound up vaguely satisfied. At least I was making an effort I thought. But truthfully I felt disappointed and defeated. I had to go out of my way to supplement my daughter’s world with positive images and narratives of Black women, men, people. If I had to go out of my way, that meant the world was still working against this reality.

Raising a biracial child of African-American and Austrian and Jewish backgrounds it became very clear to me that I would need to make a concerted effort to create positive images and conversations around African/African American culture/identity. I would need to talk to my daughter about race, about our traditions, our…Blackness so that it would be clear to her that there was a rich fabric that she was a part of and which held a path for her to weave her own way through. 

When I started writing Head Full Of Hair, Heart Full Of Song I began it both as a testimonial for myself and also as a remedy for my daughter and for what is often lacking in our mainstream culture. The culture that fortunately or unfortunately is partially raising and educating our kids...of all backgrounds. On the one hand Blackness is often upheld as the cool, funny or most badass way to be, while the wisdom, power, pleasure and pain of our cultural contributions are very often overlooked, undermined and degraded. 

I couldn’t allow the values beneath so many images on tv and in the media to have the final say with my daughter. Images that said white was better or more beautiful, images that said Black girls don’t get to achieve their dreams, Black girls are always the side kick, or Black girls don’t even have dreams of their own. 

I couldn’t let my daughter think that all the intellectual and artistic contributions that we should aspire to have their origins in Europe. There are, after all, countless traditions from farming methods to music to design to dance, literature, storytelling, cuisine and more that have their roots in African/African-American and Native American culture, quiet as it may be kept. One must be very careful, so as not to give the mistaken impression that Black and Indigenous people had nothing to do with the current world we live in.

So my solution was to create a songbook, a digital and analog experience, where I hoped she would envision herself in bigger ways. Ways that the mainstream culture might not encourage her to think possible. I created an album, installations and stories of her history and my history, hopefully leaving space for her to fill herself in. Head Full Of Hair, Heart Full Of Song is my sonic offering and reminder to my daughter and other young Brown and Black women that their talents, their interests, their beauty even their self doubts and fears deserve to be sung.

A NOTE...ABOUT PRACTICING

I just want to confess that I was not the kid who enjoyed practicing music. No, I was one of those teenagers (and I think it's bit more common) who only wanted to sing songs, make up melodies, day dream about lyrics and forget the warm ups! And this served me pretty well. By the time I was in high school I was performing around New York City with other high school musicians and we were playing clubs we couldn't even get into at our age! BUT a lot of the time I felt I was straining to sing and I didn't know how to make singing easier nor how to get through those trickier parts of my vocal range like my head register. 

I am mentioning this because I want you to know that when I tell you to practice along with your lesson recordings or to consider the way you are moving and the amount of force you are using (for those of you who are current students of mine), I want you to know that I have been there....I am there! I think it's actually pretty ironic that a huge portion of my work and life is spent teaching other people about HOW and when to practice:). But in all honesty IT’S MY JAM!!

However, that doesn't mean I haven't sat in practice rooms (very expensive ones!) and stared at the ceiling for HOURS! But I have to tell you the issue that I eventually discovered later on was that I didn't know HOW to practice and by that I mean I didn't know how to break things down and still get satisfying results. No one was giving me bitesize tips for success. I had to learn from the Alexander Technique.

Becoming an Alexander Technique teacher taught me how to break activities down. And tho it sounds simple I don't see it very often. In combination with Somatic Voicework, the LoVetri Method I learned how to hold space for myself and my students, to enjoy the space, to be patient, to wait much longer than the student might normally wait and take pleasure in what arises. It has also given me a way of accessing my voice like no other. And this approach has created countless voice breakthroughs for my students!...as well as for myself.

I have to tell you the challenges that come up in your music don’t just go away by singing your songs over and over the way I used  do in high school. They start to shift and move using consistent warm ups based on healthy singing for the body, vocal function and an ability to break things down and stay interested in the process. That way you can sing without stress or strain and have fun expressing yourself! So what do you say to practicing now? Make sure to schedule your voice lesson today so you can remember the ease of singing.

IS YOUR VOICE CALLING YOU

Do you ever feel like a miniature version of yourself is whispering ideas in your ear...or from deep inside of you? If you do, I get it! I feel the same way. To be honest most of the time I don't even feel like I can keep up with the creative ideas that come to me in a week! But there are a few ideas that continue to come to me so I know they are the ones I truly need to listen to. 

Years ago when I was a college student at Oberlin I remember feeling this way about music and dance. I was always zig zagging between the two looking for a way to integrate them with the kind of healthy technique that would allow me to write my own brand of authentic music. And then more recently I had this idea to make an album about natural hair and this summer it became a reality!! So trust me your voice is worth listening to. 

Whether your voice is calling you to start performing, recording an EP of your own originals or Jazz covers, writing a musical or your own lyrics, I support you! I also wonder along with that dream is there a part of you that just knows your voice is not up to snuff? You know you need your voice 

• to be in shape so you can deliver your music, writing, video, spoken word, etc in the best way. 

• to be strong and open so you can figure out how to translate what it is that you are imagining/hearing in your head.

This is really part of what calls me to mentor and teach voice technique and performance coaching. One of the things that is closest to my heart is being able to offer students of all backgrounds and experience a sacred place for you and your voice.

I know that it is overwhelming and a little bit terrifying too trying to figure out what steps to take to realize your music and performance goals but it really is possible. Your voice calling you is a reminder, as cliche as it sounds, that your voice truly matters.

In 2019 I am going to be offering several voice programs that will give you and your voice the time, tools and care to develop with strength, confidence and consistency. To find out more, send a message here

WHAT YOUR VOICE AND SINGING MIGHT BE MISSING

As an aspiring, emerging or even professional singer you probably feel pulled if not COMPELLED to share a huge piece of you…the whole of you really! You have a big feeling or a big vision, that you see in your mind and feel as you go through your day. While you are commuting to and from work or school, you are often carrying a creative vision in your heart and head. And it kind of gives you goose bumps but it also kind of makes you crazy too! But that’s because it’s big and you feel passionate about it. 

The thing is as much as you want it…this dream, this album, this performance, etc…you are also pretty terrified. There are the logistics. Like how are you going to pay for materials, the band, rent the studio or rehearsal space but also how are YOU going to stand up in front of a whole room of people, centerstage and sing or SPEAK with confidence? Eeeeek!

Well, believe it or not a huge piece of the puzzle actually comes from sensing, observing and mindfully moving your body/mind. But when did you ever find a process to help move through your anxiety while still allowing your voice to live and THRIVE? 

In my years of teaching and studying the Alexander Technique I have learned how immensely valuable it is to slow down and notice what is happening under the surface of our movement and expression. And in order to speak and perform more confidently you need a practice for unearthing what is going on and allowing it to MOVE THROUGH YOU.

This is where incorporating movement into my private voice lessons evolved from. Out of my desire to support singers in getting their unique voices and visions out into the world.  As you connect on a deeper level with your breath and body there is greater space for you to really get to know what you are feeling and not get stopped by things like performance anxiety and overthinking.

If you really want to sing your heart out, then you are going to need to get through your body to HEAR what your inner voice is saying and then actually MOVE that emotion through your system with sound. (Hint: This is where the killer vocal technique comes in). 

The Embodied Voice Program offers just that! 10 individually tailored lessons teaching you healthy vocal technique, body awareness, and performance feeling set so you can sing honestly and powerfully. Doesn’t sound too bad right? If you’re feeling all the feels reading this, then write here to find out more.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF AN EMPOWERED ARTIST PRACTICE

It occurred to me that if you're an artist, aspiring artist, or even a supporter of the arts, you might be curious as to what a day in the studio looks like for a performing artist like myself.

Maybe you're curious because you're interested in finding a deeper connection to yourself as an artistic person, or your study of music, or even just understanding your body so you can avoid being in pain or stressed, and feel more ease to express yourself more authentically and stand out as the unique person you are.

My commitment to all of the above is how this process that I call “being in the studio” has evolved and continues to evolve.

Last Saturday I had a concert therefore my studio time was directed towards preparing for that evening.

My goals were

1. to have my voice feel full and flexible so that it would be easy and FUN to sing my songs and express myself.

2. to feel connected to my body so that I was breathing easily and feeling centered within myself as well as centered on the message of the music. 

So on my studio day I woke up and started by going for a restorative practice to begin because my back was feeling tired. I was also feeling a bit groggy so I began by lying on the floor with my head supported on two books of course (a la Alexander Technique style:) and let my legs rest up the wall. I wanted to do this to allow both my back and back body to open so that again I could connect more easily to my goal #2. I stayed there for a long period of time (maybe 10 or so minutes) to let my body fully unwind and gradually wake up.

Then I allowed myself to go through two different postures, or shapes. One was with my lower legs in a butterfly pose but still along the wall. This was to find more openness in my hips but without loosing the connection to my lower back. People often don’t realize how loosing the connection to their lower back and entire back can greatly diminish one's ability to breathe deeply and move as freely. Second I let my legs lengthen up the wall into a split to allow my hips to continue to open with support. Then I lay down flat on my back with my knees bent and my legs parallel to one another to see what the experience was like for my entire back and torso paying close attention to what I noticed in my lower back.

The thing that I have to tell you which makes this first portion of my studio day particularly different is HOW I paid attention to myself. As a result of being an Alexander Technique teacher I REGULARLY CHECK IN WITH MYSELF. I notice the top of my spine seeing if any part of me wants to stiffen or hold in my neck. I also regularly check in with my front body and notice whether I can allow it to soften more towards the floor and also into length. I consider that I can always release more into my length physically and also spacially in the room and that I can release into my width physically and spacially as well.

Thinking in this way, moving mindfully, helps me to create a deeper connection to my breath and my body for singing onstage or in the studio. It helps me to see clearer when I am staring at the audience when I am performing and it helps me to connect to the space that I am performing in. It helps me to not breathe as shallow and also to have a relaxed, natural stage presence which is INVITING for an audience. It’s easier for me to connect with the audience and for the audience to connect with me because I’m not freezing up or overly tensing my body. If you want to learn more about how to use the Alexander Technique and awareness of your breath and body to improve your singing or music making or studio time, drop me a line. And feel free to share what your studio day normally looks like. You can tag me on social media @Pyengthreadgill.

To learn more about the next steps of my studio day make sure to read my upcoming blog.

SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF YOUR VOICE

Sometimes there is a moment when you are singing in the shower or in the car when you feel the magic. That magic potential of your voice. Usually no one is around:). So you can’t really prove that this happened but you know it did because you felt it. It’s kind of like the feeling you feel when you watch an amazing singer perform live or on some voice competition show. Your heart gets all buzzed, you start to feel hot, or cry or get goose bumps. But most of the time you may feel like you are just searching for your voice, searching in the dark. It would be nice if you could feel that powerful connection that professional singers seem to have and make look so easy. But the truth is you just don’t feel it. Even in your everyday speech it can be difficult to stand out and communicate what you really want to express.

I remember years ago when singing felt like a mystery to me  (And I love mysteries don’t get me wrong. It’s part of what I love about teaching voice and the Alexander Technique. But I also love SOLVING my own mysteries). Even tho I have been singing and performing since I was 3 years old, singing was a mystery to me at one time too. But just so you know your voice does not have to be a mystery. Finding freedom in your singing, in your breath, in your movement is actually achievable. Right now you may sing along to your favorite songs but the feeling or desire in your body is stronger than the actual sound of your voice. You want that song but your voice is not delivering it the way you want to. If you are honest, you kind of cringe to hear the sound of your own voice on your outgoing message.

I swear singing can be WAY better than that. It can feel good. It can sound good. It can literally be therapeutic to just do vocal warm ups!.. let alone sing an actual song that you love. But you need an experienced teacher to guide you along the way to finding your voice. And you if you want lasting results, then you are going to want reminders and ways to connect with your body along the way. You want to be willing to invest in the process because it is going to give back to you enormously! Music is truly the gift that keeps on giving….for a lifetime. It grows and grows… and grows. To find your voice with all the honesty, confidence, fullness and body that you seek, reach out here.

VERSATILITY, OR THE NEED FOR TRUE SELF-EXPRESSION

When I talk to new voice students one of the first things that I mention is my desire to offer students the ability to have the most versatility with their sound and voices. I don’t know how often other voice coaches talk about this…versatility. But for me it is one of the top aims besides students feeling their voices are healthy and free ( i.e. “feeling good” as Nina Simone sang:). And by good I mean that I want students to be injury free and able to connect with themselves on a whole body, emotional and energetic level. As a result hopefully, if they weren’t already, they will be loving their sound and the experience of making music.

So as much as I care about vocal technique and musicianship building, I also care deeply about self expression. Most of what truly touches us in music is the expression of a person’s spirit and that happens best when the throat/neck/body is not forcing or overworking.

For most of us self self-expression can be quite a varied thing..which is why being an artist (if that is something you seek) or fully expressing yourself can be sooo interesting.

Some days you may feel like kicking and screaming, you may need to get your Punk Rock on, other days you may want to soothe yourself, so a Jazzer’s croon or Bossa Nova may be your medicine of choice, and other days you might just long for spacial and physical connection through sound with no set melody at all. On those days free improvisation could meet your need. And THAT is why learning to sing can be so freakin fun! You can have access to ALL of those things and more. You can find musical and emotional expression through singing and hopefully even surprise yourself with what you thought your voice was capable of!

So how do you strive for true self-expression in your art or in your singing? If you are looking for more versatility and more fulfilling expression in your voice practice or music, let me know. Drop me a line to find out more about voice coaching lessons.

THE POWER OF YOUR VOICE, THE POWER OF YOU

There is great power in your voice, in your words, your vocal tone and inflection as well as your intention and ownership of that intention. It can be a lot to fully own all the parts of this thing called your voice. Maybe if you were a loud/outspoken/goofy child you allowed your voice to ring out and enjoyed the pleasure of that expression and perhaps attention. Or if you were a quiet/observant child the expression of your voice might have come through sharing your feelings one on on, dancing, drawing, being close to animals or writing. Sometimes you may feel the power of your voice for long stretches of time, other times it comes in and out like radio waves in a static filled area. Sometimes you are fully present to your power in one area of your life...and in another you feel totally powerless. The Empowered & Embodied Voice Program uses movement and body awareness, breath and sound exploration as well as writing and the sequencing of these modes of expression and awareness to help you better tune into the power of your voice. 

The Empowered & Embodied Voice Program is a 10 session program experienced over 4 months built to give you an understanding and skills to sing as well as tools to connect more deeply with your breath, body and even emotions while singing. So that you can access greater confidence and genuine expression on and offstage. In addition to vocal and movement exercises and explorations I offer reflections and support by connecting your self-observations to make discoveries more concrete and quicker to absorb. This program is open to beginning and professional singers. If you or someone you know would like to know more about the Empowered & Embodied Voice Program, please contact me here. Also, if you are wondering whether this program is for you, send an email so we can set up a phone call to discuss what would be best for you and your voice.

NEW PORCH MUSIC: A NEW KIND OF ALBUM

Photo: Aria Isadora, design: Luisa Muhr

When I was a young child I had all kinds of stories, ideas, and dreams that were continuously whirling through my head. If I could have been a professional daydreamer I tell you I would have. Probably because the majority of the adults around me were also whirling with songs, words and dance so I didn’t think to censor the melodies that started to make their way from my heart, to my head, to my mouth. Sometimes I think that all we are after is to hear the song that our heart is singing. As much of a vocal technique geek as I am (and I am) my interest in vocal technique has always been in service of expression. How can I best help someone to say all that they have to say without restriction? 

Completing a project like “Head Full OF Hair, Heart Full Of Song” has been a journey on very new land. The changes in my writing and sound were unexpected and somewhat scary. I couldn’t define my artistic impulses and I wanted to separate them, file them in another creative box. But the more I listened to the message of the album reminding me of the importance of Black women's legacies I started to resist less and enjoy my impulses more and more. Soon I realized that I had been leaving myself a trail of creative crumbs that were just waiting for me to pick them up. Even more I had a band of musicians ready to play them! Did I worry about how things would come together? Of course. Do I worry whether the album will find it’s desired audience/whether an audience will find it’s desired album? Yes…but I also know regardless of how things play out I had to let these stories make their way from my heart, to my head, to my mouth to someone’s ear.

If you get what I am writing about at all and you are looking for a new kind of album. One that is both song and theater, hair-story and her-story, community and connection, I hope you will come out to the record release party next Tuesday, July 17th and receive your copy of “Head Full Of Hair, Heart Full Of Song”. Tickets are right this way.

HEARING YOUR INNER VOICE, FREEING YOUR OUTER VOICE

“There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.”
 - Rumi

When I say to people that I love music I mean music rushes through me like a river re-soaks dry land. I can feel my legs, my stomach, my fingers, my throat and my thoughts get quiet. Ahh:) What a relief. But there were and sometimes still are instances when this isn’t the case. I don’t normally talk about it but 5 or more years ago I started to become deeply interested in performance anxiety, performance stress and any other type of jitters. At the time I found that most of the writing was and continues to be focused on athletes as opposed to artists. But as we all know artists have a historical and even mythological reputation for mistreating their performance nervousness.  I wanted to know how other people negotiated the negative voices in their head with the desires in their heart…or their inner voice with their outer voice. 

I was performing a fair amount and noticed that the transition from the role of mother/wife to the role of bandleader/performer/vocalist was…stressing me out. I wasn’t proud of it but that was the truth. I needed more time to let the responsibilities of one role go and changeover into the duties of another. There was almost a feeling of radio static that would build in my head before each show. “Would there be enough people in the audience for me to pay the band?”, “Did I make enough set lists?”, “Did I have enough music prepared?” and so on. Not to mention the more specific self critiques like “I sound too nasal there”, “I’m still messing up that one note” and “why did I pick this outfit?” Thankfully I had several decades of performance experience to keep me hoofin’ even when I felt shaky. But I wanted something more reliable, something that could make me feel more self assured. 

Eventually my investigations lead me down a new path. A path that focused on enjoyment. Imagine that:) Through writing and my skills in awareness from the Alexander Technique I began to practice redirecting my attention to the pleasure of music as well as my performance strengths. This helped me to hear my inner voices (which included my inner critic but wasn’t limited to negative criticism) and the music without getting knocked over by what my inner critic had to say.

I speak to so many people (professional performers and non performers alike) who tell me that they can’t get out of their heads. I totally know what that feels like and yet personal experience  and exploration has taught me that there are practices available to strengthen not only your outside voice but your inner voice as well. I believe we need both to feel the fullness of what music and art have to offer. Are you feeling any of this? I would love to talk with you. Leave a comment, send an email, "DM me" or even better schedule a lesson. 'Til soon:).

FULL MOON AND EVERYTHAANG!…

Well, here we are sitting between Dia De Los Muertos, a Full moon and everythaang. I don’t know about you but I am feeling it. Like all kinds of “feelings nothing more than feelings…” Tomorrow, November 4th, is the official full moon and also the anniversary of my Great Grandma Pierce’s birthday. I wanted to send her an electronic, cosmic, 98.7-Kiss-FM shout out because where would we be without these markers/reminders of our predecessors? A pause in the flurry of to-do lists and work emails and bills to pay and meals to prep. Each day that passes I consider more and more what my ancestors lived through and how each generation knowingly or unknowingly created a wider possibility for us. 

Like many of the women in my fathers family there is no shortage of Scorpios. My maternal Grandma Lillian, my great Aunt Marjorie, my younger sister and myself all have birthdays in the month of November. But one hundred and seventeen years ago Gertrude Pierce came to this planet with her sweetness, tempestuousness and grace. My Grandma Pierce, my father’s maternal Grandmother, had an amazing face. The kind you wanted to reach out and touch. Smooth chocolate with wrinkles that seemed to rise up or down depending on the current of her mood. Grandma Pierce bore 10 children, 1 of whom died as infant. My Grandma Lillian said she remembered being a child and seeing her mother take the news, falling to the floor in shock and grief. But like most of us Grandma Pierce found a way to place one foot in front of the next. She had 5 girls with five heads of hair to do ( plus her own), bread to bake, meals to cook ( although I am told her husband, Grandpa Luther, did do a share of the cooking) and a house to clean. In the Spring she would actually hand wash the mattresses throughout the house and let them air outdoors. Yet this lovely woman was not someone to contend with. Stories are still told about the expanse of her temper. If anyone or anything upset Grandma Pierce, then EVERYONE would feel the effects! Whether or not you were responsible it was in your own best interest to find the nearest exit. 

But when I came along with my power puffs and bubbling New York chatter my Grandma was a slower moving woman, with bowed legs and eventually a metal walker that she dragged around from the kitchen, to the front window, to the dining room. Wearing floral printed house skirts and often a scarf tied on her head, she would smile when I arrived and insist on me giving her some ‘suga’.  (Being part of a large, extended family I was quite accustomed to giving and receiving myriad hugs and kisses from various family members I did and did not recognize). Yet for all her sweetness it didn’t take much for me to irritate Grandma with my hopping and skipping about upstairs at Grandma Lillian’s apartment. I would regularly receive a message through my great Aunt Marjorie or Grandma saying Grandma Pierce wanted to know what I was doing and to “quiet down.” Of course my 6, 7...10 year old self couldn’t understand what she could possibly be hearing. I was just walking down the stairs. 

I liked sitting at Grandma Pierce’s metaphorical feet, her dining or kitchen table, and feeling the unconditional warmth of her years and years of love in the air. She did not tell family stories like Grandma Lillian, nor read to me. We rarely went on family trips together unless it was perhaps a special family reunion or a program at church. Mainly the wisdom that she gave came in-between nods and glances, smiles and the look upon her face when waking suddenly from a midday nap. Sitting in her armchair or at the dining table I had a perfect view of my family’s story and the rumble as well the roar to their thunder.

BEING AN ARTIST: PART 2

I was recently chatting with a friend of mine about the butterflies in my stomach that songwriting sometimes produces…or rather the terror that I sometimes experience from songwriting. Maybe you too are an artist or creative type and can relate. Most times when I sit at the piano playing and singing my own words it is like the surrender of falling into a perfectly drawn warm, bathtub or Caribbean ocean. I'm unable to distinguish the difference between myself and the air around me because everything is one. There is a relief and satisfaction in being “back home”, back in the bigger me. Yes, being a vocalist/songwriter truly feeds me. But often the process of songwriting is touch and go.

Songwriting is more like a car that starts to zoom forward and then putters and spits in place, then moves an inch, then stops again. Sometimes one song can take so long I really do question why I call myself a songwriter. (Yes, this happened many times with “Head Full of Hair, Heart Full of Song"). And to make matters worse sometimes there is this terror…like a horrible itch inside my stomach as my mind buzzes like a cloud of gnats above me. “Will this work?", " Do I keep going on this path?" or "Should I steer the car around and make sure I arrive somewhere safely?…If I keep going, I may not remember where I started….” and every other version of this self questioning. All the while, I’m alone in the vehicle, trying to make sure to record the progress of my trip and it's direction.

Now, I know you are thinking “Well, why don’t you invite someone along?...Duh!" Yes, I could do that. Many songwriters have a writing partner for just this reason. Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Rogers and Hammerstein, Sia and that piano player who's name I don't know right now. Many famous writing teams of the past and present have shared this songwriting journey probably to avoid some of the pitfalls I have just described. But for some reason I kind of enjoy being on this part of the trip alone. I like hearing what melodies, syllables, rhythms and broken phrases I am feeling at a given time. Knowing there will be other ways along the drive or hike where I can connect with beating hearts and minds. The time when I get to connect with musicians in my band or share an idea with another songwriter/musician is like the reward of fresh, juice bursting in your mouth after finding the fruit you picked was in fact ripe.

Over the past two months I started a monthly workshop for singer/songwriters to shed, share, strengthen and gather feedback for more future song whispering.
Our most recent meeting was this past Saturday, October 21st and we dug even deeper this time discovering reliable anchors for our upcoming creative pursuits. If you are interested in joining a supportive group to strengthen your voice, mindset and performance skills in a holistic way, let me know. We will be meeting again in December. So stay tuned..

BEING AN ARTIST

“The voice is one of the only instruments that we build and learn how to play at the same time...” 

- Alan Goodrich

Being an artist, particularly a vocalist, is like being both the sculpture and the sculptor. It is aggravating and fascinating. It seems the more in tune you become with your instrument, the more awareness you have of just how sensitive and powerful the voice/body connection is. Perhaps you realize how sensitive you are to a certain food, drink, the workout you did or didn’t do, that careless thing someone said just as you were going onstage and the resulting physical/emotional contraction that showed up in your body. You may also find it endlessly interesting how that vocal warm up-Alexander Technique-Yoga-acupuncture-session you just had allowed you to nail the bridge on your newest song. 

As a vocalist you are constantly hearing and seeing from the outside yet wanting to understand more and more how your instrument, or mechanism, is controlled from the inside.  And if you have streaming musical ideas that don’t entirely stand up to your vocal abilities, then you might be like I was many years ago and need a voice coach and method with an intuitive and technical approach. 

Part of what I discovered some 13 or so years ago is that there is the music (the painting, dance, what-have-you) and then there is the making of you and your voice. How you care for your instrument…when you water it, give it sunlight, change the potting, etc…that stuff matters. Voice training, I like to say, is like “personal training for singers.” And there are A LOT of trainers nowadays. However, sometimes trainers/singers can be too focused on exterior sounds and forget that the best results (in my humble opinion) come from developing your voice from the inside out. It is one part of the process of being an artist which I have committed myself to (nearly daily) and as a result I am pretty good at it…and by that I mean I am good at inquiring and good at keeping a consistent practice. I sound pretty good as well but my focus is most often on HOW I am going about making a sound and I LOVE sharing this shift in focus with committed beginners and professionals alike.

You can make good improvements working from the outside of the voice in. For example you may be able to get through songs and have standard exercises but they are not tailored to your specific voice and habits. As a result you will wind up straining or sometimes feeling fatigued/hoarse after singing. You may also have a few cues for your posture or performance but this doesn’t fully help you with your breathing nor speak to the story you are singing or who YOU are as an artist and why you care about this song. But when you develop your voice in a holistic way, you can make great improvements all around. Singing actually feels easier and you learn to enjoy not just the product but the process. 

I love singing (in case you couldn't tell:). I always have and I truly believe in the power of music to make people and our lives better. If you are the same or even feel some part of what I am writing about, I would be curious to hear it in your own words. Drop me a line, leave a comment, give me a call…a new way of building your artistry and our world awaits.

GIRLS ARE HERE TO SAVE YOU NOW!

Oftentimes when I first meet people and they find out that I was born in New York they say things like “Wow! You’re a real New Yorker!" And when they find out that not one, but both of my parents are artists they usually ask “What was it like growing up downtown in the 80's?” or “What was it like having Henry Threadgill as your father?...” Well, I can tell you that when I was young my father was often on the road creating a name for his trio AIR. My mom was working with other downtown dancers/choreographers and handling the many responsibilities of mother, chef and homemaker. In order to get some of this done she would sit a tape recorder on the floor for me (age 4) to make up songs with. One of my big hits was entitled “Drums Are Here To Save You Now!” The exclamation point really deserves to be there because that's how I would sing it. “Drums are here to save you now Oh Oh Ooooooooh!”

My mother was and still is all about dreams. Anyone who has met her knows this to be true. She was the original fan to my creative flame and improvisation was my second language. But it wasn’t just my second language it was the language my parents and their friends spoke fluently. Clearly this is the case since even my name was made up. But not only did my dad make up my name, my mother was right there with him choosing it’s meaning“of the air." So you see from a young age my parents taught me that creating ourselves was possible and even necessary. 

For instance I learned that you can rename yourself as an adult. During my childhood my mother changed her name from Christine to “Rrata”inspired by Ra, the Egyptian God of the sun. My father invented an instrument made from hubcaps called the “Hubcaphone” in which he colored his body paint and would play a standing structure of various mounted hubcaps. So that the playing of the instrument along with the body art and movement all became part of a larger performance experience. I think all artists but especially Black artists, especially women and disenfranchised peoples have realized that recreating ourselves is of the utmost importance to our reclamation, self love and renewal. 

In researching traditions around natural hair/hairstyles in general as well as adornment throughout the African Diaspora I have noticed how this idea of self creation through decoration becomes spiritual/political. From the masks of Benin to Sun Ra to Fela, from Billie Holiday to Grace Jones and Erykah Badu costume goes deeper than make up, it's about making a space for personal and collective transformation. For young women and girls of African descent there is an overwhelming "whisper" to look like as close to a White, thin, blond, straight hair version of oneself as possible. It is afterall what has been historically most rewarded both onscreen and offscreen...even if it isn’t a European American woman modeling the look. Head Full of Hair is my way of exploring and carving a larger space to celebrate inner and outer African beauty and the wisdom therein. Micheala Davis refers to this celebration of Afrocentered images as "image activism." It should go without saying that all features and forms are beautiful but how often do we see African features celebrated instead of exploited? Alicia Keys "no make up" movement feels like a natural outcry/response to this inner confusion. 

Who can we make ourselves into if we use natural ingredients such as our hair, color, make up (if we want to), objects from nature, permanent or temporary tattoos and most importantly our imagination? How do we get to own ourselves in a different way when we name our ancestors and their stories? My hope is that more young women will feel more beautiful more of the time. Why? Because I think that will make more women of African descent want to be seen and heard for who they really are. I hope more young women will value being vulnerable as much as being strong. I hope that they will value their own achievements as well as their personal characteristics as well as their looks. In essence I want young women to remember that part of themselves that feels glorious. That same place inside of me that belted “Drums are here to save you now!” with complete gusto and joy. 

THE STORY OF SINGING

Ever since I was a little girl, I loved to sing. Back in the days when my mom worked at the Tompkins Square Library curating art shows I can remember singing to myself just for pleasure. Whenever a delicious meal was made I unknowingly would start humming at the table. In middle and high school I took this passion further and joined forces with friends and started writing, recording and even competing in band competitions.  Although there were times when I felt frustrated with my voice, I didn't let it stop me from performing.

By the time I graduated from college I knew that I wanted to stick with singing and that I wanted to learn more about vocal technique. To satisfy these goals I started reading and taking notes on a book I found called The Voice Book and began a biweekly gig at a downtown cafe that lasted three years. It was just me and a man named Dana Leong on cello and sometimes only one or two customers but I was free to choose any style of music I felt called me. Over time I was fortunate enough to garner a record deal and eventually cultivate an amazing band as well as a specific way of working that we all truly cherished.

The only downside was that I still hadn't grasped a full understanding of how to "work " or control my voice. During winter when colds and flus are high I would get sick only at the end of my cold I would loose my voice. Sadly, this became a regular occurrence regardless of the season. Sore throat concoctions and vocal rest became an obsession! I would chart the fluctuations of my voice just to see if I could find any patterns to help me undo this affliction. Eventually I gravitated toward the Alexander Technique. Thank goodness! This new way of taking time to release tension throughout my body became appealing. It helped relax my mind and using less tension felt good! Who knew? There was also a side benefit. Being aware of my breath and body gave me a sense of ease as the mother of a wee one. But I still needed to find a voice teacher. I was looking for a way to fully express my musical impulses but I kept running up against a wall.  

The year I recorded my last album I hit a huge roadblock when I decided to sing at a club downtown. There was no monitor and I had to push to hear myself in the PA system. Plus I was at the end of another head cold. As a result my slightly raspy voice lingered for months! That was when I knew that I had to get on a new training program. Ugh! I had a European tour with my band that summer and a new record to record and I was stressed stressed stressed because I wasn't able to sing how I wanted. Basic vocal exercises felt uncomfortable. I was trying to save face for my band. Not to mention I had a 4 year old who was a ball of energy who also needed me. All of this was a bit draining and emotionally overwhelming. 

It took several months of committed retraining in Somatic Voicework but I never looked back. I saw how in sync the Alexander Technique was with SVW. Although I felt challenged in my singing, I was an A student when it came to going gradually and being an observer of my habits. Within Somatic Voicework I could make all kinds of sounds (even if they didn't sound great) that focused on feeling vocally comfortable. As a result my range expanded. I also realized even tho I had been singing my whole life I really hadn't analyzed what it was that I was doing and whether it was helping or harming me. I just went for the creative impulse without seeing how I could make things feel better and still be just as powerful. 

And that my friends is when my true love and fascination with vocal technique and performance began. How do singers keep their voices healthy? What is it that creates a moving song? How am I able to push my vocal limits just so and still not crash and burn? How do other singers marry thought provoking lyrics, beautiful melodies and tough grooves together to leave me a changed person? And who is nurturing a child/several children? And who is still making certain to leave space to love themselves? This is part of what I consider being an empowered artist. If you are curious like me, please send a comment.

SONG WHISPERING

...other songs tho, he [had] to work hard for like digging potatoes out of the ground..."

- Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic

I don’t know about you but the ebb and flow of being an artist, voice coach, wife and mother can feel very...elusive. It's as if I am skating on thin ice and trying to make it to every section of the lake before it all melts. This seems particularly true when I am trying to reconnect with a songwriting routine. While it is possible to sit with other artists and co-write, at this stage I prefer to be alone unearthing material from inside me. 

However, after a very full new year and election (AHH!) it has taken time for my mind to settle and the creative visibility to clear. An average writing day for me is a part meditative, part singing, part writing, part dancing/humming/piano playing/foot tapping, dish washing, bed-making experience. Sounds like some avant garde theater show right? 

The latest song I've been catching is called "Kwa-Fyoor" the phonetic spelling of the French word “coiffure” (meaning an elaborate hairstyle). I hope to include this piece on my upcoming album "Head Full of Hair, Heart Full of Song". The most frustrating part about this song is that I have 3 different potential melodies I could journey on but I don’t know that any of them are the right fit. And this is where I get to wondering, "is that really for me to decide?" Similar to life I don’t know if it's really my business to know (or control) this now. It would probably be better to go ahead on this path and discover what the music wants to be. A jingle, a interlude, a suite or nothing at all. Something poignant, something light. The answer is most likely closer than I think...if only I would let myself loosen the reigns a little. Do you ever have this problem with securing your sonic catch? If so, do tell. Until next time, "we are all in the band".

Peace, love and green juice.