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The Elite Singer Of The 21st Century: Innovation And New Tools For Training

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THE GRAMMYs
MusiCares
Jun 21, 2017 - 8:20 am

Life has evolved to the point where digital downloads and updates are a daily essential if we want to be faster and more productive. Science is advancing the ways we eat, exercise and socialize so that we can be stronger and live longer. Why is it then, with so much progress, the way we train singers has come to a standstill?

In a nutshell, the vocal mechanism is similar to outer space. There is so much we know about it and so much more that still remains a mystery. Now, in the 21st century, there is a need for experts from different disciplines to work together in order to create innovative practices and procedures for the elite singer of today.

For example, laryngeal surgeon Dr. Steven Zeitels, who lectured at the 2012 Future Now Grammy event in Los Angeles, is continuing cutting edge research with the support of some legendary singers. Dr. Zeitels explains why analyzing a high performance singer, like Steven Tyler, is analogous to working with a high performance or Olympic level athlete; and how it helps us better understand, “what happens in the midst of a high performance concert.” Watch National Geographic’s excerpt from “Incredible Human Machine” (featuring Steven Tyler and Dr. S. Zeitels).

Singing is an athletic event because it involves entire body systems (i.e. neuromusculoskeletal). With millions of dollars spent every year in sports science research, it only seems fitting that we should also be able to identify and use valuable information that is specific to voice performance. If singers are like athletes, then the question is: as singers, how can we use information gained from cutting edge interdisciplinary research to advance our training?

The vocal folds are so tiny they are essentially the size of your thumbnail (“Incredible Human Machine”). So, how can you train that small entity to be the powerhouse and power source for voice performance? In short, you can’t! Instead of focusing on the little vocal folds to train the big muscles related to singing, we can now train the big muscles with specific neuromuscular recruitment patterns (i.e. muscle contraction sequences) to target and improve performance of muscles like the transversus abdominis for improved voice performance as well.

Historically, singers have been afraid to ‘push the boundaries’ of singing, because of fear of injury. When the pressure is on, some singers resort to audio/computer technology to support them for improved power and/or quality of sound. However, through the use of new tools based on scientific evidence that focus on increasing voice-core strength and conditioning, singers can be more powerful and have greater stamina, without being fearful of overuse injury.

As a sports-specific strength and conditioning Pilates2Voice® practitioner, I regularly collaborate and confer with laryngologists, vocal coaches and other music industry professionals, while also staying current with sports science research, certifications and continuing education from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA).

I often ask myself after years of study, practice and developing the Pilates2Voice® technique: what is the benefit to having music, science and sports related degrees or certifications, and professional performance experience?

It doesn’t take a Doctorate degree to teach or train singers and athletes, but it does take an advanced education to understand complex theories, and to figure out how to “KEEP IT SIMPLE.”

 

The Practice and Regimen: Simple Steps

Singers should have similar regimens for strength and conditioning like that of a high performance athlete. Exercises performed for improving athletic performance of the voice and the core simultaneously should be customized so that one can monitor (target goals) and measure (repetitions). Workouts should be progressed by increasing resistance and/or repetitions to create a training regimen similar to those of elite athletes. Initial training should involve diagnostic and instructional sessions and continue with feedback and facilitation from the practitioner/coach, until the final stage where the client becomes independent.

 

“All body shapes and sizes can have expert level Core Strength.”

 

The artist PINK took singing to a whole new level with her aerial-singing performances. I am grateful for her vision, because it led to my discovery of the extent I could train singers. As a soprano and performing artist myself, I’ve enjoyed exploring the new discipline of aerial-singing (harness & wire). Extreme singing is not for everyone, but it’s empowering to know what it takes to do it! You don’t have to aspire to become an aerial-singer to benefit from the new cutting edge strength and conditioning techniques. However, you do have to commit to something with an Olympic level of discipline in order to fully realize its potential.

 

Pilates2Voice®: A Summary of Benefits

• Improved vocal power and stamina

• Improved breath management and breath control

• Improved posture and performance body

• Increased vocal range - both lower and higher

• Improved core stability and balance

• Improved core strength and conditioning

• Improved confidence and reduced performance anxiety

• Improved overall athletic performance of the voice-core connection™ & prevention of overuse injury

*All diagnostic and instructional sessions must be performed and facilitated by a Pilates2Voice® Practitioner

 

Performance Tips based on Pilates2Voice® Principles:

  • Try this Tip for posture and performance body: Don’t roll to the outside of your feet, but rather grab the floor gently with your toes while you are singing.
  • Find out why you shouldn’t chew gum at least 48 hours before a performance.
  • Learn why physical warm-ups utilizing energized breathing should be used before a vocal warm up.
  • Learn strategies for better concentration, like keeping your eyes open and focused, especially when learning new songs.
  • Find out why you shouldn’t push the belly out when you initially breathe in or when you sing (i.e.exhale).
  • Learn why traditional Pilates is not recommended for improving voice performance.
  • Discover why maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle with good nutrition and physical rest needs to be part of your regimen.

Whether your aspiration is to be on the world stage or to just sing better in the shower, continue training as an ELITE SINGER by learning Pilates2Voice® exercises like The Dorothy™, Bubble-Nose-to-Mouth-Breath-IN™, and Anchor the Armor™.

Join Dr. Veera Asher on April 16th for a MusiCares World Voice Day Event at The Recording Academy in Los Angeles.

 

Dr. Veera Asher is the creator of Pilates2Voice®. She is currently working with clients to enhance voice performance, athletic performance, create new aerial-singers, and reeducate for prevention of overuse injury. She works in collaboration with medical professionals. Dr. Asher is a Provider for MusiCares.

Please visit www.pilates2voice.com for more information and testimonials.

© 2013 Dr. Veera Asher

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Music Business & Family: Fatherhood & Music Dives Deep Into Balancing Kids, Career & A Pandemic

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Six working dads dive deep into the joys and challenges of fatherhood, balancing career and childcare responsibilities with a partner
Ana Monroy Yglesias
Membership
Nov 12, 2020 - 12:53 pm

The Music Business & Family: Fatherhood & Music panel recently brought together music professionals navigating fatherhood during the pandemic for an insightful, honest conversation about balancing life as a working father in the music industry. 

The heartfelt virtual discussion, moderated by Fake Shore Drive music blog creator Andrew Barber, featured five fellow awesome dads: clinical psychologist Dr. James Ballard III, Ph.D., producer/multi-instrumentalist and Co-Founder of BASSic Black Entertainment Adam Blackstone, Chicago rapper and mental health advocate G Herbo, songwriter/producer Billy Mann, and DMV rapper/producer Oddisee. The panel was presented by the Recording Academy's Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia Chapters, in partnership with MusiCares,

Watch Music Business & Family: Fatherhood & Music

Related: Watch: Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music Brings Together Powerhouse Moms Working In Music

The panelists dove deep into the joys and challenges of fatherhood, balancing career and childcare responsibilities with their partner, and how much more work quarantine has left them all with. Watch the full conversation above. 

The conversation is part of a two-part series, preceded by Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music.

G Herbo Talks 'PTSD' And The Importance Of Mental Health: "People Need To Treat Mental Health More Seriously"

Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music
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Watch: Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music Brings Together Powerhouse Moms Working In Music

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"You know what's the most revolutionary thing we can do during all of this? We can be joyful," MusiCares-affiliated therapist Robin Hornstein shared during the poignant conversation
Ana Monroy Yglesias
Membership
Nov 5, 2020 - 12:14 pm

Presented by the Recording Academy's Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia Chapters, in partnership with MusiCares, Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music brought together seven superwomen to talk about balancing life as a working mom. 

The lively virtual conversation (watch in full below), moderated by GRAMMY-winning singer-songwriter Melanie Fiona, featured five working moms in music: singer, educator and music publisher Kaisha Blackstone, pianist of GRAMMY-winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird Lisa Kaplan, GRAMMY-nominated soul/R&B artist Maysa, GRAMMY-nominated Ethiopian-born singer-songwriter Wayna and President/Chief Creative Officer of one77 Music publishing Jennifer Blakeman. MusiCares-affiliated therapist Robin Hornstein, who is also a mother, joined the insightful, honest chat as well.

Watch Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music

More Industry Insights: 'Tour Stop(ped)' But The Show Must Go On: Laura Jane Grace, Lzzy Hale & More

They got real on topics including self-care, balancing priorities, thriving as a single mother, setting boundaries and keeping your family healthy during a pandemic.

"You know what's the most revolutionary thing we can do during all of this? We can be joyful. Even just in little moments during the day," Hornstein shared.

To learn more about MusiCares and how they support the music community in times of need, visit their website here. To learn more about the Recording Academy's 14 Chapters, go here.

Grimes' Non-Violent Utopia

GRAMMYs
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MusiCares Launches New, First-Of-Its Kind Wellness In Music Survey

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This new annual commitment will assess the music community’s mental health and wellness to better inform MusiCares of the needs facing their clients
MusiCares
Oct 10, 2020 - 9:00 am

As we settle into month seven of the global pandemic, MusiCares is asking music professionals with 5+ years of experience to share their honest realities, especially as it relates to their overall mental and physical health and wellness. The survey will be live from Oct. 10, which is also #WorldMentalHealthDay, to Nov. 9, 2020. 

When the pandemic swept the nation in March, MusiCares established MusiCares COVID-19 Relief to help music people impacted by the pandemic and facing crisis due to loss of work, medical diagnosis, threat of eviction, and other personal emergencies.  The relief efforts have helped more than 19,000 music industry artists and professionals - making this the most recipients assisted  for any single relief effort in MusiCares’ history.

This new, first-of-its-kind survey is an extension of the relief response to better understand the health and wellness of the music community after many months in a pandemic, and on the long-term, to monitor trends and go deeper in their service.  

The survey results will be released in early 2021.

Inside VAULT Productions' Real-Time Doc On Electronic Music's Evolution During The Pandemic

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Photo: Tamara Palmer

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How To Use Music Techniques To Prepare Healthy Food

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Sample, remix and make your meals sing with flavor while doing your body good with these music production-inspired ideas
Tamara Palmer
MusiCares
May 13, 2020 - 2:00 pm

Food has been a popular theme in music throughout the ages. From countless songs from the '50s pop classic “Blueberry Hill” to DNCE's hit “Cake by the Ocean” and artists from Meat Loaf to Black Eyed Peas, there’s long been much crossover between the two worlds. In fact, GRAMMY-winning recording artists Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight and Trisha Yearwood are among the music stars who have come to prominence as cookbook authors.

If you weren’t much of a home chef before a pandemic forced many people into their kitchens to figure out how to keep themselves alive, you may be finding your cooking to be a bit dull, flat or monotone — especially if you’re working with a limited budget for food. You may already know that playing music that moves you while you’re cooking can make the whole culinary experience more fun, but actually channeling music techniques in the kitchen can lead to healthier and more flavorful results. Here’s how:

Assemble Your Ensemble

The vibe of a band has everything to do with its players. The same is true when you gather ingredients for your next edible masterpiece. Think of long shelf life pantry staples such as beans, rice and pasta and spices like turmeric, cumin, and chili powder as main instruments in your supper club’s house band. If you’ve got a solid spice cabinet and pantry as anchors, you can make even a solitary potato or other fresh produce guest stars that come and go into real treats.

Set the Tempo

Do you want to be the kind of chef who blazes in and out of the kitchen, making a quick bite at the pace of a banging techno track, or do you want to spend hours cooking up a slow, loving ballad that will last a while? Perhaps you want to do both, depending on the day. Every tempo is valid and can yield strong results. Try this: take that song you can't get out of your head and let it set the tempo for your next culinary creation.

 

Build a Sample Bank

If your goal is to cook in an economical way, but you don’t want to eat the same dish over and over, consider taking a few hours once or twice a week to cook up big batches of dishes such as soups, sauces and roasted, baked or stir-fried vegetables along with a pot of beans, rice or pasta that can all be portioned out in the refrigerator or freezer. All of these individual components can be made simultaneously and used later as a sample bank of sorts that you can combine in different ways to keep your palate feeling fresh.

Consider Song Structure

Just as a great song might have a hooky bassline, an unforgettable melody, sweet harmonies and a propulsive rhythm, your best savory dishes are likely to have a consistent structure that incorporates a balance such as chef Samin Nosrat’s avowed salt, fat, acid and heat.

"Just four basic elements can make or break a dish," Nosrat says "The more I travel and taste's the different cuisines of the world, the more I realize that good cooking is universal... be thoughtful, be curious. Good cooking is within reach for everyone."

 

Cover and Rearrange

Songwriters stand on the shoulders of giants when they put their influences to work on a new tune or create their own rendition of an old favorite. You can do this in the kitchen, too. Take a look at recipes online to get ideas on what to make with what you have, but feel free to deviate from the recipe in the same way that you might rearrange a classic song that you’d like to cover.

In other words, if you want to drop the beets from a beet salad recipe that has other accompaniments that you have — say, walnuts and goat cheese — go right ahead! Only you (and maybe those in your immediate household) will taste the symphony of your new creation, and every note is up to you.

Invent the Kitchen Remix

Cravings for rich, fatty foods can be all consuming (cake, cake, cake), but you don’t have to succumb all the way as long as you know how to remix your treats — perhaps it’s as simple cutting back the sugar in a comforting dessert recipe or sprinkling a little less cheese powder on your instant mac while stirring in a tangle of shredded kale.

You can also doctor a not so healthy dish to add some nutritious content or dress something more diet conscious with a decadent drizzle or topping — like crushed peanut brittle in your salad.

Freestyle

As in music, you’re always free to throw any pre-planned notions out the window and just improvise when you’re cooking! Those happy accidents that happen in the studio that are worth keeping can also happen in the kitchen, and if you’re flexible enough to freestyle, you might end up with a better and more personal meal than what any cookbook recipe could have yielded. 

Once you’re ready to make music in the kitchen, friends, family, search engines and social media can all be excellent sources for finding recipes, should you need quick suggestions on what to create with your new-found enthusiasm and the ingredients you have on hand. If you really want to level your kitchen game up and consistently make your food sing, invest some time in learning some new cooking techniques. You’ll find lots of sound advice for all levels on Serious Eats. Have fun, keep it fresh and enjoy!

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