Studying Music Online

Jason Peté is a Student Advisor at Berkleemusic.com. A Berklee College of Music graduate (Music Business and MGMT major and Voice principal, ’07), Jason has a background in vocal performance in genres ranging from Jazz, Pop, Gospel, Classical and Musical Theater. His performance experiences range from background vocals with major artists such as Gloria Estephan, Paul Simon, Livingston Taylor, and The Yellow Jackets to solo gigs in the New England and West Coast areas. He continues to pursue music, performing for audiences across the country.

The Winter month’s are here and with the harsh weather abound, I’m constantly battling a cold. The bigger picture is that I should consider a trip to an ENT (Ear Nose and Throat) specialist to have my tonsils removed, but for now while that isn’t feasible for me, I’ve developed a series of “work-arounds” to keep my voice ready for performance and daily use.

I usually develop a cold right when the Autumn temperatures turn wintry. As a vocalist, this is a big problem for me. Early mornings seem flooded with mucus and phlegm… sometimes it’s difficult to breathe… how do I sing around this, how can I get rid of it?

A remedy I’ve discovered, without hacking all morning, is to sit in the bathroom with the shower running (steaming hot water, of course) for about 15 minutes; creating a sort of sauna-type atmosphere. Anything blocking the breath passage eventually starts to come up and rather than coughing it out (sorry for the graphic description) you’ll spit it out. Alternatively, you can stand in the shower with hot water running over your head and allow everything to drain from your mouth. It’s not environmentally friendly, wasting so much water (it can take a while) and I know it reads pretty gross, but it works! Why this elaborate process when you can just cough it out? Coughing is really bad for your vocal chords and potentially damaging:

Coughing is a natural reflex which helps to get rid of anything that may block our breath passages, but it’s often rather violent and can cause severe damage to your vocal chords. The harsh rush of air when coughing is like sand paper on your vocal chords… I’m probably exaggerating a bit here, but the bottom line is, it’s terrible for your vocal chords; so bad you’ll feel it over time. Ever notice how it hurts to talk and your voice is a bit scratchy after a coughing fit and or consecutive days of battling a cough?

Instead of coughing, try a warm glass of water. Gargling salt-water in the AM is also helpful (the salt will help to breakdown the yucky things like mucus or phlegm). Cough suppressants also come in handy, especially when attempting to get some shut-eye or in a public/office setting where coughing too frequently, too loudly can be disruptive.

You can also try ice-cream. It’s fatty properties will help coat your throat. Maybe there isn’t a scientific explanation for ice cream as a remedy, but again, it works! Give it a try. Proof is in the pudding… er, ice cream.

Throat clearing is another “remedy” we often resort to when sick with a cold or even in a performance setting before singing. Ever notice singers are always clearing their throats before singing. I think it’s our subconscious way of making sure our voice is good and ready to go before letting out the first note. Reason aside, it should be done minimally, if at all.

Clearing your throughout, similarly to coughing, presents a harsh “attack’ to the leading edges of the vocal cords. Try clearing by humming a low note. If throat clearing is unavoidable, do it gently and moderately so as not to wear out the cords.

Limit extreme temp. liquids in the Winter months, we all have a tendency to reach for really hot coffee, or cocoa (what a better way to warm up, right? NO!). Really hot or really cold beverages are harsh on the vocal folds and in the long-term can cause severe damage. Taking this a bit further, keep this in mind when choosing temperature for foods you eat as well; the same applies! Go for something tepid… keep it warm/room temperature if you want a drink on the toasty side of things.

Rest: rest all the time- the amount of sleep one should get each night varies from person to person, so if you’re not sure how much you may need, I’d suggest taking some time to experiment when you’re schedule is flexible. Your body will tell you.

Another aspect of resting applies to resting your voice… while awake. Early on in my singing career, a voice teacher recommended I rest my voice for a full hour after waking in the morning. As a 13 year old, I’m sure you can imagine how daunting this was. At that age, it didn’t seem feasible. Fast forward a decade plus later, it’s still unrealistic, but important that I attempt to remain silent during the first waking hours of the day to allow my voice to warm-up. Much like a car’s heating system during Winter, the voice needs time to warm-up and adjust. Think about it, we walk around our homes a bit in the morning, from room to room; some of us may take a shower, back to the bedroom to clothe ourselves for the day then out the door. All of these location changes have temperature changes as well, which in the first hour of the day can be harsh on the vocal chords and the general anatomy of our voices. If it isn’t feasible for you to remain quiet, keep conversation to a minimum and for further protection, consider the next thought (especially in frigid temperatures).

Protect your neck: keep it warm! Your neck is what shields your vocal chords from the cold air! Easiest fix, wear a scarf. Already wear one? Make sure it’s nice and snug around your neck, but not too tight… you want to have mobility of course.

There are a host of other useful tips out there, but I’m hoping this information helps. Be on the look-out for vocal health round two. We singer’s have a delicate and sometimes temperamental instrument. It’s important to treat it with care; it is, after-all, the only one we’ve got.

For more information on vocal heath and voice technique as well, look into our Voice Technique 101 course. Here’s a link to the course description and syllabus pages for further reading:

Voice Technique 101

Voice Technique 101 Syllabus

-Jason

Find out more at berkleemusic.com or contact a Student Advisor:

1-866-BERKLEE (USA) | +1 617 747 2146 (Intl) | advisors@berkleemusic.com

Michael Moyes is a Senior Student Advisor at Berkleemusic.com. He finished his studies at Baylor University, where he studied Piano Performance and Business. Michael has performed Piano as a soloist, in combos, and accompanied by full Orchestra. He holds Master Certificate in Arranging and Orchestration from Berkleemusic. You can hear some of Michael’s music on the Berklee Music Network and on Soundcloud.

I am all over this topic. Not because I know microphones, on the contrary, I’m what the french call, les incompetents. The reason mic’s are on my mind is because I am a MIDI orchestrator, pianist, and banjo instructor (you read that correctly) who is finally diving into the world of live recording. I hope you can learn from my journey…

There are 3 types of microphones I looked at.

1. Dynamic
2. Condenser
3. Ribbon

Dynamic microphones are commonly used for live performances, speeches, and any other run of the mill uses due to their ruggedness and versatility. The SM57 and SM58 models are some of the most popular mics in the world. You can crank up the gain and throw them on the ground (not advised) without worrying about them breaking or distorting. Another benefit is that dynamic mics do not necessarily require a pre-amp or phantom power. They are great for voice and instrument miking but you may be sacrificing some clarity.

Dynamic Mic (MP3)

Condenser microphones are the ones you would often use in studio settings. These mics will capture every minute detail with painstaking accuracy. I borrowed a KSM27 and tried to record some banjo licks last night but every time I stopped playing I could hear my cat eating in the kitchen, my next door neighbor watching The Bachelor, and a phone conversation from a couple zip codes over. It was far too sensitive for my acoustically untreated bedroom in an urban Boston neighborhood. The level of detail that you would get in a good recording environment is excellent with these mics, which is why they are perfect for studio recording. You do need external power though and you want to be careful not to crank them too loud as they are sensitive and the diaphragm can be damaged.

Condenser Mic (MP3)

Ribbon mics probably shouldn’t even be mentioned here since they are out of my price range and too fragile for someone with my patience. They do sound fantastic when used on acoustic pianos though. I was fortunate enough to have an engineer record a piano concerto using some Royer R – 101’s and the result was amazing!

I am going to go with a dynamic mic for starters since my recording studio is a noisy, family inhabited bedroom. I need the sonic forgiveness a dynamic mic offers for now. Down the road, I will invest in a good condenser to record violin, cello, etc. Adding a couple live instruments to a MIDI orchestration can make an enormous difference!

Of course, I am probably going to take the new Mic Techniques course as well. You can have the freshest ingredients in the kitchen but you are going hungry if you don’t know how to cook. (write that down)

-Michael

Find out more at berkleemusic.com or contact a Student Advisor:

1-866-BERKLEE (USA) | +1 617 747 2146 (Intl) | advisors@berkleemusic.com

Mark Hopkins is a Student Advisor at Berkleemusic.com. He finished his studies at Berklee College of Music, as a Guitarist/Songwriting Major, in 2009. Mark is a regular gigging musician who has toured extensively and released 6 albums in the past 10 years. You can hear some of Mark’s music on myspace.com/markhopkinsmusic

There is a fine art to becoming a successful working musician. Here’s the good news: you don’t have to be Picasso to do it (however, no finger painting, please). Half the battle is as simple as believing in your product. That’s right. I said your “product.” When you are a professional musician, you are in the sales industry. Don’t sweat it, though. You’re selling something you absolutely love: music!

Here’s a proof positive way to get ahead in your town’s music scene:

1) Fine tune your act. Whether it’s acoustic or a 7 piece funk/fusion band, you need to have a professional sounding product to turn some heads.

2) Explore Open Mic Nights. Where and when are they happening? What time do you need to be there to sign up? Grab the local city paper, scout it out online or in person. Be there early, shake a few hands, and get to know the other musicians. Most importantly, always be on time and make sure people know you are a reliable artist. That’s a rare commodity in the industry and you will shine amongst the group. Open Mics are a great resource to get your career started. Not only for the exposure, but also for the networking possibilities. I can’t tell you how many Open Mics I’ve done that have led to amazing opportunities.

3) Start thinking about how to market your product. You first and foremost need a Demo to start the grassroots campaign that will lead you to stardom. Don’t be afraid of rockin’ a Garageband demo. No need to be snobby about production quality—the most important thing is to have a solid song you can put in a future fan’s hand (we don’t notice how many hand claps are in your tune, and how they are mixed in perfectly with the snare drum).

4) Start handing out that Demo (with a flyer of your upcoming gigs) to every music lover you can find. “If you build it, they will come.” Sooner than later you’re gonna see some familiar faces at your shows. Sell your CD’s when you can, but don’t be afraid to hand them out in the beginning; consider it an investment in future merchandise sales.

5) Lastly, don’t forget to start an email list. Social networking is great, but Facebook and MySpace aren’t the alpha and omega. Fans still like getting personal emails from their favorite artists. On that note, give your fans a place to go besides typical social networking sites. Get an official website running where they can chat about how the new version, of that one tune, where you substituted a #9 chord for a regular old dominant seven, was mind blowing.

It’s a simple process, but it by no means takes minimal effort. Music is a business—the quicker you come to grips with that, the quicker you will see significant results. Most of all, as cheesy as it sounds, believe in what you’re doing. It will show through to your audience and the influential booking agents around you. Believe in what you do. It will take your career a long way.

Until next time, happy gigging!

Find out more at berkleemusic.com or contact a Student Advisor:

1-866-BERKLEE (USA) | +1 617 747 2146 (Intl) | advisors@berkleemusic.com