Happy BirthGAY!!

Today marks the second part of my 'birthGay' celebration. March 28 was the day 11 years ago that I made peace with myself and my sexuality. It was almost a rebirth because it brought about such a wonderful new era in my faith walk and my life in general. Well, 2 days later on March 30, I came out for the very first time. So I now celebrate both days as my 'birthGay'.
I share my journey with you in this new video. My hope is always that my coming out will inspire those who may still be closeted and will help straight people get a glimpse into what LGBT folks go through in the process of self-acceptance and reconciling faith & sexuality. Thank God for how far I've come.





As a bonus, I am a sharing the clip of the first song that I wrote honestly as a gay man. Though it came a few years before I actually came out, it was another major breakthrough for me.



It is indeed a blessing to be living so authentically personally and professionally.
‪#‎authenticity‬ ‪#‎gaybyGod‬ ‪#‎outandproud‬ ‪#‎outgaysinger‬ #outgayvocalcoach

LIVE YOUR REAL LIFE!!! Be blessed.

Performance Day Warmup Routine

Hey, vocal athletes!! I hope 2014 has been good to you so far and that you are actively pursuing your dreams and passions with vigor.

It's show day. You want to give the audience your very best. It's important that your voice is in tip top shape and ready to handle the demands that you will place on it once you hit the stage. You know that warming up is important to getting you there but you don't really know how to do that most effectively.

This video clip will show you how to put together a very efficient warmup routine that is implemented throughout the day of a show. The process should start a bit after waking up and is accomplished in short phases until your approach to the stage. Great preparation makes you not only well-prepared technically and physically but mentally and emotionally as well.

Here's to your domination of the stages you will rock this year. HAPPY SINGING!!!!

On Becoming A Voice Teacher

HAPPY AUTUMN!!!!

Teaching people how to sing well is one of the great joys of my life. Watching students become more confident and secure as they grow into their abilities is a remarkable blessing. In this video, I share how I ended up on this path as a voice teacher and those who had a great influence on my journey.



If you're looking for solid vocal training, don't hesitate to check out my website, www.harvillevoice.com, or my teaching videos on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL16C916F4E05F9D04, for more information.

Be blessed!!!

In The ZOEN

In order to broaden my reach to potential clients, I now have a profile on The ZOEN- the Zenph Online Education Network. It serves to connect those looking to study voice or other instruments with highly qualified music teachers. Lessons can be scheduled and paid for right on the website. Here is my profile- https://www.thezoen.com/teachers/earl-harville-voice. Or click on the cool button below-



If you or anyone you know is seeking top quality vocal training for their singing or speaking demands, you can direct them there as well as my website www.harvillevoice.com.

TRAINING THE VOCAL ATHLETE!!!!

My Teachers, My Heroes

I have been thinking a lot lately about the music instructors I had in college who believed in me, who saw the talent that I sometimes doubted. The musician and teacher that I am today is result of their encouragement and tutelage. My piano teacher Barbara Cunningham and theory professor Dwight Davis supported my decision to switch my major to music. Mr. Davis even gave me additional sightsinging/ear-training lessons for free!!! He also really thought a lot of my singing voice and gently chided me for not joining his vocal ensemble. Barbara pushed me to participate in the Piano Guild auditions so that I could be heard and critiqued by her peers. It allowed me to get further confirmation that I was indeed on the right path.

At Columbia College Chicago, I was blessed to get Brad Nitschke as my first voice teacher. It was life-changing!! I learned so much from watching him work with my fellow vocalists in our Techniques in Singing class. I discovered things about my voice I never knew I was capable of, to be honest. He not only had great belief in me as a singer, but also nurtured me as a future teacher of singing. The awesome Bobbi Wilsyn taught several of my vocal courses and was so inspiring to my developing artistry. She had great technique and incredible style. She pushed me to expand my repertoire base. Pete Scheiner and Laura Hoffman were my keyboard harmony teachers. They took me seriously as a piano player and helped me gain more confidence.

I would not be where I am without the knowledge they shared and their votes of confidence. I try to respect the work they put into me by putting my heart and soul into my teaching today. I believe it is my responsibility to continue the tradition of the serious artist/teacher alive, uplifting the students who trust me to help them reach their own musical goals.

Vocal Tip: Ping Pong Practice

Vocal tip- When working on a difficult passage of music, temporarily take the words out and vocalize it on one of your favorite exercise sounds. For me, I use 'bub', 'wun', 'ng', or the lip trill to get the notes more securely in my voice. Then once it feels like I can hang on, I go back to singing on the text. Go back and forth as much as you need to until you can sing the passage without strain. This ping-pong practice is very helpful and is one of the ways in which we merge technical practice into song work.

Look out for a YouTube clip elaborating on this concept coming very soon.

HAPPY SINGING!!

Earl

www.harvillevoice.com
Skype lessons are available

I Love To Sing!!!

Hello all!!

I've recently added some fun exercises to my toolbox as a vocal trainer. The primary focus is on agility, the ability to sing fast or intricate passages cleanly and accurately. In addition, this patterns are good to use to prepare students for work on stylistic runs and licks in contemporary music. I took the phrase "I love to sing" from the traditional classical arpeggio exercise and placed it in a 5 note diatonic pattern with a couple of twists. Check out this video clip as I demonstrate and explain how to approach these exercises. They are effective AND fun,so have at it!!!






As a bonus, here's a clip of me singing a bit of one of my favorite hymns. I show you a bit more of my gospel influence in this one. Not a perfect performance, but full of heart.



Happy March and Happy Singing!!!