Make 'Em Work For It!!

Let's be honest- voice lessons can be expensive!! In this tough economic climate, it becomes an even larger sacrifice to spend money on vocal training. For that reason, if you are making the investment, the vocal instructor you choose should be worth your hard-earned dollars. There are waaaaaay too many charlatans out there who are, in essence, ripping you off!! They are not leading you into vocal freedom and are nothing more than vocal cheerleaders. You should be making your teacher really work for the pay. I want to share with you some things to consider in terms of teacher accountability.

First of all, let's be clear: If your vocal coach can't explain clearly and simply how the voice works, RUN IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!! A REAL teacher should be able to lead you into a working knowledge of your instrument. It is only when that happens that you will truly master your voice. He should be able to give you a purpose for any and every exercise that is given. I tell my students that if I don't give you the reason behind the vocalese, they can smack me. When the client is away from me, he will need to become self-sufficient and fend for himself on the road, in rehearsal, or in the studio. Knowing what exercises serve what purpose will keep you able to function on a daily basis. For too long, singers have been allowed to be the 'dumb' musicians, lagging behind their instrumentalist cohorts in knowing the nuts and bolts of their axe. A solid coach won't allow that.

Beware of voice teachers who throw around trite directions like "sing from the diaphragm" and "place the tone forward", for example. This is often a sign that they have no clue as to what is pedagogically sound. Famed vocal coach Seth Riggs warns against such teaching by result instead of by cause and effect. They should be able to give specific exercises to bring the voice into balance. Teaching voice is an artful science and a scientific art. The scientific knowledge must be there. If not. move on to another teacher.

A good voice teacher doesn't need to be the best singer you ever encounter, but if he can't sing, MOVE ON!!!! The coach should be able to demonstrate the concepts and exercises for their students. You should put the teacher on the spot. Ask her to sing through her passaggi or bridges. If she can't make easy transitions, she shouldn't be teaching you how to do it. The trainer should possess the technique that they claim to teach.

By the way, a degree in voice doesn't guarantee that the voice teacher is truly qualified to be training other singers. There are a number of wonderful teachers may have degrees in music education, musical theater, or speech pathology. Also, don't be overly concerned with the piano skills of the coach. They need to able to play the exercises and chords, for sure. But their principal job isn't to be the accompanist. The main focus should be on your watching and listening to you as you vocalize and then move into song work.

Set the bar high, folks. Don't throw your money away. Do your homework. Ask good questions. Audition the teacher. You will not regret the effort you put into the search when you find your voice growing into the instrument you've dreamed of having.

SING OUT LOUD!!!!

Changes

The last 3 weeks have been a period of great upheaval for me. After almost 15 months of living in Long Beach, CA I had to make a very difficult decision. Because of huge financial hardship- and after much prayer- I concluded that I needed to move back to my native Gary, IN. Two weeks ago, I arrived back in my home town. I am happy to be back with my parents and siblings. But it is not easy to be back here after becoming so connected to my new home in California.

It was in Long Beach that I returned to performing and reclaimed my identity as an artist. I began recording my CD. I co-founded Urban Rhythm, a community show choir, with my roommate and trusted friend Eric Leocadio from the Catalyst Network of Communities. I connected with some phenomenal people who believe in my artistry and inspired me to blossom. I had the opportunity to participate in conversations to build bridges between the LGBT Christian community and the church at large. I lost close 40 pounds- that is huge for me!! Though I had some significant challenges out there, the time there was amazing...and I wouldn't trade it for anything!!

Honestly, I have been on an emotional rollercoaster during this time. I realize that I am ,in fact, mourning a death of sorts. The passing of certain hopes and goals. I feel stuck between two worlds- my old home and the new. It is draining. But I believe that I am back here in Gary for a divine purpose. God is preparing me for the next chapter of my story so my return is not about defeat. It doesn't mean the transition is easy. It is scary- I won't lie!! But I am moving ahead. "Never say die- keep, keep on...", sing the Sounds of Blackness on their hit song "Optimistic", and that's my motto.

So now I am re-establishing my teaching studio here in Northwest Indiana and hopefully get back into seeing clients in Chicagoland as well. I am prepping to hit the stage very soon. The dream has not died- it has just changed addresses!! Work in progress.

A Salute

When I was 16 years old, my church hired a new organist. I was shocked to see a fellow 16 year old take his place at the Hammond B3. His name was Philip Gordon Freeman. On that Thursday night choir rehearsal, I didn't realize what a musical powerhouse I was encountering. But it wouldn't be long before I would see how profoundly gifted and annointed he was. In our senior year of high school, he helped form a new young adult choir at Koinonia Missionary Baptist Church. The Voices of Inspiration would become a powerhouse group despite its small size. Philip would pull us out of our shells and unleash the strong voices that were inside. At a time when I was still insecure about my singing, he helped me discover just how big my sound could be. The singer I am today was definitely largely shaped by those years singing under PGF's direction. I grew so much vocally as well as a director and overall musician. But I also loved how this young man had such a serious commitment to the Lord and music ministry. He didn't just want us to sing to sound good, but to think about what we were ministering!!

Philip could be quiet and reserved, but was also hilarious and could act a fool!!! That big ol' smile could light up a room!! We knew how to work hard but also had a great time. The Voices of Inspiration was a real family, with Phil as its young father. Those years were so great for me with him and the group. He would eventually become Director of Music, garnering respect from those much older than himself because of his discipline and vision.

On Wednesday, September 15, 2010, Philip G. Freeman passed away in Gary, IN. He was 41 years old. Four months older than me. He is the second friend of my same age to die in just over a month. Though I am glad that he is at rest, my heart still aches knowing that we'll never get to sing or laugh together again on this side. I will always treasure his friendship, teaching, and loving spirit.

Philip Gordon Freeman 2/12/1969-9/15/2010 RIP. I love ya, man!!!

Reverbnation

Howdy!!

I know I've been bad about posting over here. I will remedy that this week. I have updates coming shortly.

Here's the link to my new Reverbnation page. It's a great platform for artists and their fans. http://www.reverbnation.com/earlharville . Check it out and join my mailing list, too!!

I'm heading to bed. I'm still recovering from the week from hell!! Laterz!!

Earl

Visions of A Sunset by Earl Harville- Harville Vocal Studio

Visions of A Sunset by Earl Harville- Harville Vocal Studio

Here's my link to my listing on Thumbtack.com.

Vocal Training

by Harville Vocal Studio

Earl Harville is a vocal trainer in Long Beach, California. He brings 12 years of experience to teaching singers of all ages. He taught music in public and private schools from grades pre-K through...

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I'll be posting a blog to bring you up to date on the past few months in the life of Earl 4.1!! C Ya soon!!

I'm back!!

Hello, good people!! It's been a solid month since my last post, but I'm back!!

March was a really active month for me. I performed every weekend of the month, which I didn't see coming. The Catalyst Brunch kicked things off, followed by the 2nd Saturday Art Show. Then the first two weekends that featured live performances at the East Village Farmers' Market found me playing again. It's been great getting back into performance mode. I had been away for far too long!!

I have also been at work recording my CD. I'm working with local producer Ron Faber here in Long Beach. We've cut basic tracks for 7 or 8 of my songs so far. After we have 10 to 12 tunes done, we'll head to Northridge to record vocals. The chemistry between us is good. I come from a strong R&B/gospel/pop background while Ron is from the hip-hop side. I think we challenge each other, which is a plus creatively. To date, all the songs have been my solo compositions, but he brought in an instrumental track that I'll be writing too as well. I'm also looking to re-write lyrics to some tunes written a while back with my songwriting partner back in Gary. Additionally, I am helping Ron with tracks that he's working on for other artists, bringing a more musical feel to some of his hip-hop material. It's been a lot of fun thus far!!

My brother just got married and is having the big reception in late May. I'll be heading back to Chicagoland for that event. I'm writing a song for the bride and groom, which they seem excited about. No pressure....LOL!! The music is done- now to finish the lyrics. That tends to take longer for me than composing the music.

Another project is coming up that I'm pretty excited about as well. Harville Vocal Studio will be in partnership with Catalyst Community to create an urban show choir in Long Beach. We'll be looking for 24 singers of high school age from across the city and will be holding auditions in 6 locations starting in June. Our hope is to have a group that will have all the major sections of town represented. I will be the choir director and Catalyst founder (and my great friend and roomie) Eric Leocadio will be guiding us in putting together the business structure.

So you see, it's a rather interesting time for me. I promise not to be gone so long. Talk to you again soon.

Earl