For Lita

This blog post has been in the works for a few weeks now. Or maybe it's better to say that I've been wanting to write this one but held back. I guess I was anxious about it because it's about a very special person. Someone who left us tragically and senselessly. I wanted to do something to honor her but was afraid that words would fail me and wouldn't do justice to her and her amazing family. But since today is Mother's Day, I believe the time is right. So here goes.............

I met Estrelita Meyer on November 1, 2008. It was my second trip to Long Beach, CA to visit my buddy Eric Leocadio. His nephews were having a birthday party so he invited me to come along. It was there at the family gathering that I met a lot of his family, including his mom Lita. It was great to meet these people who I would grow to love but I remember wondering if she liked me because she didn't really say much.

In July 2009, I moved from my hometown of Gary, IN to Long Beach. Eric was going to be one of my roommates. He flew out here and helped me finish packing then we set out on a roadtrip from IN to the new house in SoCal. My family is pretty close knit and I was used to spending all the holiday with them having large BBQs or dinners. So I was missing them fiercely. I was blessed, then, to have Eric invite me to his family's gatherings. I really needed that. After helping Lita move from the older family home into her newer property, I got to spend time with her. I learned that I really liked her and she liked me too. She and Eric's siblings made me feel at home and like part of the family. I loved watching the dynamic between her and grandchildren. So much love!!! I spent Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day, and Labor Days with them. The more time I was around her, the more I grew to love her. A special memory I have is of a dinner at her daughter Lani's house. I was sitting on the couch and she sat next to me, laying her head on my shoulder. I cherish that image.

One of Lita's major passions was singing. She was the karaoke queen!!! At every gathering, she would crank up the karaoke machine and get to crooning along with Lani. And she would make me get up and sing every time. I would protest but she would insist. I learned to make sure to warm up my voice before any gathering, by the way. But it was always big fun!!

Lita also loved plants. The garden at her old home was huge!!! She was completely devoted to her flowers. It was a beautiful sight. I saw how that love for gardening has rubbed off on Eric as well.

After retiring, Lita decided to return to the Philippines. Once there, she started to farm talapia and also wanted to start some other business ventures. She was set to visit the family back in California just last month. But right after Eric returned from seeing her in the Philippines, tragedy struck. On March 1, 2012, her life was senselessly taken from her. Some selfish person brutally killed her. It was a huge blow to her family and all who loved her. Eric and his brother Mike went back there to recover her body and bring her back home to Riverside, CA. She was buried at Riverside National Cemetery on March 16. I flew out there so I could pay my respects and support the family. The service was very moving and inspiring. Eric and Mike gave wonderful eulogies that spoke of her love and generosity. That resonated with me because I experienced it first hand from her and her children. It's been hard seeing my best friend go through such a tremendous loss. But I am encouraged to see the love she instilled in Eric, Mike, Lani, and Missy continuing to shine and honor her legacy.

Since music was our shared language, I wanted to share a song that I feel fits her perfectly. A few weeks ago, I really listened to the words of Beyonce's "I Was Here" and fell in love with the piece. Shortly afterwards, I knew that this was the proper song to use as a tribute to a life that blessed and enriched the lives of so many. Lita, this one's for you!!!

ESTRELITA DeLEON MEYER (February 11, 1944- March 1, 2012) RIP

Grateful

HAPPY 2012, PEEPS!!!

I had a great winter vacation from Christmas through the first week of January. It was a much needed break and I was glad to have my bestie in town for that. The resort in Galena was really nice. Even though we were vacationing, we still got some work done. I shot 3 new solo performance clips that are now up on YouTube. Thanks to Eric for recording!!

A couple of days ago, I was hit with an overwhelming sense of thankfulness while posting my daily music links. I reflected on the wonderful support I have received once I started performing again and getting my music outside of my 4 walls. I have had such wonderful feedback from fellow artists and performers. The respect for my craft from other musicians means a lot.

This morning, I was hit with another round of gratefulness for God sharing the gift of music with me in the first place. To have dreamed of making music as a teen but not knowing if I even had the talent, I now can fully grasp what I've been given. Being able to express myself through singing and playing is one of the most awesome blessings one could get!!! Now that I have embraced my songwriter self, I am even more thankful that I get to share MY thought, hurts, joys, desires through in MY songs. How awesome is that????

Then, of course, I am so grateful that I get to share my love for the voice and singing with my students. It is an amazing joy to teach others to sing well and unleash their own voice and artistry. I can pass on the great teaching that I received from Brad Nitschke, Randy Buescher, and Angela Pressutti-Korbitz as well as all that I've gleaned from influential teachers like Seth Riggs, Brett Manning, Mark Baxter, Lisa Popeil, Dave Stroud, John Henny, and others. I love this work!!!

This year, I plan to honor the musical and teaching talents I've been given by pushing myself to excellence and being authentic as an openly gay artist and voice teacher. Gotta represent!! NEW LEVELS IN 2012!!

Here are 2 of the new clips that I shot during the vacation. I hope you enjoy!!!

Christmas Time!!

HO HO HOOOOOOOH.............


Yup, it is Christmas time again. It really snuck up on me pretty quickly!! Dang!!

Thankfully, I am in a much better place emotionally than I was a year ago. I had recently returned from living in Long Beach, CA. Coming back here was heartbreaking. I felt defeated. Unsure of what was next. I remember not wanting to play holiday music because I was so NOT feeling festive. The first few months in Indiana found me moody and emotional. Lots of tears. Lots of eating (we won't discus how much weight I've gained since winter 2010- UGH!) I don't think I really got back to myself in alot of ways until summer 2011. I began to feel more hopeful again. I could see that God was working on things.

This Christmas, I feel very inspired. I have grown a lot spiritually this year. I feel even more secure in who I am and what my role is. I had a prophetic word spoken over me recently that confirmed alot and leaves me feeling very confident in what God's cooking up for me. I am super excited because my best friend Eric is coming to town next week for an almost 2 week vacation. Watch out- Eric & Earl's Excellent Adventure: Winter Takeover is ON!!! While he's here, we'll shoot some new performance clips for my YouTube channel as well as a couple of vocal tip videos. Good times!!

I decided to include a clip of me singing a bit of Luther Vandross' "With A Christmas Heart". I did this in 2008, but this song never gets old. It's one his most beautiful songs, in my opinion. I love the lyrics. I hope you enjoy!!

Have a very Merry Christmas!!! Marinate in love, peace, and joy!!!

Let It Flow- A Primer on Breathing

In the world of singing, there remains to this day much confusion on the topic of breathing. There is disagreement among teachers and directors as to the most efficient way to control it. The diaphragm is given much more credit than it properly deserves. Too many singers learn to push as much air as possible to achieve a powerful sound needed for their demanding music. I have had a number of students tell me that their previous teachers would spend half of their lesson time on breathing exercises alone, with no great improvement to their technique as a result. Due to the great misinformation that singers have to contend with, I will finally address the issue of breathing in this article.

First, let's get clarity on what really happens when we breath. Once the brain registers that we need air, it sends the signal to the diaphragm to get things started. This dome-shaped muscle is thin and separates the chest (thorax) from the abdominal cavity. It descends upon inhalation and creates a vacuum, causing the lungs to fill up with air. The vocal folds open, allowing the air to pass through trachea into the lungs. Sitting beneath the diaphragm is the viscera, or organs housed in the abdomen- stomach, liver, intestines, etc. In order for this principal muscle of inhalation to fully contract, these organs must move out of the way. The result is the protruding or moving out of the lower belly. The lungs now can get the appropriate amount of air needed as the rib cage expands around them. This is INHALATION, pure and simple. Remember this is where the diaphragm holds court and performs actively.

Upon EXHALATION, the diaphragm abdicates its power. It does not rule this part of the process. Yes, folks, I must turn your world upside-down now. THE DIAPHRAGM IS PASSIVE DURING EXHALATION!!! *brings out smelling salts* This muscle has been esteemed higher than is warranted for far too long. The muscles that are actively at work to get air out of the body are the abdominals and intercostals, which are between and around the ribs. As the lower abs begin to contract inward and upward, the viscera also moves in the same direction. The organs press up against the diaphragm which allows air to be expelled from the lungs. The intercostals are contracting at the same time and also work to smoothly move the air upward through the trachea and towards the vocal folds. The true support muscles are the ABDOMINALS AND INTERCOSTALS!

An important concept that is largely overlooked or forgotten is that the vocal folds serve as the valve that actually gauges how much air can escape the body. No matter how well a person can inhale and use the proper support muscles, if the coordination of the folds is not well-developed, she still may not sing with great power or ease. There must be a balance between proper air flow/support and vocal cord closure for healthy, efficient singing.

In my teaching studio, I don't spend a great deal of time on breathing exercises. This is because most students don't have big problems with their breathing. Most of the time, their issues have to do with lack of coordination in the muscles of the larynx. If that's the case, why spend time on breathing when it's not the primary issue? Too many vocal instructors and choral directors attempt to fix every vocal problem with breathing because they don't know what else to do!! Oops, did I just go there? Anyhoo.... I will have students do a couple of breathing exercises to just to gain an awareness of what the body is doing. I will only use them repeatedly if a student has some very ineffective habits that need serious reprogramming.

Here are some useful exercises to build awareness of the breath function and which can be used to build more efficiency in your breathing:

1) The clutch- Place one open hand over the lower abdomen and the other hand in a closed fist pressed into your solar plexus. As you repeat each consonant 3 or 4 times, you will feel the lower belly gently press in while the solar plexus or upper belly gently firms outward. Don't press it out, just allow it to do what comes naturally. You should use 't', 'p', 'k', 's', and 'sh'. This exercise comes from noted nonclassical vocal pedagogue Lisa Popeil.

2) The 'surprise' breath- A gasp of surprise quickly brings a fair amount of air into the lungs. What we will do away with is the noise that comes with it. Place an open hand on the lower abdomen. Exhale fully. When you are completely out of air, open the mouth and gasp with surprise but do so without an audible vocal noise. The belly pops out effortlessly. Be sure not to lift the shoulders in the process because that can actually inhibit the expansion of the ribs. This exercise may also be performed with the hands wrapped around the rib cage.

3) The 'angle' breath- Sit in a chair with your torso at a 45 degree angle and your arms resting on your thighs. Exhale fully. Breath in through your nose for a slow count of 4 or 5 beats, then exhale through the nose for the same count. You can feel a deep expansion of your rib cage all around the body and especially in the back. It very difficult to raise the shoulders in this position so I use this one often for students who habitually breath very high and shallow.

4) The classic 'slow leak'- With hands either around the ribs or on the lower belly, exhale completely and feel the inward contraction of the lower abdominals. Once you have completely exhaled, gently sip in new air as the belly releases and slowly moves inward. The ribs will also slowly contract inward, though that should be as slow as possible. Inhale for 4 or 5 beats and exhale for 8 to 10 counts.

Though your actual performance posture may not always be ideal depending on your chosen genre's stylistic demands, it is important in the training process. A comfortably high chest and relaxed shoulders will allow your breath to flow more efficiently and comfortably. That needs to be the case whether standing or sitting.

I hope this piece gives you greater insight into what all the fuss is about concerning breathing for singers and speakers and that you will find the balance needed between how you breath and how you phonate.

Now, go make some noise!!!!!!!!!!

Training the Child's Voice in the Private Studio

Singing is one of the most important means of communication that we are blessed to experience. It is the means by which we express our innermost thoughts and feelings in a language shared by the whole world. We sing songs as worship...as symbols of patriotism...as words to inspire change...to amuse...to romance....to uplift. Often, it is forgotten how integral singing is to our existence. When at play, children seem to almost instinctively sing as part of their games. These same young voices are instruments capable of producing a wide array of tones and timbres. In order to access this wide range of sounds, though, the sounds produced at play are not enough. Proper training in healthy vocal production is needed.

Recently, I have been asked quite a bit about the appropriate age to begin voice lessons for children. Parents realize that their kids have either an overwhelming enthusiasm for singing or some substantial native talent that they want to properly nurture. They just wonder if formal lessons are safe for the youngster to undertake and worth the financial investment. First of all, I stress that the most important issue with kids is their attention span and not the perceived talent level. I've had some clearly gifted 7 year olds come in but they did not have the focus and maturity that is needed. Once that is explained, I relay that I believe lessons can successfully begin at age 8. I have trained a couple of 7 year olds, though, because they had the requisite focus, attention span, and teachability in addition to natural musical instincts. As long as the training is based in healthy technical habits and applied correctly to songs, there are no inherent dangers.

Many people wonder what young singers can actually learn in private voice lessons. Some have believed that their physically immature instruments cannot acquire any real technical skills until their voices fully develop at puberty. But I am one of many who work with kids on a regular basis who believe that these voices can develop quite a lot of facility if guided correctly. We must remember that singing is an intricate psychomotor skill, not so different from the learning of piano, dance, or athletic moves. It's all about the systematic training of correct muscle memory which builds healthy technique that will strengthen and protect the voice. And if the goal of vocal study is establishment of good vocal habits that will carry over into adulthood, vocal technique has to be of primary importance! Of course, this must be balanced with singing good songs, but it will be difficult to expand repertoire if the instrument is limited in the sounds it can produce.

The very same technical issues that need to be taught to adult singers need to be taught to kids. The building of tone production practices is essential. Child singers need to develop the ability to produce tones without undue tension and restriction. They must be taught proper breathing techniques and good body posture and alignment. Range extension is still important for kids, even though it must be applied relative to their still-growing voices. Many of the exercises that I use with my adult clients are used in the sessions with my youngsters, though sometimes with modifications. I also make sure that I introduce them to correct terminology concerning how the voice is put together and how it works. They learn about head and chest voice, the larynx, vocal folds, diaphragm, and resonance. They need to start learning a singer's vocabulary from the start of their study.

We are seeing some fine examples of superstar singers who have become elite vocal athletes because of some fantastic vocal training starting at a young age- Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Adam Lambert among others. It is a worthwhile investment to begin lessons with a child who has the love for singing coupled with a sense of focus and discipline. The teacher must have a great knowledge of vocal pedagogy and a personality that can provide a safe, nurturing environment for the young singer to embark on this great journey of singing study.

How To Practice

It pretty much goes without saying that practicing is essential to mastery of any endeavor. Anyone who is serious about his singing recognizes this fact. It goes with the territory. What I see as a problem is that students often just don't know HOW to practice efficiently. They blindly jump in without a game plan that will allow them to optimize their practice room time. Well, not to worry- that's why I'm writing this little entry. Here are some helpful guidelines to make your hard work more effective.

1) Set goals for the practice session. Go in knowing what you will be working on. What songs will you tackle? Will you be rehearsing songs you've already learned well? Are you just running problem areas? You can always tweak your plan as the session goes on, but have a plan to start with.

2) You should ALWAYS start your practice time with warming up. Do some physical stretches as well as tongue stretches before launching into your vocal exercises. Humming, lip trills, and 'ng' sounds should start out the workout.

3) If learning new songs, you need to break them down and learn them incrementally. Don't start out trying to sing the tune full blast with words. This can be taxing to the instrument. Begin by vocalizing the melody on a lip or tongue trill, hum, exercise syllables (goog, mum, wun, nay), or a single vowel (I like 'oo') so that the vocal muscles can get used to creating the pitches accurately. Learn the lyrics independently of making pitch. Let the articulators get used to making all your word sounds efficiently. Only then should
you start singing on the text.

4) If you are working on numbers that you have already learned but have problems, take the trouble passages and phonate them on exercise sounds to get your vocal coordination back on track. Then add the words back in.

5) Record yourself often as you practice. The immediate feedback you get from hearing yourself goes a long way in fixing problem spots in your songs and in your technique.

6) Practice in front of a mirror. This goes for technical exercises as well as songs. Watch for undue facial tensions, bad vowel shapes, and high, shallow breathing.

7) If you've had a long or very intense session, wrap up with a vocal cooldown. You will essentially do a shortened version of your warmup in reverse. It's important to bring the vocal folds back to their normal speech state.

These tips will help you to make your practice sessions more productive and, in the process, allow you to be a better artist.

I Know What You Did Last Summer.......

I have really come a long way as an artist in the past 2 years. I finally accept my gifts as a singer and a writer fully. I am learning to not compare myself to the artists that I have long admired. I realize I am just as valid creatively- I am not inferior, just uniquely ME!!! It took me years to get here. The time spent in California was integral. And I will get back there, BTW....... but I digress.



Faithful followers of E2C will notice that I've been posting more frequently as of late. About a month or so ago, I felt this gentle internal prodding to start writing daily vocal tips that I would place on my Harville Vocal Studio page on Facebook. Because I am a wordy fellow, that quickly progressed to short instructional articles which now also appear on this blog. I began to get very positive feedback from my voice teacher and singer colleagues very quickly. I decided to also post some of those pieces on TheModernVocalist.com. Very soon, one of my babies was chosen as a featured article. This led to me getting an offer to write a column on singing and vocal training for a new online Christian magazine, which debuts in November. I am very thankful for the opportunity to share my knowledge of and passion for the voice and singing. What's very interesting about all this is that I had just read a devotional which talked about talents and gifts, asking if there were some areas that we were not tapping into. I have always written very well so I see now that God has led me into using that part of my skillset in conjunction with my work as a vocal trainer.


I have started teaching voice at HGS Music in nearby Highland, IN. It's a very well-run local music school with a nicely laid out facility. My fellow teachers are a cool bunch- I dig the vibe. I'm really enjoying the diverse group of students in my studio there. Some elementary school kids, some high schoolers, and some adult beginners to formal study. Very cool!!


I have been blessed to have 2 of my videos be featured on TheModernVocalist.com. Just before I started posting my articles, my clip for "Hang On" was featured while I was also the featured artist. Right now, "Let Me Go (Part 1)" is the TMV SPOTLIGHT VIDEO of the week. I am very humbled and encouraged to have my work affirmed.



I have been making connections with some wonderful vocal coaches here and abroad. It's great to share ideas and knowledge with esteemed peers. Methinks God is up to something.........hmmmmmmmmmm



And the planning to return to my beloved Long Beach, CA continues. I was hoping to make it back my this fall but that had to be pushed back. The target is now early 2012. I you're praying folk, please join with me in agreement that all things will fall into place as they need to make it happen.



It's been an interesting summer, I would say......... :-)



By the way, I know you love the title!!!!