A New Year’s Gift

I’m not saying anything about 2020. I have no energy to ponder what last year meant and what might be waiting in store for us in 2021 (I’m actually terrified to think about that!). However, I do welcome the New Year as an opportunity to refocus, try and get into good habits and go about life a bit more intentionally. One thing I did appreciate about stinky 2020 was spending so much time absorbing stuff that inspired and educated me. It seems like many of us in certain parts of the world still have some time ahead, away from ‘normal’ day-to-day life, and so I thought I might offer a list of resources that have kept my brain and soul and voice ticking on, in case you’re in need of some New Year’s motivation.

Voice Science Works (website – voicescienceworks.org)

This is an incredible website that is definitely worth a good half an hour to get familiar with. The organisation’s aim is “taking contemporary research on the voice and translating it into directly applicable information”. I’ve found it really helpful when coming across terms I’ve not understood, or just wanting to understand the mechanics of certain things in clearer terms. They also provide an extensive list of other resources to browse through.

Dane Chalfin (vocal rehabilitation coach – vocalrehabilitation.com)

I came across Dane Chalfin whilst researching primal voice for my dissertation and it was just one of those things – once you hear a name once, you start to see it everywhere! He works largely with musical theatre performers and other vocal professionals and has done an insane amount of research throughout his career. I would highly, highly recommend attending any of the courses he offers on his website. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post – he’s so science based and has a great way of explaining something as complicated as the vocal mechanism in a really digestible, logical way.

Anatomy Of The Voice (book by Theodore Dimon)

I don’t know about you, but I find it really difficult to make sense of the anatomical side of singing. It’s not necessary to know all about it, but it is frustrating to google what you want to know and be presented with various diagrams that all look different from each other and latin names coming out of every angle. This book goes through the entire body, presenting everything in a clear and consistent way and explaining how it all relates to singing. It’s just so handy to have on hand.

Philly D. Lopez (vocal coach and session singer – phillylopez.com)

As well as providing one-to-one lessons, choir leading and session work, Philly Lopez has been the vocal coach on The Voice UK for a number of years and I could not recommend following her Instagram account enough. My number one resolution this year is to book a lesson with this lady, because even just her posts and stories have been a major source of motivation and support throughout this year. She really emphasises the joy in singing and is a great tonic for when you’ve accidentally gone too deep into the seriousness and studiousness side. She provides a great insight into her career as a vocal coach and session singer and her IGTVs, whether it be an analysis of Whitney Houston’s voice or her own tips for using riffs to warm up, are always so sunny and a delight to watch.

The Naked Vocalist (podcast – thenakedvocalist.com)

This podcast, hosted by Chris Johnson and Steve Giles is an incredible backlog of information sourced from a ridiculous amount and variety of vocal practitioners. Whilst providing information and guidance in abundance themselves, their guests include some of the biggest players in vocal coaching and research from around the world. There really is an episode for everyone – they have done an amazing job at exploring every aspect of a singer’s life. 

The Vocal Coach (app – thevocalcoach.com)

Wildly, wildly successful vocal coach, Annabel Williams, has brought out an app this year and I feel like it’s what we’ve all been needing. After giving a few already-existing vocal warmup/exercise apps a go, I have to admit that I was a little sceptical. No need – this is incredible. It’s just simple with no weird gimmicks and no annoying hidden costs; and it actually does what you want it to do. Annabel Williams has come up with loads of exercises that are so fun to sing through and has presented them in a really clear format. I find it great for those days that I’m feeling a little unmotivated, or have a particular issue that I want to smooth out. Each exercise is demonstrated and explained so well, you know why it’s going to help you, and the app itself is so easy and a dream to use.

Songbird Sessions (female vocal collective – songbirdsessions.com)

Songbird Sessions are the only ones on this list I have any personal affiliation with, but even if I didn’t, I would recommend them all day long. As well as providing coaching and gorgeous acoustic entertainment for weddings and corporate events, their Instagram is a stream of loveliness and inspiration. Kelly and Gemma have always worked really hard to build a wonderful community and have made sure to not let that slide in 2020. I feel like there’s a little bit of everything on their account – most recently, they’ve been hosting Instagram lives that touch on a super wide variety of interesting topics. In fact, I would say they’re unique on this list, in that you absolutely do not have to be a singer to enjoy their content. They always come at everything from a really personable point of view and have a wonderful way of connecting with whoever they’re talking with.

There’s my little list! I hope there are some names on there that are new to you. I only had the confidence to start this blog because of the knowledge I’ve collected from coaches and organisations like these and I think, particularly with singing, it’s important to share all kinds of resources, because nobody knows it all and there’s always value to be found in everything. Thank you for taking the time to read any of this blog throughout last year. It’s not fancy, but it’s a start and I have a few ideas for it. I hope you’ve had as good a festive season as possible, and hope that 2021 is much kinder to you all.