Beauty School Drop-out

by Zara Ashton

It’s always exciting, being asked to do a session. They are all different and present their own challenges. This one was no exception. The client was the BBC; it was for the Michael McIntyre show, occupying a prime Saturday evening slot no less, and as usual, it was urgent. “Could you do it today?” the producer asked. It was Easter Sunday, and most people were stuffing their faces with chocolate and having a nice time with their family or friends. Well, I never was one for gorging on Easter eggs, and I didn’t really have anything else happening except a ‘see how long I can leave it until I get dressed’ kind of day, so I jumped at it.

You hear about actors getting typecast. It can happen to singers too. I’ve been typecast with my singing as having a ‘girly’ voice; people call me when they want a fresh, sweet, innocent kind of sound. Luckily, even though my youth is a distant memory, I still sound young when I sing.

If you haven’t seen it, the Michael McIntyre Show has a segment entitled “Unexpected Star of the Show”. They trick an innocent member of the public into walking on to the stage to a packed audience, upon which the person discovers they are expected to perform a song later in the show. The deception is usually quite elaborate, with actors, artificial corridors and the like, making the Star think they are somewhere else, for some other reason, entirely. The trick culminates in the artificial walls collapsing to reveal where the contestant really is: on stage at the theatre, with TV cameras pointing at them from every angle, broadcasting their surprise to the nation. This is all in front of a raucous live audience.

“When I’m double or triple tracking I modify my tone from take to take, making some of them brighter and some more rounded and warm. It helps to give the effect of a choir of different voices”.

Back to the less glamorous side of it all, which takes place a few weeks before the show. The producer was tasked with providing a backing track for the Unexpected Star, a handyman called Shannon, to sing to. The song was “Beauty School Dropout” from the musical Grease, a song his family had told MM’s producers Shannon would be up for singing. There was quite a lot to do. The producer had already laid down most of the instruments the previous day, so I had a partly finished backing track to sing to. We’d been given a copy of the original and the task was to recreate the track as close to the original as possible. The original track featured several female voices singing in harmony behind the lead vocal, well, there was only me so my job was to multitrack each individual harmony so it would sound like several voices. Mostly the lyrics were ‘la la la’, ‘ah’ or ‘ooh’, but some of the lines were repeats of the lead vocal, sung softly. Working out what the individual parts were in the original harmonies was tricky in places. They were quite far back in the mix so were hard to pick apart, but we kept going, trying a few different variations until it sounded right. The hardest part was the very last few chords which had five or six different harmonies. It took me a couple of hours to lay down all the tracks, as I was multitracking each part. When I’m double or triple tracking I modify my tone from take to take, making some of them brighter and some more rounded and warm. It helps to give the effect of a choir of different voices.

The producer was happy with the result and so were the BBC, and I got paid for the session! Some sessions, particularly commercials, are ‘on spec’ work, which means you are competing with lots of others, and the one who is picked gets the job and the only one who gets paid. It does depend on the producer, though, and some will pay you anyway, though that tends to be less than you get if you do the session ‘on spec’, and win the job. But this one was a commission, where payment is guaranteed. Then it was a case of waiting for the show to be broadcast so I could hear the final result, with Unexpected Star Shannon singing his lead vocal over the backing track. It was something of a thrill to hear my voice broadcast on national TV at peak time, even if I was ‘just’ the backing singer and it was mixed way back (like the original). Typically, those last few backing vocal chords which had taken a disproportionate amount of time to reproduce were all but drowned out by applause from the audience. But you never know that kind of thing when you are laying down the tracks, so you pay attention to every detail. All in all it was a fun job to do, and something worthwhile for the CV. Here’s the clip from the show: Unexpected Star of the Show .

Zara Ashton is a vocal tutor based in Malvern, Worcestershire UK. For info on lessons visit https://singing-lessons.mad4music.co.uk/

Offered A Deal? Awesome!!! Or not.

It’s exciting and ego-boosting being offered a deal. Recording, publishing, production, management – I’ve had the lot, some were good, but quite a few were not so.  Getting out of dodgy contracts is really no fun at all, I could write you a thesis on this, but I’ll keep to the salient points of how to avoid a dodgy deal. Believe me, having no deal at all is heaps better than being stuck in a dodgy one that ties you up for years.

Here we go, then. Research the company. Look for genuine links to big names and/or success stories, not vague ‘award-winning’ descriptions. Lots of awards are pretty meaningless, really. If you don’t see any big names or success stories, don’t bother.

Someone fairly high up in the business once said to me “think big league, not shit league”. If the company is a small one but does all its work through a successful large one, you’ll effectively be signed to them, so that’s good.

Go into negotiating any deal with your eyes wide open (no stars!) and get very wary if they start asking for money from you.  Work out, or just ask them straight, how they intend to make their money out of signing you up.

If they don’t come up with any answers that make sense, or seem vague or resent you asking/try and gloss over it, or if they pressurise you into signing something without giving you a chance to get it checked out, be suspicious!

If you have to audition first, ask them if you will be expected to sign something at the audition – if so, you want to see it first before you trek all the way down there.

Ask them for a copy of the contract you’d be expected to sign if you pass the audition. You might have to sign an NDA* which is fair enough, but make sure you understand it.

Whenever you get presented with a contract, get it checked out by a specialist music business lawyer before you sign (this is REALLY important). It may be worth joining the MU** for this if you’re not a member, as they give free contract advice to members.

Contracts are always negotiable, so don’t accept any pressurising tactics. The common ones are “it’s a standard contract”, “nobody else has a problem with our contract”. This is usually a sign that someone wants you to sign a bad deal. Bona fide people expect you to get your contract checked out.

Look for the get-out clauses on both sides and make sure you fully understand what you are committing yourself to and for how long, and what they are supposed to do for you in return.

If the deal includes the other side’s recording facility, check out their rates, they should be defined as part of the terms of the contract. Because, if you do make any money, they’ll be taking recording costs out before you see a penny – so make sure their recording rates are something you’d be happy paying, not some extortionate amount that’ll eat up all the profits and leave you with nothing (i.e. they get paid, you don’t).
Good luck,
Zara

*Non-disclosure agreement

**Musicians’ Union

Zara Ashton is a vocal tutor based in Malvern, Worcs UK. For more info on one-to-one tuition visit her website at https://singing-lessons.mad4music.co.uk/

 

Singing With A Cold

by Zara Ashton

I’ll start with the official advice: Don’t sing with a cold.

Now for my disclaimer – if you follow the suggestions given below instead and are unlucky enough to end up with voice problems, it’s not my fault. The suggestions given below are based on my own survival tactics through many years having to survive financially, pay mortgage etc etc as a pro singer, so while there’s some good advice in there, some of it could be considered reckless.

OK so now I’ve covered myself, here’s what I do when I get a cold. At the first sign of it I use an antiviral. These can work well at stopping a cold in the early stages. I use First Defence which is a liquid you squirt into your nostrils. I won’t do this shortly before a gig, though, because if you squirt too hard, or too much, some of it will run down the back of your throat. This can make your throat sore, as it contains menthol which can irritate, inflame and dry your vocal cords out. If this happens gargle with water or a Saline solution immediately. I use a steam inhaler 2-3 times a day as well, which can help to liquefy and free up any mucus on the cords and in the lungs.

If I have problems with blocked sinuses I’ll use my Neti-Pot.

Ideally, I won’t sing again until I’m feeling almost better – this can take anything from 1 to 6 weeks. Then I build up my singing again starting with only gentle exercises, adding the more demanding ones gradually, before I’ll begin singing songs again.

Mix voice and the steam inhaler become my two best friends.

In reality, for a gigging musician, stopping singing for more than a gig or two is impractical. I’m aware that if I feel I must sing, I’m taking a small, but tangible, risk. To give myself the best chance of avoiding damage, I’ll start a few days before the gig with gentle vocal warm-ups. Both during the days before and at the gig I’m guided by how my throat feels – I’ll never push my voice to do more than is comfortable, and will avoid the loudest/highest/most powerful notes until I’m back on form. This can mean either ducking the notes (replacing them with lower ones, creating a slightly different melody), swapping high chest voice notes for mix voice ones, or missing out the really demanding songs altogether. Mix voice and the Steam Inhaler become my two best friends. I’ll also gargle daily with water or a salt solution. I can only recommend water or salt solution; avoid anything with lemon as the acid irritates the cords – think what neat lemon juice does to the inside of your mouth. Some people swear by other ‘remedies’ such as eucalyptus, honey, tea tree, liquorice etc – try these things if you like, but there’s no real evidence to back up any claims.

On the day of the gig, I might take a decongestant, but only if my nose is streaming. At the gig, I’ll make sure the PA is up good and loud. That means I don’t have to push my voice. The performance will change somewhat – I’ll sing a lot of the set in a more relaxed manner – but I have such a vast armoury of vocal style elements to make performances interesting (as do my students) that this actually isn’t a problem at all, and can be quite fun. If the gig allows for it I’ll take a break early if I think I need it. I’ll make sure I keep the fluid intake up and avoid speaking when I’m not performing. If I’m working with other performers I’ll become a diva and tell them I’m on ‘voice rest’ and get them to do the networking. The most I’ll do is be the one handing out promo flyers or business cards. If I’m working solo it’s a LOT more tricky – audience members can be a bit dense, I’ve lost count of the times I’ve told people I’m not being rude but I need to rest my voice, only then to be faced with a barrage of questions about why. The only solution I’ve found is to disappear off somewhere – another room, the changing room, or the car/van.

If my throat feels swollen and inflamed, this is the only time I’ll have ice in my water. Ice is generally a no-no as the cold is not good for warmed up muscles. However, I have found that taking little sips of chilled or iced water can ease the swelling and make everything feel a bit more normal, so I consider it as bringing the temperature back down to normal rather than chilling the muscles.

For personal medical reasons I never take anything containing aspirin or its derivatives anyway, but I recommend that while your voice is vulnerable you don’t either, as they thin the blood and can increase the chance of a haemorrhage in the vocal cords (particularly if you are doing a lot of coughing).

Despite the scary disclaimer and warnings, the chance of doing yourself irreparable damage is very small, so be sensible, stay positive, remind yourself how lucky you are to be doing what you love, and remember to enjoy the gig.

Good luck!

Zara Ashton is a vocal tutor based in Malvern, Worcestershire UK. For info on lessons visit https://singing-lessons.mad4music.co.uk/

Voice-Over (with Scots Accent) for a Vehicle Repair Company Ad

by Zara Ashton

“She’s fast asleep. I won’t wake her, I’m sure she’ll be up for it. I’ll just take the job for her.” That was my husband Duke’s conversation with himself last night at about 7pm. I was in bed catching up on some sleep, after a few restless nights and days nursing a poorly throat and non-existent voice. The week so far had involved no teaching, no singing, not even speaking.

The job was an unusual one for me. They wanted a female Scottish voice. Now, my natural accent is what’s called “received English”, a non-regional, generic kind of English accent. However, my father was a Scot, and as a youngster, we spent two weeks every summer with his family in Dunbar, a small town on the east coast. My father’s accent had become anglicised, but my Scots relatives’ accents were pure. I was always fascinated by the soft gentleness of their accents and loved to mimic them at every opportunity. I’ve continued to do so over the years for fun to amuse myself, my husband and friends.

At 8pm I surfaced, and was pretty excited at the prospect of giving it a shot, despite Dukes fears that I wouldn’t be best pleased at him putting me forward. My voice was just starting to come back, and as the job was a speaking one, not singing, I was in with a chance. I could do this! But then an email came through saying it wasn’t necessary after all as someone they’d been waiting on had just turned up with the goods. So the pressure was off. Ah well. Maybe next time.

The next morning, though, it was all back on again. They’d checked what they’d been sent, and the quality of the recording they’d received wasn’t up to it. Could I have a shot at it? Quick voice check – yes, it’s just about back. I’ll do it! Give me a couple of hours!

I’ve done enough voice-overs to understand what clients need in terms of pace, voice quality, diction and expression. As with most skills, it’s nowhere near as easy as it looks. I find you have to start from a position of overdoing it, then rein it back in. There were a few tongue twisters in there (there always are), but getting those right is just down to practice, practice, practice. No, the main worry for me was pulling off the Scots accent. Would it stand scrutiny? Perhaps I should spend a while listening to a native speaker. But who? That was easy. Lorraine Kelly. Everyone loves Lorraine Kelly’s accent! I listened to her on YouTube for about 30 minutes, emulating her vowel sounds and speech patterns, really getting myself into that Scots zone. Then childhood memories of my great aunts (who used to talk a great deal) on those summer holidays came flooding back. It was like I’d gone back in time.

We started the recording. Usually I do this myself, but as we were seriously pushed for time I enlisted Duke’s help on the engineering side of things. This meant I could concentrate on the performance and my biggest challenge, that accent. One particular word was giving me trouble, the word ‘best’. it just sounded too English, no matter what I did. In desperation I went back to Lorraine Kelly and listened out for any words with that ‘eh’ sound to see how she said them. There’s almost an ‘i’ in it. Bist. No, too much. It’s somewhere between ih and eh. I kept making subtle changes, until suddenly out popped the right sound. Yes, that’s it!

The agency had sent through a version of the ad which comprised a music track with a generic English male voice-over. It was going to be impossible for me to retain a Scots accent over that, so I decided to learn the pace for each line and record it as I went along, to no soundtrack. I repeated each line several times, playing them back and picking out the best before moving onto the next line. This seemed to work really well, as I could try a variety of different delivery styles and hone the accent as I went along. The last few takes were usually the best ones.

Before we knew it, I was on the last line, which finished with a chirpy “dot co dot uk”. Job done! Duke lined the takes up with the original voice-over, made a few adjustments to levels of some of the words where I was too loud or quiet, then bounced it down to create one file, which I then sent off to the client.

Within minutes I had this response “Thank you so much for getting these over!
They sound fantastic! Your professionalism is flawless and the timing perfect!” Well, I was over the moon. Of course it may not even get used as the agency will now send it on to the client for the final ‘aye or nay’ – but whatever happens, I feel I pulled it off against the odds!

Now that is what I call job satisfaction.

Zara Ashton is a vocal tutor based in Malvern, Worcestershire UK. For info on lessons visit https://singing-lessons.mad4music.co.uk/

Tension In Singing

by Zara Ashton

Tension, the unwanted kind, that is (What? You mean there is another sort? Yes there is, more on that next) can creep up on you unawares and ruin your singing. It can even damage your voice if unaddressed.

Tension is flexing (using) a muscle, so clearly some tension in your body is necessary. After all, if you’re standing up, you will have to use some muscles to keep you upright, so I’m not talking about that kind of tension. In addition, the vocal cords are controlled by muscles, so there will be some necessary tension in those. Usually what we mean when we talk about tension being bad for singers is the tensing of muscles that doesn’t serve any useful purpose. These could be in your throat, neck, shoulders, hands or even your legs.

How do you know if you are tense? Most people can recognise it when they remember to think about it, but if you’re not sure, ask yourself these questions: Does my throat or tongue feel tight? Is singing difficult? Is my sound thin and reedy? Are my shoulders hunched? Are my hands forming fists? Are my knees locked back? Are my eyes screwed up? Yes, even tension in the eye muscles can affect your singing.

Learning to recognise this undesirable tension means you can nip any potential problems in the bud before you do yourself some lasting damage. It will also improve the overall sound of your voice, as tension in the throat causes a narrowing of the airway.

There are various ways to get rid of throat tension but I’m going to tell you about just one because this is the most valuable and effective, and may be the only one you’ll ever need. Think of something funny and laugh out loud. Now laugh without making any sound, as if you were laughing when or where it wouldn’t be appropriate, at a solemn event, for example. Notice how freed up your throat feels. It’s called the Silent Laugh.

Tension in other parts of the body also needs to be dealt with, and can be overcome by concentrating on the muscles in question, tightening them as hard as you can and holding them in that position for a few seconds, then releasing them.

Unfortunately many singers don’t realise how tense they are getting, or if they do, don’t do anything about it. Becoming worked-up or tense when you sing can become a bad habit. Don’t let this be you!

A good habit to cultivate is to monitor yourself for tension by pausing every so often and doing a check from head to toe, using the questions above if necessary. Once you can recognise tension in your throat or body you have made an important first step towards healthier singing. The next step is to do something about it. That’s down to you; I’ve led the proverbial horse to water, now it’s up to you to drink.

Zara Ashton is a vocal tutor based in Malvern, Worcestershire UK. For info on lessons visit https://singing-lessons.mad4music.co.uk/

Diction v Tone – What to Do About Those Pesky Consonants

by Zara Ashton

Singing would be so much easier without words. Perfecting your vowel sound formation (ah, ee, oo etc) is the cornerstone of great technique, but for many students it all seems so much more difficult when it comes to actually singing songs. That’s down to the consonants getting in the way. On the one hand we want the listener to understand what we’re singing, but we also want to keep our vowels sounding good. After all, the sound of our vowels IS our voice.

If only there were a way to have clear vowels and clear consonants! Fact is, you can. When you listen to a perfectly executed vocal – I’m thinking of someone like Karen Carpenter here, wonderful tone (i.e. vowel sounds) and yet you can understand every word – you might be forgiven for thinking it came easy and naturally. That’s always the way with people who have worked hard and mastered their craft, though. They make it look easy.

The secret is to practise the individual consonants so that you can form them quickly and energetically, and get them out of the way. With my students I use a number of tongue twisters for this, so we can have some fun at the same time.

Here’s one for ‘b’: Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers

Keeping your jaw movement to a minimum and maximising use of your lips, speak the phrase a few times, then sing it through on a single note. Start slowly, otherwise you’ll trip up, and might come out with completely different words, some of which could be embarrassing. Gradually build up your speed. It may take several days, or even weeks, to get really fast. Persevere, it’ll be worth it.

Here’s another one, this one’s for ‘p’ and ‘k’: Proper Copper Coffee Pot

Some singers get round the consonant problem by glossing over them or even missing them out. Don’t do this, unless you have a genuine artistic reason for doing so (i.e. you want to sound drunk and lazy). You will, sometimes. Yes, I’m being serious! Sometimes clear diction can be distracting from the feel of a song. Check out Easy Money by Rickie Lee Jones. Perfectly enunciated consonants would have ruined that.

Consonants may currently be the bane of your existence as a singer, but when you are able to form them quickly and energetically you can relegate them to ‘minor annoyance’ status. Instead, enjoy the praise you get from your audience, who finally understand what you’re singing about. You can even use consonants to help you with transitions from one note to another, or one register to another. That’s a subject for another blog, though. For now, get working on those tongue twisters. I’ve started you off with a couple of my favourites. There’s a link below to plenty more. Pick some you like and get enunciating!

Zara Ashton is a vocal tutor based in Malvern, Worcestershire UK. For info on lessons visit https://singing-lessons.mad4music.co.uk/

Further Reading
http://www.engvid.com/english-resource/50-tongue-twisters-improve-pronunciation/

Eurovision – The Songs, The Singers, Or Something Else?

by Zara Ashton

On Thursday I had the pleasure to be introduced to a delightful young Icelander called Annie who was staying with my friend as a ‘workaway’. When she discovered that my life’s passion is singing she started enthusing about the Eurovision Song Contest, the final of which is being aired this evening (8pm on BBC 1). According to my new young friend the contest is a big, big event in Iceland; in fact, she described it to me as a second Christmas (and we all know how much fuss that generates). Now, to me as a Brit, Eurovision has always been something that in certain circles you wouldn’t even admit to watching, never mind enjoying. Presenters like Terry Wogan and Graham Norton have fed that national derision, and yet it’s still on our screens every year, achieving good viewing figures.

Personally I’ve always tempered any ‘confession’ to having watched the show with the excuse that I’m just into singing, singers and voices. But it got me thinking, why is it so popular, and how has it successfully stood the test of time? Ever since the ‘70s and the roaring success of Abba there’s been the faint hope that we might witness the birth of another phenomenal talent, but is that likely? With barely a handful of exceptions, the songs, even the winning songs, fall well short of being world-class. Could it be about the singers and their talent? If you listen to the commentary and read the media take on the contest you certainly get the impression the competition is really more about the singers than the songs. However, watch and listen closely and you’ll see it’s not so much about the singers’ talent per se, as their presentation. This goes right back to Abba who kicked it all off in 1974 with their over-the-top (for Eurovision) ‘glam’ styling, and the slightly risqué ripping off of long skirts to reveal short ones in 1981 by Buck’s Fizz.

Over the years Eurovision has seen a shift of emphasis away from a celebration of song and singers towards the visual, with evermore outrageous and opulent costumes, stage sets, choreography and characters. Even if you didn’t watch the contest in 2014 you doubtless became aware of the ‘bearded lady’ who sang the winning song for Austria, but how many of us a year later remember the song, her voice or her stage show? What we will remember, however, is the extraordinary image of a glamorous bearded lady, not unlike the phenomenon of Subo, ‘The Hairy Angel’.

Tonight I, and I’m sure many others, will be listening because we appreciate good singing, but no doubt tomorrow’s headlines will have us believe that, for many, Eurovision is just about the shock factor, the headline-winner. But will they confirm that the singers and songs have become nothing more than an excuse for a more palatable 21st century version of the Early Modern freak show? I’m hoping not. My guess is that in 2014 Eurovision peaked on appreciation of the strange. This year there’s a new headline as, bizarrely, Australia are now represented, despite not being in Europe. I therefore predict a win for the Australian entry as this will create the dose of controversy and subsequent media feeding frenzy the show thrives on for its very existence. The singers? The songs? Yes, viewers of the show will enjoy them, but they’re already yesterday’s news.

Update: So why did Sweden win? The song and singer were OK, but not exactly memorable. My money’s on the interactive graphics, which is at least a strike for art instead of weirdness.

Zara Ashton is a vocal tutor based in Malvern, Worcestershire UK. For info on lessons visit https://singing-lessons.mad4music.co.uk/

Amazon.co.uk Widgets

A Short Vocal Session for a 20 Second Ad.

by Zara Ashton

The phone rang. It was 7pm, I was halfway through my evening meal. “I’ve got a job for you. Someone else has sung this ad already for us but the client wants it to sound more casual and house-wifey, less Mary Poppins. We still need to be able to hear the words, though. It’s a pitch not a commission, but it’s only 20 seconds, it won’t take you long. Sung to the tune of …”

“Sure, I can do that. When do you want it?” I said, already knowing the answer, but hoping, against the odds, that I would be able to finish my dinner.

“I could do with getting this wrapped up. How soon could you do it?” He meant now.

“I’ll get right on it.”

I put the remainder of my dinner in the fridge (singing on a full stomach is not funny) and started downloading the files – the audio backing track and various edits of the video with the previous singer on. I play through the videos a few times to get the hang of what they want, and also what they don’t want. A quick scribble-down of the lyrics followed, because unusually there was no lyric file included. Next job was to shift my microphone from its usual position the opposite side of the keyboard, where my students are, to next to the computer, so I could simultaneously be vocalist and engineer.

I sing it through and find there’s a slightly awkward register change in the second line. Using a little technique from my armory of tricks I practise negotiating that for a minute or so until it’s smooth.

Time to get technical. Logic Song File set up – backing track loaded into it – microphone level set to where I usually have it – loop set up so that I can just sing it over and over – hit ‘R’ for record and we’re away!

Ten times round the loop later, I stop. The last few takes were enthusiastic-sounding enough and had the right kind of feel and character, so I spend a few minutes picking the best take of each line and compiling them into one. Then I go through it all again, but this time aiming for a more energised performance, as the first one was fairly laid back.

Nearly there, then. Next job is to bounce down the compilation of each version, having applied a little auto-tuning to really perfect them. It’s surprising how many little inaccuracies there are in a singer’s vocal when you inspect it closely, even if it sounds fine. Fact is, it sounds even better when it’s tuned, and I never saw the point in wasting time throwing away an otherwise perfectly good take for the sake of a tiny tuning imperfection.

Final job, then, is to upload the files along with an explanation of why there are two versions. I’m looking forward to finishing my unfinished dinner. The upload completes, I create back ups, then shut everything down and go eat.

Next day I get his response. “Sounds greeeaaat!” So now we have to wait and see if the client goes for it. If they do, I’ll get paid.

Zara Ashton is a vocal tutor based in Malvern, UK. For info on one-to-one lessons visit https://singing-lessons.mad4music.co.uk/

Welcome to The Vocal Tutor’s Singing Blog.

Singing is a wonderful thing to do. It gets you creative, high on endorphins, gives you a physical and mental workout, and can be a way of communicating – from your soul to another’s. Taken to its ultimate height, it can entertain, inspire and even spread joy. This blog’s main aim is to help you with your singing by passing on some of the useful things I’ve learned on my personal journey as a singer, entertainer, vocal coach and vocal producer but there will also be stories and reflections for your amusement.

I really wasn’t gifted with the best vocal instrument in the world, but people kept seeing something in me. For some reason, time and time again I was encouraged to move forward and take centre stage, so I resolved to learn how to use my vocal instrument to the best of my ability. It was a long, hard, but beautiful road, and I’m still learning.

Thank you for visiting my blog, and thank you to all my students, past present and future, for your boundless enthusiasm and all the lessons YOU inadvertently give ME on a daily basis.

Zara

The Vocal Tutor.