Second Annual
Holiday Songwriting
Contest

We have a Winner!

 

We are happy to announce our winning songwriter, Melissa Maki.
Melissa’s song “Christmas Again” has won our contest. She will receive a one hour session with Renee and a six month membership to Renee Grant-Williams’ Membership website.
Click here for contest details

Caroling Christmas Songs Bring Joy

Caroling Christmas singers can bring great joy not only to those for whom they perform, but to themselves as well. You don’t have to be a trained singer to sing at this time of year. There’s something about the holiday season that makes even the most timid singer want to join in.

As well as an opportunity to make beautiful music with your friends it should be fun, And isn’t that whole point of caroling? Holiday songs give us an opportunity to share our feelings of joy.

Caroling (wassailing) dates back to the early middle ages. Peasants went from manor to manor where the landed gentry fed them in exchange for their blessings. During the thirteenth century Saint Francis of Assisi introduced caroling Christmas songs into church services in Italy. English caroling began in 1426 with groups of wassailers going from house to house singing songs of celebration and Christmas.

If you are going to be caroling Christmas songs this year, these five basic tips should give your singing voice a little boost. I can’t guarantee you’ll get a recording contract if you use them, but they should help make singing carols just a little less intimidating and a lot more fun!

1. Breathe by relaxing your throat and lower diaphragm muscles. Picture air falling from your throat to below your waist. Don’t fill up with air. Too much air in the chest area creates pressure around the throat.

2. To hit the high notes, tuck your tail bone under your body and stand by pressing the balls of your feet into the ground. Loosen your knees slightly and tuck your hips under as if you were going to lift a heavy chair.

3. Try to feel the singing vibrate at the top of your head rather than in your throat. Your jaw should always be loose, not stiff and not stretched open.

4. Listen closely to the other voices. It doesn't matter whether you are singing harmony parts or in unison on the melody line, if you can actually hear yourself you are probably singing too loud. Put your efforts into blending with your group instead of blasting them!

5. And remember when you’re singing any song, especially a Christmas carol, it’s terribly important to think about what the words really mean. It’s amazing how simply thinking about the words and their meaning can improve the tone. That’s probably the most helpful tip of all.

One word of caution: if your caroling Christmas songs take you outdoors it is important that you protect your throat. Layer your clothing and be sure to bring a scarf to keep your throat warm. For soothing tired throats, take a thermos of something hot to drink. But don’t overdo it with the spiked eggnog; alcohol can be drying to the entire system as well as the throat.

Nashville vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams reveals the trade secrets that have already helped hundreds of aspiring singers become celebrities: Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks, Miley Cyrus, Huey Lewis, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, Christina Aguilera...

Like me on Facebook at or follow me on Twitter @MyVoiceCoach. My blog can be found at MyVoiceCoachBlog.com.

Go to CyberVoiceStudio.com and sign up to receive my free weekly Video Voice Lessons.

For more information go to MyVoiceCoach.com or call 615.244.3280 to schedule a private voice session in person, by telephone or by Skype.
 

Stage Fright: Don't Let it Scare You

Stage fright is an interesting paradox. Many singers are willing to suffer almost paralyzing anxiety as they bite and claw their way to positions that, when reached, continue to terrify them. What drives us to invite and endure these self-inflicted tortures?

The other day I spotted this graffito scribbled on a Nashville recording studio wall, “Try to relax, or we’ll find someone who can.” Ouch! What a cruel line! Nothing makes a person tighten up faster than being accused of being uptight. Nobody wants to think they’re not relaxed. “Relax? What do you mean, relax? I am relaxed!!!”

Stage fright is normal—even useful. It gives our singing energy and edge. But when stage fright is excessive it becomes counterproductive and we have to take steps to neutralize it. Here’s a little trick I learned from New York acting coach Jim DeBlaises that may take some of the Fear and Loathing out of performing and help calm your nerves.

Ask yourself what it is you’re afraid will happen. Write down all the things you think could go wrong. What’s the worst thing you could imagine? What are your worst fears? Make a list of all the things you think could possibly go wrong. Now confront them one by one by acting them out.

Do you think you might sing off pitch? Then sing a few songs out of tune. If you’re afraid you’ll forget the words, okay, do that—sing a few songs and forget the words. Maybe you're afraid your voice will crack. Well then, sing some songs and make your voice crack.

Make all the mistakes you can think of. If you’re worried you might stumble over your words, practice stumbling. What if you don't come in at the right time? Try that out. Just go crazy. Do you think you might fall down? Then practice actually falling down.

Now try to make all those mistakes -- just do a terrible job.

This won’t be as easy as it sounds, you’ll soon see that it’s harder to make mistakes than you’d think. In fact, it’s almost as hard to deliberately make mistakes as it is to deliberately be perfect. But after you’ve done it a few times, you'll find the terror starts to dissipate and your fears start to seem funny. Really put some practice time in on this. It’s not enough just to know about it.

Everyone deals with performance nerves in their own way. My mother often trotted out Harry Truman’s words, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” They came in handy whenever I started to lose my nerve. Of course, that’s where I want to be -- in the kitchen where all the action is! I’m reminded of why I wanted to be a performer in the first place.

If nothing else works for you, there’s always the trick Carol Burnett used to keep things in perspective. She recommends visualizing your audience naked—but only if you can do it without snickering!

Nashville vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams reveals the trade secrets that have already helped hundreds of aspiring singers become celebrities: Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks, Miley Cyrus, Huey Lewis, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, Christina Aguilera...

Like me on Facebook at or follow me on Twitter @MyVoiceCoach. My blog can be found at MyVoiceCoachBlog.com.

Go to CyberVoiceStudio.com and sign up to receive my free weekly Video Voice Lessons.

For more information go to MyVoiceCoach.com or call 615.244.3280 to schedule a private voice session in person, by telephone or by Skype.