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News Controlling Your Mind? Breaking free, Clearing Your MindToday we’ll look at one way I get my mind back…from the[...]

The #1 Mistake Almost Every Beginner Musician Makes/How Do You Stay Married? Anyone can get married. How do you stay[...]

Students Answer: What Inspires You to Play and Sing? Also Jurassic Park. As a piano and voice teacher and piano-playing[...]

When I touch the piano, I feel pure joy. That wasn’t always the case.Is learning piano fun? I should say[...]

How Guilt Made Me Less Productive ​ One of the best ways to find out if I’ve forgotten something important, (or[...]

Why Take Piano Lessons as An Adult? Why Not Just YouTube it?  You know you can learn how to play[...]

I'm Almost Always Wrong About This, How About You?I woke up groggy, sluggish, NOT in the mood to do anything[...]

The Hardest Thing About Teaching + New Book Want to know the absolute most difficult thing about teaching? When a student[...]

Get it Right More Often, with Pain and Frusturation?  Growing up, I would get less than the best grade on[...]

American Symphony on Netflix: Some Thoughts from a Music Teacher American Symphony on Netflix: Some Thoughts from a Music TeacherFirst[...]

What Dad's Funeral Taught Me About Fun  Growing up, my mom had always complimented me on my discipline and self-motivation.[...]

The Trail of Lights Tragedy & What Comes Before Joy For years, my family wanted to go to the Trail[...]

The Tiger Woods Trap: How I Get Unstuck in Piano, Singing & Life  If you want to get better at[...]

The Point of Lessons is Not to Practice!  The point of taking lessons or classes…at least in my studio…is not[...]

What Are Your "Fun" Songs?  I need some song titles, particularly songs that remind you of fun. They can be[...]

IWhy do I ask for a list of songs? f your a first timer taking piano lessons or voice lessons with[...]

Your hands will always know something you don't. Although today we’re talking about piano, for you singers on my list,[...]

What Most Piano & Piano Trainings Miss... One of the things that I see missing in most piano and vocal[...]

Mindfulness Without Having to Sit Still In my early years post college, meditation and mindfulness was all the rage. Being[...]

The Problem with Feedback from a Coach... Having worked with so many coaches/teachers over the years…and being a voice coach[...]

Is Your Voice a Problem to Be Fixed?  Do you find yourself sounding like whatever singer you’re singing with? Or the[...]

Do You Sing to Avoid Mistakes?  How do you respond when you make a mistake? Do you tighten up, do[...]

Do You Sing to Avoid Mistakes?  How do you respond when you make a mistake? Do you tighten up, do[...]

Do You Sing to Avoid Mistakes? How do you respond when you make a mistake? Do you tighten up, do you[...]

What's the Minimum Time Needed to Develop Your Singing? When I first started teaching, I thought every student should practice at[...]

Confidence the Feeling...Can You Sing Confidently Without Feeling Confident?Feeling confident is not always a reflection of your actual ability or[...]

What if Singing Felt Better as You Got Better?One of the most common myths with singing, is that once you[...]

How to Leave the Lack-of-Confidence CycleHave you ever had the experience of singing, judging how good or bad you sang[...]

The Synergistic Singing Studio Has Moved!  Hey y'all! I'm excited to announce that the Synergistic Singing studio has moved! And...or the[...]

Write Your First Piano Melody in 10min or Less  If you know nothing, or almost nothing, about how music works,[...]

My Story with Piano... My first keyboard was a hand-me-down keyboard from the 80's that my brother had given me[...]

Video Summary: 0min Where I started from with singing...2:30min...My first life-changing lesson with a Juliard teacher and an Alexander Technique Teacher...3min[...]

Growing up, I always was willing to try harder. I tried hard. I thought sheer effort and force of will[...]

Let's talk about the action of confidence vs the feeling of confidence + my favorite book on confidence in general. I love The Confidence Gap by Russ[...]

4 Ways to Work With Chris:  1 Take LessonsYou can schedule online lessons here:  Schedule a[...]

New Here?Here's what SynergisticSinging is All About...The SynergisticSinging Manifesto  Synergistic Singing is different because we take back singing for it’s[...]

My Garden Produced Hardly Anything, Why Do I Feel So Good? And what this means for you, your story with singing,[...]

Quick! What’s Your Easiest Song to Sing?Help Chris make this epic list by answering below! Reply above along with anything[...]

You're going to sing in public for the first time. You feel the nerves kicking in, your heart is racing,[...]

Tape Your Mouth=Sing Better?   Get the Glorious Morning Voice Track to Enjoy & Awaken Your Voice When you subscribe,  you'll get[...]

__CONFIG_widget_menu____CONFIG_widget_menu__ How to Enjoy Being (Musically) Alive...Some Games.  The point of this article is to help you, in a small[...]

How My Shopping Addiction Turned Into a Way Out of a Decade of Depressionand yes, this has something to do[...]

Read My Story, and Mission, at the Link Below: 

Maya's Singing StoryHow Maya got her song, her style and expressive self out there. When Maya first started the Test Singer[...]

Sing Well in Spite of Morning Voice  If you're not already subscribed, subscribe right now to get the free Song[...]

The Happy Tears of a 70 Year Old Why I Love Teaching the Vocal UnderdogYou would think, that as a voice[...]

Faith's Story In this video, Faith performs "Gloucestor Moors" and "Mamma Mia".from fearful to fa​bulously expressive!Faith told me that when[...]

Si's Story"Oh, you actually sound good!"When I first started working with Si, he was skeptical if he could get any[...]

How to Sing a Song in Your Own Style: First StepsGet the Song Choice Worksheet BelowDid you know I teach[...]

Student and Parent Spotlight: Kirk & Kristy  My jaw dropped. Kirk's mom had told me, in the middle of an[...]

When good singers get away with "bad" techniqueYou're trying a new technique, it's working for you in your song, but[...]

How do you learn how to sing without a teacher?Side note for those surprised I would ask and answer this[...]

The Problem with Online Singing Courses Have you ever downloaded a tutorial, bought a book, or tried something new, only to[...]

What helps me with performance and pandemic anxiety.Let me preface by saying I'm mostly writing these things down to remind[...]

Why Most Singers Don't REALLY Know Their Vocal Range, Even When Working with a Teacher... and what to do about[...]

When Fear in Singing is a GOOD Sign! Often times for beginning singers our vocal comfort zone sits outside of[...]

From "Bad" to "Good" Singer: What does it take? First of all, I don't like nor do I use the[...]

How to "Sing from Your Diaphragm"?  ​ First, don't take the term "sing from your diaphragm" too seriously. Some background[...]

For a long time, I've felt unsatisfied with the way our culture has approached singing. Let me explain how awkward[...]

I have a suspicion that most people have a desire in their heart to sing, and it really has nothing[...]

What to do when a phrase is easy to sing by itself, but tough in the middle of a song…Over[...]

Singing the Right Note with the First Chord on Piano/Guitar What the VPI-Harmonic Skill is, why most beginning singers need[...]

Anyone Can Enjoy a Voice or Piano Lesson Gift! Not sure what to get that special someone that either has everything[...]

Were You Gifted a Music Lesson? AWESOME! Welcome to Synergistic Singing! If you’ve been given a music lesson gift, you’ve come[...]

To Sing the Right Notes, You Need the VPI Skill(The Vocal Pitch Independence Skill)Have you ever sung a song with[...]

Can You Move Too Much When You Sing? When Reducing Range of Motion is Helpful For this video, we'll be covering[...]

Can you tell what you are doing when you practice? In this video, we'll talk about an interesting phenomenon with candles...and[...]

5 Powerful Practice Questions for Singing and Most Movement Based Skills For today, we'll be talking about the 5 powerful practice[...]

When it Comes to Dipthongs, Should You Sing the Way You Speak? Should You Sing the Way You Speak? It[...]

One Singing Skill to Rule Them All ​When You Practice, Resist the Urge to Correct Every Mistake. Instead, do this: One very[...]

How Imagination Improves Vocal Technique + an Application When I first started singing, a lot of my teachers emphasized imagining[...]

When Learning a Song, Practice the Middle! When you are learning a song, try to start at different points in[...]

How to Remember Your Song Lyrics: Random Access Memory When I first started singing, I would panic and forget my[...]

Vocal Practice Tip: 1 Step Backward to Go 2 Steps Forward When you are practicing a song, especially a really[...]

When it Comes to Tone Quality, Should You Sing the Way You Speak? ​Should You Sing the Way You Speak?[...]

Vocal Practice: 1 Thing at a TimeIn this video, we'll be covering a practice tip that seems simple enough, but[...]

Secret Singing Rule: Your Words Must Be Understood! ​ Sometimes as singers we will carry subconscious rules about how singing should[...]

Singing Like You Speak When it Comes to Breathing There are DEFINITELY differences between breathing for speech and singing! The[...]

Secret Singing Rule: Always Silent Inhales! Sometimes as singers we will carry subconscious rules about how singing should be, and[...]

Your Voice is a Gift and Opportunity When I first started singing, I felt totally delighted by the idea that[...]

Singing the Way You Speak When it Comes to Volume Imitating your default speaking technique in your singing has a[...]

Should You Sing the Way You Speak When it Comes to Vowels vs Consonants?  When you speak, you spend about[...]

​Singing and the Feeling Mind Can you totally control your voice? Depending on what techniques you look at, you may hear[...]

Should You REALLY Sing the Way You Speak? There are many techniques out there that promote the idea that you[...]

One Way to Build the Vocal Pitch Independence Skill For beginning and intermediate singers (and even some very skilled singers[...]

Why It Can Be Harder for the Beginning Guy Singer and What to Do About It What a lot of beginning[...]

"Focus on Progress, Not Perfection"...But What Do You Do When You Can't Control Your Progress? A Snippet From: ​Progress Isn't Always in[...]

New in the Group Class: Breathing: Putting it All TogetherIn this group class, we'll be covering what it feels like[...]

How to Practice Consistently​It's Here! The Science-Backed Guide to Consistent Singing Practice, Tailor-Made for the Singer. I'm so excited to announce[...]

New in the Group Class: Singing and the Inhale Singing is All About the Exhale, So Of Course the Inhale is Really[...]

One Way to Get Unstuck in Your Singing: Focus on Movement, Not SoundDo you ever get frustrated in your singing[...]

Tuesday in the Group Class: It's All About the Exhale How you release your air when you sing dictates how easy everything[...]

Tuesday in the Group Class: How to Practice Singing Your Kinesthetic and Aural Senses Work Hard, Your Voice Doesn't.Practicing Singing is[...]

Are You a Beginning Singer? Let's Find More Specific Words to Describe Your Current Singing 🙂 Slidy Singing: A Common Beginning Singer[...]

Thursday in the Group Class: The Vocal Folds  The Vocal Folds, What They Can Do, How They Work & When[...]

Should Your Voice Feel Tired When You Practice?  The strange thing about singing is that you already have all the[...]

Thursday in the Group Class: Breathing: Putting it All TogetherIn this group class, we'll be covering what it feels like[...]

Thursday in the Group Class: Singing and the Inhale Singing is All About the Exhale, So Of Course the Inhale is Really[...]

Thursday in the Group Class: It's All About the Exhale How you release your air when you sing dictates how easy everything[...]

Memorable Singers Take RisksWhy it's Good to Sound "Bad" Part 3  ​ One of the biggest hurdles for some singers when it[...]

Thursday in the Group Class: How to Practice Singing Your Kinesthetic and Aural Senses Work Hard, Your Voice Doesn't.Practicing Singing is[...]

 Thursday in the Group Class: Experiment with and Design Your Vocal Sound Even if you're just starting at singing, now is a[...]

This Thursday in the Group Class: Head Voice, Chest Voice, What They Are, How They Work and Why it Matters Do you[...]

This Thursday in the Group Class: Vowels Baby, Vowels: Where Your Singing Voice Soars. Singing (unlike beatboxing) revolves around vowels. Listen to[...]

This Thursday in the Group Class: The Vocal Folds Part Two: All About Pitch! If you're "tone deaf" can you still[...]

This Thursday in the Group Class: The Vocal Folds, What They Can Do, How They Work & When & Why[...]

MusicNotes.com! Great Tool for Singers, Even If You Can't Read Music  I'm not an affiliate of MusicNotes.com or receiving any[...]

Why the Texas Music Educator's Association (TMEA) Vocal Auditions Are So Very Awesome and What You Can Do to Nail[...]

Same Sound, Different Singing Technique When (and Why) It's Good to Sound "Bad" When You Sing It's a really common assumption[...]

     

Don't Squash the BalloonHow to Sing that First Note of a Phrase ​ Transcript:Balloons have so much to teach us[...]

Singing the Right Way For YouWith so much information out there when it comes to singing, why do I even[...]

The Vocal Wisdom of Balloons Your voice kind of works like a balloon. The louder you sing, the LESS air[...]

Sign Up for the Singing from Scratch Class! Austin's First Beginner Friendly Singing Class for Adults Thursdays @ 7:30 for[...]

The SynergisticSinging Blog Got An Award 🙂 MusicAuthority.org put together a nice list of blogs, some of which I have[...]

What if you can sing in tune...until you try to sing with a karaoke track or instrumental track? Does that[...]

Unintentionally Singing an Octave Lower: A Common Mistake Beginning Guy Singers Will Make In this video we're going to be[...]

Are you stuck with your voice? Nope! 🙂  Most people aren't at all aware of their vocal habits, or how[...]

THIS POST IS SUPER OLD...I'VE SINCE UPDATE THIS A WHOLE LOT: https://synergisticsinging.com/how-to-find-your-vocal-range-on-piano/ To know the right exercises to improve your singing,[...]

This post is pretty old...I've since updated this a WHOLE LOT: https://synergisticsinging.com/how-to-find-your-vocal-range-on-piano/ Here is a quick guide to finding your[...]

With so many singing methods, exercises, and techniques,  what is the best singing exercise/vocal method ever? It's the one that[...]

I can't tell you how many times I heard something of the likes of "you're trying too hard" or "just[...]

  If you've never checked out Quora, you're missing out. It's an excellent resource website where people can ask questions[...]

What is good singing? Depending on what your focus is, good singing can be very easy to define, or impossible.[...]

        Piano apps are an essential tool, especially for beginning singers or singers that are learning about music theory,[...]

I'm so excited to announce that today will be the first day at the new physical location for my SynergisticSinging[...]

In this video we'll be covering what most beginning singers miss when they attempt to expand their vocal range. Here's[...]

Today I'm reviewing the SingTrue App! What I love about this app is that it can give you instant feedback[...]

In this video we'll be covering the Vocal Navigation Skill, which is a combination of the Listening and Vocal Coordination[...]

        Subscribe for a new video every month covering everything beginning singers want to know! In this[...]

Many would-be fantastic singers often become extremely frustrated in their attempts to sing in tune. Why is this? Often it's[...]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtHf3mRPeKE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX-XRYajJfo

If you didn't read the last post of this series, make sure to check that out and subscribe to get[...]

My goal with the SynergisticSinging YouTube channel is to present how to go about singing from scratch, assuming you're an[...]

Make sure to SUBSCRIBE for a new video every month!   SINGING IN TUNE SERIES VIDEO #2: Sounding good does[...]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPI1ikcdZrY  

Launching August 20th! I’m so excited to announce the BRAND NEW Synergistic Singing Channel on YouTube! Subscribers will receive a[...]

How do you know you're making progress as a singer or in any part of your life? You have to[...]

Here is where the singer moves from repeating what they've heard and unconsciously learned,  to vocal artistry, where they imagine[...]

The demands of the genre you're singing in can dictate the variety of sounds you're allowed to use, this of[...]

The music you vocally imitate can be part of what makes your voice stand out as an artist. Gary Levox[...]

What Makes Your Voice Unique Part 4: Your Musical Skill Level Your musical skill level, and how much of it[...]

Vocal Skill Level Your vocal skill level also influences how unique your voice may be, because if you learn how[...]

Thumbtack recently interviewed me here: https://www.thumbtack.com/spotlight/voice-teacher/ and I was asked to give an example of a student that I really enjoyed[...]

As I explained in my last article, genetics does play a (surprisingly small) role in your voice by determining, among[...]

First Factor: Genetics (A Surprisingly Small Part) A lot of people really believe that genetics play a much bigger role[...]

There are many singers with absolutely fantastic technique that do not know how to have vibrato on a note. So[...]

It takes about 10-60min to get better at singing in a voice lesson, AND it also takes about 6 months.[...]

Great question! There are many ways to create a more engaging performance, so today I'll just be focusing on the[...]

1) Observe Record yourself singing or speaking through the lyrics without stopping (unless you've forgotten the rest of the song).[...]

Ear Training/Music Theory Ear training is a useful, often crucial, part of learning how to sing. Ear training enables you[...]

Many vocal exercises can give you great benefit, the questions that you need to answer before asking this question is:[...]

Have you ever tried singing with a karaoke track, and realized you weren't sure if you were singing the right[...]

Compared to what you hear on average, how good of a singer am I? What a frequent question! It's a[...]

Singing is an act of getting to know yourself. To make a single sound, several sets of muscles work together[...]

I frequently get new students who come into lessons with the impression that after they sing for me, I will[...]

Imagine the last time you had a gut-wrenching cry, or a shout of excitement. What did it feel like physically[...]

Usually within the first few minutes of hearing some speaking to me, I already have an idea of what will[...]

Nope! I never give up on a student, unless they are not willing to do the practice to progress. As[...]

Muscle Memory is the brain/body's memorization of movements. When you speak throughout the day, you are practicing (i.e training your[...]

Some people unconsciously use their voice in a healthy way, we call these people "talented". Great as short hand, but[...]

Since the topic today is about vocal artistry, I thought you might enjoy a fantastic work of art created by Martin[...]

I am amazed at how many high school students spend years in choir class, doing vocal competitions, musicals, etc. with[...]

I will be teaching a voice workshop for beginners! When? September 15th @ 3:00pm Where? 2200 N. Bell Avenue, Denton,[...]

Some teachers unconsciously teach technique, personal musical taste, rhythmic and pitch accuracy, and expression all in one unorganized amorphous blob. This is[...]

Kelsey Hughen is one of my students, she has a lovely, mellifluous voice and is a keen student. Her songs[...]

When learning a song, a lot of beginners tend to jump right in, singing words with pitches and rhythms, trying[...]

Why does my voice sound different on a recording than in my own head? When you speak or sing, you[...]

The principles below I found when I started reading "The Radiant Performer" by Wesley Balk. When I first started practicing[...]

A voice lesson is not a performance. It is a lab where you conduct fun experiments. The performer presents 'the[...]

I remember having a conversation with my sister-in-law who is a middle school history teacher. She has thirty eighth graders[...]