I lost my voice more than once when I toured my songs night after night. Tried voice lessons. It was a frustrating new age experience. Told to lie on my back and breath deeply then allow whatever vowel caveman like sound to emit with my exhalations. Got dizzy, wanted to stop. She said keep going. She pressed on my belly. ” Can you feel it?” she asked. I didn’t feel it. Tried again with another teacher 2 years later same strange experience. Was told we were finding my diaphragm but we only found dizziness and nothing tangible.
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It happened a few years later, after I had given up expecting there was anything to learn from voice teachers, at Stella Walker’s apartment, who was a voice teacher, visual artist and comedienne. I was there not for reasons of voice but just hanging out gabbing about whatever. It was by chance I brought up the inconsistencies I have reaching a certain high note. She brought up the damn diaphragm again but something happened. She showed me how to do it without no mood rings or incense. Maybe it was just time changing my ability to understand or maybe she was a better communicator but finding my diaphragm changed the rules, forever. Changed my competency and gave me technique.
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When producing records often I ask singers to visit her to expand their base of technique if they don’t know enough about it. It’s like getting a drummer to buy rims or a guitarist to get set up. It’ll make the final results more powerful.