July 11, 2025 • 66 mins
Tone is one of the most underrated skills in singing. Everyone talks about hitting the right notes—but what about the way you sing them? Coach Bri and I dove into the middle part of vocal development: tone, dynamics, stylization, and shaping your sound. We talk about what makes a voice sound compelling (not just correct), and how to bring out more color in your singing—without overthinking it.
Bri also coaches me through the song “Fallin’” by Alicia Keys and explore how to use vocal flips, placement shifts, and subtle changes in tone to add emotion without losing control.
Whether you’re figuring out your genre, refining your sound, or just trying to make your voice feel more like you—this is the work that gets you there.
📍Follow coach Bri here: https://www.instagram.com/bri_itsme/
📍Listen to Bri’s original music here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Vmisx2YyT5Due9ViRJpyY?si=SsHQCYANTJeLY5GouP0jtQ
👉 Want to make practicing easier? Grab our FREE warm up track here: https://lessons.voxtapestudios.com/free-warm-up-track
👉 Want to know exactly what your voice needs to improve? Get a vocal evaluation from our professional coaches here: https://lessons.voxtapestudios.com/vocal-evaluation
👉 Book a 1:1 session with Coach Lara: https://lessons.voxtapestudios.com/trial-lesson
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
and usually that's the part that everybody skips
(00:02):
in their vocal journey
they like learn the vocal techniques
so they can hit high notes
they can hit low notes
they can kind of like mix in the middle too
and then they go straight to artistry
one of my favorite things about like
my college studies was
of learning all these different styles
was I would approach it and be like
okay yes
it's a jazz song but how do I sound like a jazz singer
(00:24):
yeah to sing this jazz song
okay that's a pop punk song
how do I sing this like a pop punk singer
yep
which is just so fun because now like I can
I was saying people like you're such like
oh my gosh are you like
do you do this all the time
and I'm like no
I actually do everything and they're like what
(00:45):
yeah
hey Vox Star and welcome to from singer to artist
I'm Lara Chapman award winning singer and songwriter
turned viral vocal coach and the host of this show
at Vox Tape Studios
we help singers from all over the world
(01:06):
level up their voices
by teaching them the 3 fundamental skills
all singers need technique
awareness and artistry whether you're looking to go pro
or just develop your voice for fun
my team and I are here to help
check the link in the description
to book your first session
or grab some of our other resources
Alrighty are you ready let's get started
we have another one of our amazing coaches on our team
(01:28):
here in the studio with me
hello coach Bri
hi thank you for being here
thanks for having me welcome back to indie hahaha
not your first time here but welcome back
glad to have you obviously
glad to have you on the team as one of our coaches
um you do a lot of different things but in our new um
(01:50):
singer to artist transformation program
you're doing the middle part
which is all about dynamic singing
so yeah you know
like getting into the nitty gritty details the riffing
the vibrato the different tones
the vocal flips
just different tones and embellishments essentially
so you know you you're doing that in the program huh
aptly named yeah
(02:11):
yeah the tone and Embellishment Lab
yes exactly
the tone and Embellishment Lab
The Art of Dynamic Singing I think is what it's called
I think so yeah
and uh and so you're teaching that and you know
other things as well but um
I love love having you on the team
everybody's loves working with you
so yay um
today what I would like to do is uh
(02:33):
basically
show everybody a little bit about your backgrounds
like where you came from
cause you did kind of did everything
you have a very versatile background
which is why you're teaching
the tone and Embellishment Lab
cause you can do it all haha
yeah and um
and then you'll actually coach me on a song too
we just picked Falling Right
Alicia Keys so
(02:57):
falling at falling hahaha
come check it out cause your girl ain't a ripper okay
but who better to have here teaching me how to do that
whatever
that riff is then Coach Bree who teaches riffing
so yay hahaha
but before we get into the song
tell us a little bit more about how you got into music
(03:19):
in the first place yeah
um
wow I have been singing for as long as I could talk
I think like my mom will tell me that anytime I ask
she's like
you were singing before you could like even speak words
I swear and I'm like
oh my gosh
but I started voice lessons pretty young
I was always involved in like choirs at school
(03:41):
um and things and um
I started lessons when I was 8
wow that's for your voice lessons
I know it's really young but um
we just I wanted to do them
we felt like I had an attitude for it
and I was like okay
I wanna learn like more like I wanna be a star
I wanna be a singer
(04:02):
I wanna be just like Taylor Swift on the stage
like playing out yeah
like playing sold out stadiums
you know like
love it every little girl's dream
can't relate can't relate
so I stayed really involved in music all throughout
like my grade school years and living at home
and when I
I Learned that you could go to college for music
(04:24):
I was like
this opens up a world of possibilities that I didn't
like I had no idea
um so then I was thinking about going to music schools
and the really funny story is
I swore off
applying to any
university that didn't have a pop program
like I was convinced that I was like
(04:44):
opera and classical music is too stuffy
there's no way
I'm gonna study that boring stuff for four years
there's no way mm hmm
and um
so I ended up at a school in Nashville
Tennessee Trevecca University
and um
(05:05):
yeah I was
I like
I had to study classical for the first two years
that I was studying there anyways
like even doing like a pop degree interesting
and that was my chosen like
program when I was like entering that school
and um
six months in I participated in our like
campuses version of American Idol
(05:27):
yeah and which notoriously
those are always like popularity contest like hmm
if a lot of people love you
a lot of people are gonna vote for you
and I was like a first semester freshman
I didn't know anybody on campus besides like
my roommate and my suite mates
like and some people that I had classes with
but I didn't know that many people
like I wasn't super plugged in
and I ended up winning
(05:47):
which was like freshman never win that competition yeah
because they don't know anybody yeah
nobody knows them so that was like whoa
that was like a big moment for me
and I was like wow
and then I was like oh man
I got the competition bug yeah
and I had heard that there was an Aria competition
which an Aria is a classical uh
song that is pulled from an opera
(06:09):
so it's like musical theater but in the classical world
mm hmm right
um
and I asked my professor about it and he was like
we don't let underclassmen do it um
but I was like really please
like it would be so fun like
I don't care if I lose I just wanna like participate
I just wanna see yeah
cause the other big draw about that competition
was that it was outside adjudicators
(06:29):
like the people who are gonna be
handing out the scores and giving feedback
were not associated with our university at all
oh okay
um and they were from
I think they were from Austin Pee Up in Clarksville
which has a great like classical vocal program
like they're really well known for it um
and especially their master's programs too
okay and so he was like OK
(06:50):
I'll let you do it but you have to tell me if it like
gets to be too much vocally
cause like for people that aren't classically trained
to try and sing an opera it's like a Marathon
like I'm telling you
I would sing that song and afterwards I'd be like
so when is my six pack gonna get here
yeah like that was an AB workout
yeah
and I ended up
(07:10):
so he let me do it and I got second place wow
I was like amongst
like amongst peers that ended up going to like
do their master's programs at like
Shenandoah University at um Berkeley
Berkeley Conservatory like
all these really fancy schools are continuing to do
like incredible work in classical music um
(07:31):
and I was like oh
now in the meantime
like professors have been talking to me like
have you ever thought about doing a class school
like switching to class school
mm hmm
and I thought they were all colluding with one another
because I was getting that from
like my choral director from my private voice coach
and even from like my theory teacher
mm hmm
and at one point I asked I was like
(07:51):
have you have you guys all been talking about this
hahaha and they were like no
you've gotten this feedback from other like
professors too and I was like yeah
so then I was like doing some thinking
I was like oh man
I gotta I gotta do some reflecting
cause at that time
like I was good at classical and I really liked it
um and I saw the value in it
like
at least personally for me
(08:13):
like the six months of my first semester
of studying exclusively classical music
in my voice lessons
versus like
that really accelerated my growth as a classical like
or as a contemporary like pop singer
you know um
anyways this story is getting way too long but um
uh
(08:33):
I just thought about like
what do I really want out of a 4 year degree
and the ultimate answer to that after like
I did some thinking was
I just wanna grow as much as I can
I just wanna become the best vocalist
in 4 years that I can possibly be
um and I was like
and I feel like the way that I can do that is classical
that's training 100% of my voice
(08:55):
um and I know that I could have like
done a pop degree and gotten really good anyways
yeah yeah yeah
but I also
it was like also had a piece of my heart anyways
so um
so I ended up graduating
my Bachelor of music and Vocal Performance
so I studied I did study opera
I had a lot of opportunities though
to stay plugged into all sorts of different music
I was involved with our big band
(09:15):
jazz band on campus and did a couple tours with them
as a featured vocalist which was really fun
like Learned how to scat yeah
got to do all sorts of just really cool stuff with them
um
and had a bunch of other like
contemporary singing opportunities
around campus as well and then when I graduated
I got to do some work with the Nashville Opera
(09:37):
which was really special wow
really cool like
got to be on the big like
performing Arts Center stage as part of the ensemble
like the chorus and yeah still
one of the most magical productions
that I've ever been a part of
like it was just unreal
wow um
but since then I've been coaching
(09:57):
doing a lot of work with Voxafire Studios
and enjoying teaching our
our students all over the globe
um I also run a jazz band in Nashville
uh we are called Velvet Skies
and we do like weddings and corporate events
mostly your Valerie version
like the uh
Valerie by Amy Winehouse
the cause you
you made like a highlight reel
(10:17):
yes yeah
or a promo yeah
exactly so for booking
and you sang Valerie by Amy Winehouse and your version
oh
it's stunning thank you
I love it it was just a little part
but when I heard it
I was still so proud of that video because too
like that was improvised like on the spot
that was a live performance
I had never sung it that way before
(10:39):
is that
do you think that comes from your jazz band training
that you had the improv or
um a little bit
and also just like learning through the years
like I was also part of a recruitment band
with the university
and we were singing the same songs over and over
and over and over and over again
hmm so I was like oh
this is getting boring
how do I keep it interesting for me yeah
(11:00):
OK and so when it was appropriate
I would and like enjoy challenging
myself by like just connecting with the music
I feel like improv improvisation to like
to get it to work really well
1
you have to know your song like backwards and forwards
and 2 you just have like
you have to be in the moment and not think about okay
(11:20):
what notes and where vocally
like just let it come over you
yeah and like trust it
and I do think you have to know your instrument
pretty well yeah
to know like what your boundaries are
yes haha
cause not everybody can do everything right
so uh yeah
knowing knowing where your voice can go
mm hmm is
(11:41):
is good yeah
and uh
so you have your jazz band and you're doing like
weddings and events and and things like that
and then you also have your original music too
I do I just um
I spent so much of college learning how to sing
everything because I didn't know what my voice was
and so it's been really exciting
journey over the last couple years of like
(12:02):
really finding my voice not just um
like as an instrument
but like my voice through writing and um
expressing myself and telling my stories that way
so I did just release my very first EP
in November of 2024 yes
you can stream it it's called Letters From a Past Self
(12:22):
by Bree Corbett on all platforms
um and I'm really
we'll link to it so you can go
check it yeah
that EP is such a passion project of mine and um
it's like a little coming of age story
I was writing a lot of songs um
and working through like
a lot of big moments and big memories from like
growing up and so
(12:44):
it's a little compilation of some of those stories um
and the really exciting thing is
one of my favorite tracks on that EP
is our epilogue that we wrote um
that's kind of closing the door on the reflecting
and turning and looking forward
um
and now I'm finally starting to turn and look forward
(13:04):
and I have a new song coming out June 17th
called over 25
where I'm getting into the beginning of my sister EP
that's gonna be called letters that I write now
that's more reflections of okay
where I am in my 20s and navigating early adulthood
yeah isn't it fun right yeah
hahaha
(13:24):
very cool but the style of your original music
not jazz is not jazz
it's not classical
it's neither of the things that you studied in school
it's a it's more like
I would call it like singer songwriter style yeah
how would you describe it
very much so like singer songwriters
the like I think
the primary genre that I put
when I was uploading it and everything um
(13:46):
but it's very like soft acoustic driven
but still some some elements of production in there um
very storytelling yeah
very story driven very like narrative driven
um which is exciting
cause over 25 is bridging more into like true pop
which is also really fun OK
(14:07):
yeah OK
I can't wait to hear it yeah
so fun so fun
and so
you said that post college for you has mostly been like
finding your voice and like
you were the stories that you wanna tell
yeah just really leaning into that
but it's so cool that you didn't have to work on
or I guess you did that work in college
(14:28):
but like creating the options right
cause I feel like as singers
it's always
we have to find the balance between sticking to
you know what's best for us yeah
like what really works for your voice
what your natural um
strengths are and all of that right
but then also working on expanding your skills
so that you have more options to sing the same note
(14:48):
yeah right
which is kind of what you teach now in the Singer
Artist Transformation program
it's like alright cool
let's work on creating these different options
so that you have different ways to sing the same note
yeah so you can expand your
your skill set which is why
you know you're such a versatile singer
based on your education and your background
you're kind of the perfect person to teach it haha
(15:08):
cause you can do it all well
it's a whole lot of fun for me to teach
cause this is like this is the stuff that I eat up
it's like
I'll use this example for students all the time like
what are we gonna learn what am I gonna learn
I get this like question at the assessments yeah
when um
students are graduating the first part of the program
and they're getting ready to start lessons with me like
what do I expect what are we gonna learn in this part
and I'm like okay
(15:29):
you know how Adele sings
and you can tell that it's sad
and it might make you cry
and you don't even have to see the visuals
yeah right
like she's so good at emoting and conveying um
nuances and emotions through just the vocal
and we're gonna learn how to pick that apart
and dissect every technique that she's using
(15:51):
to make you feel that way
and then teach you how to do it yourself
do all of those things yeah
yeah
the nuance it's exactly right
the details the nuance
what makes the song come alive
it's what makes you sound more emotional
yes it's what makes you sound more natural yeah
not like oh
this person had a couple voice lessons
and now they can sing but like they're good
(16:12):
but it's not like oh wow
you know if you want that feeling and that's what you
what you focus on in the tone and Embellishment Lab
yes the art of dynamic singing hahaha
yeah
I get this comment from students all the time that like
oh I never knew that was a thing before
like I of course
I've heard it a million times
but I had no idea that's what it was yes
(16:34):
you know or that that's why it was
and I I just love yes
I love picking it apart yes
and usually that's the part that everybody skips
in their vocal journey they like
learn the vocal techniques so they can hit high notes
they can hit low notes
they can kind of like mix in the middle too
and then they go straight to artistry right
yeah um
(16:54):
well and one of my favorite things about like
my college studies was
of learning all these different styles
was I would approach it and be like OK
yes it's a jazz song
but how do I sound like a jazz singer
yeah to sing this jazz song
OK that's a pop punk song
how do I sing this like a pop punk singer
(17:17):
yep um
which is just so fun because now
like I can I was saying people like
you're such like oh my gosh
like oh my gosh
are you like do you do this all the time
and I'm like no
I actually do everything and they're like what
yeah
it's a complete like
it's a it's a whole separate skill that you have
that I do not have
if I'm trying to sing musical theater songs
(17:39):
even though I studied musical theater
I cannot sound like a musical theater singer
I still sound like a pop singer
hahaha
but within contemporary styles I'm a little bit better
I'm a little bit better
can make it sound like a pop singer or a rock singer
or a country singer or whatever
but yeah there's a classical
I don't have a day of classical training under my belt
oh my gosh no
(18:00):
not everyone can do everything and I like a lot of
I feel like there's this misconception that
people who are classically trained
think that everybody should be classically trained
and that that should be everyone's foundation
for pop and contemporary singing
I was kind of scared to ask you like
do you think everybody should have classical training
oh my God no
yeah and I'll tell my students that all the time
I'm like please
(18:20):
don't listen to my background
and get scared that I'm gonna say
we have to sing like Carmen yeah
like I'm not gonna ask you to do that
because I don't think you need to
like I did it because it was the right thing for me
and it felt right and I had an aptitude for it
like I was good at it I really enjoyed it and for me
it was helping me grow in all these other areas too
(18:41):
now as long as I was studying exclusively classical
in my voice lessons
I was doing so much singing outside of my voice lessons
in all these other styles
and genres
and I had so many different resources and people that
were helping to guide me and like
give feedback for in those styles as well
(19:03):
so that's like real
I just feel so lucky that I got such a well rounded
um like vocal education in my time at that school
um but I know that
that's not always the case for everybody
like that's not everybody's situation
and
there are plenty of people at that school that
I'm like and absolutely
they should not have done a classical degree
(19:25):
like thank God they did a pop degree and not classical
because that would have been a disaster
yeah um
so no
I don't think that everybody needs to do classical
like
if it's right for you and it's gonna help you grow
amazing like it's all about you know
it's interesting we
we get quite a few students who have
a classical background
and now they want to do pop or something contemporary
(19:48):
and they're like no matter what I do
I sound classically trained
I'm I sound like a classical singer singing pop music
right and I'm like
I got the girl for you
haha I
I mean I know what the differences are
yeah so I can help but you're the expert
so I always send people with a classical background
that wanna sound more contemporary
to you and I love working with those students
(20:10):
yeah like it's
it genuinely is so fun for me
cause we get to appreciate and enjoy
like the classical repertoire
that maybe we have had in common
or just appreciate and then can really like
I think it does help that I have that perspective of
I did do classical training
but also like I think
I can sound so convincing as a contemporary singer
because oh yeah
that was my first background
(20:31):
uh huh like
there are people that I know that their lessons
since they were kids have been in classical music
and that was never me like
I didn't sing a lick of classical music until I was
like doing college auditions
yeah and then like
got to my university lessons and was doing that
um but I was a recovering screamer
like I was I was super bottom heavy
(20:51):
like belter like yeah
me no
we are the same yeah
oh OK
I need to study classical now to like
but classical helps me like
really develop my head voice
because for female singers
like for women who sing classical music
it is 100% in head voice yeah
I could go down to G below middle C in my head voice
and most pop singer like most other women can't do that
(21:15):
mm hmm um
because
there's no reason for you to use your head voice
down there yeah
yeah yeah right
um
so but then that is like
where I really made the big strides in like
developing then my mixed voice as well
um and learning how to like really reverse the like
I'm gonna push and like use my chest voice
(21:37):
yeah and like now I'm like
oh no I
I default to a lighter tone
um see
I had to go through a vocal injury
for me to realize that haha
for you luckily you realized that in college
nobody told me or maybe they did and I
it just didn't register with me because in my brain
yeah I was like
if I wanna be successful in music
(21:57):
I have to be able to belt like
Beyonce and Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato
and so maybe like
maybe people told me like
hey Laura like maybe we should not like
maybe we should try this other thing
so that you can do this better and more easily
more effortlessly right
let's work on this other thing
maybe they did and I was just like
(22:18):
absolutely not
I don't know
but it is kind of surprising that nobody was like
wake up like
shut up and stop
because you're doing yourself a disservice
so yeah I had to end up with a vocal injury
for me to realize that
everybody's journey is a little different
you know it's hard like to be able
(22:39):
like
I think a lot of singers
and a lot of singers who are coaches now
have been in a situation
where we've heard singers that like
you might be destroying your voice
but if I'm not your coach
like it's not always my place to say something
and if there's one thing about singers
we all got an ego oh yes
and it's it's really hard to hear that feedback
(23:00):
and to be able to like
see it for the the truth and the kindness that it is
yes 100%
it's hard to navigate that in lessons right yes
yeah cause anytime that I've like
even in my own studies like
it's hard to receive feedback without like
getting defensive mm hmm
not as much now that I'm like grown yeah
(23:20):
yeah
but it definitely
when I was in like early voice lessons in high school
um I was like
what how dare you yeah
like I'm great yeah
yeah yeah
I always say like the less you know
the more you think you know yeah
and then the more you know
the more you realize oh my God
(23:41):
I don't know anything there's so much that I don't know
ha ha ha ha yeah exactly exactly
and when you know
when you're a teenager you're that first part
you're like yeah
I know so much and I'm such a good singer
like I'm
I've been given all these platforms because of my voice
what do you mean yeah
yeah you know yeah
oh yeah
no 100% yeah
oh my gosh well anyways yeah
so if you wanna become a really great singer
(24:01):
you gotta have some ego death like you yes
that and that's a huge thing
it's hard and it does not take like a lesson or two
it takes like years and maybe some therapy like yeah
yeah but singing is such a mental thing
so it's kind of the best thing you can do for yourself
yeah and that's why I usually joke and say
voice lessons are like half voice lesson
(24:22):
half therapy
we're just not licensed but it is what it is
so
tell me a little bit more about the work that you do
with our students like when you're
when you're teaching
and we kind of already talked about it
but what do you really enjoy
what do you always want to make sure
every singer understands like
oh okay
I love this question hahaha
(24:43):
um
what do I do what do I enjoy
what do I wanna make sure
yeah sorry
that's like three separate questions haha
understands let me I'm gonna work backwards okay
um one thing that I
wanna make sure that every singer understands
is that exercises and warm UPS are exercises
warm UPS and they're not performance sounds
(25:03):
uh huh um
and it takes some time to get over that usually
but like if you've never taken a voice lesson before
or if you've taken a voice lesson for 10 years
and you start working with somebody new
those warm UPS and exercises
can be really hard to go through
because you're like ugh
they're such ugly sounds um
(25:24):
and yeah that's
that's the point they're functional
like runners run because they enjoy the runner's high
do you I know some
plenty of runners that hate spending 30 minutes
stretching
and doing their warm UPS before they go on their run
but they do it every time
because the day that they don't
they're gonna tear something yeah um
(25:46):
and
this is the stretches and the warm UPS that we don't
like you know
yeah um
but when I'm listening to those exercises and warm UPS
I'm not listening with a judgmental ear of like
that sounded so beautiful or that sounded so yikes
like I am listening for functionality
I'm listening for coordination I'm listening for like
okay what is the voice actually doing right now
(26:09):
what is the voice need right now
to be able
and ready to work on the song that we're gonna work on
and a lot of like I love to pick out
different warm UPS for all my students
like it's rare that I'm doing the same exercise
or the same warm up routine
multiple times a day in like
one day of teaching yeah
because it's really dependent on who that singer is
(26:34):
what they need what we're working on in voice lessons
and also what song we're gonna work on that day
and are we working on a song that is like
gonna stretch us and push us into that like
high mix land or are we working on a song um
where we need to
really get into some low voice exercises
um
(26:54):
and stuff like that yeah
yeah okay
so that's what I want every singer to know
taking the judgment out of
taking the judgment sound that you're creating
yeah and I will be so honest and say that for the first
like
almost my entire freshman year
I struggled to like
do the warm UPS in my lessons with my professor
(27:16):
and it was like
the best vocal professor I've ever worked with
like ever studied under
and I would come into lessons and be like
I warmed up before the lesson
like why are you making me do the warm UPS with you
and then I got over it and then I understood
okay okay
these are so functional
and this is what we're listening for
(27:36):
cause I would be so embarrassed
we go like yo
oh and I be like
I just sound like a man
why do I have to sound like a man
yeah to do this
and he was like no
you don't sound like a man
and also it's not that serious
I'm literally listening so critically
(27:58):
yeah not critical of you
but like to understand what you're hearing
yes
at the vocal fold level and like what a student needs
anyways
what was the other questions
what do you do and what do I enjoy
yeah um okay
what do I do once we warm up
um
(28:18):
we'll chat a little bit at the beginning
of my lessons I love keeping up with my students
like to a reasonable extent
I know we're here to sing
um
we'll warm up and then we'll get into some song work
and that is like the lifeblood yeah
of our lessons
because it's getting to take what we're doing with
vocal coordination exercises
and applying it into your song
(28:38):
so that we can like
yep that's a whole beast
so it's like I can do it in an exercise
why can't I do it in the song and vice versa
so we're gonna record a whole episode on just that
for everybody cause that's a whole big topic yeah
um but we get to do a lot of that
so sometimes it's exercises
and then we're working on the song the whole time
a lot of times exercises come back during our song work
(29:01):
mm hmm um
and we take the words away and do all sorts of stuff
but we're I'm first listening for pitches and rhythms
if there's deficit there
that's the first thing we're addressing
if that's really solid
then we get to look at things like tone
then we get to look at things like placement
and approach and making sure that there's no tension
(29:22):
sometimes the tension
conversation happens
when we're worried about pitch and rhythm yep
cause sometimes that's what's impacting it um
a lot of those things are really like all intertwined
and if there's an issue with pitch
it's usually
not that this note is actually too high for a student
it's that we're there's something going wrong
in how we're setting up that note
and maybe that's at the note itself
(29:44):
and maybe that's at the beginning of the phrase
yes before you get there
yes right
like I'm not a sports person
but I'll use the like there
basketball does like stats of like
how many assists you get in a game
oh yes
we're our own assist like
you have to be as giving yourself the assist
every time you start a new phrase
as a singer and that's like
a really fun thing to work through with students
because it took me a long time to realize that
(30:06):
cause there were a couple times
my teacher in college would blow my mind
I'd be like struggling with a high note
and then he'd like okay
then he'd take me to the beginning of the phrase
I'm like why are we working on this right now
yeah the high note is the problem
yeah but then I'd be like okay
I trust the process I'm trusting the process
and I'd fix whatever he told me to do
and then sing through the phrase
(30:28):
and the high note just whoa yeah
fell out of my mouth and I was like
uh huh are you kidding me
yeah um
sometimes it's not what you think is the issue
is actually the issue
it might be something else that's going on actually
probably more often it's more often something else
yeah
um and that's what makes vocal training so hard
(30:48):
yes because it's not just what meets the eye
yeah it's like you
it could be anything
it could be yeah
I gave homework to one of my students this week
we were working on a song and I was like go
I want you to go through your lyric sheet
and highlight every single diphthong in this song
mm hmm
and it's not because every single diphthong is an issue
but when you're having issues more
I want you to start by fixing the diphthongs
(31:11):
yeah and opening up those vowels a little bit more
she was like oh okay
she was like no
that makes sense so I'm really excited to like
meet with her again next week at our next lesson and um
check in on how that went
because one thing that I like
is also the most important thing for me as a coach
to equip my singers with is
I'm not just here to make you better in this hour
(31:32):
I want you to understand what I'm listening for
so that you can start to listen and hear it
and recognize it in your own singing
and be able to like
catch what we're working on in lessons
in your own practice sessions
yes right
you can't just rely on your vocal coach to hear
and catch and make you better
well yes
cause otherwise your practice sessions are not as
they're not functional yeah
(31:53):
they're not productive it's just like singing the same
honestly and a lot of times
that's gonna make those practice sessions
counterproductive
because you're gonna keep making the same mistake
and you're not gonna be addressing it
and you're gonna be drilling the bad habit yes
and then it's gonna make it harder to undo
when you come to me yeah
yeah so we
we teach people how to like listen for
for like what we listen for as well yeah
(32:13):
and which is so much of what the
the program that I'm teaching
yes is
is listening
listening and the critical ear and dissecting it all
so that's a huge point that I've been doing in yes
and I think that goes back to what I was saying before
like that's the part that everybody skips
mm hmm right
not training your ears
not in the sense of like match this note yeah
(32:35):
like not that kind of ear training right
but the the
the little things right
the nuances
and you have to be able to hear these things
in your own voice and in other people's voices too
to really get the most out of your practice sessions
and coach Emily she always says like
it's our job as voice teachers
to work ourselves out of a job yeah
(32:56):
that's kind of what we do now
I want my students to graduate lessons with me
and be able to like
keep making progress on their own yes
yes now
that doesn't mean that you know
like you're ever like done or anything like that
there's always more to learn yeah
and there's always
it's always a good idea to work with a coach
I mean I've been in voice lessons 15 years
and I'm still taking voice lessons right yeah
but at least you you know
(33:16):
you don't need us that much
you know yeah
so yeah
anyways sorry
go ahead I don't know what you're saying no
it's okay no
to that point like
we should like
my role as a vocal coach is to help you
make those changes faster
to help you make the correction more quickly
and accelerate that growth yeah
but you should be able to like
my goal is to equip you with all the tools
(33:39):
you need
to be able to keep making that progress on your own
mm hmm exactly what you were saying
I love it um yeah
and then my favorite thing that I do in lessons is
when we've got the pitches and rhythms
when we've got the placement and the tone
and we just get to work on artistry
and making the song your own
and adding nuances and
and sometimes
it's not even making somebody else's song your own
(34:01):
I love working with students
that bring me their own music
yes that they write and we get to work on OK
how do you bring your truest best voice to this song
that's you that's also tension free
and getting like the best technical
like baseline underneath you
that's not gonna compromise the um
(34:22):
authenticity of your voice and who you are right
like I'm not trying to change what my artist sound like
I just wanna help them be able to sing sustainably um
and have as many tools as they can possibly have
in their tool belt yeah
to um
bring to their artistry because if you listen
(34:44):
if like
any artist or any band that you've listened to
for any amount of time
that sound is evolving every time
yes over time
and sometimes
most of the times in the ideal case
is that it evolves and improves
and gets better and better and better
like there's artists the
saying
that it takes 10 years to become an overnight success
like yeah
people are having viral albums
that they started putting music out 10 years ago
(35:06):
eight years ago and this album is the one because
because they spent eight years putting out music
and getting better every single time
yes yeah
you know um
and it's the same thing as singers
like I am 25
and I'm continuing to be better
than I have been the year before
oh yeah
same like
(35:27):
and I think
as long as you can come into voice lessons with a
student mindset
with a openness and a willingness to learn um
there is no limit to how much you can grow
and there's never like
I don't think there's like a peak
there's there's not gonna be like a day that I'm like
this is the best I'll ever sound
and tomorrow I'm gonna like
(35:47):
I'm gonna start going backwards yeah
yeah yeah yeah yeah
and going back to what you said before
like you it's not your goal to change somebody's sound
and I actually hear this quite frequently with
especially
with people that are already putting out music
maybe it's not original music
but it's at least covers or it is original music
and you know
(36:07):
they're starting to post clips and what not
they're like
I don't wanna take voice lessons because you know
I don't want them to get like the voice teacher
I don't want the voice teacher to get rid of my
of the thing that makes me different from everybody
and I'm like that if
if you're working with a vocal coach
where they're doing that that is their main objective
then that's not the right fit for you and yeah
(36:30):
they probably have a different approach than what's
what's right for you you need to then in that case
work with somebody who has more
of that contemporary background
uh huh uh and can appreciate the quirks yeah
and you know make them come out even more
so you sound even more like yourself and
but also at the same time
give you the other tools as well to expand
(36:52):
yeah that toolbox right
so yeah I love that cool
can you teach me how to sign girl
yes oh my gosh
I'm so excited for this let's do it alright
let me let me pull up
I'm gonna reset how I'm sitting my legs are yeah
let me pull up the track so we're doing I can't fall in
(37:17):
oh
um I don't know what do you want me
do you want me to just do like first verse and chorus
or
yeah
I feel like the karaoke track with the intro is weird
so unless you like are like
I really wanna work on the intro
I think we can just choose like a verse and a chorus
and start from like
the music I do wanna know how to do that in
OK let's work on it
(37:37):
do you know what the riff is
yeah OK I keep on falling in
oh you know what
I'd have to hear it to like know it exactly but hold on
I think I can do it hold on
(38:00):
yeah that sounds great
there is more though I think
something
yes
okay can I hear it again
yes what you did was beautiful
I think you're adding a couple notes
compared to what she's doing but I love it
(38:26):
see I would never go to that low note
that's why I'm like stuck on it
hold on um
can we listen to it at point seven five yes
so she does three pulses at that one and then goes down
(38:53):
sounds about right and I love yeah
I know that part I know that part
so
um let's teach me okay
so you're good at breaking down riffs to like
at hearing them like for the notes that they are um
I just can't do it fast that's okay
(39:14):
we will do it slow okay um
and I would break this riff to
learn it right now into two parts
that's part 1 uh huh
and then the second
like where she pulses the third time
and I think
there's one more note in there that I'm missing um
(39:34):
but that would be the second part so can you sing
close okay
so I think it goes linear
down until she gets to the bottom
(39:55):
you're no
I was wrong you're
yes and then it goes
yeah so
(40:15):
and yeah can you um
almost like tilt the vowel forward a little bit
like make it a little bit brighter like lift it
yes and be careful when you're going down to like
when you have that leap
and it's a little bit of a bigger jump your
your tone is falling back ever so slightly okay
(40:37):
try and like it
take one hand and like follow it forward the whole time
am I going low enough yeah
cause now it doesn't feel so low anymore
I'm like am I right
it doesn't feel so low but you're no
(40:58):
the pitches were perfect oh OK
OK yeah
like I don't know if I'm missing enough
cause it doesn't feel like I'm dropping down anymore
because I feel like I'm going forward
but that's gonna be your superpower
in terms of speeding up the riff
yes right
if you let yourself drop and this is
something that I work with so many people on
and work on myself with yeah is like
(41:19):
it sinks the rest of the riff
the second you fall back out of that
like forward light placement
like yeah
the key to making it fast is keeping it light
yes yes yes
yes yeah
and then it's gonna be crazy
cause we're gonna get even lower
and I need you to stay just that light okay
(41:42):
can can you
can we hear the riff again
just so I know that the second half of the riff is
in
in in in
in
in
like that yeah
(42:03):
yeah in
so there's four notes mm hmm
and then a pulse and then a pulse yeah in
and yeah to get that pulse really good like um
almost
I would make it a little bit brighter
(42:23):
we're going towards an e vowel instead of a tall e
oh in um
and it's okay to close down a little bit because right
it's getting low and we're having to keep it bright
mm hmm um
so it's gonna have to close a little bit um
(42:45):
like I'm almost singing E yeah OK
oh OK
I'm getting nervous
no don't
yeah something like that
uh huh it holds up
so there's three pulses on that middle one
you know what I'm talking about
(43:05):
oh yeah
did I do two no
you did three but you did the third one too fast
so she holds it right
play it play it one more time
and let's go back to normal speed
ah Ja Ja
(43:37):
and then you probably don't want vibrato on that last
um not at first
yeah not at first
not during the pulsing at least yeah
yeah on the first half of the riff
it goes down
one more before it pops back up to the banana
(44:01):
oh that note which
hey
oh hey
am I doing it yep hey
okay I'm just kind of like running out of yeah
everything and once I get to that last note
that's okay you know
(44:23):
that was that's already
way better than anything I've ever done on that riff
so we're going in the right direction
you're sounding great um
the next part is
she's like swinging it at different parts
so we've got the notes we've got kind of the rhythms
yeah but now let's really go grab the rhythm
so can we hear it at speed like maybe twice
(44:45):
he goes ehh ho
I'm falling
ehh
oh no
I'm second guessing that I like taught the notes wrong
um no
but I like what so so
here's my my feeling on this
(45:06):
and I love Alicia Keys
but she's not the most phenomenal riffer on this planet
and so with this riff here
uh I'm like
what you did like what
what we're what we're workshopping here is like
if an actual like really amaze
like if Yeba was doing this riff
(45:28):
it would be like yeah
it would be like good night on this riff
but I mean it might be
it might be going more crazy
but yeah you know
I feel like Alicia is kind of like
almost like skipping a couple notes where I'm like no
no that
that notes almost like missing
so I feel like what you were teaching me just now is
you're filling in the gaps
and I actually like that riff
(45:49):
that we're doing better than what this is
I do try and stay as true to the
to riff as possible for anyone watching this being like
how dare they not learn the riff as is
I mean we can
but we work with we work with what we got
um she's just keeping a couple notes
like the the overall shape of it is there yeah
you're just adding a note or two
(46:10):
let's listen at point seven five again slow it down
no I stand by our notes that we picked
they're all in there are they all in there yeah
oh yeah
(46:35):
yeah it's just not super clean
I guess what she's doing right yeah
and again Alicia Keys is a phenomenal singer
like I'm not like throwing shade at Alicia
it's just that riff is not perfectly clean
and maybe if we listen to like a version from today
cause this is a 15 year old song
it would sound different you never know
yeah but no
you're you're right
it's kind of hard to hear all the little yeah
(46:56):
little notes in between cause it's not like
she's scooping between some of the notes slightly
so it makes it harder to hear
hear the different notes but anyways
what we're doing rip that okay
so
(47:17):
oh good luck trying to do this at the step tempo
we're doing it at slow tempo
I I can't
okay hold on
go back to the start can I hear you sing
I keep on fuck
and good OK
(47:38):
the second you get to on
and that n is going further back
can you make the n more dental
I keep on unfalling what yeah
um I keep on
your tongue is really high on the R of N
cause you're so ready to give the consonant
(48:00):
I keep on versus I keep on
I keep on yes
oh interesting
I keep on on falling on
on falling yeah
keep your tongue out of the way
it's like it's ready for the continents
(48:20):
but focus on the vowels
OK and let them
let them have their moment for a little bit longer
we're not gonna miss the continents yeah
even if they're like that fast
yeah yeah yeah
I keep on falling yeah
that there you go
and now you're
I'm hearing your tone be so much like one consistent uh
(48:40):
and it's like staying in this brighter
lighter space that's not gonna mess up the
make you push and not gonna sink the riff yes yeah
so you don't have to go like
I keep on because then you're not trying to do the riff
right exactly okay
I I
huh
I keep on
(49:03):
and yeah on
on I keep on falling
uh huh I like
I hear the difference yeah
and it's like what am I changing to do it
you know it's like
oh hahaha
it's hard um
for the constant thing like
the thing that you are literally changing
is where your tongue is in your mouth okay
(49:23):
um when you're like sitting there
ready to give the n for on and fall in yeah
um and even for the L's
like your tongue
even all the way to the back of your mouth
is sitting really high because you're ready to yeah
like the tongue touches the back of the top teeth
to make a n na na na
(49:43):
na na na
um
but keep it as low in your mouth as possible okay
I keep on cause
what we really need is space for those vowels to float
uh huh but if your tongue is taking up all that space
yes it's gonna get heavy okay
I keep on I keep on falling
(50:05):
uh huh yeah
am I doing it yeah
yay I'm doing it whoo okay
I keep on that was great
keep on it was no
it was the first time yeah
hahaha shit don't second guess yourself
it's gonna feel weird
because I think this is like different
it's different trust let it feel different okay
(50:26):
it's okay I keep on
yeah yeah OK
yeah that one
that one yeah
you got it you had all the notes
(50:46):
and okay yeah
I was like how many pulses are you doing
three pulses okay
I keep no too much I keep on falling
yeah on was was the on okay
it was on is getting a little bit nasally yeah um
I keep on falling uh huh
that's yeah that feels different okay I keep I
(51:14):
and yeah okay
close enough yeah
I shall keep practicing this
but honestly that was not bad
that was great that was floating the whole time
and I love like you saying that
so smart with the riff of
you slowed it down to how slow
you needed to get the rhythms and all the pitches right
right
that's just a matter of trying to sing a riff at tempo
(51:37):
a million times in a row is gonna do nothing
except for keep singing it
just as sloppy as you were before right
you have to slow it down it's the most annoying
part of any type of music lessons
and your professor and your teacher is gonna be like
and and now
let's take the metronome down to 65 beats per minute
and let's go ahead and try that
and you're like all the time and they're like one bar
(51:59):
one measure at a time
and it's every kid's nightmare
hahaha truly
but it's also proven like by studies and proven by so
so much experience to be the singular
most effective way to learn and retain
and to keep it clean when you speed up
(52:20):
because that riff isn't so amazing
because it's like
the coolest riff you've ever heard in the world
it's awesome because it's clean
mm hmm and it's fast
it is fast and that's what we love about riffs
is when they're fast
but that they're also clean that you're like
oh my gosh I can hear everything she's saying
(52:40):
she's singing
and then you go and you try and do it and you're like
I can't necessarily sing every note that she's singing
but I know that I hear all of them
yeah like when you listen to like a rapper um
hearing all the words
hearing all the words and I'm like
how do I understand everything that you just said
and yet I could repeat none of those words
yes yes
I like I couldn't tell you what
but I understood all of it
yeah right
yeah or like listening to podcast at like
(53:02):
1.5 speed yes
yeah that's me
I never watch anything at audiobooks
regular speed 1.5
let's go hahaha
we got shit to do hahaha
well you
I just for me like my ADHD brain if
if you're talking too slow
I can't stay focused hmm yeah
no that is
that is very fair yeah
um so I'm just gonna skip ahead here a little bit okay
(53:26):
and if you
times I love you
whoo let me try that again
alright
out of love
(53:56):
go there okay
I'll pause you right there
when you came in on loving
your voice and tone was way different than before
yes so did you hear that
I'm going too wide I'm going too spready
I'm going too shouty that is the what
that's the main thing I'm working on these days
not going love but more yeah
(54:17):
loving that's yes
so hard for me to do right
because when you're learning how to sing high notes
we talk about get brighter
get brighter get brighter
sing through a smile open up more
but too much of a good thing
yes is a bad thing
yes and um
we went exactly what you said
(54:37):
it was too too wide
yep and that's kind of
we had too much horizontal space
and not enough vertical space
and we want a good balance of both
so that we have a nice rounded tone yeah
um which you were doing
like you were killing it with a rounded tone before
like oh
but I on the second try
the first try um
(54:57):
whatever the word is the
and the love yeah
the love yeah
it was also also because love uh yeah
that's a bright vowel well
then it's love in you again
it's the same word again yeah
God damn it um
you already know like what you need to adjust
like up here
(55:18):
my tip for you going through this passage again
is when you get to that moment
um
use the L
it's a pitched consonant
love ya um
so start your pitch with the L
and also
give yourself a little turbo boost with your core like
whoa
(55:39):
Emily said the same thing
when we were recording another episode this morning
she's like girl
use your core that's incredible
cause I've never
or her like
I've never been in a lesson with her
so I love that yes
yes I always like to think of it as like a OK
you know when you're playing Mario Kart
yeah and then you like run over like the mushroom
like it's a like you use the mushroom
yeah and in the
(55:59):
in singing the mushroom is whoop yes
I'm just gonna yes huh
like pull the stomach in a little bit
really important to know that we're not like huh
but like and she specifically said lower ABS
yes and that worked for me
so it's not like yeah
getting too squeeze
it's not squeezing here because we don't
wanna like let the rib cage yeah
come and be involved in that at all
yeah yeah let me try that again
(56:29):
I love you OK
hold on I was like so focused
that's okay I kind of knew that that was
I was
I was suspecting that that would go that way because um
of what I heard leading up to it
oh yeah what was I doing
um
you you
and it was like a little bit too like muscly
like a little bit too like Chesty um
I want it like
almost like it was underneath the ceiling back here
(56:52):
uh huh
and it wasn't that it was like necessarily like you
it wasn't so far in the back of your throat
but it was still under that ceiling yeah
so we gotta come out forward from underneath that you
you yeah
not you you
so a you not a you yeah
(57:31):
you darling makes me
yeah that went way better
that time was way better and then duh duh
so I'm like okay
cause like I've been doing these sessions with you
and with Emily and with Kate
and like with everybody
and so everybody says something else
(57:51):
which is why I love our team
and what we can give our students
like as their experience
you get to work with different people
throughout your time with us
and that's gonna give you so much to pull from
so now I'm balancing you know the
the core thing I'm balancing the vowel
like the not spready vowel thing and Kate last
(58:13):
week told me girl
you're getting so twangy and I'm like
now I'm like darling
like loving you darling on darling
I was like ah
it's getting too bright right
so I'm like having all these things in my brain
let's if yeah
I love I love hearing about all
all like what we're working on yeah
um or like what
and it was all different songs
(58:33):
yeah yeah right
but it translates into everything
so that gave me an idea of like okay
the root problem really is that we're dealing with it
too bright so can I hear you sing that
like with the lowest layering the entire time
(58:56):
oh yeah
uh huh that feels really weird
I know hahaha
it's okay do a little bit more and get through the like
love you don't
uh sometime
(59:18):
used
yeah yeah
okay now we'll go back and like sing it normal
also when you're doing the riff on Darling Darling
darling you're adding like a little extra like
do you know that you're doing that
yeah probably loving you darling
oh darling darling
yeah you're darling
hmm can you do it again Donna
(59:39):
darling darling yeah
I'm adding a little thrill in there
I guess okay
if you if you can
and I
that's actually such a common thing that I hear with
especially singers that tend to be belter right
that love belting that's
what happens in every single riff that they're doing
um oh
so and that's fine because we
(01:00:00):
we can use it and
I'm not saying we never want to use a trail like that
yeah but if it's happening unintentionally
that's a sign to me
that we don't have as much of flexibility as we think
we do yeah yeah
yeah I just never was paying attention to it
no darling
uh huh darling OK
yeah sorry
be careful on that half step down
(01:00:22):
darling yeah
one thing a professor said to me in college that like
has stuck with me is when you're going down the stairs
like physically you're fit
like the voice is like going down like this
and it's very stepwise I want you to visualize that
you are actually climbing up the stairs
with those notes darling
dah dah darling yeah
(01:00:44):
that was amazing darling yeah
I'm just trying to I've never heard you riff like that
oh cause I don't riff
that was awesome wow
thank you yeah
lots to to like absorb now okay
the riffing was super helpful
um the vowel
the I keep on falling
(01:01:07):
staying on the vowel
not getting to the consonant too quickly
opening that up um
then the the spready
right when it gets to the beltier parts
don't get too wide too spready
keep it more focused uh
drop your larynges to reduce the
the brightness mm hmm
um what else do we say
(01:01:29):
the pitch Continent for the L
the pitch continent yeah
and giving a little turbo boost
so like
and really what we're talking about
with the turbo boost
is that we're starting on the breath
which you know that but I just really wanted to like
outline that for anybody listening and watching that
like it's not the mussling
it's the breath it's not the mussling
it's the breath it's the um love
love and not loving you darling yeah
(01:01:53):
oh my God yeah hahaha
it's like hello
like now there's just like all this sound coming out
and I'm not even trying yes
that yes
yes hahaha
that's the whole point oh my gosh
I
that's the whole point of voice lessons
we work so hard up here
and if you're just listening and not watching
I am have my hands on my temples
like we are working hard up here
(01:02:15):
so that we don't have to work hard
in the throat in the throat
right like that
I think I had a breakthrough like that
in a voice lesson in college
and I remember that and he was like
and I was like that is the loudest I've ever sounded
and I didn't even feel like I was singing
what the hell did you do to me
yeah like what just happened
and and he was like yeah
that's the one oh my God
(01:02:37):
like
I think I cried cause I like surprised myself so much
I was like
what what is going on
yeah but that's how singing should feel
yes yes
yes yes
like because I feel like and this
is a misunderstanding
I guess on my part when I was little
everybody was like oh
you know like singing is really hard and I'm like
alright it is okay technically
(01:02:58):
it feels physically like that to me
translated as it's okay if you
you know feel like you're going ah
and I gets like stuck in the throat and you know
like everybody says singing is hard like alright
but that's not what it is
it's yeah
we're working hard to make it feel like
we're not working hard yeah
right yeah
yeah and that's the first part
(01:03:18):
in the singing to Artist transformation program
with coach Emily how to sing effortlessly
yeah hahaha
so that when you get to riffing with you and like
vibrato and all this other stuff
you actually have a chance at getting it
cause you can't yeah
start with that yeah
that's why your part is No. 2 not number one
mm hmm in the in the program anyways
that was so helpful Bree
(01:03:39):
I'm so glad that was awesome
I'm like maybe she can riff you can riff
maybe she can learn you know all the steps
it's just a matter of like getting the approach right
yeah every time yeah
which is hard yes
and it's gonna take a little bit of practice
and a little bit of time
and my impatient little brain is gonna be like shit
(01:04:00):
hahaha but it's gonna be okay
hahaha I love it thank you
so much yeah
if you wanna listen to breeze music please
please do cause it's amazing
it's in the description in the session notes
the episode notes whatever it's called
you know where to go go check it out there
Bree Corbett um
am I saying that right Corbett
Corbett Corbett
(01:04:21):
it's spelled Corbett
so that might help the listeners find it easier
you know we've worked together for almost five years
and I say your last name wrong
whoopsie
it's fine anyways
go check out Bree's music
if you want to work with Bree or any of the coaches
on our studio at our studio too
the link to book a session
(01:04:41):
where we get to meet each other
the sessions with me personally
we meet each other we figure out alright
what do you need what is your voice need
who is the best fit for you from our team
what makes the most sense
all of the above book a session
I can't wait to sing with you hahaha
love it anything else Bree
um I feel like a lot of people get weird
that they're singing their first lesson with you
(01:05:03):
but they're not taking lessons with you
mm hmm mm hmm
trust that she is like the people guru
she is
Laura is so
you are so good at teaching those first lessons
and like
helping really find the root cause of what is going on
and what people want and um
really making that plan
and now you've hopefully gotten to meet our whole team
(01:05:25):
like yes for our listeners
so you can hear a little bit more
about each of our teaching styles and stuff but
Lara really knows like oh
thank you which coach to put put you with
you know I always say that I play doctor yeah
I like figure out alright
what's up you describe your symptoms to me
or I hear your symptoms and whatever
and I play doctor and then I'm like alright
(01:05:46):
this is the medicine that you need
but I am not the medicine
the doctor is never the medicine right
so I play doctor the coaches are the medicine yeah
so you are the medicine I love it hahaha
thank you that's very sweet of you to say and you know
sometimes people are like
but I wanna work with you Laura and I'm like
I love you so much for that
thank you I and I appreciate your trust
(01:06:07):
please
trust me that I will pick the right person on our team
for you to do
what I can and even more
that's usually what I say so anyways
you got nothing to lose with that first session
let's give it a try haha yeah
thank you so much Bree this was so fun
we'll catch you on another episode
can't wait thank you for listening
we'll catch you in the next one bye
and usually that's the part that everybody skips
(00:02):
in their vocal journey
they like learn the vocal techniques
so they can hit high notes
they can hit low notes
they can kind of like mix in the middle too
and then they go straight to artistry
one of my favorite things about like
my college studies was
of learning all these different styles
was I would approach it and be like
okay yes
it's a jazz song but how do I sound like a jazz singer
(00:24):
yeah to sing this jazz song
okay that's a pop punk song
how do I sing this like a pop punk singer
yep
which is just so fun because now like I can
I was saying people like you're such like
oh my gosh are you like
do you do this all the time
and I'm like no
I actually do everything and they're like what
(00:45):
yeah
hey Vox Star and welcome to from singer to artist
I'm Lara Chapman award winning singer and songwriter
turned viral vocal coach and the host of this show
at Vox Tape Studios
we help singers from all over the world
(01:06):
level up their voices
by teaching them the 3 fundamental skills
all singers need technique
awareness and artistry whether you're looking to go pro
or just develop your voice for fun
my team and I are here to help
check the link in the description
to book your first session
or grab some of our other resources
Alrighty are you ready let's get started
we have another one of our amazing coaches on our team
(01:28):
here in the studio with me
hello coach Bri
hi thank you for being here
thanks for having me welcome back to indie hahaha
not your first time here but welcome back
glad to have you obviously
glad to have you on the team as one of our coaches
um you do a lot of different things but in our new um
(01:50):
singer to artist transformation program
you're doing the middle part
which is all about dynamic singing
so yeah you know
like getting into the nitty gritty details the riffing
the vibrato the different tones
the vocal flips
just different tones and embellishments essentially
so you know you you're doing that in the program huh
aptly named yeah
(02:11):
yeah the tone and Embellishment Lab
yes exactly
the tone and Embellishment Lab
The Art of Dynamic Singing I think is what it's called
I think so yeah
and uh and so you're teaching that and you know
other things as well but um
I love love having you on the team
everybody's loves working with you
so yay um
today what I would like to do is uh
(02:33):
basically
show everybody a little bit about your backgrounds
like where you came from
cause you did kind of did everything
you have a very versatile background
which is why you're teaching
the tone and Embellishment Lab
cause you can do it all haha
yeah and um
and then you'll actually coach me on a song too
we just picked Falling Right
Alicia Keys so
(02:57):
falling at falling hahaha
come check it out cause your girl ain't a ripper okay
but who better to have here teaching me how to do that
whatever
that riff is then Coach Bree who teaches riffing
so yay hahaha
but before we get into the song
tell us a little bit more about how you got into music
(03:19):
in the first place yeah
um
wow I have been singing for as long as I could talk
I think like my mom will tell me that anytime I ask
she's like
you were singing before you could like even speak words
I swear and I'm like
oh my gosh
but I started voice lessons pretty young
I was always involved in like choirs at school
(03:41):
um and things and um
I started lessons when I was 8
wow that's for your voice lessons
I know it's really young but um
we just I wanted to do them
we felt like I had an attitude for it
and I was like okay
I wanna learn like more like I wanna be a star
I wanna be a singer
(04:02):
I wanna be just like Taylor Swift on the stage
like playing out yeah
like playing sold out stadiums
you know like
love it every little girl's dream
can't relate can't relate
so I stayed really involved in music all throughout
like my grade school years and living at home
and when I
I Learned that you could go to college for music
(04:24):
I was like
this opens up a world of possibilities that I didn't
like I had no idea
um so then I was thinking about going to music schools
and the really funny story is
I swore off
applying to any
university that didn't have a pop program
like I was convinced that I was like
(04:44):
opera and classical music is too stuffy
there's no way
I'm gonna study that boring stuff for four years
there's no way mm hmm
and um
so I ended up at a school in Nashville
Tennessee Trevecca University
and um
(05:05):
yeah I was
I like
I had to study classical for the first two years
that I was studying there anyways
like even doing like a pop degree interesting
and that was my chosen like
program when I was like entering that school
and um
six months in I participated in our like
campuses version of American Idol
(05:27):
yeah and which notoriously
those are always like popularity contest like hmm
if a lot of people love you
a lot of people are gonna vote for you
and I was like a first semester freshman
I didn't know anybody on campus besides like
my roommate and my suite mates
like and some people that I had classes with
but I didn't know that many people
like I wasn't super plugged in
and I ended up winning
(05:47):
which was like freshman never win that competition yeah
because they don't know anybody yeah
nobody knows them so that was like whoa
that was like a big moment for me
and I was like wow
and then I was like oh man
I got the competition bug yeah
and I had heard that there was an Aria competition
which an Aria is a classical uh
song that is pulled from an opera
(06:09):
so it's like musical theater but in the classical world
mm hmm right
um
and I asked my professor about it and he was like
we don't let underclassmen do it um
but I was like really please
like it would be so fun like
I don't care if I lose I just wanna like participate
I just wanna see yeah
cause the other big draw about that competition
was that it was outside adjudicators
(06:29):
like the people who are gonna be
handing out the scores and giving feedback
were not associated with our university at all
oh okay
um and they were from
I think they were from Austin Pee Up in Clarksville
which has a great like classical vocal program
like they're really well known for it um
and especially their master's programs too
okay and so he was like OK
(06:50):
I'll let you do it but you have to tell me if it like
gets to be too much vocally
cause like for people that aren't classically trained
to try and sing an opera it's like a Marathon
like I'm telling you
I would sing that song and afterwards I'd be like
so when is my six pack gonna get here
yeah like that was an AB workout
yeah
and I ended up
(07:10):
so he let me do it and I got second place wow
I was like amongst
like amongst peers that ended up going to like
do their master's programs at like
Shenandoah University at um Berkeley
Berkeley Conservatory like
all these really fancy schools are continuing to do
like incredible work in classical music um
(07:31):
and I was like oh
now in the meantime
like professors have been talking to me like
have you ever thought about doing a class school
like switching to class school
mm hmm
and I thought they were all colluding with one another
because I was getting that from
like my choral director from my private voice coach
and even from like my theory teacher
mm hmm
and at one point I asked I was like
(07:51):
have you have you guys all been talking about this
hahaha and they were like no
you've gotten this feedback from other like
professors too and I was like yeah
so then I was like doing some thinking
I was like oh man
I gotta I gotta do some reflecting
cause at that time
like I was good at classical and I really liked it
um and I saw the value in it
like
at least personally for me
(08:13):
like the six months of my first semester
of studying exclusively classical music
in my voice lessons
versus like
that really accelerated my growth as a classical like
or as a contemporary like pop singer
you know um
anyways this story is getting way too long but um
uh
(08:33):
I just thought about like
what do I really want out of a 4 year degree
and the ultimate answer to that after like
I did some thinking was
I just wanna grow as much as I can
I just wanna become the best vocalist
in 4 years that I can possibly be
um and I was like
and I feel like the way that I can do that is classical
that's training 100% of my voice
(08:55):
um and I know that I could have like
done a pop degree and gotten really good anyways
yeah yeah yeah
but I also
it was like also had a piece of my heart anyways
so um
so I ended up graduating
my Bachelor of music and Vocal Performance
so I studied I did study opera
I had a lot of opportunities though
to stay plugged into all sorts of different music
I was involved with our big band
(09:15):
jazz band on campus and did a couple tours with them
as a featured vocalist which was really fun
like Learned how to scat yeah
got to do all sorts of just really cool stuff with them
um
and had a bunch of other like
contemporary singing opportunities
around campus as well and then when I graduated
I got to do some work with the Nashville Opera
(09:37):
which was really special wow
really cool like
got to be on the big like
performing Arts Center stage as part of the ensemble
like the chorus and yeah still
one of the most magical productions
that I've ever been a part of
like it was just unreal
wow um
but since then I've been coaching
(09:57):
doing a lot of work with Voxafire Studios
and enjoying teaching our
our students all over the globe
um I also run a jazz band in Nashville
uh we are called Velvet Skies
and we do like weddings and corporate events
mostly your Valerie version
like the uh
Valerie by Amy Winehouse
the cause you
you made like a highlight reel
(10:17):
yes yeah
or a promo yeah
exactly so for booking
and you sang Valerie by Amy Winehouse and your version
oh
it's stunning thank you
I love it it was just a little part
but when I heard it
I was still so proud of that video because too
like that was improvised like on the spot
that was a live performance
I had never sung it that way before
(10:39):
is that
do you think that comes from your jazz band training
that you had the improv or
um a little bit
and also just like learning through the years
like I was also part of a recruitment band
with the university
and we were singing the same songs over and over
and over and over and over again
hmm so I was like oh
this is getting boring
how do I keep it interesting for me yeah
(11:00):
OK and so when it was appropriate
I would and like enjoy challenging
myself by like just connecting with the music
I feel like improv improvisation to like
to get it to work really well
1
you have to know your song like backwards and forwards
and 2 you just have like
you have to be in the moment and not think about okay
(11:20):
what notes and where vocally
like just let it come over you
yeah and like trust it
and I do think you have to know your instrument
pretty well yeah
to know like what your boundaries are
yes haha
cause not everybody can do everything right
so uh yeah
knowing knowing where your voice can go
mm hmm is
(11:41):
is good yeah
and uh
so you have your jazz band and you're doing like
weddings and events and and things like that
and then you also have your original music too
I do I just um
I spent so much of college learning how to sing
everything because I didn't know what my voice was
and so it's been really exciting
journey over the last couple years of like
(12:02):
really finding my voice not just um
like as an instrument
but like my voice through writing and um
expressing myself and telling my stories that way
so I did just release my very first EP
in November of 2024 yes
you can stream it it's called Letters From a Past Self
(12:22):
by Bree Corbett on all platforms
um and I'm really
we'll link to it so you can go
check it yeah
that EP is such a passion project of mine and um
it's like a little coming of age story
I was writing a lot of songs um
and working through like
a lot of big moments and big memories from like
growing up and so
(12:44):
it's a little compilation of some of those stories um
and the really exciting thing is
one of my favorite tracks on that EP
is our epilogue that we wrote um
that's kind of closing the door on the reflecting
and turning and looking forward
um
and now I'm finally starting to turn and look forward
(13:04):
and I have a new song coming out June 17th
called over 25
where I'm getting into the beginning of my sister EP
that's gonna be called letters that I write now
that's more reflections of okay
where I am in my 20s and navigating early adulthood
yeah isn't it fun right yeah
hahaha
(13:24):
very cool but the style of your original music
not jazz is not jazz
it's not classical
it's neither of the things that you studied in school
it's a it's more like
I would call it like singer songwriter style yeah
how would you describe it
very much so like singer songwriters
the like I think
the primary genre that I put
when I was uploading it and everything um
(13:46):
but it's very like soft acoustic driven
but still some some elements of production in there um
very storytelling yeah
very story driven very like narrative driven
um which is exciting
cause over 25 is bridging more into like true pop
which is also really fun OK
(14:07):
yeah OK
I can't wait to hear it yeah
so fun so fun
and so
you said that post college for you has mostly been like
finding your voice and like
you were the stories that you wanna tell
yeah just really leaning into that
but it's so cool that you didn't have to work on
or I guess you did that work in college
(14:28):
but like creating the options right
cause I feel like as singers
it's always
we have to find the balance between sticking to
you know what's best for us yeah
like what really works for your voice
what your natural um
strengths are and all of that right
but then also working on expanding your skills
so that you have more options to sing the same note
(14:48):
yeah right
which is kind of what you teach now in the Singer
Artist Transformation program
it's like alright cool
let's work on creating these different options
so that you have different ways to sing the same note
yeah so you can expand your
your skill set which is why
you know you're such a versatile singer
based on your education and your background
you're kind of the perfect person to teach it haha
(15:08):
cause you can do it all well
it's a whole lot of fun for me to teach
cause this is like this is the stuff that I eat up
it's like
I'll use this example for students all the time like
what are we gonna learn what am I gonna learn
I get this like question at the assessments yeah
when um
students are graduating the first part of the program
and they're getting ready to start lessons with me like
what do I expect what are we gonna learn in this part
and I'm like okay
(15:29):
you know how Adele sings
and you can tell that it's sad
and it might make you cry
and you don't even have to see the visuals
yeah right
like she's so good at emoting and conveying um
nuances and emotions through just the vocal
and we're gonna learn how to pick that apart
and dissect every technique that she's using
(15:51):
to make you feel that way
and then teach you how to do it yourself
do all of those things yeah
yeah
the nuance it's exactly right
the details the nuance
what makes the song come alive
it's what makes you sound more emotional
yes it's what makes you sound more natural yeah
not like oh
this person had a couple voice lessons
and now they can sing but like they're good
(16:12):
but it's not like oh wow
you know if you want that feeling and that's what you
what you focus on in the tone and Embellishment Lab
yes the art of dynamic singing hahaha
yeah
I get this comment from students all the time that like
oh I never knew that was a thing before
like I of course
I've heard it a million times
but I had no idea that's what it was yes
(16:34):
you know or that that's why it was
and I I just love yes
I love picking it apart yes
and usually that's the part that everybody skips
in their vocal journey they like
learn the vocal techniques so they can hit high notes
they can hit low notes
they can kind of like mix in the middle too
and then they go straight to artistry right
yeah um
(16:54):
well and one of my favorite things about like
my college studies was
of learning all these different styles
was I would approach it and be like OK
yes it's a jazz song
but how do I sound like a jazz singer
yeah to sing this jazz song
OK that's a pop punk song
how do I sing this like a pop punk singer
(17:17):
yep um
which is just so fun because now
like I can I was saying people like
you're such like oh my gosh
like oh my gosh
are you like do you do this all the time
and I'm like no
I actually do everything and they're like what
yeah
it's a complete like
it's a it's a whole separate skill that you have
that I do not have
if I'm trying to sing musical theater songs
(17:39):
even though I studied musical theater
I cannot sound like a musical theater singer
I still sound like a pop singer
hahaha
but within contemporary styles I'm a little bit better
I'm a little bit better
can make it sound like a pop singer or a rock singer
or a country singer or whatever
but yeah there's a classical
I don't have a day of classical training under my belt
oh my gosh no
(18:00):
not everyone can do everything and I like a lot of
I feel like there's this misconception that
people who are classically trained
think that everybody should be classically trained
and that that should be everyone's foundation
for pop and contemporary singing
I was kind of scared to ask you like
do you think everybody should have classical training
oh my God no
yeah and I'll tell my students that all the time
I'm like please
(18:20):
don't listen to my background
and get scared that I'm gonna say
we have to sing like Carmen yeah
like I'm not gonna ask you to do that
because I don't think you need to
like I did it because it was the right thing for me
and it felt right and I had an aptitude for it
like I was good at it I really enjoyed it and for me
it was helping me grow in all these other areas too
(18:41):
now as long as I was studying exclusively classical
in my voice lessons
I was doing so much singing outside of my voice lessons
in all these other styles
and genres
and I had so many different resources and people that
were helping to guide me and like
give feedback for in those styles as well
(19:03):
so that's like real
I just feel so lucky that I got such a well rounded
um like vocal education in my time at that school
um but I know that
that's not always the case for everybody
like that's not everybody's situation
and
there are plenty of people at that school that
I'm like and absolutely
they should not have done a classical degree
(19:25):
like thank God they did a pop degree and not classical
because that would have been a disaster
yeah um
so no
I don't think that everybody needs to do classical
like
if it's right for you and it's gonna help you grow
amazing like it's all about you know
it's interesting we
we get quite a few students who have
a classical background
and now they want to do pop or something contemporary
(19:48):
and they're like no matter what I do
I sound classically trained
I'm I sound like a classical singer singing pop music
right and I'm like
I got the girl for you
haha I
I mean I know what the differences are
yeah so I can help but you're the expert
so I always send people with a classical background
that wanna sound more contemporary
to you and I love working with those students
(20:10):
yeah like it's
it genuinely is so fun for me
cause we get to appreciate and enjoy
like the classical repertoire
that maybe we have had in common
or just appreciate and then can really like
I think it does help that I have that perspective of
I did do classical training
but also like I think
I can sound so convincing as a contemporary singer
because oh yeah
that was my first background
(20:31):
uh huh like
there are people that I know that their lessons
since they were kids have been in classical music
and that was never me like
I didn't sing a lick of classical music until I was
like doing college auditions
yeah and then like
got to my university lessons and was doing that
um but I was a recovering screamer
like I was I was super bottom heavy
(20:51):
like belter like yeah
me no
we are the same yeah
oh OK
I need to study classical now to like
but classical helps me like
really develop my head voice
because for female singers
like for women who sing classical music
it is 100% in head voice yeah
I could go down to G below middle C in my head voice
and most pop singer like most other women can't do that
(21:15):
mm hmm um
because
there's no reason for you to use your head voice
down there yeah
yeah yeah right
um
so but then that is like
where I really made the big strides in like
developing then my mixed voice as well
um and learning how to like really reverse the like
I'm gonna push and like use my chest voice
(21:37):
yeah and like now I'm like
oh no I
I default to a lighter tone
um see
I had to go through a vocal injury
for me to realize that haha
for you luckily you realized that in college
nobody told me or maybe they did and I
it just didn't register with me because in my brain
yeah I was like
if I wanna be successful in music
(21:57):
I have to be able to belt like
Beyonce and Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato
and so maybe like
maybe people told me like
hey Laura like maybe we should not like
maybe we should try this other thing
so that you can do this better and more easily
more effortlessly right
let's work on this other thing
maybe they did and I was just like
(22:18):
absolutely not
I don't know
but it is kind of surprising that nobody was like
wake up like
shut up and stop
because you're doing yourself a disservice
so yeah I had to end up with a vocal injury
for me to realize that
everybody's journey is a little different
you know it's hard like to be able
(22:39):
like
I think a lot of singers
and a lot of singers who are coaches now
have been in a situation
where we've heard singers that like
you might be destroying your voice
but if I'm not your coach
like it's not always my place to say something
and if there's one thing about singers
we all got an ego oh yes
and it's it's really hard to hear that feedback
(23:00):
and to be able to like
see it for the the truth and the kindness that it is
yes 100%
it's hard to navigate that in lessons right yes
yeah cause anytime that I've like
even in my own studies like
it's hard to receive feedback without like
getting defensive mm hmm
not as much now that I'm like grown yeah
(23:20):
yeah
but it definitely
when I was in like early voice lessons in high school
um I was like
what how dare you yeah
like I'm great yeah
yeah yeah
I always say like the less you know
the more you think you know yeah
and then the more you know
the more you realize oh my God
(23:41):
I don't know anything there's so much that I don't know
ha ha ha ha yeah exactly exactly
and when you know
when you're a teenager you're that first part
you're like yeah
I know so much and I'm such a good singer
like I'm
I've been given all these platforms because of my voice
what do you mean yeah
yeah you know yeah
oh yeah
no 100% yeah
oh my gosh well anyways yeah
so if you wanna become a really great singer
(24:01):
you gotta have some ego death like you yes
that and that's a huge thing
it's hard and it does not take like a lesson or two
it takes like years and maybe some therapy like yeah
yeah but singing is such a mental thing
so it's kind of the best thing you can do for yourself
yeah and that's why I usually joke and say
voice lessons are like half voice lesson
(24:22):
half therapy
we're just not licensed but it is what it is
so
tell me a little bit more about the work that you do
with our students like when you're
when you're teaching
and we kind of already talked about it
but what do you really enjoy
what do you always want to make sure
every singer understands like
oh okay
I love this question hahaha
(24:43):
um
what do I do what do I enjoy
what do I wanna make sure
yeah sorry
that's like three separate questions haha
understands let me I'm gonna work backwards okay
um one thing that I
wanna make sure that every singer understands
is that exercises and warm UPS are exercises
warm UPS and they're not performance sounds
(25:03):
uh huh um
and it takes some time to get over that usually
but like if you've never taken a voice lesson before
or if you've taken a voice lesson for 10 years
and you start working with somebody new
those warm UPS and exercises
can be really hard to go through
because you're like ugh
they're such ugly sounds um
(25:24):
and yeah that's
that's the point they're functional
like runners run because they enjoy the runner's high
do you I know some
plenty of runners that hate spending 30 minutes
stretching
and doing their warm UPS before they go on their run
but they do it every time
because the day that they don't
they're gonna tear something yeah um
(25:46):
and
this is the stretches and the warm UPS that we don't
like you know
yeah um
but when I'm listening to those exercises and warm UPS
I'm not listening with a judgmental ear of like
that sounded so beautiful or that sounded so yikes
like I am listening for functionality
I'm listening for coordination I'm listening for like
okay what is the voice actually doing right now
(26:09):
what is the voice need right now
to be able
and ready to work on the song that we're gonna work on
and a lot of like I love to pick out
different warm UPS for all my students
like it's rare that I'm doing the same exercise
or the same warm up routine
multiple times a day in like
one day of teaching yeah
because it's really dependent on who that singer is
(26:34):
what they need what we're working on in voice lessons
and also what song we're gonna work on that day
and are we working on a song that is like
gonna stretch us and push us into that like
high mix land or are we working on a song um
where we need to
really get into some low voice exercises
um
(26:54):
and stuff like that yeah
yeah okay
so that's what I want every singer to know
taking the judgment out of
taking the judgment sound that you're creating
yeah and I will be so honest and say that for the first
like
almost my entire freshman year
I struggled to like
do the warm UPS in my lessons with my professor
(27:16):
and it was like
the best vocal professor I've ever worked with
like ever studied under
and I would come into lessons and be like
I warmed up before the lesson
like why are you making me do the warm UPS with you
and then I got over it and then I understood
okay okay
these are so functional
and this is what we're listening for
(27:36):
cause I would be so embarrassed
we go like yo
oh and I be like
I just sound like a man
why do I have to sound like a man
yeah to do this
and he was like no
you don't sound like a man
and also it's not that serious
I'm literally listening so critically
(27:58):
yeah not critical of you
but like to understand what you're hearing
yes
at the vocal fold level and like what a student needs
anyways
what was the other questions
what do you do and what do I enjoy
yeah um okay
what do I do once we warm up
um
(28:18):
we'll chat a little bit at the beginning
of my lessons I love keeping up with my students
like to a reasonable extent
I know we're here to sing
um
we'll warm up and then we'll get into some song work
and that is like the lifeblood yeah
of our lessons
because it's getting to take what we're doing with
vocal coordination exercises
and applying it into your song
(28:38):
so that we can like
yep that's a whole beast
so it's like I can do it in an exercise
why can't I do it in the song and vice versa
so we're gonna record a whole episode on just that
for everybody cause that's a whole big topic yeah
um but we get to do a lot of that
so sometimes it's exercises
and then we're working on the song the whole time
a lot of times exercises come back during our song work
(29:01):
mm hmm um
and we take the words away and do all sorts of stuff
but we're I'm first listening for pitches and rhythms
if there's deficit there
that's the first thing we're addressing
if that's really solid
then we get to look at things like tone
then we get to look at things like placement
and approach and making sure that there's no tension
(29:22):
sometimes the tension
conversation happens
when we're worried about pitch and rhythm yep
cause sometimes that's what's impacting it um
a lot of those things are really like all intertwined
and if there's an issue with pitch
it's usually
not that this note is actually too high for a student
it's that we're there's something going wrong
in how we're setting up that note
and maybe that's at the note itself
(29:44):
and maybe that's at the beginning of the phrase
yes before you get there
yes right
like I'm not a sports person
but I'll use the like there
basketball does like stats of like
how many assists you get in a game
oh yes
we're our own assist like
you have to be as giving yourself the assist
every time you start a new phrase
as a singer and that's like
a really fun thing to work through with students
because it took me a long time to realize that
(30:06):
cause there were a couple times
my teacher in college would blow my mind
I'd be like struggling with a high note
and then he'd like okay
then he'd take me to the beginning of the phrase
I'm like why are we working on this right now
yeah the high note is the problem
yeah but then I'd be like okay
I trust the process I'm trusting the process
and I'd fix whatever he told me to do
and then sing through the phrase
(30:28):
and the high note just whoa yeah
fell out of my mouth and I was like
uh huh are you kidding me
yeah um
sometimes it's not what you think is the issue
is actually the issue
it might be something else that's going on actually
probably more often it's more often something else
yeah
um and that's what makes vocal training so hard
(30:48):
yes because it's not just what meets the eye
yeah it's like you
it could be anything
it could be yeah
I gave homework to one of my students this week
we were working on a song and I was like go
I want you to go through your lyric sheet
and highlight every single diphthong in this song
mm hmm
and it's not because every single diphthong is an issue
but when you're having issues more
I want you to start by fixing the diphthongs
(31:11):
yeah and opening up those vowels a little bit more
she was like oh okay
she was like no
that makes sense so I'm really excited to like
meet with her again next week at our next lesson and um
check in on how that went
because one thing that I like
is also the most important thing for me as a coach
to equip my singers with is
I'm not just here to make you better in this hour
(31:32):
I want you to understand what I'm listening for
so that you can start to listen and hear it
and recognize it in your own singing
and be able to like
catch what we're working on in lessons
in your own practice sessions
yes right
you can't just rely on your vocal coach to hear
and catch and make you better
well yes
cause otherwise your practice sessions are not as
they're not functional yeah
(31:53):
they're not productive it's just like singing the same
honestly and a lot of times
that's gonna make those practice sessions
counterproductive
because you're gonna keep making the same mistake
and you're not gonna be addressing it
and you're gonna be drilling the bad habit yes
and then it's gonna make it harder to undo
when you come to me yeah
yeah so we
we teach people how to like listen for
for like what we listen for as well yeah
(32:13):
and which is so much of what the
the program that I'm teaching
yes is
is listening
listening and the critical ear and dissecting it all
so that's a huge point that I've been doing in yes
and I think that goes back to what I was saying before
like that's the part that everybody skips
mm hmm right
not training your ears
not in the sense of like match this note yeah
(32:35):
like not that kind of ear training right
but the the
the little things right
the nuances
and you have to be able to hear these things
in your own voice and in other people's voices too
to really get the most out of your practice sessions
and coach Emily she always says like
it's our job as voice teachers
to work ourselves out of a job yeah
(32:56):
that's kind of what we do now
I want my students to graduate lessons with me
and be able to like
keep making progress on their own yes
yes now
that doesn't mean that you know
like you're ever like done or anything like that
there's always more to learn yeah
and there's always
it's always a good idea to work with a coach
I mean I've been in voice lessons 15 years
and I'm still taking voice lessons right yeah
but at least you you know
(33:16):
you don't need us that much
you know yeah
so yeah
anyways sorry
go ahead I don't know what you're saying no
it's okay no
to that point like
we should like
my role as a vocal coach is to help you
make those changes faster
to help you make the correction more quickly
and accelerate that growth yeah
but you should be able to like
my goal is to equip you with all the tools
(33:39):
you need
to be able to keep making that progress on your own
mm hmm exactly what you were saying
I love it um yeah
and then my favorite thing that I do in lessons is
when we've got the pitches and rhythms
when we've got the placement and the tone
and we just get to work on artistry
and making the song your own
and adding nuances and
and sometimes
it's not even making somebody else's song your own
(34:01):
I love working with students
that bring me their own music
yes that they write and we get to work on OK
how do you bring your truest best voice to this song
that's you that's also tension free
and getting like the best technical
like baseline underneath you
that's not gonna compromise the um
(34:22):
authenticity of your voice and who you are right
like I'm not trying to change what my artist sound like
I just wanna help them be able to sing sustainably um
and have as many tools as they can possibly have
in their tool belt yeah
to um
bring to their artistry because if you listen
(34:44):
if like
any artist or any band that you've listened to
for any amount of time
that sound is evolving every time
yes over time
and sometimes
most of the times in the ideal case
is that it evolves and improves
and gets better and better and better
like there's artists the
saying
that it takes 10 years to become an overnight success
like yeah
people are having viral albums
that they started putting music out 10 years ago
(35:06):
eight years ago and this album is the one because
because they spent eight years putting out music
and getting better every single time
yes yeah
you know um
and it's the same thing as singers
like I am 25
and I'm continuing to be better
than I have been the year before
oh yeah
same like
(35:27):
and I think
as long as you can come into voice lessons with a
student mindset
with a openness and a willingness to learn um
there is no limit to how much you can grow
and there's never like
I don't think there's like a peak
there's there's not gonna be like a day that I'm like
this is the best I'll ever sound
and tomorrow I'm gonna like
(35:47):
I'm gonna start going backwards yeah
yeah yeah yeah yeah
and going back to what you said before
like you it's not your goal to change somebody's sound
and I actually hear this quite frequently with
especially
with people that are already putting out music
maybe it's not original music
but it's at least covers or it is original music
and you know
(36:07):
they're starting to post clips and what not
they're like
I don't wanna take voice lessons because you know
I don't want them to get like the voice teacher
I don't want the voice teacher to get rid of my
of the thing that makes me different from everybody
and I'm like that if
if you're working with a vocal coach
where they're doing that that is their main objective
then that's not the right fit for you and yeah
(36:30):
they probably have a different approach than what's
what's right for you you need to then in that case
work with somebody who has more
of that contemporary background
uh huh uh and can appreciate the quirks yeah
and you know make them come out even more
so you sound even more like yourself and
but also at the same time
give you the other tools as well to expand
(36:52):
yeah that toolbox right
so yeah I love that cool
can you teach me how to sign girl
yes oh my gosh
I'm so excited for this let's do it alright
let me let me pull up
I'm gonna reset how I'm sitting my legs are yeah
let me pull up the track so we're doing I can't fall in
(37:17):
oh
um I don't know what do you want me
do you want me to just do like first verse and chorus
or
yeah
I feel like the karaoke track with the intro is weird
so unless you like are like
I really wanna work on the intro
I think we can just choose like a verse and a chorus
and start from like
the music I do wanna know how to do that in
OK let's work on it
(37:37):
do you know what the riff is
yeah OK I keep on falling in
oh you know what
I'd have to hear it to like know it exactly but hold on
I think I can do it hold on
(38:00):
yeah that sounds great
there is more though I think
something
yes
okay can I hear it again
yes what you did was beautiful
I think you're adding a couple notes
compared to what she's doing but I love it
(38:26):
see I would never go to that low note
that's why I'm like stuck on it
hold on um
can we listen to it at point seven five yes
so she does three pulses at that one and then goes down
(38:53):
sounds about right and I love yeah
I know that part I know that part
so
um let's teach me okay
so you're good at breaking down riffs to like
at hearing them like for the notes that they are um
I just can't do it fast that's okay
(39:14):
we will do it slow okay um
and I would break this riff to
learn it right now into two parts
that's part 1 uh huh
and then the second
like where she pulses the third time
and I think
there's one more note in there that I'm missing um
(39:34):
but that would be the second part so can you sing
close okay
so I think it goes linear
down until she gets to the bottom
(39:55):
you're no
I was wrong you're
yes and then it goes
yeah so
(40:15):
and yeah can you um
almost like tilt the vowel forward a little bit
like make it a little bit brighter like lift it
yes and be careful when you're going down to like
when you have that leap
and it's a little bit of a bigger jump your
your tone is falling back ever so slightly okay
(40:37):
try and like it
take one hand and like follow it forward the whole time
am I going low enough yeah
cause now it doesn't feel so low anymore
I'm like am I right
it doesn't feel so low but you're no
(40:58):
the pitches were perfect oh OK
OK yeah
like I don't know if I'm missing enough
cause it doesn't feel like I'm dropping down anymore
because I feel like I'm going forward
but that's gonna be your superpower
in terms of speeding up the riff
yes right
if you let yourself drop and this is
something that I work with so many people on
and work on myself with yeah is like
(41:19):
it sinks the rest of the riff
the second you fall back out of that
like forward light placement
like yeah
the key to making it fast is keeping it light
yes yes yes
yes yeah
and then it's gonna be crazy
cause we're gonna get even lower
and I need you to stay just that light okay
(41:42):
can can you
can we hear the riff again
just so I know that the second half of the riff is
in
in in in
in
in
like that yeah
(42:03):
yeah in
so there's four notes mm hmm
and then a pulse and then a pulse yeah in
and yeah to get that pulse really good like um
almost
I would make it a little bit brighter
(42:23):
we're going towards an e vowel instead of a tall e
oh in um
and it's okay to close down a little bit because right
it's getting low and we're having to keep it bright
mm hmm um
so it's gonna have to close a little bit um
(42:45):
like I'm almost singing E yeah OK
oh OK
I'm getting nervous
no don't
yeah something like that
uh huh it holds up
so there's three pulses on that middle one
you know what I'm talking about
(43:05):
oh yeah
did I do two no
you did three but you did the third one too fast
so she holds it right
play it play it one more time
and let's go back to normal speed
ah Ja Ja
(43:37):
and then you probably don't want vibrato on that last
um not at first
yeah not at first
not during the pulsing at least yeah
yeah on the first half of the riff
it goes down
one more before it pops back up to the banana
(44:01):
oh that note which
hey
oh hey
am I doing it yep hey
okay I'm just kind of like running out of yeah
everything and once I get to that last note
that's okay you know
(44:23):
that was that's already
way better than anything I've ever done on that riff
so we're going in the right direction
you're sounding great um
the next part is
she's like swinging it at different parts
so we've got the notes we've got kind of the rhythms
yeah but now let's really go grab the rhythm
so can we hear it at speed like maybe twice
(44:45):
he goes ehh ho
I'm falling
ehh
oh no
I'm second guessing that I like taught the notes wrong
um no
but I like what so so
here's my my feeling on this
(45:06):
and I love Alicia Keys
but she's not the most phenomenal riffer on this planet
and so with this riff here
uh I'm like
what you did like what
what we're what we're workshopping here is like
if an actual like really amaze
like if Yeba was doing this riff
(45:28):
it would be like yeah
it would be like good night on this riff
but I mean it might be
it might be going more crazy
but yeah you know
I feel like Alicia is kind of like
almost like skipping a couple notes where I'm like no
no that
that notes almost like missing
so I feel like what you were teaching me just now is
you're filling in the gaps
and I actually like that riff
(45:49):
that we're doing better than what this is
I do try and stay as true to the
to riff as possible for anyone watching this being like
how dare they not learn the riff as is
I mean we can
but we work with we work with what we got
um she's just keeping a couple notes
like the the overall shape of it is there yeah
you're just adding a note or two
(46:10):
let's listen at point seven five again slow it down
no I stand by our notes that we picked
they're all in there are they all in there yeah
oh yeah
(46:35):
yeah it's just not super clean
I guess what she's doing right yeah
and again Alicia Keys is a phenomenal singer
like I'm not like throwing shade at Alicia
it's just that riff is not perfectly clean
and maybe if we listen to like a version from today
cause this is a 15 year old song
it would sound different you never know
yeah but no
you're you're right
it's kind of hard to hear all the little yeah
(46:56):
little notes in between cause it's not like
she's scooping between some of the notes slightly
so it makes it harder to hear
hear the different notes but anyways
what we're doing rip that okay
so
(47:17):
oh good luck trying to do this at the step tempo
we're doing it at slow tempo
I I can't
okay hold on
go back to the start can I hear you sing
I keep on fuck
and good OK
(47:38):
the second you get to on
and that n is going further back
can you make the n more dental
I keep on unfalling what yeah
um I keep on
your tongue is really high on the R of N
cause you're so ready to give the consonant
(48:00):
I keep on versus I keep on
I keep on yes
oh interesting
I keep on on falling on
on falling yeah
keep your tongue out of the way
it's like it's ready for the continents
(48:20):
but focus on the vowels
OK and let them
let them have their moment for a little bit longer
we're not gonna miss the continents yeah
even if they're like that fast
yeah yeah yeah
I keep on falling yeah
that there you go
and now you're
I'm hearing your tone be so much like one consistent uh
(48:40):
and it's like staying in this brighter
lighter space that's not gonna mess up the
make you push and not gonna sink the riff yes yeah
so you don't have to go like
I keep on because then you're not trying to do the riff
right exactly okay
I I
huh
I keep on
(49:03):
and yeah on
on I keep on falling
uh huh I like
I hear the difference yeah
and it's like what am I changing to do it
you know it's like
oh hahaha
it's hard um
for the constant thing like
the thing that you are literally changing
is where your tongue is in your mouth okay
(49:23):
um when you're like sitting there
ready to give the n for on and fall in yeah
um and even for the L's
like your tongue
even all the way to the back of your mouth
is sitting really high because you're ready to yeah
like the tongue touches the back of the top teeth
to make a n na na na
(49:43):
na na na
um
but keep it as low in your mouth as possible okay
I keep on cause
what we really need is space for those vowels to float
uh huh but if your tongue is taking up all that space
yes it's gonna get heavy okay
I keep on I keep on falling
(50:05):
uh huh yeah
am I doing it yeah
yay I'm doing it whoo okay
I keep on that was great
keep on it was no
it was the first time yeah
hahaha shit don't second guess yourself
it's gonna feel weird
because I think this is like different
it's different trust let it feel different okay
(50:26):
it's okay I keep on
yeah yeah OK
yeah that one
that one yeah
you got it you had all the notes
(50:46):
and okay yeah
I was like how many pulses are you doing
three pulses okay
I keep no too much I keep on falling
yeah on was was the on okay
it was on is getting a little bit nasally yeah um
I keep on falling uh huh
that's yeah that feels different okay I keep I
(51:14):
and yeah okay
close enough yeah
I shall keep practicing this
but honestly that was not bad
that was great that was floating the whole time
and I love like you saying that
so smart with the riff of
you slowed it down to how slow
you needed to get the rhythms and all the pitches right
right
that's just a matter of trying to sing a riff at tempo
(51:37):
a million times in a row is gonna do nothing
except for keep singing it
just as sloppy as you were before right
you have to slow it down it's the most annoying
part of any type of music lessons
and your professor and your teacher is gonna be like
and and now
let's take the metronome down to 65 beats per minute
and let's go ahead and try that
and you're like all the time and they're like one bar
(51:59):
one measure at a time
and it's every kid's nightmare
hahaha truly
but it's also proven like by studies and proven by so
so much experience to be the singular
most effective way to learn and retain
and to keep it clean when you speed up
(52:20):
because that riff isn't so amazing
because it's like
the coolest riff you've ever heard in the world
it's awesome because it's clean
mm hmm and it's fast
it is fast and that's what we love about riffs
is when they're fast
but that they're also clean that you're like
oh my gosh I can hear everything she's saying
(52:40):
she's singing
and then you go and you try and do it and you're like
I can't necessarily sing every note that she's singing
but I know that I hear all of them
yeah like when you listen to like a rapper um
hearing all the words
hearing all the words and I'm like
how do I understand everything that you just said
and yet I could repeat none of those words
yes yes
I like I couldn't tell you what
but I understood all of it
yeah right
yeah or like listening to podcast at like
(53:02):
1.5 speed yes
yeah that's me
I never watch anything at audiobooks
regular speed 1.5
let's go hahaha
we got shit to do hahaha
well you
I just for me like my ADHD brain if
if you're talking too slow
I can't stay focused hmm yeah
no that is
that is very fair yeah
um so I'm just gonna skip ahead here a little bit okay
(53:26):
and if you
times I love you
whoo let me try that again
alright
out of love
(53:56):
go there okay
I'll pause you right there
when you came in on loving
your voice and tone was way different than before
yes so did you hear that
I'm going too wide I'm going too spready
I'm going too shouty that is the what
that's the main thing I'm working on these days
not going love but more yeah
(54:17):
loving that's yes
so hard for me to do right
because when you're learning how to sing high notes
we talk about get brighter
get brighter get brighter
sing through a smile open up more
but too much of a good thing
yes is a bad thing
yes and um
we went exactly what you said
(54:37):
it was too too wide
yep and that's kind of
we had too much horizontal space
and not enough vertical space
and we want a good balance of both
so that we have a nice rounded tone yeah
um which you were doing
like you were killing it with a rounded tone before
like oh
but I on the second try
the first try um
(54:57):
whatever the word is the
and the love yeah
the love yeah
it was also also because love uh yeah
that's a bright vowel well
then it's love in you again
it's the same word again yeah
God damn it um
you already know like what you need to adjust
like up here
(55:18):
my tip for you going through this passage again
is when you get to that moment
um
use the L
it's a pitched consonant
love ya um
so start your pitch with the L
and also
give yourself a little turbo boost with your core like
whoa
(55:39):
Emily said the same thing
when we were recording another episode this morning
she's like girl
use your core that's incredible
cause I've never
or her like
I've never been in a lesson with her
so I love that yes
yes I always like to think of it as like a OK
you know when you're playing Mario Kart
yeah and then you like run over like the mushroom
like it's a like you use the mushroom
yeah and in the
(55:59):
in singing the mushroom is whoop yes
I'm just gonna yes huh
like pull the stomach in a little bit
really important to know that we're not like huh
but like and she specifically said lower ABS
yes and that worked for me
so it's not like yeah
getting too squeeze
it's not squeezing here because we don't
wanna like let the rib cage yeah
come and be involved in that at all
yeah yeah let me try that again
(56:29):
I love you OK
hold on I was like so focused
that's okay I kind of knew that that was
I was
I was suspecting that that would go that way because um
of what I heard leading up to it
oh yeah what was I doing
um
you you
and it was like a little bit too like muscly
like a little bit too like Chesty um
I want it like
almost like it was underneath the ceiling back here
(56:52):
uh huh
and it wasn't that it was like necessarily like you
it wasn't so far in the back of your throat
but it was still under that ceiling yeah
so we gotta come out forward from underneath that you
you yeah
not you you
so a you not a you yeah
(57:31):
you darling makes me
yeah that went way better
that time was way better and then duh duh
so I'm like okay
cause like I've been doing these sessions with you
and with Emily and with Kate
and like with everybody
and so everybody says something else
(57:51):
which is why I love our team
and what we can give our students
like as their experience
you get to work with different people
throughout your time with us
and that's gonna give you so much to pull from
so now I'm balancing you know the
the core thing I'm balancing the vowel
like the not spready vowel thing and Kate last
(58:13):
week told me girl
you're getting so twangy and I'm like
now I'm like darling
like loving you darling on darling
I was like ah
it's getting too bright right
so I'm like having all these things in my brain
let's if yeah
I love I love hearing about all
all like what we're working on yeah
um or like what
and it was all different songs
(58:33):
yeah yeah right
but it translates into everything
so that gave me an idea of like okay
the root problem really is that we're dealing with it
too bright so can I hear you sing that
like with the lowest layering the entire time
(58:56):
oh yeah
uh huh that feels really weird
I know hahaha
it's okay do a little bit more and get through the like
love you don't
uh sometime
(59:18):
used
yeah yeah
okay now we'll go back and like sing it normal
also when you're doing the riff on Darling Darling
darling you're adding like a little extra like
do you know that you're doing that
yeah probably loving you darling
oh darling darling
yeah you're darling
hmm can you do it again Donna
(59:39):
darling darling yeah
I'm adding a little thrill in there
I guess okay
if you if you can
and I
that's actually such a common thing that I hear with
especially singers that tend to be belter right
that love belting that's
what happens in every single riff that they're doing
um oh
so and that's fine because we
(01:00:00):
we can use it and
I'm not saying we never want to use a trail like that
yeah but if it's happening unintentionally
that's a sign to me
that we don't have as much of flexibility as we think
we do yeah yeah
yeah I just never was paying attention to it
no darling
uh huh darling OK
yeah sorry
be careful on that half step down
(01:00:22):
darling yeah
one thing a professor said to me in college that like
has stuck with me is when you're going down the stairs
like physically you're fit
like the voice is like going down like this
and it's very stepwise I want you to visualize that
you are actually climbing up the stairs
with those notes darling
dah dah darling yeah
(01:00:44):
that was amazing darling yeah
I'm just trying to I've never heard you riff like that
oh cause I don't riff
that was awesome wow
thank you yeah
lots to to like absorb now okay
the riffing was super helpful
um the vowel
the I keep on falling
(01:01:07):
staying on the vowel
not getting to the consonant too quickly
opening that up um
then the the spready
right when it gets to the beltier parts
don't get too wide too spready
keep it more focused uh
drop your larynges to reduce the
the brightness mm hmm
um what else do we say
(01:01:29):
the pitch Continent for the L
the pitch continent yeah
and giving a little turbo boost
so like
and really what we're talking about
with the turbo boost
is that we're starting on the breath
which you know that but I just really wanted to like
outline that for anybody listening and watching that
like it's not the mussling
it's the breath it's not the mussling
it's the breath it's the um love
love and not loving you darling yeah
(01:01:53):
oh my God yeah hahaha
it's like hello
like now there's just like all this sound coming out
and I'm not even trying yes
that yes
yes hahaha
that's the whole point oh my gosh
I
that's the whole point of voice lessons
we work so hard up here
and if you're just listening and not watching
I am have my hands on my temples
like we are working hard up here
(01:02:15):
so that we don't have to work hard
in the throat in the throat
right like that
I think I had a breakthrough like that
in a voice lesson in college
and I remember that and he was like
and I was like that is the loudest I've ever sounded
and I didn't even feel like I was singing
what the hell did you do to me
yeah like what just happened
and and he was like yeah
that's the one oh my God
(01:02:37):
like
I think I cried cause I like surprised myself so much
I was like
what what is going on
yeah but that's how singing should feel
yes yes
yes yes
like because I feel like and this
is a misunderstanding
I guess on my part when I was little
everybody was like oh
you know like singing is really hard and I'm like
alright it is okay technically
(01:02:58):
it feels physically like that to me
translated as it's okay if you
you know feel like you're going ah
and I gets like stuck in the throat and you know
like everybody says singing is hard like alright
but that's not what it is
it's yeah
we're working hard to make it feel like
we're not working hard yeah
right yeah
yeah and that's the first part
(01:03:18):
in the singing to Artist transformation program
with coach Emily how to sing effortlessly
yeah hahaha
so that when you get to riffing with you and like
vibrato and all this other stuff
you actually have a chance at getting it
cause you can't yeah
start with that yeah
that's why your part is No. 2 not number one
mm hmm in the in the program anyways
that was so helpful Bree
(01:03:39):
I'm so glad that was awesome
I'm like maybe she can riff you can riff
maybe she can learn you know all the steps
it's just a matter of like getting the approach right
yeah every time yeah
which is hard yes
and it's gonna take a little bit of practice
and a little bit of time
and my impatient little brain is gonna be like shit
(01:04:00):
hahaha but it's gonna be okay
hahaha I love it thank you
so much yeah
if you wanna listen to breeze music please
please do cause it's amazing
it's in the description in the session notes
the episode notes whatever it's called
you know where to go go check it out there
Bree Corbett um
am I saying that right Corbett
Corbett Corbett
(01:04:21):
it's spelled Corbett
so that might help the listeners find it easier
you know we've worked together for almost five years
and I say your last name wrong
whoopsie
it's fine anyways
go check out Bree's music
if you want to work with Bree or any of the coaches
on our studio at our studio too
the link to book a session
(01:04:41):
where we get to meet each other
the sessions with me personally
we meet each other we figure out alright
what do you need what is your voice need
who is the best fit for you from our team
what makes the most sense
all of the above book a session
I can't wait to sing with you hahaha
love it anything else Bree
um I feel like a lot of people get weird
that they're singing their first lesson with you
(01:05:03):
but they're not taking lessons with you
mm hmm mm hmm
trust that she is like the people guru
she is
Laura is so
you are so good at teaching those first lessons
and like
helping really find the root cause of what is going on
and what people want and um
really making that plan
and now you've hopefully gotten to meet our whole team
(01:05:25):
like yes for our listeners
so you can hear a little bit more
about each of our teaching styles and stuff but
Lara really knows like oh
thank you which coach to put put you with
you know I always say that I play doctor yeah
I like figure out alright
what's up you describe your symptoms to me
or I hear your symptoms and whatever
and I play doctor and then I'm like alright
(01:05:46):
this is the medicine that you need
but I am not the medicine
the doctor is never the medicine right
so I play doctor the coaches are the medicine yeah
so you are the medicine I love it hahaha
thank you that's very sweet of you to say and you know
sometimes people are like
but I wanna work with you Laura and I'm like
I love you so much for that
thank you I and I appreciate your trust
(01:06:07):
please
trust me that I will pick the right person on our team
for you to do
what I can and even more
that's usually what I say so anyways
you got nothing to lose with that first session
let's give it a try haha yeah
thank you so much Bree this was so fun
we'll catch you on another episode
can't wait thank you for listening
we'll catch you in the next one bye
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