Establish Your Vocal Practice Routine in 5 Days: Day 5

Welcome to Day 5 of the Establish Your Vocal Practice Routine in 5 Days Challenge!

Ready Set Go!!!

You have the commitment, the goal, the suitable exercises, now it’s time to get to work.

Today what I’ll ask you to do is to compile the links to the exercises you chose for your first session into one place, in the order of action, so that you don’t waste time, when the time comes for your first vocal practice session.

• To help you with this prompt, I designed a free PDF planner, which you can download here. It contains daily to-do lists and reflection sections, as well as all the resources I shared with you so far.
  Now you’re ready to DIVE INTO ACTION!
• Don’t forget to warm up both your body and your voice, and follow the routine you customized for yourself.
•  At the end, take some time to reflect on what went right, and what didn’t go so well. Don’t beat up on yourself if you need to make some adjustments. It’s all for the purpose of getting your voice to rock! 
• If you feel any pain or struggle to release tension, it’s always a great idea to consider working in-person with a professional vocal coach to polish these edges.

Don't forget to download the free PDF planner (no opt-in required):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mj7DDtfZks_rvdy-VgabMBxZwOaV688M/view?usp=sharing

P.S. Let me know in the comments below when your first vocal practice session is, and how it went. What challenges did you have completing this prompt? Also feel free to share any thoughts, concerns and recommendations you might have.

Establish Your Vocal Practice Routine in 5 Days: Day 4

Welcome to Day 4 of the Establish Your Vocal Practice Routine in 5 Days Challenge!

As I promised the prompts will only take 5-15 minutes. Today will be a quick one!

Implement the Habit!!!

In order to get the positive results you want and to develop and build up your skills on the long run, you need to stay consistent with your vocal routine.  In other words, you need to adopt it as a habit.

Scientific research proves that the average time for an activity to become a habit is 21 days.

So what I want you to do today is to load your vocal practice sessions in your schedule until the end of December. 

• Considering your work from Day 1 of the challenge, i.e. how many days a week you can practice and how long your time slots will be, pick up your phone, open your calendar app and set your practice session as a recurring event for the particular days of your choice for the rest of the year.
•  If you prefer a paper planner, it might take a little more time, but, this shouldn’t stop you from writing down your vocal routine in your to-do lists for each day you’ve chosen.
• Make sure you also set a reminder for your sessions and stay committed to show up.

Stay tuned for the final Day 5 prompt, which will set you up for the fun part – taking action!

P.S. Let me know in the comments below which days you have picked. What challenges did you have completing this prompt? Also feel free to share any thoughts, concerns and recommendations you might have.

Establish Your Vocal Practice Routine in 5 Days: Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of the Establish Your Vocal Practice Routine in 5 Days Challenge!

As I promised the prompts will only take 5-15 minutes. This one will probably be closer to the 15 minute time frame, but I promise it is rewarding.

Design your routine in alignment with your goals!!!

Now that you have your measurable goals in place, design your routine so that it fits your timeframe and matches your objectives. Start small. Focus on one goal, and more specifically on the first milestone you need to accomplish in order to get there. 

What you need to do, once you pick the specific goal to 

• Focus on is to do a research and find out what exercises you should practice in order to achieve it. Make sure you give yourself variety. There are plenty of exercises addressing a particular area, so don’t let your practice sessions get dull. Also, remember that if you try something and it doesn’t feel right it is always subject to change. Don’t worry if you need to make some adjustments along the way. 
• You should always include some type of short physical and vocal warm-ups before you start practicing, so that you open up your body and voice and create space for your voice to resonate.
• I also highly recommend including some form of articulation exercise – articulation is essential for phrasing and clarity in your performance. 
• Another must have is some ear training – you can either include a few minutes dedicated to ear training or establish a separate ear training routine, depending on how much time you are able and willing to put in.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

Here are some YouTube channels to consider when it comes to crafting your customized routine, which provide various exercises in different areas and of different level and length.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGq2TazxvyOOo1PQ9lkq-lg - Verba Vocal

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnX9bUmrW5AI0Kr1C1IqBsQ - Madeline Harvey

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM61zUkZ6dpzJHE1sUeSJ0Q  - Voice Lessons.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC21-GeHeU4U6XJoRrxHwAng - Singer’s Secret

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcxo5COqhVc84JYS_bRdLyg - NY Vocal Coaching

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUkDbIdcnHErbMWj30cKU3Q - Eric Arceneaux

https://www.youtube.com/c/katarinahowtoimprovesinging - Katarina H.

I also created a playlist of a sample vocal routine that takes up approximately 30 minutes. If you are working on a particular song, you can add it in the end of the routine, or do it right after the warm-up if your time slot is shorter.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJwmlkXHMV8ar4M00W9DFc-XKHyio4uDL

Again, be realistic when you’re planning how to fill your time. Don’t schedule a routine that takes up 30 minutes if you only have 15. You should also keep in mind the results you want to observe and stick to the steps that will take you there

Stay tuned for the Day 4 prompt!

P.S. Let me know in the comments below what exercises you have picked. What challenges did you have completing this prompt? Also feel free to share any thoughts, concerns and recommendations you might have.

Establish Your Vocal Practice Routine in 5 Days: Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of the Establish Your Vocal Practice Routine in 5 Days Challenge!

As I promised the prompts will only take 5-15 minutes. This one will probably take a little more time than the assignment from Day1, as it will require thought and reflection, but it will definitely fit into the 15 minute frame.

Goals!!!

In order to save yourself time, frustration and overwhelm, you should show up for your vocal practice session knowing exactly how you will spend the valuable time you've dedicated as an investment in your vocal development. 

So what I'll ask you to do today is to set up about 10 minutes and really think about what your current level is and the results you want to observe after a certain number of practice sessions.

• Where do you want to go with your practice?
• What results do you want to see? 
• Do you want to generally increase your range, acquire better breath support, or learn a particular song so that you nail it every single time? Or maybe all of these?

Define your goals and break them into bite-sized milestones. Make sure you can track your progress on each goal.

Stay realistic as of how much time the goal will take. For example, if you want to extend the range of your voice, don't expect this to happen overnight.

Otherwise, you are more likely to get overwhelmed, disappointed and even end up quitting.

Here are a couple of helpful resources to check out while crafting your goals and defining the milestones:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWMSPtaSiUU  - a video by Dr. Dan on implementing the S.M.A.R.T goals method in your singing endeavours.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/5-steps-setting-reaching-music-goals/ - an article by the Musical U team on the process of setting and reaching your musical goals

Stay tuned for the Day 3 prompt!

P.S. Let me know in the comments below what your singing goals are. What challenges did you have completing this prompt? Also feel free to share any thoughts, concerns and recommendations you might have.

Establish Your Vocal Practice Routine in 5 Days: Day1

Welcome to Day 1 of the Establish Your Vocal Practice Routine in 5 Days Challenge!

As I promised the prompts will only take 5-15 minutes. And the first one will be easy and you will only need to take about 5 minutes to go through it.

Timing!!!

It is highly recommended that you practice at least 4-5 days a week, ideally 7 days …..

Yet, in our fast-paced demanding lifestyles, we need to adapt it to our schedule upon time availability. So firstly, you should decide on a suitable time frame.

•          How much time can you invest (yes, it is an investment, more valuable than the                      monetary one) in your vocal routine?
•         How many days a week can you lock this dedicated time slot?

You can start with as little as 10 minutes a day. If you stay consistent, the progress you make will add up faster than you think. It’s not a good idea to pick just one day every 2 weeks and work out your voice for 6-8 hours, because you’ll end up damaging your vocal folds and getting overwhelmed and frustrated.

So, look at your schedule , lock a realistic time slot, and most importantly make a commitment that you are going to show up for yourself and your voice.

Stay tuned for the Day 2 prompt!

P.S. Let me know in the comments below what time frame works best for you. What challenges did you have completing this prompt? Also feel free to share any thoughts, concerns and recommendations you might have.

Establish You Vocal Practice Routine in 5 Days Challenge

In my previous blog post: “5 Benefits of Establishing a Vocal Practice Routine” I highlighted 5 of the numerous reasons of the importance of establishing a vocal routine.

Firstly, I want you to note that it doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. Its purpose is to keep your voice in shape, toned, and growing.

Secondly it doesn’t take a rocket science! You don’t need any significant experience to start one. In fact, with the tons of exercises on the internet, you don’t need any experience at all.

Last, but not least, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming and frustrating.

This is why I am starting a 5-day challenge, which will take place here on the blog to help you establish a vocal routine that fits your needs and goals, and will definitely save you a lot of time. Each Day (from Wednesday, Nov 22 to Sunday, Nov 26) I will post 1 assignment, which will take between 5-15 minutes to complete, as well as useful resources and links.

You will also get access to a printable vocal routine planner (no opt-in required).

Here is a short video by the success coach Mel Robbins that will give you one easy tip to beat procrastination and actually take action on the challenge prompts (which are bite-sized, designed to take no more than 15 minutes and result-driven)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab7bJ2j4DDk

If you have some free time, here is an interesting read by the celebrity vocal coach Cari Cole, who will throw some light on establishing a healthy mindset for your practice routine.

https://www.caricole.com/musician-shop-talk-art-daily-practice-devotion-vs-discipline/

So, I hope you'll enjoy the challenge. To make the best out of it and not miss any if the prompts, subscribe to the blog (using the "follow by e-mail" box on the right). And feel free to share your thoughts and concerns and any questions you might have in the comments below.

5 Benefits of Establishing a Vocal Practice Routine

If you are passionate about singing, either as a hobbyist or a professional, establishing a healthy and consistent vocal routine is a MUST. You may or may not already know that as a singer your voice is your instrument. And of course, your most valuable asset.

Regardless of your level of expertise, being mindful about how you treat your voice and taking care of it will do you a huge favor.

After all, if you want a sexy body, you won’t hesitate to hit the gym, will you? So why not do it for your sexy voice, as well.

It is important that you don't only use it before a public performance. It should become your habit, as it brings a lot of benefits to your development as a singer. Here are the top 5 benefits I got from establishing a vocal routine.

      1. Posture and Breath Support. 

Since I made vocal practice part of my daily routine, my posture has improved significantly, because it is something I pay particular attention to during my practice session, as it directly influences the toning.

Breath is another essential factor in singing, so developing a solid breath support is a key element. It is not a rocket science and is achievable with practice and consistency.

2.Technique.

Technique is pretty much what makes the difference between a professional and  an amateur. It is important to both keep your voice from damage and perfect your pitch, sound and toning.

And it is definitely one of the most valuable benefits of practicing consistently.

3.Ear Training.

Needless to say, ear training is as essential as oxygen for every musician. And every practice session adds up to your musical ear.

      4.Vocal Health.

When I was in my early teens, I used to suffer severe throat soreness, and even voice loss. I consulted several physicians without any significant result. The one who did help me figure out these issues was my vocal coach. So establishing my vocal routine not only helped me strengthen my voice, improve my pitch and technique, but it also benefited my health.

5. Confidence.

Observing your progress after each practice session and building up your skills greatly contribute to your confidence as a musician.

This upcoming week, I am starting a 5 day challenge here on the blog to help you establish your own customized vocal routine in bite-sized, result-driven steps. Stay Tuned!