What kind of vocal warmups are best, how many, and why? Voice teacher Ellen Allen shares some advice!

If you've taken private music lessons before, you're probably aware of the basic elements that are required for progress. Showing up...

When it comes to developing a practice routine, it's all about finding what works for YOU. Sure, your teacher tells you want to practice...

Have you ever sat in the audience, listening to a singer who maybe *sounds* great, but whose stage presence is just… awkward? Or, maybe...

As a classically-trained, professional choral singer, a choral director, AND a voice teacher, I have loooots of thoughts about the V-word...

In these not-so-unprecedented-anymore times (let's face it, we've been at this nearly nine months), musicians of all stripes have had to...

While the start of this school year is undoubtedly unlike any other, there are still elements of our back-to-school routines that we find...

In my last post, I talked about the basic structure of a vocal warm-up: how you should start, what you should focus on first, and how to...

Virtually any singer will tell you that vocal warm-ups are important. Ask them why, and - particularly less experienced singers - will...

Do you like to sight-read? LOL, right? Well, some people do. *Meekly raises hand* Why do so many singers dread sight-reading? Oh, so...

I don't know about you, but the news earlier this month about aerosols and COVID and singing and super-spreading got me REALLY down. The...

I originally wrote this post back in 2017, for the Rising Stars Productions blog. Looking at it now, I feel it's more relevant than...

Mindful singing means being aware of and responding to the workings of your instrument. Here are some tips for more mindful practicing.

The arts are vitally important, especially in a time of crisis. I hope we can remember this even after the world has returned to "normal."

Even just a hint of sickness can send any singer into crisis mode, and for good reason. So how do we deal with sickness as singers?

Memorizing music can be difficult, but it doesn't have to be! You just need a roadmap and some strategies!

Below, I outline a basic music-learning system that can be employed for most musical theater pieces, as well as pieces in other genres.

Raise your hand if you've ever experienced a tired voice after a long stretch of singing. You're not alone! When your voice gets tired,...

Performance nerves are often inevitable, but they can be managed! Where do they come from, and how can we deal with them?