Voice Instruction Charlotte

I want to share the beginning of the second chapter of my book on what makes an exceptional voice teacher. Here's the text introducing that chapter:

To be an exceptional voice teacher, you must possess a unique blend of skills, knowledge, and sensitivities that go far beyond mere musical talent. One of the big disadvantages of teaching singing is the inability to see most of what's happening. Unlike other instruments, for which a teacher can visually demonstrate proper technique, singing requires a different approach.

With singers, almost everything is hidden. Assuming full competence as teachers, our students quickly start to realize we have “x-ray ears”, if you will. We can effectively “see” inside the student’s vocal anatomy. We can hear whether they're straining their larynx, whether the long, thin horizontal gap between the dorsal area of their tongue and the back of the hard palate is too open or closed, whether their jaw is open or closed enough, whether the tongue is retracted into the mouth or forward near the teeth. This ability is a direct result of physical empathy when hearing the sound of the human voice.

Fully competent voice teachers know all of that just from hearing students’ voices. We don't even have to look to know about the jaw. We know what all of those things feel like in our own anatomy and what kind of sound would result. The minute we hear a voice our own physical anatomy feels what is happening to produce that sound. We’ve come to realize the ability to hear and understand the intricate workings of the vocal mechanism is fundamental to our ability to teach as effectively as possible.

We also understand the science behind what is optimal. Knowledge of the scientific principles involved and how the various elements of physical anatomy take advantage of them is another key to unlocking the highest level of success as a teacher. Success here doesn’t mean money or fame as a teacher. Here, success means how rapidly and well your students advance and how reliably they retain their practical ability through their understanding of what they’re doing even after not singing for extended periods.

Vocal efficiency is key for preserving vocal health, tone quality, and a relaxed but greatly expanded pitch range. This includes the elimination of voice break problems for a smooth transition through a spectacularly wide range. Without understanding the scientific principles involved, we would be unable to fully appreciate the precise connections among the various anatomical elements and how they work together to achieve vocal efficiency. This is what allows us to easily troubleshoot whatever the problem is.

This deep connection between the body and the sound it’s producing is the essential foundation of exceptional voice teaching. If you know how to sing yourself and you're sensitive to how it feels when you sing; if you're aware of what physical states your anatomy is experiencing when you feel that, then you have all the basics in place to develop this skill. In addition, though, it’s also extremely important to understand the scientific nature of sound and how human anatomy affects it.

We need to appreciate the nature of efficient aerodynamics of phonation in the larynx, its role in promoting vocal health and a rich, full vocal tone with relaxed ease. Knowing how to teach the vitalized, but relaxed, resilient tension between the larynx and the diaphragm to support this is fundamental. I like to call it an exhilarated suspension between inhaling and exhaling. “Singing on the gesture of inhalation”, “a refined internal posture”, and “drinking the vowels” are phrases others have use. Laughing, sobbing, looking at something in wonder and feeling that it takes your breath away, or that thrill you feel in the pit of your stomach when a roller coaster goes down at a steep angle are examples of how we humans experience this naturally under certain circumstances.

One of these circumstances should be singing. We teachers must help students acquire this posture habitually when they sing. That doesn’t tend to happen overnight. It doesn’t generally feel natural for most when singing as opposed to when they’re giggling or sobbing, for example. Again, I like to call it a state of exhilarated suspension between inhaling and exhaling.

This is by far the healthiest, most efficient way to use air for a given combination of pitch and loudness, and it produces the most relaxed, rich, and full tone quality. It’s especially impressive when a singer does this even when singing softly. Many fairly good singers do this at louder dynamic levels, but it turns into a breathy, inefficient use of air when they sing softly. The breathy sound also causes the tone quality to suffer greatly at lower dynamic levels. It doesn’t project well either, so the singer becomes virtually or totally inaudible in the back in the case of strictly acoustic venues.

We must understand the acoustic principles that shape the vowels, the overtone structure or Fourier harmonic series, how vowel formants modify it, and how these formants shift somewhat with pitch. We have to know how our internal vocal posture must shift with them as we move through our vocal range. We also need to appreciate the acoustic principles that provide optimum efficiency for the transfer of sound from the larynx out into the performance environment.

It's not magic. In my case, it’s the result of having had wonderful training from a world-class master, a deep understanding of the voice science involved, and tons of experience actually teaching people how to sing. Sadly, this ability is rare among voice teachers. Many rely on what I call "white magic"—an approach that's far too dependent on the student's talent to imitate the teacher. This results in an inability to teach those whose intuition in that regard is less developed, and slower progress for those who have it.

Worse, neither the teacher nor the student truly understands the mechanics of what they're doing. To be an exceptional voice teacher, one must move beyond this limited approach. We must combine our musical expertise with a deep understanding of vocal anatomy, a clear scientific understanding of sound and acoustic principles, and a productive teaching approach. This absolutely must also include interpersonal rapport as vital for unlocking and communicating all the rest.

We must develop our "x-ray ears", our physical empathy to diagnose and address issues that are invisible to the eye. Most importantly, we must be able to communicate these concepts in ways that empower our students, regardless of their innate talent level. In essence, exceptional voice teaching is a science as much as it is an art. It requires continual learning, keen observation, and the ability to translate abstract concepts into practical, actionable guidance. Only then can we truly unlock the full potential of every voice that comes under our tutelage.

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I just want to send a huge THANK YOU to all who FOLLOW me and those who honored my page with your much cherished LIKES! If you haven't, you can find much more about me and what I offer at my business Website, https://voiceinstructioncharlotte.com/
You can also see Google reviews at https://g.page/r/Cb1C-798qqFzEAI/review
For Thumbtack reviews: https://bit.ly/3zYxs58

Voice Instruction Charlotte | Charlotte, NC | Thumbtack Voice Instruction Charlotte provides Singing Lessons services. See their reviews & get quotes today.

Hi, Facebook friends. Shortly after publishing my book of poetry, Glimpses: A Life in a Few Poems, I realized I had not been given good advice on how to price it. I’m new to this technology for self-publishing. In my haste to get it up and ready, I didn’t think it through and blindly followed advice. Shortly after, I pondered whether I would buy a 36-page paperback of poetry by an unknown author at that price. I qu**ky researched how to reduce it and did so. It took some time to show up, but it has been at a substantially lower price for many weeks now.

I realize many of you may have been put off when you saw the initial price, but I sincerely wasn’t trying to fleece my friends. At the current price, I make very little on each copy, but that was never the point. No one makes much selling poetry these days or sells tons of copies. I invite you to take a look again if you have already, or do so now if you haven’t. It has received four five-star reviews from verified purchasers so far. Here’s an AI summary of the reviews:

Readers celebrate Glimpses: A Life in a Few Poems not merely as a collection of poems but as an invitation to slow down and reconnect with the beauty of existence. They further describe the poems as bliss-inducing gems that evoke a reflective reading experience, highlighting the vivid imagery and layered meanings. They also suggest deeper connections between humanity and nature unfold upon re-reading. They recommend the book for anyone who appreciates poetry and seeks to find joy in life's simple moments.

Glimpses: A Life in a Few Poems This collection, ordered chronologically from 1968 to 2024, largely conveys human experience of nature settings embedded in the deep inner silence of transcendence. With vivid imagery and often subtle metaphor, it reflects decades of meditation practice, spiritual growth, and stylistic evolution....

Hi! My book of poems went live on July19, the 6th anniversary of my wife María Rosa’s departure from this life. It’s dedicated to her. The details presented on Amazon are unfortunately pretty silly. It doesn’t make the book look very marketable.

It doesn’t even mention that some portions are bilingual, with poetic translations in both directions, depending on the language of the original. It’s locked in stone now, so I hope enough reviews will compensate this. An option at the bottom to look at a digest by Rufus (Amazon's AI assistant) and ask questions provides a pretty accurate and positive representation of the nature of the contents, however.

If you buy it and give it an honest, positive review, that will greatly help promote it. The few poetry lovers who’ve seen the proofs found them beautiful and inspiring. The more and the earlier positive reviews accumulate, the more the Amazon algorithms will promote it. I naturally hope many friends will acquire the book, enjoy it, and leave reviews. Here’s the link:

Glimpses: A Life in a Few Poems

Glimpses: A Life in a Few Poems These few poems survived from the author's habit of writing them down on scrap paper handy at the moment of inspiration, thank to his late wife, who valued them.

I just posted this under About, Details:

Hello, singer or would-be singer—and if you like, Facebook friend! I love teaching voice! Following is an AI-generated (Artificial Intelligence) summary of student reviews dating all the way from 2006 until July 19, 2024.

It feels a little embarrassing, since it kind of feels like a brag fest. It has nothing to do, though, with any influence I had on their reviews except through my teaching. I´ve saved them in a document, since they disappear over time. The AI did an accurate summary of the reviews my students have kindly given me. All but one were five-star reviews. They include reviews on Google, Thumbtack, Lessons-dot-com, and Yelp.

Most reviews of my competition in the Charlotte area are simply stars with no comment or something like he or she is great. Many of the reviews for me were effusive and varied from a couple of sentences to several paragraphs. The summary is lightly edited for consistent pronouns and a logical, coherent sequence that eliminates repeated information:
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Robert Wendell’s students consistently praise him as an outstanding and transformative vocal instructor. Not only does Robert’s technical expertise set him apart, but so does his personal engagement with his students. Many reviewers mention the strong friendships formed with Robert, noting his warmheartedness and the great conversations shared during lessons.

Students repeatedly commend Robert for his empathetic and compassionate nature. They appreciate his thoughtful kindness and genuine concern for their progress, creating a supportive learning environment. This personal connection, combined with his passion for music, motivates students to achieve their fullest potential.

Highlighting his expertise is his deep understanding of vocal mechanics and his ability to communicate this knowledge effectively. His exercises target specific aspects of singing. Many reviewers, from beginners to seasoned professionals, have experienced dramatic enhancements in their vocal range, pitch accuracy, and overall vocal production after working with him. They often describe a newfound confidence and relaxed ease in producing a rich, full voice. Importantly, they also report a pleasant, rewarding ease in their smooth transition to a stronger, clearer high register without voice break problems.

Robert's approach is particularly effective because he focuses on building a strong foundation, revisiting the basics to correct fundamental issues. Many of his more experienced students describe his approach as revolutionary, helping them understand and naturally optimize efficiency in the mechanics of singing. They enjoy much greater ease and physical pleasure in performing. His teaching style fosters confidence, even in those who previously doubted their singing abilities.

Overall, Robert Wendell's students highly recommend him for singers of all skill levels. His passion, expertise, and caring demeanor make him an outstanding vocal coach who brings out the best in his students, both technically and personally.

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Here's a link to my Google reviews. You will see the business profile on the right with five stars you can click on to go the the reviews. You can also find a couple of reviews on Yelp here:
https://www.yelp.com/biz/voice-instruction-charlotte-charlotte

And Thumbtack reviews here:
https://bit.ly/4e3fDBd

Voice Instruction Charlotte · 7905 Shorewood Dr, Charlotte, NC 28277 5.0 ★ · Music instructor

Here's the first chapter of a book I'm writing on my approach to teaching voice. It's aimed at voice teachers, but the first chapter is appropriate for my students and singers interested in learning about my approach.

https://1drv.ms/b/s!AssLImBn5768g5g6FekEnUI77VWSlg?e=GgdE4a

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This was really extremely rewarding!

A Fun New Experience I recently had an Indian student for only a month before she had to leave for college. She sings classical Indian ragas with the tambura (stringed instrument that drones in the background) and...

I get a huge amount of personal fulfillment from witnessing how much and how quickly my students advance. Anyone who knows how to sing well can teach talented students. Over time, they finally learn to copy their teacher's technique.

The least talented challenge my ability to teach and so teach me the most about how to help all singers. Some learn to sing with my help despite other teachers' inability to even teach them. This includes extremely pitch challenged students, who progress slowly, but who could not progress at all with other teachers. Most teachers have no idea what to do with them. They either tell them they're tone deaf and can't study or pretend any old pitch is just fine and make them feel good about their bad singing.

These students often tell me that they hear music in a completely different way after studying with me than they did before. One actor who wanted to do musicals but had no ear for music told me he didn't even know why he liked music before and that his study with me had opened up a completely new world for him.

On the other hand, my most talented students advance so quickly it's almost unbelievable. It's sometimes hard for me to believe it. I recently had an Indian student for only a month before she had leave for college. She sings classical Indian ragas with the tambura (stringed instrument that drones in the background) and tabla (a set of Indian drums). I was musically familiar but not technically very knowledgeable about classical Indian music.

She had learned her ragas from an Indian teacher in New Jersey, but had not received any clear help with her voice. She strained for high notes and had a fuzzy, breathy tone on the lowest notes. Her father found me and scheduled as many lessons as possible before she had to leave. At the last lesson, she was singing so effortlessly and beautifully that her father was virtually jumping out of his chair.

I told them then that her raga teacher in New Jersey would likely be taken aback by how much better she was singing. A few days ago (September 2017) he called and told me my prediction had come true. Her teacher had even asked if she could call me to find out what I was doing to help students so much and so fast. I gave the permission and she did call me. She plans to Skype with me to find out more.

This young girl (17) was one of the most talented students I've ever had, but I had to give her the "right stuff" in record time. Otherwise such good results could never have occurred. This experience reinforced my confidence in my adaptability to any genre, since I had never worked with any Indian classical singer before.