One of the toughest things about teaching kids pop music is just finding music that’s appropriate for them to sing. Sure, most of the time I just change a few of the bad words or don’t really discuss with them what the song is about. But sometimes it’s nice to find something that’s actually a […]
Please note that this is an updated version of an article I wrote for our Molly’s Music Blog. “I have a musical theatre audition coming up! What song should I learn?” Preferably, you should already have a repertoire of go-to songs that you can pull out at the last second and know they’re appropriate and […]
WHAT’S MOLLY’S MUSIC I met Travis at a teacher training program at YogaWorks. Even though neither of us teach it anymore, I use the practice in voice pedagogy because of all the bodywork that needs to happen when you sing. We live in Orange, California with our 9-year-old son, Dean, who’s signed up for our Pop Star Camp this […]
Last week, we discussed Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and how it’s sparked a variety of stunningly different covers. This week, we’ll do the same thing with “Feeling Good,” by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse. This one goes further back than “Hallelujah,” and few people remember that it was originally from the musical The Roar of the […]
Ukuleles In A Music Store, by Tijuana Brass, under CC BY-SA 3.0 Lately, the ukulele seems to have mushroomed in popularity. There are ukulele covers of practically every song imaginable, and it’s easy to see why. The uke is easy to learn, ultra-portable, fairly inexpensive, and fun to sing along with. In honor of this fast-growing instrument, […]
Belt technique is controversial in the voice world. I grew up with the belief that if I did anything other than sing in head voice that I would destroy my voice, and even in 2018, I meet students and voice teachers all the time who share that sentiment. The truth is, belting can be dangerous […]
There’s nothing quite like a vocal harmony done right. When good voices intertwine, the sound is fuller and richer, adding a new dynamic to the melody. But not all of us have a choir that we can sing with when practicing or performing—I’m looking at you, Rolling Stones. So, for those solo singers out there who want to experiment with more harmonies, the solution is the loop pedal.
November is just around the corner, and with it, the anticipation of Thanksgiving. The month may make you think of pumpkin spice lattes, turkey, and cranberry sauce, but it’s also a time to reflect on your life and the many things you’re thankful for. Here’s a Thanksgiving playlist giving you 10 songs about gratitude from […]
In searching for age-appropriate musical theatre songs to sing for auditions and performances, there’s a difficult age bracket–tweens and young teens–to find music for. For singers too old to want to sing “Castle on a Cloud,” “Tomorrow,” or “The Girl I Mean to Be,” but too young to feel comfortable singing love songs yet, it […]
John Legend at the Citi Presents Evenings with Legends show on 29 January 2014 in New York, by Sachyn, under CC BY-SA 3.0 Many singer-songwriters choose guitar as their instrument because, well, it tends to be the primary singer-songwriter instrument. It’s portable, great for simple chordal accompaniment, and just as at home on the beach as […]
Often, the adult singers I work with share a common complaint: they love to sing but don’t have an outlet for it outside of voice lessons. Maybe you’re an experienced singer looking for a professional-level singing organization to join, or maybe you just want a laid-back group of like-minded people to sing with. Luckily, the […]
Last month, we gave you some song choices to sing at auditions. But sometimes it helps just to see a list of what to stay away from. As with anything, these lists are flexible and highly depend on context. A song that’s overdone at Broadway auditions might be a perfect choice for a high school audition. And […]