The Skilful Singer’s Blog

In 2024, the studio and our singers achieved much success. Most regular singers returned to lessons and we welcomed many new singers. This year, I’ve had the pleasure of working with singers who have sung in choirs and bands, those who are passionate about taking their singing capabilities further and […]

I have previously written about the importance of a relaxed jaw in singing. So much of a singer’s clear resonance and articulation hinge on a freely moving jaw. Any tightness in the jaw muscle, tongue root and pharynx (back of the mouth) can pull the soft palate down, resulting in […]

In my commitment to coaching singers in safe, evidence-based voice technique, last year I introduced Accent Method Breathing (AMB) in our lessons. Most instruction on better breathing techniques for singers can be too broad, not properly explaining the specific process of breath coordination. With AMB, your in-breath ‘drops’ deeper into […]

When I recently advised one of my singers to listen less to their voice as they practice, and learn to trust the feeling of their singing technique, they asked what I mean. So, I thought I’d share my explanation. As singers, we want to sound good, to be in tune. […]

June and July saw a few firsts for our studio singers. At our concert, singers Aleks and Celeste made their performance debuts. Another singer, Anne, gave her first recital at a Sydney city church. Part of growing as a singer is daring to step out of your comfort zone by […]

Before last month’s studio concert commenced, our singers participated in a group warm-up, which helped them release more nerves, prepare their voices for their individual performances, and feel supported by their fellow singers. Vocal warm-ups are essential before any singing, whether it’s practice, performing, or after a cold or other […]

The title for this year’s upcoming studio concert, To Fancy, is inspired by the John Keats poem, Fancy, and the song ‘To Fancy’, by Australian composer Colin Brumby – which will be sung by Alex Malubag. With ten singers and 19 songs, our program this year is a diverse mix of […]

Resonance is essential for singing that people – including yourself – love listening to. Beginner singers can find resonance confronting though, as they get used to the idea of being loud and being heard. When I ask singers to make a ‘resonant sound’, they can be perplexed by the term; […]

Singing in performance is a completely different experience to singing when you practise.  Nerves, the environment, acoustics and other variables can get in the way. In fact, when you perform, it’s thought you lose 20% of the skill, zing and focus you have when practising. So, using a studio singer’s […]

Consonants in singing can be tricky, but learning how to position them is necessary for clear and precise singing. While much emphasis is placed on sounding vowels in singing, consonants shape the words you sing so they are understood. This is part 1 of two blogs exploring consonants. Why it’s […]

During my singing training, I recorded every lesson, using a heavy old cassette recorder. Later, I’d listen back and mostly, it drove me nuts, itching to fix this sound, fix that move, change that vowel, get that consonant out of the way, and oh! That weak breath control! It made […]

As a new year approaches, it’s helpful to reflect on your singing achievements and plan your goals for the coming year. First, be sure to celebrate your achievements! As a singer, you’re taking risks others don’t. Putting yourself out there with your voice and performance takes courage, so do acknowledge […]

In last month’s article, I introduced Accent Method Breathing (AMB), an efficient way to quickly take in breath to support singing and increase your versatility as a singer. The article included a few beginner AMB exercises, which you can try here. This month, I introduce some advanced breathing exercises for […]

Whether you’re an aspiring, beginner or advanced singer, you know that sustainable breathing is crucial to singing. The science of breathing and the voice has seen many developments over the decades, and recently, I’ve introduced a technique called Accent Breathing Method (AMB) into training my studio singers. Over the next […]

We humans are creatures of habit, and convenience can be key to forming good habits. This is especially true for singing training. Regular lessons and singing practice are essential to developing your vocal skills and technique, and anything that makes this easier is a good thing. This is one reason […]

There’s nothing like working towards a live concert to develop your singing and performance skills. And last month, 12 of our talented, committed singers showcased their work at our annual concert, held at The Flute Tree in Sydney’s Leichhardt, performing 24 songs to 50 appreciative guests. The concert offers a […]

How often do you see a singer performing with a sheet of song lyrics in front of them? Rarely, I’d guess. Performing singers memorise song lyrics to free themselves to be in the moment, to better interpret a song and its character, and to engage with their audience. Many of […]

Choosing repertoire, i.e. the songs you sing, requires a range of decision making, based on a singer’s ability and various other reasons, such as cultural and technical appropriateness. Here, I’ll explore some songs currently being sung in the studio, and why I have selected them for singers. Sometimes, singers come […]

Singing in or out of tune can make or break your development as a singer. Here, we’ll learn how interval training helps. What are intervals in music? When you sing a song, you are technically singing a group of pitches, i.e. notes. Those pitches are formed using intervals. An interval […]

Belt and mixed voice singing are popular styles, featuring in many contemporary genres. And while they are challenging to learn, you’re rewarded with a greater versatility in repertoire. Let’s look at developing these skills, using songs two of my singers are working on to demonstrate some techniques. Belt singing usually […]

In life, we’re always learning. As we age, though, we might let go of some goals, thinking we’re too old. But adages like ‘It’s never too late’ and ‘You’re only as old as you feel’ ring true with learning a new skill later in life – like singing. Sometimes we […]

When you were a child, if you pursed your lips and vibrated them to make a ‘broom, broom’ sound when pretending to drive a car, you were performing a lip buzz. These, along with tongue trills, humming and similar voice warm ups are often referred to as semi-occluded vocal tract […]

Learning to sing, as with most other types of learning, has been greatly enhanced by digital technology. Online singing training, in particular, gained in popularity during the pandemic’s lockdowns, with singing teachers delivering lessons via video platforms such as Zoom. While video singing training doesn’t allow in-depth tuition, it fulfilled […]

Your jaw plays an important role when you sing. A tense or overactive jaw can limit your articulation and vocal resonance, which detracts from your sound. Jaw issues need patience and persistence to rectify. Let’s look at how your jaw works in singing and ways to free up tension there. […]

Whether you’re a beginner singer or you have more singing experience, you’d know that healthy, sustainable vocal production requires head to toe engagement and supportive posture. Your body’s pelvic area plays an important role here, but it’s not often given attention in singing training. In our series of articles on […]

In last month’s blog, we looked at how to improve your vocal expression when singing in performance. We briefly touched on some forms of physical expression, too, and in this article, we’ll look more closely at using gesture and movement in singing. Our bodies not only house our vocal instrument, […]

How do you bring a song to life as a singer? It takes more than strong vocal technique. Expert singing teacher, Kathleen Connell shares her tips.

Talking about singing is crucial to learning vocal technique, as it helps your brain focus and remember. Expert singing teacher, Kathleen Connell explains how.

Is singing training different for singer-songwriters? In some ways, yes. Experienced vocal coach, Kathleen Connell shares her tips on how to improve your craft.