At the Candian Academy of Vocal Music, your singing coach will help you with five main areas that make up voice training; pitch, diction, rhythm, voice and breathing.

Pitch

You need to train the pitch of your voice to hit match the tunes and hit the notes in the song you’re singing. Ear training plays a big role in being able to identify and correct the pitch of your voice to match the goal within your music.

Diction

It may sound like an old Nun trying to teach etiquette, but the truth is diction plays a big part in your audience being able to understand what you’re singing. The proper annunciation and the proper way to sound vowels are trained to sound better while singing.

Unless you’re the one in a million or the next Bob Dillon, you need to practice diction to take your voice to the next level.

Rhythm

Every musician needs to practice rhythm to master the timing and delivery of notes in your music. Rhythm helps to communicate emotion and place emphasis on the parts of the song where the musician feels need highlighting.

Voice

The sound of your voice is where you’re originality shines. It’s the part that separates you from other singers in which you can develop as much as you want to reflect your style of music.

Breathing

Breathing is another one of the main ingredients for being able to support and maintain the length of the notes you’re singing. Breathing is supported by a number of muscles within the correct singing posture as well as the diaphragm.

Inhale deeply filling your diaphragm with air.

Your diaphragm is located right below your chest, and it is the largest muscle in your body. Picture the diaphragm as a large balloon that expands when it is filled up with air. This is a crucial step involved in singing properly.

You must sing from the diaphragm in order to project the voice properly. This helps to protect your precious vocal cords from straining too much to the point of exhaustion.

When you inhale deeply, the diaphragm pushes down moving everything else out of the way. This is why your stomach protrudes outwards. In proper voice training, it cannot be stressed enough that the first most crucial step to producing a clear, rich sound is to inhale deeply and fill your diaphragm with air.

After your diaphragm is full of air, a singer has the ability to project their voice with an exorbitant amount of volume, only if there is proper breath support involved. Once again, this only comes with proper vocal coaching, as it can be a difficult task to endure.

You must learn to control your inhalation muscles and your exhalation muscles with the proper amount of resistance.

The trick is to slowly release the air from your diaphragm during singing while keeping your diaphragm low. As air releases, the diaphragm rises back up. The use of this technique produces the clearest and controlled sound imaginable. Your vocal coach should be instructing you to do this in your singing lessons in Mississauga without a doubt or it may be time to switch coaches!

The post The Technical Side Of Voice Training appeared first on Canadian Academy Of Vocal Music.

Develop confidence in your ability

A coach knows what it takes to become a vocal master. He/she works with you to bring out your best.

As time progresses and your listeners compliment you and notice your improvements firsthand, you will begin to feel confident that you can deliver a spectacular performance every time. Confidence is about more than just being sure of yourself; it’s about knowing what you are capable of handling.

Maintain proper posture and breathing

To project your voice and sing, your body must be well-aligned physically for sound to travel far. A vocal coach will show you how your posture can send your voice to the back of an arena. She will also show the proper breathing techniques so you remain calm and in control of every note during your performance.

Find your voice

Another important aspect of singing is projecting your voice from the proper channels. You obviously don’t want to sing in a nasal voice, but you could be overusing your vocal cords by singing from your throat rather than your diaphragm.

Vocal coaches help to distinguish between these sounds and can train you to sing with the correct technique and from the very depths of your soul.

Connect with your audience

There is a reason that many celebrities are famous around the world: they possess a certain undeniable charisma that draws the crowds.

While having a beautiful voice is key, it is just as important that you can form a connection with your audience. You want them to remember your character as well as your voice when the song is over.

Your vocal coach will help you effectively interact with your audience and develop charisma so your listeners will leave the performance awe-struck, inspired, and ready to come back for more.

Build strong habits

Part of building a solid foundation is having strong habits. When people possess a natural talent, they tend to sit on their laurels, taking it for granted. Your vocal coach will light a fire under you to motivate you to get better every single day.

The habits he will instill in you are the tools necessary to become a professional vocalist. These daily habits may at first seem quite benign, but they form a solid mental and vocal base that perfects your ability over time. They give you a sense of accountability in regards to practising your singing so you don’t slack off when it comes to training your voice.

Challenge your ability

A vocal coach will alert you to the limits of your talent, then push you through your plateaus.

Through their matured perspective, you will become unbreakable on stage.

They understand that stagnancy is a quick way to lose talent. Prepare to be constantly challenged with new singing styles, vocal tasks, and lessons each time you meet.

Enlighten you to industry secrets

Most coaches have previous experience in their given field, and vocal coaches are no different.

They have sung in hundreds of events.

They know how to impress the audience in auditions and the judges during a contest.

They’ve sat down with the finest of the industry and may even have a history with them.

They know how to do everything you are hungry to learn. Ask them questions and listen to their professional advice. Their experience could prove extremely helpful in your own career.

Provide musical mentorship

Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from a vocal coach who can be your mentor. Being able to learn from someone with vast experience will only speed your development as an artist.

Benefit from professional vocal coaching

Vocal coaches want to pass on the knowledge of their skills to the next generation. With their assistance, you can build self-confidence, develop productive vocal habits, learn behind-the-scenes information, and possibly make a great friend in the process. The journey to a successful music career may be tough, but a vocal coach can show you the way.

For information on voice training with Ian Garrett click here.

The post 8 Benefits Of A Vocal Coach appeared first on Canadian Academy Of Vocal Music.

Although we know what happened-we can’t tell you the final results, you’ll need to watch the season and find out.

This season was monumental because it was the first time any Canadians were invited to be in the auditions. Our commander and chief, Ian Garrett made the trek to support Vivian in what could possibly be one of the biggest moments in her career.

Vivian Hicks is no stranger to the spotlight

That being said, Vivian has already had much success in gaining exposure for her vocal talent. Vivian was a finalist on “The Launch” and was able to acquire a record deal with Big Machine.

Vivian was able to record one song before the relationship ended in controversy. Following the news of Taylor Swift’s departure, Ally Hicks (Vivian’s mother), decided to pull out from the agreement with Big Machine. She felt they would get more attention from another company with the 2020 American Idol season very close at hand.

The exposure Vivian is expected to receive from the show should prove extremely rewarding. Vivian has 12 unrecorded songs and went on the show with no obligations to any label. Based on the size of the audience American Idol attracts, Vivan is basically auditioning in front of 5 million-plus viewers. There are bound to be some watchful eyes and ears that are willing to work such young talent.

The hard work never stops

Vivian has been working with Ian Garrett consistently to continue to improve her vocal skills. All of their hard work is finally paying off.

When asked what Ian has done for Vivian, Ally Hicks responded:

Vivian has way more confidence in her low range and high range. She is able to perform a set of songs now, whereas before she was wearing her voice out and getting fatigued. Now she is able to sustain the sound of her voice and exercise and an incredible amount of control.

Ian has been more than a vocal coach. He travelled all the way to the States and prepared her for the auditions. He has shown time and time again how dedicated he is to his students.

~ Ally Hicks

Ian has worked with Vivian Hicks for the last three years. When she first came to him he commented

“She has a very pleasant and full sound to her voice.”

Today Ian goes on to say:

Her overall production and use of language she really improved. We began to hear notable changes when she was working with me on vowel production using the tongue and head cavities to control the placement of her voice.

We’ve worked on her ability to create feeling in her voice and control the dynamics of the voice. She now has the ability to alter the dynamics in her voice so that it sounds full with emotion.

~ Ian Garrett about Vivian Hicks

Although he can’t officially reveal any results of what happened at the auditions for American Idol, Ian said,

She sung very well. The girls in the US can be absolutely brutal. They made her feel uncomfortable and bullied her. She didn’t enjoy their company at all.

~ Ian Garrett

Here is a video of Vivian Hicks in one of her vocal training sessions.

Ian continues to work tirelessly at the Academy to provide vocal lessons to students of all skill levels.

The post Vivian Hicks: The Academy’s Rising Star appeared first on Canadian Academy Of Vocal Music.

From the feet right up to the head, each region of the body plays a role in contributing to the way the voice flows from and through the body.

Learn the following postures and singing positions that encourage relaxed, controlled and sustainable sound to improve your singing voice immensely.

The position of your feet

The feet are where your foundation starts, so standing with a shoulder-width stance will create a solid base. Keep one foot slightly in front of the other for more control over your balance and stability while singing. Slightly shift your weight to the front.

You can practice this stance and get good at finding your centre of gravity by shifting your weight from front to back repeatedly. Finding a good balance in a comfortable stance provides a more natural and relaxed look and feel to your performance.

The knees

Keep a slight bend in your knees when singing to stay loose. Maintaining a slight flex in the legs will contribute to the relaxed state and prevent your body from appearing stiff.

Never lock the knees.

This leads to the whole body locking up by restricting the movement and flexibility you have in a standing position.

The hips don’t lie

It’s important that your hips fully support your torso by allowing the chest the freedom to lift before breathing. Make sure to avoid tucking your hips to the point where it’s pulling your chest towards the ground.

Adjust the hips so alleviate any tension in the lower back to find a neutral position that you’re most comfortable with when standing.

The torso

There are a multitude of muscles to work on in the torso that combine to form ideal singing positions.

Keep your back straight.

Don’t lift the shoulders.

You should lift your chest before taking a breath, expanding the muscles around the circumference of your body.

Use the abdominal, dorsal and intercostal muscles to their full capacity. This allows slow steady release of breath with the voice so you don’t tire or damage the vocal cords.

With the chest lifted high, keep the back straight and relax the shoulders. This allows you to fill up with air right to the bottom of the diaphragm. This helps you to sustain air for as long as possible.

Head

A level head is another one of the singing positions used to control sound. The only time the head goes down is when you’re raising the pitch to a higher level. When you’re going to a higher pitch you direct the sound to the back of the upper palette. This gives you the full resonance going through your head.

The tongue should always gently touch the bottom teeth. Raise the tongue slightly more for the E vowel and slightly less for the A vowel. As you get higher in pitch, the tongue lowers towards the A position instead of the frontal E vowel.

The most important thing is constantly working on improving the support of the air by flexing the muscles in the upper abdominal region, the dorsal muscles in the back and the intercostal muscles in the side. They all play a part in being able to hold on to the air longer and longer.

Just like any art (or sport for that matter) strengthening these muscles through practice improves the control and stamina of a singer. Being healthy and physically fit improves a singer’s ability to control and sustain their voice for long periods of time.

Myths about talent and technical singing

Now that you’ve learned a little about the physical demands singing requires from your body, there are a few myths we can dispose of that have been around for years.

Myth #1: Opera singers are better off overweight

The first myth is the idea that opera singers are better singers when they’re overweight. People have carried the misconception of opera singers as being heavy set (beyond “big-boned”), which is actually a misnomer because being overweight will actually work against you. When the body is physically fit, you can sustain the air in your body that carries your voice for a lot longer and you won’t tire as fast.

In fact, compared to 20 years ago, there are more demands placed on professionals to maintain a healthy lifestyle to maintain a minimum level of fitness and health. It’s become less forgiving and more difficult to get away with having a huge body and be out of shape.

Professional opera companies, like the Metropolitan Opera House, want their soloists to not only sing exceptionally well but look good too.

Singing Myth #2: “Either you have it or you don’t”

Another myth we can lay to rest is the belief “You either got the voice, or you don’t.” Some people believe that if you don’t sound like a pop star when you start singing that you might as well pack it in and give up any professional aspirations. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Singing is an art that requires practice. People surprise themselves when they discover how to sing properly. Learning the physical aspect of controlling the voice immensely improves a person’s ability to sing. Making the decision of whether a person has a future career in music based on hearing their untrained voice is incredibly naïve and foolish.

Once a student becomes aware of how they produce sound, they end up sounding a thousand times better after they’ve been working at it a couple of years.

Those that “have it” still need to practice the same techniques to improve the quality of their voice. In most cases, those people “that have it” have already been singing at a very early age and have had years of practice in honing their skill and perfecting their voice.

Singing myth #3: The volume of voice is produced by shouting

There is an infinite number of people that think that in order to make your voice sound bigger, you open your mouth, expand your throat and perform somewhere in the realm of shouting.

The opposite is true.

You end up croaking in no time at all if you’re not supporting the air required to sing with volume. The volume of a person’s voice comes from resonance. Only when you’re properly supporting the air and allow your body to freely resonate in the chest and head can you obtain resonance.

Use the chest voice in the lower pitches and head voice in the higher pitches. When your singing has reached a high level of technical ability, your voice flows freely from bottom to top without any tension in between.

Perfect the sound of your voice

If you didn’t already know the way to Carnegie Hall, you most certainly do now.

Practice!

To achieve anything worthwhile in your life, you need to direct time energy and focus. With the right guidance and the correct information, singing can become a lifelong activity and a source of joy and entertainment.

For some, it may even become a career. Practice the singing postures and singing positions that will take your voice to the next level and you will not only hear the difference in your voice but feel it too.

The post Top 5 Singing Positions To Improve Your Vocal Ability appeared first on Canadian Academy Of Vocal Music.

From the feet right up to the head, each region of the body plays a role in contributing to the way the voice flows from and through the body.

Learn the following postures and singing positions that encourage relaxed, controlled and sustainable sound to improve your singing voice immensely.

The position of your feet

The feet are where your foundation starts, so standing with a shoulder-width stance will create a solid base. Keep one foot slightly in front of the other for more control over your balance and stability while singing. Slightly shift your weight to the front.

You can practice this stance and get good at finding your centre of gravity by shifting your weight from front to back repeatedly. Finding a good balance in a comfortable stance provides a more natural and relaxed look and feel to your performance.

The knees

Keep a slight bend in your knees when singing to stay loose. Maintaining a slight flex in the legs will contribute to the relaxed state and prevent your body from appearing stiff.

Never lock the knees.

This leads to the whole body locking up by restricting the movement and flexibility you have in a standing position.

The hips don’t lie

It’s important that your hips fully support your torso by allowing the chest the freedom to lift before breathing. Make sure to avoid tucking your hips to the point where it’s pulling your chest towards the ground.

Adjust the hips so alleviate any tension in the lower back to find a neutral position that you’re most comfortable with when standing.

The torso

There are a multitude of muscles to work on in the torso that combine to form ideal singing positions.

Keep your back straight.

Don’t lift the shoulders.

You should lift your chest before taking a breath, expanding the muscles around the circumference of your body.

Use the abdominal, dorsal and intercostal muscles to their full capacity. This allows slow steady release of breath with the voice so you don’t tire or damage the vocal cords.

With the chest lifted high, keep the back straight and relax the shoulders. This allows you to fill up with air right to the bottom of the diaphragm. This helps you to sustain air for as long as possible.

Head

A level head is another one of the singing positions used to control sound. The only time the head goes down is when you’re raising the pitch to a higher level. When you’re going to a higher pitch you direct the sound to the back of the upper palette. This gives you the full resonance going through your head.

The tongue should always gently touch the bottom teeth. Raise the tongue slightly more for the E vowel and slightly less for the A vowel. As you get higher in pitch, the tongue lowers towards the A position instead of the frontal E vowel.

The most important thing is constantly working on improving the support of the air by flexing the muscles in the upper abdominal region, the dorsal muscles in the back and the intercostal muscles in the side. They all play a part in being able to hold on to the air longer and longer.

Just like any art (or sport for that matter) strengthening these muscles through practice improves the control and stamina of a singer. Being healthy and physically fit improves a singer’s ability to control and sustain their voice for long periods of time.

Myths about talent and technical singing

Now that you’ve learned a little about the physical demands singing requires from your body, there are a few myths we can dispose of that have been around for years.

Myth #1: Opera singers are better off overweight

The first myth is the idea that opera singers are better singers when they’re overweight. People have carried the misconception of opera singers as being heavy set (beyond “big-boned”), which is actually a misnomer because being overweight will actually work against you. When the body is physically fit, you can sustain the air in your body that carries your voice for a lot longer and you won’t tire as fast.

In fact, compared to 20 years ago, there are more demands placed on professionals to maintain a healthy lifestyle to maintain a minimum level of fitness and health. It’s become less forgiving and more difficult to get away with having a huge body and be out of shape.

Professional opera companies, like the Metropolitan Opera House, want their soloists to not only sing exceptionally well but look good too.

Singing Myth #2: “Either you have it or you don’t”

Another myth we can lay to rest is the belief “You either got the voice, or you don’t.” Some people believe that if you don’t sound like a pop star when you start singing that you might as well pack it in and give up any professional aspirations. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Singing is an art that requires practice. People surprise themselves when they discover how to sing properly. Learning the physical aspect of controlling the voice immensely improves a person’s ability to sing. Making the decision of whether a person has a future career in music based on hearing their untrained voice is incredibly naïve and foolish.

Once a student becomes aware of how they produce sound, they end up sounding a thousand times better after they’ve been working at it a couple of years.

Those that “have it” still need to practice the same techniques to improve the quality of their voice. In most cases, those people “that have it” have already been singing at a very early age and have had years of practice in honing their skill and perfecting their voice.

Singing myth #3: The volume of voice is produced by shouting

There is an infinite number of people that think that in order to make your voice sound bigger, you open your mouth, expand your throat and perform somewhere in the realm of shouting.

The opposite is true.

You end up croaking in no time at all if you’re not supporting the air required to sing with volume. The volume of a person’s voice comes from resonance. Only when you’re properly supporting the air and allow your body to freely resonate in the chest and head can you obtain resonance.

Use the chest voice in the lower pitches and head voice in the higher pitches. When your singing has reached a high level of technical ability, your voice flows freely from bottom to top without any tension in between.

Perfect the sound of your voice

If you didn’t already know the way to Carnegie Hall, you most certainly do now.

Practice!

To achieve anything worthwhile in your life, you need to direct time energy and focus. With the right guidance and the correct information, singing can become a lifelong activity and a source of joy and entertainment.

For some, it may even become a career. Practice the singing postures and singing positions that will take your voice to the next level and you will not only hear the difference in your voice but feel it too.

The post Top 5 Singing Positions To Improve Your Vocal Ability appeared first on Canadian Academy Of Vocal Music.

Often.

The best time to learn how to sing is when you are a child because the vocal cords are still developing. Practicing at a young age pays off tenfold. Singing is one of the best kids activities for a child who enjoys performing and really hamming it up.

Children, especially boys, have access to such a wonderful range when they’re young however, they might lose this range later on if they don’t practice.

Motivating children to stick with something can be hard. They are easily distracted and their level of interest can flicker in and out.

Luckily, as a parent, you know best. They will thank you when they are older when they have a beautiful singing voice because you kept pushing them to stick with it.

Here are the top 12 ways you can encourage your kids to practice singing lessons.

#1. Have them set goals

Setting goals is a good way to stay motivated. Having a clear target in mind can help anyone stick with their task until its complete.

Setting small achievable goals is the best way to go about this. This gives a child more opportunity to build confidence and celebrate every small victory after hitting every benchmark goal.

A goal such as “practice for 15 minutes each day this week” is an example to start with. Another is singing without reading from a sheet or iPod. As your child develops more skills, these goals can become more advanced.

#2. Make a schedule

Making a schedule puts everyone into a routine. A regularly scheduled activity eventually becomes just another part of their week if you stay consistent with your attendance and dedication.

Consistency is the key to seeing the most improvement. If you can get your child to associate a specific afternoon of the week with singing they are going to show up to their lesson with the right mindset and be ready to go when their lesson starts. Building productive habits into your regular routines serve as extremely effective self-motivational tools.

#3. Offer rewards

Sometimes children’s interests can wain and even though they haven’t truly given up on singing they might want to take a break from the regular practice routine. By offering incentives you can keep your child motivated in their singing.

This could be anything from their favourite dinner to going to see a movie with friends. It is best to agree on a reward with your child so they know what they are working towards.

#4. Make it a competition

Children are naturally very competitive, this can be a great motivational tool. You could encourage them to compete in public competitions, against friends, siblings, or even you.

It doesn’t matter whether or not you can sing, you can still have a singing competition. When you inevitably lose your child will get a big confidence boost and inspire more practice from such positive associations.

Many kids thrive when participating in activities that are fun, challenging and with things that they can see improvement and success from their efforts. Keep things light, exciting and challenge their competitive spirit from time to time.

#5. Always be supportive

Always be supportive of their singing. Even if they have a bad day, even if they can only manage 5 minutes of practice, always be supportive.

Without you being there to support them they will lose confidence and interest. If they sing in public and it goes horribly still tell them that you are proud of them for trying and that they did a good job. Don’t ever let them feel alone in failure as this will lead to a deeper fear and dislike for singing.

#6 Take an interest in their singing

Show you are interested in the progress of their voice training. If you don’t care, why should they? They will be much less likely to take interest in their vocal lessons if you aren’t encouraging their progress and cheering them on.

Make sure to ask them questions that spark thoughts about their own development. Ask them what music they like, which singers they look up to, what they are working on in their vocal lessons, etc. The more interested you are, the more interested they are likely to be.

#7. Take them to see professionals sing

Some of the best kids singing lessons can simply be watching and listening from the best of the best in the industry. Taking your kids to see professionals performances are such a great way to spend time together and can be a reward for working hard.

Have your kids watch professional performances to set the bar in the standard of quality they believe are possible when it comes to how well people sing.

There could be a bunch of opportunities such as a local choir, their favourite musician, a live music festival, or attending a musical. Expose your kids to as many different styles of singing and types of music as possible to show them the different possibilities that singing can lead to.

#8. Hire a voice coach

Not all of the responsibility to motivate must come from you. Hiring a voice coach is not only great for their singing skills but for motivating them to work harder.

A vocal coach is motivating, encouraging, and supports their students. Hiring a voice instructor, even if only once a week, is still a great benefit to your child and their singing career.

#9. Give them breaks

Being in a routine is great for motivation and steady improvement. IN many cases, however, it can be a good idea to step away and take a break for a little while.

If your child is starting to get a little burnt out, they may need just a week or two off to get some distance, regroup and refocus. This is perfectly normal in many situations and can have an amazing impact on their performance with a renewed and refreshed focus.

#10 Send them to singing camp

Attending a camp for kids singing lessons can be a great experience for your child-especially if they are used to private lessons. Camp allows them the opportunity to make friends and have experiences they will remember for the rest of their life.

Attending a camp for kids’ voice training allows them to spend time with other like-minded kids and professionals. This can be a wonderful opportunity for any young singer.

#11. Enroll your child in a theatre group

Theatre groups are fantastic opportunities to improve your kid’s voice training and performance skills. Singing and acting go hand in hand.

When they are practicing for a reason such as rehearsing for a musical or play, they will find a deeper sense of urgency to practice and are able to motivate themself much easier.

They will also have friends there that push them to practice too.

This circles back to the idea of setting goals. A play, musical or any type of public performance is a good goal to have that motivates kids to practice and is a goal that is shared with their peers.

Being in theatre groups are excellent confidence boosters for performances as an actor or as a singer.

#12. Let kids choose what they want to sing

It is important to let your kids choose what they want to sing. At least for a portion of their practice time. Being told to practice singing songs you have little to no interest in is only going to cause disinterest and resentment.

Give them some creative freedom and their enthusiasm will grow.

Use positive reinforcement to encourage your kids in their singing lessons

Hopefully, this article has given you some good ideas to help encourage your kids to practice singing. Singing is a practiced skill that almost everyone wishes they had. Your kids will be grateful for guiding them to pursue the art and develop a well-trained singing voice.

The post Kids Singing Lessons: 12 Encouraging Practices appeared first on Canadian Academy Of Vocal Music.

What makes a good singer? Several characteristics define a good singer. They are having the right tone, being in control, consistency, firm support, suitable volume, clear enunciation, and musical phrasing.

To improve your singing voice, you must learn how to work with the available tools – balance, the right ear exercises, and coordination.

Developing your vocal control is one of the best ways to improve your voice.

Let’s face it.

If you are an aspiring singer, artists like Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and Bob Dylan inspire you. These artists were born with the talent of singing.

But, using the right tools, they have been able to improve their pitch, breath control, dynamics, and sustainability.

Want to develop your vocal control?

In this post, we discuss what vocal control is and the steps to improving your voice control.

What is vocal control?

Vocal control is an essential aspect of singing. As something that every aspiring or accomplished singer has to learn, if done right, it can take your singing to the next level. Vocal control is all about having proper control of your voice and what it can do. Basically, it’s mastering the necessary foundations of singing.

Rather than singing in tune or practicing breathing for singing, vocal control allows you to work on all aspects of your voice. As such, you can have control or gain control of your voice.

So, how do you know exactly what to work on? Well, here are the areas you need to work on to improve your vocal control.

How do you develop vocal control?

There are six major areas of development required to possess complete vocal control.

• Breathing
• Chest voice
• Head voice
• Voice Projection
• Resonators
• Pitch

Here is a step by step guide for developing your vocal control.

Always Start With Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises are crucial to developing your vocal control. As an excellent start for those who want to improve their vocal range, breathing exercises also promote a healthy state of mind and lower stress levels.

A majority of aspiring singers do not know that lung capacity and singing go hand in hand. Higher voices require the use of your chest, nose, and head, while lower voices require the use of your chest a lot more. As such, the more air you have in your lungs, the stronger the foundation for your singing.

One of the best breathing techniques is to breathe deeply and slowly. Doing so fills your lungs with oxygen for each phrase of your song. Continued practise of this exercise will enable you to breathe in more deeply at a quick rate without causing any damage.

To allow more air into your lungs, open your throat and voice box. If you are struggling to do so, relax your shoulders and neck. Also, set your head in a natural in-lined position.

Another simple trick to improve your breathing is to try artificial yawning.

As you breathe, pull your tongue back. This will enable you to feel a cold sensation at the back of your throat. Remember, practice your breathing exercises each day to improve your vocal control.

Learn to sing with Your Chest Voice

Chest voice refers to the voice we use when speaking. As the natural part of the voice to sing in, it’s the lowest part of your vocal range. Technically speaking, when using your chest voice, your vocal folds vibrate across their entire length.

As such, when you sing in your chest voice, you will have a good vocal tone and power.

So, how do you sing in your chest voice? Start by placing your hand on your chest. Say your name in a firm voice.

Did you feel the intense vibration on your hand? That is your chest voice. Now that you have identified your chest voice, the next step is to try and sing a word.

To do so, find a comfortable note in your bottom voice and sing. For guys, try C3, and for girls, try G3.

End the exercise by singing the same word on the same 5-tone. If you properly use your chest voice, you will be using the entire mass of your vocal folds correctly. To achieve the necessary depth in your chest voice, do not be timid.

Learn to sing with your head Voice

Unlike chest voice, head voice is the higher register in your voice when singing or speaking. Simply put, when you sing or talk in your head voice, you should feel like the tone is resonating in your head. What you need to know is that the voice is not coming from your head but your vocal cords.

Many people may confuse head voice with falsetto. The head voice is usually used in a higher range and has a sweeter sound to it. Falsetto is where you sing in a higher note but with weak, breathy tone quality. Between the head voice and falsetto, the head voice is stronger.

The term head voice was coined by old school Italian singers and teachers. They used the term to describe singing at the top of the vocal range. Basically, they noted that when singers sing at the top of the vocal range, they feel vibrations in their heads.

Want to know how to develop your head voice for your upper range? Take a deep breath and then say the word “wee” out loud but in your normal voice. Proceed by finding a comfortable starting note. Now, sing the word “wee” and make sure to keep your tone relaxed and even.

Take another deep breath and sing the same word in an octave and half scale. What you need to know is that initially, your singing will sound breathy or weak. Don’t worry. More practice will enable you to gain your vocal control.

Learn to project your voice

Voice projection is a singing technique where the singer sings clearly and loudly. Put simply, vocal projection is about controlling the volume of your voice. A classic example of voice projection is in the opera. The singer projects her voice clearly and loudly over the entire audience.

As an aspiring singer, there are several exercises or techniques which can teach you how to project your voice. First off, find your breath threshold.

How you may ask. Start by singing notes overly pinched and extremely breathy. Now, find a medium between the two.

The goal is to sing with little breathiness and no tension. Another way is to sing a note quietly and breathy.

The next step is to understand the phonation. Phonation is the process whereby vocal cords produce certain sounds.

When vocal cords vibrate, they can produce a high or low pitch. A high pitch is usually created when the vocal cords vibrate more quickly, while a low pitch is generally produced when they vibrate slowly.

To achieve a beautifully projected voice, find the balance between breath threshold and air pressure. Last, you must inhale and exhale deeply using the diaphragm. To sing with the diaphragm, it all starts with a low deep breath.

Make use of your resonators

In the human body, voice control is usually modified and amplified by the vocal tract resonators. These resonators produce a recognizable voice. Want to know how voice production occurs?

Well, it involves three steps. The first step is where a column of air is pushed towards the vocal folds from the lungs. Second, the action of moving air from the lungs is usually coordinated by the diaphragm, rib cage, chest muscles, and abdominal muscles. Last we have vocal cord vibration.

There are four vocal resonators in the human body. They are:

• Chest
• Larynx
• Tracheal tree
• Pharynx

Others that play an essential role in modifying your voice include the oral cavity, nasal cavity, and sinuses.

To improve resonance in your voice, try the following:

• Hum a note at a comfortable pitch
• Lower your pitch and pay special attention to how your chest feels (chest voice)
• Increase the intensity of your humming vibration
• Increase your pitch two octaves higher and pay special attention to how your head feels (head voice)
• Repeat the exercise five times

Find the right pitch

Pitch is a sound property that measures how high or low a note is. As one of the most fundamental aspects of music, the pitch is the difference between a poor performance and a breathtaking musical performance.

Any musician aspiring to be great must have true mastery over the pitch. As such, his or her notes will always be rich with musical expression. Pitch is a big part of how musicians interpret musical scores. In fact, this may explain why professional musicians become infuriated concerning the use of Autotune.

To improve your pitch, start by freeing up your voice. This calls for breathing exercises. As you breathe in deeply, perform a vocalized sigh. Repeat this by starting from different ranges. By doing so, you allow your vocal box to get used to working with muscles that change pitch.

The next step is to pick a note from a range you can sing in. Use a piano to help you with this exercise. The key is to keep it slow and pay attention to your movement down the octave. To refine your pitch, play each semitone up the scale.

Last, train your ear for semitones and tones. To do so, record yourself. Hearing your recorded voice for the first time will surprise you, but once you get used to it, you will learn to love your own voice.

How to Reach Your Maximum Potential

Now that you understand how to become a successful singer, there are a few things you need to polish. Start with vocal warm-ups before singing. Your vocal cords are muscles, and like any other muscles, they need to warm up before use. By humming a few notes, you should warm up your vocal cords.

Apart from vocal warm-ups, we recommend breathing exercises too. Breathing exercises offer an excellent way to lower your stress level, improve the state of your mind, and improve your ability to sing. Before singing, inhale four counts, hold four counts, and exhale four counts.

Last, don’t forget to assume a proper posture, improve your pronunciation, flex your facial muscles, add a metronome, and consult a vocal coach.

The post 6 Ways To Develop Vocal Control appeared first on Canadian Academy Of Vocal Music.

Ear training reconditions how musicians, audio engineers, and even DJs experience music. In fact, it helps to improve one’s ability to connect with the sounds they hear. As an essential aspect of a well-rounded musician, aural training also forms the foundation of how one plays and sings music.

Want to learn more about ear training, why it’s essential, and find out what the best ear training exercises are for improving your singing voice?

In this post, we discuss what ear training is, why it’s crucial as well as give you some ear training exercises to practice. The ability to match pitch with your voice lies heavily on how well your ears are trained to identify sounds.

What is ear training?

Ear training refers to the process of breaking down the different elements of music and connect them with the sounds we hear. It’s also building a bridge between the chords, scales, intervals, melodies, notes or language of music with sounds designed for that language.

When you develop a musical ear, you can:

• Identify the interval between two notes.
• Identify the name of the scale.
• Identify the type of chord used.
• Identify the name of the note or pitch.
• Improve your ability to express yourself through music.

Ear training is essential for audio engineers. Unlike musicians who gain skills like identifying chord quality, chord progression, and others. Sound engineers can improve their skills, such as identifying frequency ranges.

Why is ear training essential?

Ear training is a fundamental skill if you want to become a professional musician. First off, it helps you connect musical elements such as chords, chord progressions, scales, and pitch in your mind. As such, you can decipher the real meaning of what’s happening when you listen to music.

Aural training improves your ability to play what you hear. Basically, you can express harmony and melody, which is the real pinnacle of musical expression. Thanks to the training, you can let your fingers run all over a music instrument such as a piano or guitar.

When a vocal coach teaches you about the relationship between intervals and how to play on an instrument, it becomes much easier for you to transcribe the sounds you hear. This is how great musicians and instrumentalists you love gained their skills. Without ear training, it will be challenging to recognize intervals and for your fingers to begin playing what you’ve heard.

If you do not feel confident about your musicality, we recommend aural training exercises. Ear training exercises develop your ears, helping you gain confidence. In turn, your performance will improve, making it enjoyable for the audience to listen to you.

Remember, in addition to the proper singing positions, learning how to pitch in tune improves your singing. For the people listening to you perform, it will be a much more pleasant experience to listen to someone with exceptional vocal control.

Who needs ear training?

The ability to detect pitch by ear is a vital skill for all musicians – beginners and professionals alike. This skill provides musicians with the ability to tune their string instruments without the need for tools. Not only that. Aural training promotes other skills such as improvisation skills, music composition, and dictation, among others.

As an aspiring musician, you may have no idea how to hit high notes or what voice type you are. Ear training can help you become aware of your voice, helping you select the right songs for your voice.

For example, you can make a difference between a countertenor like Bruno Mars and a bass voice like Tom Waits.

Aural training is also vital to audio engineers. It helps audio engineers to identify EQ ranges fast. Basically, ear training helps an audio engineer to find frequencies they need to achieve what they want.

It also helps audio engineers create the perfect sound using the right audio effects and to fix sound problems during live concerts.

Other professionals who will benefit from ear training include:

• DJ’s
• Studio producers
• Recording engineers

As a music lover, you can benefit from ear training too.

Can you imagine being able to enjoy every note and chord in a song?

Aural training can help you learn the names of musical elements, and how to appreciate different music styles.

Ear training exercises

A majority of people can hear a note perfectly. But they have a hard time understanding the intervals or hitting the right pitch. The good news is by following the ear training exercises below, not only will your sight-sing or read. But you will understand the full texture of the music.

Here are a few ear training exercises to try.

Chords and interval identification

Chords and intervals ear training refer to exercises that will help you develop the ability to identify the quality and quantity of chords and intervals. The ability to recognize intervals and chords by ear requires a significant understanding of music theory.

Interval refers to the space between notes. There are 12 intervals. Some of these intervals are very easy to identify. An excellent example of an octave is the first two notes from the song “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” Other intervals that may have similar qualities include:

• Here comes the bride – 4th
• Jaws movie theme – minor 2nd

Intervals have an identifiable character, and if you familiarize yourself with each interval, the better your ear will be. Interval ear training can be applied in transcribing melodies by ear. Not only that. Transcribing chords even becomes easier as you can identify the distance between chords.

Remember, intervals are the building blocks of harmony and melody. If you can understand music notes, you can hear the difference in pitch. We recommend starting with a small set of intervals, such as thirds or fourths.

Chord training is all about harmony in music. As you already know, music has different characteristics. Thanks to chord training, it will be easier for you to identify chord types by ear.

Chords are a combination of notes above the tonic note. There are different types of chords, and each has a particular sound.

• Major
• Minor
• Major Seventh
• Diminished
• Minor Seventh
• Augmented
• Dominant Seventh
• Extended
• Suspended

You may be familiar with a few of the chords above (major and minor), while others are new to you. When you master the basic types of chords, you can move on to training with more advanced chords as well as recognizing chord inversions.

Match an individual pitch

In pitch ear training, you learn how high or low notes in music are. Every musical note has a particular pitch. Even when you speak, other people can hear the pitch of your voice going up and down.

There are two ways of tuning your ears to pitches of musical notes:

• Absolute pitch
• Relative pitch

Absolute pitch is the ability to identify a musical note by ear. Also referred to as the perfect pitch, it’s a rare ability where a person can re-create or identify a musical note. A singer can do this without comparing it with another musical note. For example, identifying pitches such as F#, A, or G played on various instruments.

Relative pitch is the ability of a person to re-create or identify a musical note by comparing it to another musical note. Basically, you can identify the interval between musical notes. For example, three octaves above C.

Whether you are a beginner or professional musician, matching an individual pitch is a vital skill. To match an individual pitch, sing the first note in one of your favourite songs. For example, guys can sing “Imagine” by John Lennon while girls can sing “Back to Black” by the late Amy Winehouse.

What you will note is that the first three syllables of the song “Imagine” are on the pitch G3 while the other song is on the D4 pitch. There are other videos or music with tons of different pitches to match, which will help you find your range.

As you try to match individual pitch, pause the music or video when a new note plays. We also recommend that you cup your ears when singing into a microphone. By doing so, you can hear the pitches clearly.

It’s important to match the pitch of different instruments. As you already know, 99% of the music has more instruments than the musician’s voice.

When training your ear, actively listen to the instruments and try to match the individual pitch in the song. Are you able to match the individual pitch of instruments in the song “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by the Beatles?

If you listen carefully, you will be able to identify that the piano is playing an A4, which is quite high for many musicians. So, if you struggle to hit this note, we recommend that you try an octave down.

For example, try singing an A3.

Scale identification

Scale ear training helps in developing a musician’s ability to know musical notes relative to other musical notes. The problem is, scale ear training is not a popular topic among musicians and instrument learners. As such, a majority of musicians and instrument learners neglect scale ear training.

This is highly unfortunate as scale ear training helps with:

• Identifying the type of scale such as major or harmonic minor
• Identifying the degree of the scale where each note is for example root or the seventh

In music theory, a scale refers to a set of musical notes ordered by pitch or frequency. An ascending scale refers to a scale ordered by increasing pitch while a descending scale is ordered by decreasing pitch.

Singing scales improves a musician’s pitch memory. This is the ability to hear notes accurately and sing them. What you need to know is that singing scales are an essential skill for any musician’s ear training.

There are four scales every musician should learn.

• Major
• Minor
• Chromatic
• Whole-tone

The Major scale is the first type of scale introduced in music or voice lessons. As a familiar scale structure to musicians, the major scale contains seven pitches. It also has the repetition of the starting pitch because it’s an octave higher. If you are new to scales, the easiest way to conceptualize them is to imagine a staircase.

Like the major scale, the minor scale also has a similar number of whole and half steps. But the order is usually altered, producing the following sequence – whole – half – whole – whole – half – whole – whole. The result is a lowered third, sixth, and seventh.

The chromatic scale contains half steps, which makes the scales longer. As a difficult scale to sing, it only contains small steps, which are evener. Last, we have the whole tone scale. It’s built entirely of whole steps, unlike the chromatic scale.

When it comes to scaling ear training, we recommend that you use a mnemonic system. This will make it easier for you to remember the scale. Remember, when performing this exercise, you need to sing everything.

Begin by singing on solfege before singing prominent tendency tone resolutions such as FA-MI.

Chord progression recognition

Chord progressions refer to the movement from one chord to another. As the harmonic bedrock of music, chord progressions ear training can help you recognize chord changes and progressions by ear. This allows you to write and play them on your instrument.

What you need to know is that chord progressions ear training is another form of relative pitch. How you may wonder. Well, in chord progressions ear training, you get to recognize chords based on the relationship with other chords. You can do this by listening to the interval between notes.

The key to recognizing chords is to get the sound deep in your ear. Besides recognizing the chords, you need to sing. Singing takes chord progressions ear training to the next level. To sing, listen to the root note first.

To recognize chords and transform the way you listen or experience music, listen to the sounds, and identify the interval between notes. If you listen closely, you make it easier to hear chords. Singing is another way of taking chord progressions ear training to the next level.

First off, listen to the root note. Can you recognize it? Afterward, start singing root-3rd-5th-7th and listen for the instruments to check your pitch.

Final thoughts

There are more tips that will help you enhance your ear training. First off, cup your ears. Cupping your ears enables you to boost the volume of your feedback loop. This allows you to trap the frequencies of your voice.

Second, learn to sing the two most common scales – major and minor. As you sing the scales, match your voice with the pitch. Last, sing along with another musician. Choose a musician with good vocal techniques. You can learn a lot from an experienced singer – pitch, tone, volume, and rhythm.

For more downloadable exercises you can visit Music-U, or you can schedule a voice assessment and your first vocal lesson.

Read more about the benefits of learning music by Toronto experts.

The post Ear Training Exercises To Improve Your Singing Voice appeared first on Canadian Academy Of Vocal Music.

We reached out to a number of Toronto based music professionals who are teaching music, to get their opinion on the greatest benefits of learning music. The following is a list of the top responses we received from music instructors in and around the Toronto area.

#1. Music is life-giving

“One of the greatest benefits of learning music is that it adds a whole new dimension to one’s life. Music gives you something to love, practice, share and pursue as a life-long passion.

Music opens doors of opportunity and builds careers while at the same time provides an escape from reality and a gateway to paradise where you can let your imagination run wild.

Music breathes life into our souls, opens our minds and our hearts and allows us the freedom to not only express ourselves but to celebrate that expression.

Music is a shared life that we all are invited to be a part of.”

~ Ian Garrett, Canadian Academy Of Vocal Music

#2-Music develops individuality

This is something I have been thinking a lot about lately, it came to me after Eddie Van Halen passed away.

Just after that, my sister sent me a recording of my late mother, and I only had to hear a few bars to know it was her.

We are all unique:

Music Develops Individuality.

Everyone in the world is unique in some way.  Music brings out that individuality.  Just like a fingerprint, the sound of someone’s voice, or the way that they would play a certain passage on their instrument is different for everyone.

If you know someone’s playing style, and you hear them playing, it is instantly recognizable as their unique sound.  Even after someone has passed away, that uniqueness can live on in recordings.

~ Steve Long, Long & Mcquade Musical Instruments

#3. Music provides a deeper connection within

“Music is a language that speaks directly to the soul. As a performer, I love that music passes through me, takes me to a deeper connection within myself and with the musicians I am creating with, as well as those who are listening.

It is a truly magical experience, one that keeps me coming back for more.

As a teacher of music I hope that my students gain knowledge and skills so that they are able to tap into this expansive experience and know themselves to be more compassionate, more loving and more intelligent than they have realized.”

~ Mandy Lagan, Mandy Lagan Music

#4. Music improves brain function

“Out of every pursuit of art, be it fine painting, drawing, learning classical ballet, or even pursuing artistic sports such as gymnastics and figure skating-it all comes back to learning an instrument.

Learning the most versatile of instruments such as piano, strings and organ, or similar keyboard instruments pushes our brain muscle to work with more complexities.

Think about it.

Musicians who try to master the mentioned instrument ranging from the very early beginner to the absolute mind-boggling impossible are processing a vast amount of information in a matter of seconds.”

~ Mila Molchanov, Piano Spectrum

#5. Music changes your life for the better

“The greatest benefit of learning music is that it can change your life.

Music lessons can deliver the essential skills needed to help students succeed in life… better grades, more confidence, and good social skills.

I’ve seen this proven over and over, and I know that I’m teaching so much more than just music.”

~ Jesse Boxer-Meyrowitz B.Mus. T.O. Music Lessons

#6. Music fosters a love for learning

“For our piano students and teachers, music is a lifelong passion and medium of self-expression that can be shared with others. Piano lessons help our students build self-confidence, foster a love of learning, and are also a lot of fun.

Playing music requires high levels of concentration and focus, engaging all parts of the brain – and playing the piano requires students to create multiple musical parts simultaneously, further enhancing the mental exercise of music-making.

As a universal language, music connects people from all backgrounds and walks of life.

Our in-person piano teachers in Toronto encompass a high range of cultural and musical diversity, and our online piano lessons are connecting piano students and teachers across the globe, fostering new possibilities for cross-cultural awareness and collaboration.”

~ Jonah Cristall-Clarke, Piano Teachers Connect

#7. Music develops good character traits

“One of the greatest benefits of learning music is the self-improvement
that goes in tandem with the learning process. Learning to play music well involves a great deal of self-awareness, honesty with oneself and of course discipline.

Developing these and other aspects of good character traits when learning music helps one to become a better, more mature person.”

~ Mike Milligan, Toronto Bass Teacher

#8. Music teaches the art of self-improvement

“The benefits of learning a musical instrument are now widely discussed and studied.  For me, the greatest benefit of learning music is that you can learn and practice the art of self-improvement.

There is nothing more satisfying than working hard at something and eventually seeing your own growth. That can be applied to all areas of life.”

~ Howard Goldbach, The Toronto Institute For The Enjoyment Of Music

#9. Music builds your confidence

“One of the greatest benefits of learning music is how it greatly increases your confidence. It allows you to express yourself in a genuine way and causes a meaningful human connection to the world around you.”

~ Cyndi Shi, Studio Vivian

#10. Music develops a sense of accomplishment

“One of the great benefits of learning music, besides the sheer joy of creating music, is the pride in setting and achieving a goal derived from hard work and discipline over a long period of time.”

~ Jackie Anderson, Anderson Music School

#11. Music develops a set of social skills

“We all know learning music helps the brain and makes you stronger academically. Learning music in a performance-based setting, also teaches team-building skills, social skills, acceptance of others, confidence-building and creativity.”

~ Shelly Davine, School of Rock

#12. Learning music lays the foundation for musical enjoyment

“Whether you learn for fun, to improve your performance skills, or to deepen your appreciation and understanding of music, we believe that the greatest benefit of learning music is that it lays the foundation for years of musical enjoyment.”

~ Karen Hibovski, Bloor West Music Studios

#13. Music calms the mind and strengthens the soul

“Music washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.

Extensive research has confirmed the link between music instruction, both voice and instrument, and cognitive growth in math, memory, spatial-temporal reasoning, reading and literacy.

Researchers continue to study the effects of music on learning and memory in both children and adults.

Learning to sing or play an instrument as an adult has proven beneficial in the ageing process. It helps the mind remain active and alert which sharpens the memory. Studies have shown that patients with Alzheimer ‘s disease can benefit from music at all stages of the disease.

Singing and/or playing an instrument will help with memory, relieve stress and the calming effect of the music will ease symptoms of depression.

Children will learn discipline as they learn to sing or play an instrument and spend time practicing. The learning process is a challenge but once the first piece has been mastered, there is a real feeling of satisfaction.

Learning to sing or to play an instrument also has the benefit of calming and soothing the mind, and at the same time is a lot of fun and can provide hours of enjoyment for everyone.”

~ Jimmi A Daoud, Rogers Music Centre

#14. Music fosters personal balance

“For me, one of the greatest values of learning music lies in the inherent possibility of fostering a special balance of the three main facets of the person: the mental, the physical, and the emotional.”

~ Richard Summers, Toronto Guitar Institute

#15. Music keeps us healthy & happy

Music engages our entire brain and bodies the way no other activity does.

When we play an instrument, sing along to our favourite songs, or dance to the music, we experience active processing: input and output.

Music stimulates memories, songs with lyrics activate the areas of our brains that process language, it stimulates emotion and activates the areas of our brain which fuel our impulse to move our bodies to match the beat.

Music keeps us healthy and happy!

~ Julie Sousa, Annette Street Music

What does music mean to you?

The insight from so many professionals may stir your own feelings of what music means to you. At the end of the day, that’s what its all about-a personal experience that has its very own meaning to you.

Music is both a universal and personal experience.

What’s common for most people is the added dimension of enrichment it brings to our lives.

Music is a celebration of the human experience.

Whether that comes as a memory that brings pain or gives you a surge of inspiration, the entire concept of music is a transcendent experience.

Music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.

~ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

It has been said that being a coach, teacher or instructor is a thankless profession. Whether you’re teaching an instrument or giving singing lessons in Toronto, there are very few moments of true appreciation for your work.

When those moments come, however, they provide you with strong evidence of living a fulfilling life and make all of the efforts worthwhile.

Thank you.

Thank you to all of our contributors who have spent thousands of hours teaching the gift of music and making the world a better place.

The post 15 Benefits Of Learning Music By Toronto Experts appeared first on Canadian Academy Of Vocal Music.

Some of your fondest memories will be about shows you’ve attended where musicians and artists dazzled your eardrums with delight.

It’s not just your style of music that you can learn from but from every style. Singers that have mastered voice control and perfect pitch can be appreciated by anyone who takes an interest in the art of song.

For that reason, we would like to recommend five of the most powerful performances in the history of Toronto musical productions. You can watch these plays at various Ed Mirvish theatres in Toronto to enrich your life with the culture of the arts.

The sheer talent of those that grace the stages of these productions is truly a spectacle to behold. It’s well worth paying the money to see these shows in person as they are guaranteed to make memories that last a lifetime.

Les Miserables

The Princess of Wales Theatre

This play is one of the all time classics whose music renown and has been celebrated for over three decades. The first performance was in 1989 at The Royal Alexandra Theatre.

The story is about the French revolution and the struggle of many unsung heroes. The music is powerfully gripping and known to bring goosebumps and tears to many who watch the performance. This is part of the reason it attracted some of the world’s best performers.

Michael Burgess was one of Canada’s stars who played the lead role Jean Valjean in over 1000 performances. Michael Burgess passed away in 2015 however his legendary performances will live on for many years to come.

Phantom Of The Opera at

Ed Mirvish Theatre & Princess of Wales Theatre

This is a tale of a disfigured man who grew up in a circus but was a musical genius with vicious capabilities. Although he is behind the very success of an old opera house, he is nonetheless out of site and mystery for those who aren’t aware of his existence.

If you’d like to get familiar with the music, this is a recording with the original Canadian cast:

This production is a spellbinding assortment of musical masterpieces written by the famous Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe. The movie was almost as good as the play itself, but nothing compares to live performances making this a must-see for music lovers.

Check out the new Toronto cast for the next season.

Love Never Dies

Ed Mirvish Theater

Interestingly enough, a sequel was made to the Phantom Of The Opera, titled Love Never Dies. If you loved The Phantom Of The Opera, you can’t go on living without seeing the second.

Don’t expect the same music as the first Phantom. There’s never anything that will be quite like the first version of a play. Instead, go in with an open mind.

There are some marquee songs that are equally as powerful as the first, but the play definitely takes on a whole new life of its own.

Miss Saigon

Ed Mirvish Theatre

Another classic tale of a romance that takes place during the Vietnam war. The play is incredibly entertaining filled with tear-jerking moments. The music from Miss Saigon is considered in the top echelon musical plays and warrants your attendance.

Like every other major production, Miss Saigon won’t land in Toronto in 2020, but you can stay updated with ticket availability @ Toronto-theatre.com.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Ed Mirvish Theatre

Although this play is about Jesus, you don’t need to be religious to enjoy the music and lyrical acrobatics that are demonstrated in this production.

You might even find your head bobbing to some of the songs since the story takes place in a 1970s setting. This timeless classic is one story that will continue to be told throughout the years.

NOTE: Due to COVID-19 most 2020 musical events in Toronto have been postponed until further notice.

Subscribe for email notifications and receive updates with news on ticket availability on Toronto musical productions on sites like Toronto-theatre.com

Live performances are the ultimate experiences, however…

Check out the YouTube channel The Shows Must Go On for some of Andrew Llyod Webber’s greatest hits. They previously streamed the entire productions live during these months where COVID-19 was at its height.

You might want to keep a watchful eye for any more live shows, should they decide to stream again.

If you’re feeling impatient, you’re always welcome to learn about the singing lessons Toronto artists have used to build their careers.

Make your appearance on stage at one of the many Ed Mirvish Theaters with the help of Ian Garrett, so we can post a YouTube video here of you too! Until then, practice singing publicly as part of your vocal development in taking your voice to the next level.

The post 5 Toronto Musical Productions You Need To See appeared first on Canadian Academy Of Vocal Music.