Living A Vocal Life: A Podcast For Singers

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! What is style? And why is it important? When you’re learning to sing, you start by imitating others. But eventually, you want to be able to craft your own style, so you don’t sound like anyone else. After all, there’s only one you. Your body, your life experience, and your musical style and taste are unique. It’s also essential to sound authe...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! In this episode of the podcast, I’m excited to introduce you to my friend, jazz singer, and songwriter, Karla Harris.  Karla has been singing professionally for over 30 years. She’s sung at jazz festivals, TED Talks, and is currently an artist in residence at Kennesaw State University where she teaches the next generation of jazz singers. Her...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! This month’s guest on Living A Vocal Life is Bill Wadhams, one of the lead singers from the 80s synth-pop band, Animotion whose song Obsession landed in the top 10 in countries around the world in 1984. I’ve known Bill for years, but recently we had a chance to get to know each other better on a tour he’s dubbed, The Genius Insanity Tour, oth...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! When you’re first starting out, your song list might only have a few tunes on it. Keeping track of keys, charts, and lyric sheets isn’t such a big deal. But later, when you have tens or even hundreds of songs to keep track of, if they’re disorganized, it’s overwhelming. Enter Google Sheets. They’re easy to use spreadsheets in the cloud. You c...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! January’s guest on the podcast is Holly Pyle, a singer who uses different musical styles and technology to create her own unique vocal sound and compositions. Holly was an opera major at Northern Arizona University when she stumbled upon a jazz choir audition. She fell in love with the genre, eventually completing her studies in jazz and psyc...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! One of the most essential skills a singer needs to learn is how to use your voice correctly when talking. I've had many students whose vocal problems are related to the way they talk, not the way they sing: Teachers who yell to make themselves heard over a noisy classroom. Counselors and therapists who lower their pitch and volume to cre...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! I first met Rindy in the early 80s when she and her husband Marv were riding the wave of their crossover hit Harden My Heart. After years of playing in bars across the Pacific Northwest as Seafood Mama, they had recently been signed to Geffen Records, changing their name to Quarterflash. During their time with Geffen, they had four songs that...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! It's not easy when your body is your instrument. Other musicians get sick too, but their instruments don't wheeze or get clogged up with mucus when attacked by an infection.  In this solo episode of Living A Vocal Life, you'll learn how to stay healthy during the cold and flu season, what to do when you're sick, and how to...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! My guest on this episode of the podcast is actress, singer, and comedienne, Susannah Mars. She has appeared in over 100 productions and is the recipient of six Portland Drama Critics awards and two Portland Music Theatre Awards. When I first saw Susannah perform in the mid-80s, I was captivated by her ability to fully inhabit a role and her e...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! In this solo episode of the podcast, you'll discover why it's important to have an inner compass and how it can help your singing career. You’ll also learn how to find your North Star. For full episode show notes and a transcript of this episode, visit my website HERE . Come find me on: INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK TWITTER Never miss an episo...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! In this episode, I talk with my very first guest on the podcast, Moana Wolfgramm from the 80s band The Jets. I first met Moana when we were on tour together in 1986. She was just 12 years old, traveling around the country in a tour bus with her seven siblings. The Jets were on their first world tour which had started in 1985 after the release...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! So, what does it mean to live a vocal life? How do you define and measure success? Is it money? Fame? How many followers you have on Instagram or Facebook? In this podcast, you'll get an unvarnished, truthful take from the people who have braved this road before you to create their own vocal life. We'll talk about the inner and oute...

Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Send us a text! You may be struggling to balance your life and a career in music. Are you curious about how other singers "make it" or how they've dealt with success — and failure? Do you wonder what their biggest challenges have been? Or how about what they’ve learned on their journey and what’s important to them today? Welcome to the Living...