Sound Advice from Monica
When it comes to the freedom, beauty and strength of the voice, I’m always panning for gold. I like to gather nuggets of wisdom from my beloved teachers, colleagues, students, books and my own vocal practice and experimentation. If someone teaches me something, I’m always judicious, trying it out, clarifying the instruction and checking its value before passing it on. All the lessons I’ve taken through the years have led to many “ah-ha” moments and ultimately have informed my vocal philosophy. Here is a sampling of my teaching philosophy as expressed in my lessons with my students.Sound Advice #29 – Spiritual Wisdom for the Fearful Singer
Recently I picked up a book by the Indian philosopher and sage Jiddu Krishnamurti called “Life Ahead,” reflections on the mature life. He spoke about fear in a way that so deeply affected me, I [...]
Sound Advice #28 – The Joy Of Singing With Others
My husband and I just returned from a trip to Europe, where we visited my Italian cousins in Rome and explored parts of Greece, a country high on my “bucket list.” A trip for the [...]
Sound Advice #27 – Feelings, Nothing More Than Lovely Feelings…
Occasionally, in the middle of adult voice lessons, my student will be singing and then burst into tears. Oh, no! Are they OK? Did somebody die? No, it’s usually a confluence of things, perhaps brought [...]
Sound Advice #26 – Those Whose Work Inspires Us
I graduated from the Alexander Technique teacher training in 2002 and I immediately started sharing the technique with my singing and voice students in my Marin studio. A few years later I was dissatisfied. The [...]
Sound Advice #25 – The Spine and Vocal Support
When you take voice lessons with me in my Marin studio, you will be introduced to the Alexander Technique. In an Alexander lesson, you learn about “the primary movement,” a tiny release at the atlanto [...]
Sound Advice #24 – Voice Lesson Protocol
As a teacher of voice lessons in Marin County and a singing student myself, I have learned through the years what is expected of me (and what I expect of my students) when taking voice [...]