Vocal Lessons
#1 Function
Breathe, Speak, Sing!
We will begin by creating a proper breath-to-voice connection so that on or off stage we are communicating in tandem with our body's natural systems and setting ourselves up for a healthy and relaxed voice all day long, speaking or singing.
#2 Technique
Coordinate & Concentrate
Together we will develop the chest, head/falsetto, and mix voice by learning and mastering a variety of exercises that target each separately and together. The exercises will be tailored to your voice specifically as well as the song we are singing. We will learn to modify our vowels for smoother transitions that will grow our range, play with placements to discover different vocal [colours or] timbers, and over time we will challenge our coordination and agility as exercises and techniques become incrementally more advanced.
#3 Practice
Immitate, Emulate, Innovate, Integrate
Hours of technical training can only take you so far. Singing songs is where we shine a spotlight on what happens when you tackle repertoire. It will be my job to awaken you to any bad habits or unique quirks that help or hinder your singing and to integrate emotional delivery with good technique. All to help guide you towards finding your voice.
By imitating and emulating songs we will discover how different genres require more dominant uses of certain voice registers, how each artist makes use of different techniques, and how learning from others can shape our sound. Finding your voice can be based on your musical preferences, what will suit your voice and ability at that time, and what genres suit your voice the best. The more genres we consume the more diversity of techniques we can absorb, dissect, and eventually integrate into our own performances and artistic style. Over time we will learn to innovate your favourite songs by learning how to play with them and by bringing your individual creativity and perspective to create a final delivery that is all your own.
#4 Artistry
Psychology, Soulful Delivery, Performance
Performing unlocks in levels and can only be discovered through doing and exploring. Together, we will discuss stage presence, incorporate good mic techniques, experiment with body movements, and harness individual freedom to keep you grounded, confident, and tapped into that space within so you can make room for the song to come out.
#5 Musicianship
The Nitty Gritty
A lot of accuracy and sureness as a singer can be attributed to how much you know about the fundamentals of music itself and the many ways you practice the information. We can do all of the work inside of our body but when we don’t get the pleasure of seeing it unfolding in front of us or beneath our fingers, there can be a lot of questions left unanswered. Learning music theory benefits those who struggle and want to improve proper pitch, rhythm, melody comprehension, harmonization, songwriting and composing, using digital audio workstations, and so much more.
Take Homes
Each warm up portion of your voice lesson is recorded and stored in a google drive that will be shared between you and Jessie. This way you can practice every voice warmup you perform and can track your progress along the way. This google drive will be a useful tool in communicating with your voice coach in and out of lessons, with a document to track the songs you want to learn, folders for useful theory document, links to music, and more.
Giles Vanherholt, Milton
I can’t say enough great things about Jessica’s training with our daughter, Katya. Jessica has been working with Katya for over six years. And during that time, our daughter’s vocal progression has been outstanding. I have personally observed her gentle and positive interaction, coupled with wisdom and patience. I love how Jessica challenges our daughter with different genres of music, which has opened up the door for her as she now stretches herself into those genres with great enthusiasm.
A testament to Jessica’s training was at a time when Katya performed an open mic at Rad Brothers in Milton. She sang a cappella and finished to exuberant shouts of appreciation and applause from the crowd. A woman approached me, complimented Katya’s performance and introduced herself as a 30 yr vocal coach. She said she could hear the training in Katya’s performance. She asked Katya’s age, which was 14. She whistled and said. “Oh my gawd, if she is this good, she is going to be amazing when she gets older.”