Performance Anxiety Preparing yourself for the Sono School of Music Concert! With the Sono School of Music Concert coming up in December, I am writing this article to shed some light on the topic of performance anxiety. Performance anxiety is something that I have been personally affected by in the past, and is now something […]
Everyone here at Sono Music would like to sincerely thank you for what has been an incredible year! We wish you and your family a safe and happy holidayseason and look forward to working with you in 2019. Please take care to note the following critical information regarding studio operating hours for each studio and what it means […]
Exam time is stressful for a lot of people, but it doesn’t need to be. Being relaxed and applying the proper mindset is key to succeeding in your instrumental exams. Many people achieve worse results than expected simply due to poor preparation or nerves on the day of the exam. Everybody wants their hard work […]
Get a Grip! Matched Grip Under The Microscope It is imperative that all drummers have a solid understanding of basic drum stick techniques and principles, so let’s take a closer look at matched grip and what it means for drummers. First things first… Improper grip technique can lead to pain, muscle tension and of […]
Recording Music At Home In the last decade or so, recording music has shifted from the studios into the bedrooms. High-quality music recordings used to be unattainable without the use of a professional studio with many thousands of dollars worth of gear. Fortunately for musicians, it is now easier than ever to create good quality recordings […]
A Singer’s Guide to Surviving in a Band Coming into a band as a singer can be quite daunting as our musical training can be quite different to that of an instrumentalist. Many singers don’t often have the experience of working alongside other musicians. When I started singing in a band, I was overwhelmed and […]
Singing Posture and Balance As vocalists, we spend a lot of time in the practice room, finely tuning the various skills and techniques of singing. Studies show musicians tend to measure their worth through the success of performances, the arena where all the hard works pays off! As a coach, one specific technique that I […]
Looking After Your Voice Jackie gives you some tips on how to keep your voice in shape. So you’re a fully trained singer, you know how to warm up your voice before rehearsal or a show and how to belt out those high notes. Although what about when it comes to the not-so-loud moments? After […]
Developing Speed: Slow and Steady Wins the Race Lots of drummers, whether they are just starting out or have been playing for a while should stop and consider their speed. Most drummers want to be able to play fast, but how do we get there? This article outlines key processes which drummers should engage in to […]
Jazz Improvisation For Singers Jazz improvisation is a defining aspect of the jazz genre. It gives us the opportunity to showcase our abilities and really impress our listeners. For singers, the improvisation that we do is called scatting. A good scat consists of a range of different nonsense syllables (e.g. Doo, Ba, Dee, Bup, Zoo, […]
A Guide to Belting Before we talk about how to belt, we are going to do the how to not ever, ever, ever belt. Seriously, I have seen it so many times, people pushing out notes that their vocal chords aren’t used to; straining, cracking, breaking. It’s horrible – beyond horrible – and I don’t […]
Singing Mythbusters! Fact or Fiction Only Opera Singers Need to Breathe from Their Diaphragm Fiction. Humans are lazy, we can’t even be bothered taking a proper deep breath. Using the diaphragm in our singing is essential! It ensures that we project clearly, it helps to support our voice, to sustain notes and it allows […]
Film Music Everybody loves listening to their favourite bands or artists, or going to concerts and sharing their favourite songs with friends. But music can also have some more subtle, practical uses, especially in the world of film and TV. Early Film Music Since the beginning of film, music has played an integral part of […]
A Guide to Music Streaming Technology is rapidly advancing. Now, more than ever, we have a wealth of musical gadgets and services. No longer do you have to listen to the same CDs or sit through the same Top 40s hits the radio stations play week after week. Music is something to be discovered and […]
How to Be Pitch Perfect So you’ve been avoiding your friend’s karaoke nights ever since you were old enough to go to out. SingStar is your enemy and you dread campfire singalongs because you’re absolutely tone-deaf. Not anymore… It’s very common to have pitch problems, particularly if you haven’t grown up learning a musical instrument […]
Warming up Your Voice Taking time to engage, prepare and ‘switch on’ your voice is vital. Warming up your voice properly helps your voice during lessons, practices and performances. It can even increase your vocal stamina and energy, and it reminds you to sing with solid technique. But what exactly does properly warming up your voice […]
Singing in a Choir So your solo singing skills are great! You have solid confidence, you get lessons from a skilled coach to improve your technique and you practise efficiently. This is super impressive, so well done! BUT… Have you ever tried singing in a choir? Think about some of your favourite solo artists, and […]
Learning to Sing a Song It’s honestly crazy how many songs exist. And there are more being created every day. The choices that singers have when choosing their repertoire is virtually limitless. There will always be something to suit your voice in the massive canon of international music. It just takes a little time and […]
Jackie’s Top Tips: Kill Those Nerves So your hands are trembling, your palms are sweaty, your voice breaks. That’s it, it’s all over. NO!!! Pick yourself up and dust yourself off. If you just watched this year’s latest Super Bowl Halftime Show you probably saw Beyonce slightly stack it in her dance, but did she scratch […]