In today’s episode,Tara chats once again with her cousin Lisa Gebhard and is put in the hot seat to answer common questions about singing! Enjoy this episode part 2 as a follow up to their first time in February 2021. Here are some of the questions and topics we deal with: Why do some singers sound so different as their voice ages? Why does the pitch change or the tone and timbre of the sound? Why does it sound as if singers slide into notes or are flat?   What makes the uniqueness of a...

In today’s episode,Tara shares some of her favorite helpful apps and products that will help you be a healthy and confident singer!   Some of my favorite products, apps, singing helps: The Singing Straw   You can use it for warmups or cool downs. Here is a link to get 10% off: https://bit.ly/SingingStrawTara Use code tarab10 Vocal Eze Throat spray that has honey, echinacea, ginger, and more. Manuka Honey drops and sticks that help keep your throat more moist and stop hacking...

In today’s episode,Tara chats about an alternate way of educating yourself to become a professional musician that doesn’t include the college route of a music degree. Tara herself, having a Music degree and yet being in the music biz for over 30 years, gives the listener her take on why college might not be the best way in today’s world of music performing.   The costs of a college degree is super high compared to what you might make as a musician seeking your own gigs or teaching studio....

In today’s episode,Tara chats about the challenges and strengths of being a singer/performer who is introverted. She chats from her own experience of being an introvert, as well as from working with other introverts. These might be things introverts struggle with: Performance anxiety Networking and self/promotion Trying to balance alone time and social engagements Collaborating with musicians in group situations and not having their voice heard Dealing with the expectations of a...

In today’s episode,Tara gives you steps  that can help you teach a voice lesson. Practical tips to help you know what to do in a weekly lesson with a voice student.     Get to know how your student is doing that day. Have the student do some simple stretching or massage parts of their body. (Using a Gua Sha is great for this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074SL6JNN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Start with warmups that are lower or in mid-range. Use SOVT’s for...

In today’s episode,Tara talks to music fitness coach Angela McCuiston, the founder of Music Strong LLC, a business that specializes in personal fitness training for musicians! We explore her own personal journey of a music related injury and her healing as well as how she helps musicians get healthy in their body and stay healthy!     Angela developed an injury from playing the flute (which was her instrument of study) She had strain and imbalance of certain muscles and needed to find a way...

In today’s episode,Tara talks gives some very practical exercises for your warmups that will help with engaging and maintaining breath. She focuses on specific exercises to help with breath pressure and the speed of the airflow! Vocal warmups to help you get and maintain great breath: Put your back in a sitting position against the wall and take some nose breaths. Slow arpeggio of a lip buzz and pay attention to your body while sitting against the wall. Use a vowel that’s easy for you and...

In today’s episode,Tara talks gives some very solid and practical tips to help you memorize songs for your shows, whether a few songs or many!    You can get the singing straw here: https://singingstraw.com/discount/tarab10?ref=tarab10 Use code for discount: tarab10   The article on people’s capability to memorize: https://www.lpm.org/news/2018-01-25/how-many-songs-can-our-brains-actually-remember#:~:text=The%20short%20answer%3A%20no.,at%20the%20University%20of%20Louisville.   “Your...

In today’s episode,Tara talks about the difficulties of doing followups and ways to make them easier to do so that you actually book the gig!     You can get the singing straw here: https://singingstraw.com/discount/tarab10?ref=tarab10 Use code for discount: tarab10   “When people do a follow up one time and they don’t hear back from somebody, they assume they are already being rejected. They assume it’s a ‘no’.” Mistakes often made: Not contacting enough times  Doing it too often...

In today’s episode, Tara interviews two long time professional singers and gets the low down on the ups and downs of being a professional singer!   Both Lisa and Jana grew up in musical families and had singers they looked up to like Linda Ronstadt, Chaka Khan, Sheena Easton, Donny and Marie Osmond and more!   They met each other through the Rupert’s Orchestra in town in Minneapolis. With mutual respect between both of them, they went on to work with other amazing professionals like Jimmy...

In today’s episode, Tara dives again into the biz side of singing. In this part two episode, she gives you criteria that will help you figure out what you should be charging for performances. She also shares about creating pricing tiers for different events and needs.   Criteria to set your price for performances: Your skillset as a musician Training that you have had as a musician Practice and rehearsal that you have done through the years and currently do Picking and learning songs...

In today’s episode, Tara dives into the biz side of singing. In this three part series, she covers aspects of booking gigs. Many who are studying voice also want places to share their gift and in this week’s part one, Tara shares what are some of the best type of venues to sing and get paid.   There are traditional gigs and non-traditional gigs. The traditional gigs tend to be places like clubs, music festivals in the summer, restaurants, theaters and weddings.   “Insanity: doing the same...

Today’s episode focuses on what it takes to be a professional singer. Pro singers possess many skillsets and Tara dives into many of these skills to help pro singers recognize and value all they know and have experience in.    Here are some of the skills that many professional singers have: Great technique to do all you need to with your voice. Being able to sightread music. Being able to improvise music. Having the ability to harmonize with others, whether it’s written out via notes or...

Today’s episode focuses on ear training—how it’s really possible for anyone no matter how they sing. Tara gives some practical tips on how to train your ear, whether you are a singer or a teacher trying to help your voice students! “Being able to match pitch is possible for almost every person”.   Ways to help people get good pitch: Pick our high and low pitches in every day life. Visually draw a note/pitch with a pencil and paper to help the person see the difference between two or more...

In this episode, Tara talks about how singing in a new situation can be stressful. She brings tools to help!   Things that can help you be calm singing at a brand new place: Get to the place early so you have plenty of time to deal with anything unknown Assess the situation by looking at what things you might need or what the room is like. Pay attention to details. Make sure that you ask as many questions to help you feel prepared. Ask your point person so you get all the details ahead of...

In this episode, Tara talks about how knowing vowels and consonants and the role they  play in our warmups  can help us!   VOWELS “All of us probably have certain vowels that are just easier to sing.”   When we start with a vowel that works and then start singing from that place on other vowels, it can help train our muscle memory to sing with more freedom!   If we start with easy vowels, it will help you get to the harder vowels in time because you build a foundation with easy ones! ...

In today’s episode,Tara chats about our speaking voices. As singers, we need to take equal care with how we talk so that it doesn’t cause problems for us when we sing.   You can Find  The Singer’s Feedback Zone here:  https://tarab.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/21   Let me help get you to that next level of singing!   The Speaking Voice—Paying attention to it: You may get a hoarse voice from shouting at a sporting event, screaming at an amusement park, or having to talk...

In today’s episode,Tara chats about the reasons that even pro singers should have some checkins with a voice professional. She also tackles reasons why people sometimes don’t get coaches.   Why train if you are a pro? Think about the pro sports world. They constantly train and get better!   Reasons that people might not get training: Based on shame. Not feeling good enough. It might make you look bad as a professional because you have to go to someone else. You might be concerned about...

In today’s episode,Tara chats about some commonalities that automobiles have with singers and why you shouldn’t ignore problems that come up with singing. And how to schedule maintenance of your voice!   You can still join the Singer’s Feedback Zone before it goes up. Click here: https://tarab.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/21       Do we give our voice the same maintenance that we give to cars?   Do we just ignore what might be going wrong with our voice?   What things...

  In today’s episode,Tara interviews fellow piano/voice teacher Brenda Earle Stokes. They chat about some of the reasons that piano can be such a helpful tool for singers, whether you are performing or are a voice teacher! Click here to get your Singing Straw 10% off:   Singing straw: http://bit.ly/Tarabsingingstraw   Use the code: tarab10   For Brenda, hearing Oscar Peterson play (jazz piano) was a huge inspiration for her in music! An avid  pianist, singer , conductor and more,...

In today’s episode,Tara talks about different qualities and characteristics that you may possess that would help you be a great voice teacher. It isn’t a complete list but a comprehensive one to check out if you are thinking about teaching some voice lessons.   You can check out The Singer’s Feedback Zone:  https://tarab.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/21     Qualities that can be wonderful for teaching voice: Having curiosity about life. Implies you will seek out knowledge....

In today’s episode,Tara chats with vocal teacher JoAnne Hart who specializes in integrating fitness and mental wellness into her instruction. We discuss how a fitness routine, including yoga can benefit you as a singer!   You can check out The Singing Straw here: http://bit.ly/Tarabsingingstraw Just use code: tarab10  At checkout for 10% off   JoAnne started her musical journey around age 3— she always has loved to sing from an early age. And she started taking voice lessons in 7th...

In today’s episode,Tara chats about the question “What advice do you wish you had been given when you first started teaching?” She gives some of her thoughts as well as shares some tips from other music teachers!   You can check out The Singing Straw here: http://bit.ly/Tarabsingingstraw Just use code: tarab10  At checkout   Tara’s background included “playing teacher” as a child but didn’t know that it would be a part of her life as a musician. In some ways, her first students like...

In today’s episode,Tara chats about ways that voice teachers can build their confidence as a teacher. She gives you practical ways so that you don’t have to wait to get started learning more and finding the courage that you need in teaching!   If you want to check out The Singer’s Feedback Zone, please click here: https://tarab.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/21     Sometimes in teaching, we can run out of ideas or get stuck and what do we do? Take lessons with a voice...