Increasing your vocal range

I got this question asked as a message on my youtube channel recently and thought I would share the answer.
Q How long does it take to increase your vocal range by one octave.
A.To increase your vocal range by one octave is dependant on your present range. you should look at the quality of your voice more than the range of notes you can produce. Most songs are composed well within two octaves so if you have this range you should be able to sing most songs easily. vocal exercises carried out using the correct technique will increase your vocal range and this should be done slowly note by note over a period of time so that you don't put excess strain on the vocal chords. To inrease by one octave is a bigh achievment if at all possible and without knowing what your range is at present is difficult to say how long or even if you would be able to increase by this amount.

Keep Singing!

Michelle McManus

I did a gig with Michelle McManus last night at the Parkville Hotel in Blantyre. I haven't seen Michelle since her rise to fame when she won Pop Idol a few years ago.
Her voice and charisma on stage were superb and in my opinion we should be hearing a lot more of her. It was nice to see that she is just the same down to earth person that she was before Pop Idol. Michelle can be seen presenting on "The Hour" TV show on Scottish Television 5pm Monday to Friday. It just shows what you can achieve with singing lessons and a lot of hard work.

BBC Singing Lessons

All this week I will be working for the BBC, teaching Aggie Mackenzie from the hit television show "How clean is your house" how to sing. By her own admission she can't hold a tune and therefore steers clear of anything to do with singing. She told me she went for a lesson with a top vocal coach in London but left at the end of her lesson no better.
My challenge is to get her good enough to sing live on the Macauley and Co. radio show on BBC Radio Scotland on Friday. You can find out how we got on and if I managed to get her to sing confidently and in tune by tuning into the show each day at 10:00am.

Xtra Factor 2009

I got a call last week from the producer of Xtra Factor (the sister program of reality talent contest show X Factor)asking me to appear on their show. unfortunately they wanted to film the following day as the show was being aired on the sunday evening. I reluctantly had to decline their offer of using my services as vocal coach as my schedule was full on the day of filming. These things happen at times!!!

Nadia Howard-Does it Again

My singing student seventeen year old Nadia Howard from Glasgow received a standing ovation at the X Factor auditions in Breahead Arena, Glagow yesterday and got Four "Yes's" from Simon Cowel, Luis Walsh, Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue.
She sang the Joe Cocker song "you are so beautiful". Her singing lessons and practice with me have certainly paid off as she is now on her way to boot camp on the 26th July. Simon Cowel told her "you should go far in this competition" while Dannii Minogue said she was the best that day.
Only time will tell whether Nadia can go on to win X Factor 2009 but if she continues to do her singing exercises daily as well as regular singing lessons she should go all the way.

Robert Wishart

Nadia Howard Up In Front Of X Factor Judges Again

Seventeen year old singer Nadia Howard from Glasgow is to audition in front of X Factor judges Simon Cowel, louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole on the 12th July 2009. She has already performed for these judges on the 8th June and wowed them with he talents. She has been getting singing lessons from me for only a few weeks and she has worked hard to perfect her singing. You can watch her practice at a lesson with vocal coach Robert Wishart. It is important to learn to sing with the correct technique.

Singing student prepares to meet Simon Cowell

Now that one of my singing lessons students senteen year old Nadia Howard from Glasgow has been told officialy that she has to audition in front of Simon Cowell and his panel of judges for this years X Factor on the 8th June, it'stime to get her voice in top condition.
Today I worked with her on her techniqe for the songs she will sing and getting her breathing sorted.
We recorded the song and worked on some parts which were not perfect. Nadia has a great voice and if she follows my instructions, singing tips and practices her singing exercises she will have a fantastic voice. She is full of enthusiasm and wants to learn to sing> to the best of her ability. Her next singing lesson is on Tuesday 2nd June.