GROUPSING

Singing Empowers People – The Joys in Communal Singing

GROUPSING

👥👥The Joys of Communal Singing👥👥

Singing is one of the most important and meaningful of all human activities and what we must not forget – is one of the only instruments that is free and totally mobile! 

Whatever setting you are working in – a classroom, camp, faith community or peace and justice group. Singing empowers people, strengthens the bonds in community, and creates hope and change.

Have you ever been to a gig or concert where the artist sings a familiar song and everyone spontaneously starts to sing along? After a moment of surprise, you realise that everything suddenly feels different! The space has become a gathering of friends, a warm, cozy and peaceful place in harmony. That for me is what singing together is all about. 

I get that safe sense of “WAW” and realness of my reality in that very special conscious moment of bliss.

Don’t forget, you don’t have to be a rock star or on a stage to create experiences like that, I guess you just have to love to make music and share your voice with people.

Over the past few months with Covid-19 Pandemic, we have noticed a lot more community singing via online platforms like zoom and Skype. Choirs, bands and harmonious performances sung and performed together at home. It shows that out of all of the arts, Music and Singing is our preferred idea of bringing community and friendship “back home”. By doing this together as a community we helped each other through the lockdown period and created uplifting energy mostly through voice.

Communal singing can be created and often organically grown in any environment that is open to it;

Here are a few examples..

  • Around a Campfire
  • In the moonlight
  • Spiritual or Religious Ceremonies
  • As a band
  • As a choir
  • At a sports match
  • Concerts, gigs, shows, stand up comedy performances
  • Friendship gatherings
  • Family gatherings
  • Celebrations
  • On public transport
  • In unexpected wide open spaces
  • Remembrance ceremonies

And many more places! Personally, I think In any situation – I think it should be more of a thing!

We should totally become more open to voicing and singing together for its ultimate essence of healing and prosperous outcome for us humans.

Singing within a group is great for identifying your voice and sound, relaxation and therapy. One learns to open and adjust tension blocked areas physically and emotionally and often it is more likely to be fully expressed when someone is listening or expressing with you.

I recommend all my students of all ages and people reading this who are or who are not interested in singing (sounds crazy hey!) to try it more!

Ideas of enforcing this gift more in your life could be:

-Create a school or community band

-Create a friendship choir

-Invite the idea of singing to your fitness, yoga or hobby group instructor

-Sing with your children and family

-Don’t say no to Friday Karaoke, sing as a group!

-Get involved with meditation and Kirtan spiritual ceremonies

The important step forward would be identifying security and learning not to be afraid of singing to people and with people. Make friendships and goals within your community and most of all – express!

I am excited to announce I have some super great collaborations for communal singing in Jersey CI and online. Also I am processing upcoming campaigns for bringing this practice back to schools and education.

Power to the people – Watch this space! 

– 22nd June 2020

koklol890865

Vocal Fatigue – Why Rest is Best

koklol890865

⛓ Vocal Fatigue - Why Rest is Best 🏩

Your voice needs nurturing as much as your feet and limbs. Have you ever felt like you need to sit down and rest your feet after a 10 mile walk? Well, even if your throat doesn’t feel achy or in pain most muscles need the same care and attention when overused…

Whenever you sing, your vocal cords are subject to muscle tension as well as air pressure. They have to withstand the breath that you apply on them to make them vibrate and produce a sound. Whilst singing and talking, the surfaces of your vocal cords vibrate against each other 100 to 1,000 times per second. With that in mind, considering how much we use our voice, that is pretty good work!

Day to day we spend our time talking, talking loudly, whispering (try to avoid this) and laughing.
Specific job roles such as teachers, singers, and call centre employees definitely have heavy vocal demands.
Often as a teacher I feel vocal fatigue after a full day of teaching when both singing and speaking with energy.
This can vary on days when teaching more children than adults. Some days can be more tiring than others depending on my surroundings, the weather and of course my health.

The importance of Vocal rest is that it gives your delicate vocal cords time to regenerate and heal. Even the most talented, best-trained voices need rest as part of general preventative care. Your voice will stay healthier when allowed opportunities to recover, rehydrate, and relax.

For me, it is a time to get inspired by new music and training my ears.
Often as singers, stylistic awareness may get drowned out as a result of ourselves concentrating too much on singing along to the music.
So instead, I choose to tap in and listen deeper into the music and identify the different instruments, the backing vocals, the rhythm, the bass and the different samples or sounds that are added.
While in rest mode, it is better to simply imagine the pitch and melody we would normally sing and concentrate on the foundation of music that is supporting us.

Resting before exams, auditions, shows or any major event 🤚🏽 Why?

Well, practicing frantically before a big event or audition is definitely a no no! The last thing you want, is to get to a point you feel great then on the big day ..you have no voice!
If you need to practise more, I would also recommend less tiresome exercises on the cords. One would be, “humm”-ing the song you are learning instead of singing it. This puts less pressure and energy on the cords and you are benefitting from still practising!
Try to break up your practicing into sections of say 4 x 15 minutes throughout the day. This way it gives you time to rest in-between being vocal.

Here is a super great exercise for relaxing throat tension;
The secret is Yawning! … and it feels good!! Try this;

1 ▸ Put your finger on your throat at the top of your larynx and swallow.

(Notice the upward motion of the larynx).

2 ▸ Now keeping your finger at the top of your larynx, relax and begin a yawn.

(Notice the downward motion of the larynx. This motion opens the throat and releases tension).

3 ▸ Yawn again at the back of your throat without opening your mouth fully. Repeat a few times letting the throat muscles slip downward as you begin to yawn.

4 ▸ Repeat the yawn and then exhale by sighing “ah” starting at a comfortably high note in your range and float downward – sounding like a sigh.

This is called a “yawn/sigh” and a great way to warm up.

Note: It is the sensation that occurs at the beginning of a yawn that releases tension in the throat. Practice releasing tension in your throat with this yawn/sigh motion several times to release throat tension.

Other ways to decrease tension in the throat include getting a massage that focuses on your neck and throat muscles, energy work on the chakras, doing yoga to decrease overall tension, and daily neck and shoulder stretches.

Tension in your voice can result from stress or the inability to “speak up” for what you want or need. Psychological tension can result in physical constriction and tension in this area. Talking and expressing with a trusted friend or therapist can be helpful.

So, when you are feeling tired, remember to give your voice some care and healing, it will be worth it 🗣

– 13th June 2020

birdklo

The Benefits of Sharing your Voice and why?

🙌🏼 The Benefits of Sharing your Voice 🙌🏼

I have been talking a lot recently with my students about the importance of sharing singing and your voice with others.
This could be in vocal groups, choirs, sacred spaces, around campfires and where and whenever you can comfortably!

But Why
Singing in a choir is seriously good for your ear training, pitch control and harmonies as well as making friendships with people who are passionate about singing alike to you!

Being in a band as a vocalist can help tremendously with your songwriting skills and rhythm. A band environment can give you many opportunities with work, networking and also gives you a gateway into backing vocals – should you need to cover all parts whilst recording your music.

Sacred spaces with friends or people in your community are great places to express your voice and learn from one another. Church for some people, is a place to sing and feel rejoiced within your voice. For others, healing groups and expressive ceremonies.

Personally, I reaped so many positive musical experiences and learning from being part of a choir from a very young age and a band (as a BV) whilst studying in the UK.

I have also experienced great healing and therapy through my voice having taken part in Kirtan healing meditation in Indonesia and around the world.
As time progresses with a Kirtan ceremony, you enter a meditative and blissful state. Some people get up and dance along to the music as they chant and sing, others clap, or some people just close their eyes and chant. It is a very personal experience, but you still feel connected as you sing with everyone in the room. This is a great way to use your body and voice and feel empowered by the vibrations and sound within you and around you.

I was specifically moved by what I witnessed in Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City’s Tao Dan Park 🇻🇳 6 years ago..

There was a small coffee shop, which is informally known as the ‘Bird Café’. The café is a meeting place for people to bring their beloved birds to learn how to Sing and make friends!
The activity has been popular since 1954, according to many old bird lovers in the City.

From dawn, men and women arrive at the Park on their scooters, canvas-covered cages strapped to the back.
While some owners play their songbirds CDs of classical music and other birdsong, bringing them together in the flesh is apparently the best way to speed up the learning process. This gets the birds used to singing around other people and learning new songs and melodies.

Most birds start singing within three months, but one man says it takes about two years for them to become fully trained.
Birdsong Competitions are organised by clubs around the city, with cash prizes and trophies for the best singers.
But as the clock hits 8am, the cages are slowly packed up, their drivers taking the birds home and preparing for their daily lives of work.
They’ll be back tomorrow morning though, keen for their birds to continue their singing lessons.

Being at this place really taught me that nature is a pure example of why we must mix and integrate with others to deepen our learning. Allowing inspiration to flow and vibrations to awaken the talent and energy we have within us 

CHECK OUT the Bird Cafe here 👇🏼https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7msXebvNEo

– 6th June 2020

BREATH

The true Importance of ‘Finding Space To Breathe’..

🌬Finding Space to Breathe🌬

Breathing is real. We can literally do it anywhere, anyway and every minute of the day. Everyone breathes.

The art of Breathing is that it gives the body energy and releases toxins (Carbon Dioxide) and when you inhale gives you mother Oxygen the goddess of our life. The fabric of existence.

Now, we all know how to breath (or you wouldn’t be sat here reading this blog)! But the question we could ask ourselves is …❓Are we breathing enough?❓

There are many different ways and techniques to breathing. For example – Rib-stretch breathing, numbered breathing, Lions breath, Alternate nostril breathing, Buteyko breathing method and many more! Which over time I will blog deeper into.

‘Diaphragmatic breathing’ is used mostly for singers in respect of its technique and design inflow and outflow of air. The diaphragm is a large, dome-shaped muscle located at the base of the lungs. It is the pump, that fills your lungs with air, and creates pressure necessary for speaking and singing.

Thoughtful diaphragmatic breathing can help you use the diaphragm and other muscles correctly, especially when singing. And the trick is…. Breathe to expand — not to raise.

How to breathe from your Diaphragm- give it a try!

♾Relax your shoulders.
♾Put one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach.
♾Breathe in through your nose for about two/three seconds. You should experience the air moving through your nostrils into your abdomen, into your feet making your stomach expand.
*During this, make sure your stomach is moving outward while your chest remains relatively still.
♾Purse your lips (as if you’re about to sing through a straw), press gently on your stomach, and exhale slowly bringing the belly back to its natural state.

*TIP: I also recommend to my students to put one hand on their rib cage in a fisted position. This makes the student aware of the 360 motion of the body and breath. Experiencing the feeling of their cage expanding with the belly doing the same movement.

AND… It may take TIME to get good at this technique, so don’t be ‘mount doomed’ if you can’t get it straight away.

See it as a RITUAL and practice it. Being mindful of your breath whilst walking, dancing, doing yoga, meditating, smelling fresh flowers, cooking are great ways to reap the benefits it will give you!

Breathing properly empowers your voice and makes it stronger and fuller- easier to get around. There are also beautiful body and soul benefits of deep breathing 👇🏼

💜Lowers stress and harmful effects of stress hormone cortisol in the body
💛Helps the body cope better with anxiety
💚Natural pain killer
💙Increases energy level
❤️Improves blood flow + helps to lower your blood pressure
🧡It improves your core muscle stability

If we can remind our mind and body to become more aware and balanced with our breath. We can consciously learn to breathe properly and naturally for singing.

Try it for yourself beautiful ones x

 

– 30th May 2020

VOCALS ZONE

My Sweet Addiction! Vocalzone Throat Pastilles

⚫️ My sweet addiction ⚫️

I have been consuming these beauties for over 10 years! & man they are good!
These are the closest to natural I have found that benefit me the most. Containing three main ingredients;


🔴Myrrh Tincture

🔴Peppermint Oil

🔴Menthol.


All ingredients holding such powerful healing properties for our Voice and throat. & they contain NO Benzocaine – which in the long run can do you more damage (and in most throat sweets)!

I have found in the summer season, there are more allergy’s flairing up within my students and maybe more ice-cream and dairy products consumed 😁🌞🍦 – So Vocalzone are the perfect answer for clearing the folds from mucus before a lesson or just throughout the day!
I recommend all my students get to a local pharmacy and buy yourself some Vocalzone and keep that voice relieved and clear 🖤 

+ they are Vegan! ❤️

– 29th May 2020

Vocal Well-Being

Vocal Take-Away Box – Natural Throat Healing delivered straight to your door!

🗣 🧙🏻‍♀️Vocal Healing takeaway box, delivered to your door 🚚 📦

Buy for yourself or a friend! Perfect gift for someone who isn’t feeling their best 💜

፧ Have you ‘over done it’ Vocally?
፧ Is your vocal schedule full on and you are in need of some soothing natural remedies?
፧ Suffering from a sore throat?
፧ Bacterial infection?
፧ Dry cough?

Vocals with Gia has the perfect ‘takeaway box’ of NATURAL & ORGANIC products, tools and recipes to help with soothing, cleaning and healing for a more comfortable Voice now and in the future… No hassle & delivered to you!

Inside the Magic Box 

🌬 Steam Inhaler
🧘🏻‍♂️ 1 box of Yogi Tea “Throat Comfort”
🍵 200g Spriulina Powder
🐝 Jar of Organic Honey
🍯 Wooden Honey Dipper
🍋 1 x fresh or juiced Lemon
🦊 1 x Organic Ginger or powdered Ginger
🦁 100g Turmeric Powder
🌊 Pouch of Sea Salt
💼 FairTrade printed ‘Vocals with Gia’ tote cotton bag
🗣 Paper Straws (for light vocal healing warmups)
📖 Recipes using these main ingredients

🌍 Worldwide delivery
&
🛍 Sold at St Helier Studio

– 22nd May 2020

Vocal Detox

THOAT RECIPE – For The Mind, Body & Voice

Here is a little recipe I LOVE to stick to when trying to keep a healthy Body, Mind and Voice… 💆🏻‍♂️

In truth – Foods containing large amounts of water are excellent hydration-conscious snacks and food for your voice!
So really whatever you have in the vegetable basket at the time works, as longs as it is a fresh and edible!

Certain spices help with vocal health… one of them being Turmeric!!! This godly spice contains anti inflammatory as well as antibacterial properties and therefore keeps your throat clear of any nasty bacteria.

🍋 Lemons and limes are great natural cleansers of excess mucus and help get rid of that nasty gooey stuff, if you have over indulged in dairy over the weekend!

🌱Spirulina is fantastic, but not always in everyones kitchen cupboards!
This vibrant algae, is a powerful antioxidant and holds anti-anflammatory properties also.
Spirulina is known to improve symptoms of allergic rhinitis which is very difficult to deal with when a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, itchy, and watery eyes, and swelling around the eyes gets in the way of being vocal or your singing lesson!

🗣 RECIPE 🗣
🥬2 handfuls of Spinach
🍏half an Apple
🥝1 Kiwi
🍐half a Pear
🥒quarter Cucumber
🦊lots of Ginger
🔥1 tsp Turmeric
🍋half a Lemon/Lime
🌱1-2 tsp Spirulina Powder (if you have)

& BLEND!! The great thing about smoothies and health bowls is that you can take things out or add things in!

Even, double or triple the recipe, freeze and keep for the next day 🙌🏼

Being healthy is sO important, if you want clarity within your voice. Start your vocal healing ritual today!

– 13th May 2020

The Art of Humming

Never Underestimate the “Huummm” – Vocal Warm up!

🐦🧘🏽‍♀️Humming! Yes let us not underestimate the power of the “hummm” whilst warming up!🧘🏻‍♂️🐦

The truth is, it may not feel as though you are vocally ‘going for it’ but scientifically your chords are still working just as hard!
Humming at low volumes is a smoother more relaxing way to warm up one could say. Especially if you have a full-on vocal schedule. This way putting less strain on the vocals folds!

Humming involves the mouth remaining closed, so therefore using less of your anatomy to produce sound and resonance, but still putting the larynx and vocal folds to work.
One of the great things about humming is that the tongue and other vowel/consonant articulators are resting, or should be. You can focus entirely on the buzz sensation and on the relaxation of any unnecessary tensions.

Another benefit is for example, if you are ever struggling on a certain part of a song, and have found your voice getting very tired whilst practising…
Swap the lyrics to a ‘Humm’ keep the same melody and pitch and do this in your warmup!
Repetition is good for muscle memory and if you do not want to strain your voice whilst practicing, this may be the perfect tool for you for getting that perfect lick or trill you were after!

A few TIPS and advice to remember whilst using this warm up method –

🗣Do not force or push air out too much

🗣Gentle chewing while humming – as if you have gum in your mouth, can be useful for loosening up any tensions

🗣Try not to hum always on lower pitches than your natural voice, as this may cause strain

🗣Keep the back of the neck long and the space in the back of the mouth wide

🗣Relax the jaw, face and lips

🗣Keep the tongue forward and down, the soft palate lifted, the throat wide and the sound moving forward

Practice Humming on short scales, slides up and down or whatever suits you at the time. Feel that buzzing feeling, your voice will be very thankful!

– 12th May 2020

youtube

Youtube Tips & Tricks for Vocalists!

👀👂🏼🌶YouTube tips and tricks 👀👂🏼🌶

Get yourself a cup of tea, your tablet, phone or laptop and have a read of this thread on helpful tips for finding a whole different realm, for new music. Automatically fishing creative tasty albums and songs, that heal your divine soul 

There are many different platforms out there for listening to music. Spotify, youtube, amazon music, iTunes etc.
For me I am a lover of Youtube as I like to see the visuals too!

Here are some juicy tips I made today, for YOUTUBE in particular;

RECOMMENDATIONS
Use this! What a fantastic way to find new music, being recommended bands and artists that sound a-like to the people who already inspire you!
For those rainy days, look up your favourite album on youtube and see what recommendations you get from it, you may be very surprised!

PLAYLISTS
Now you have a little more time on your hands. Make some playlists! I have many titled playlists like – car, Sunday, roots, cleaning, Jazz hop, garden swing, dancing, wooden chill, sing to soul, nature sounds, samples etc..
All of which I use like a library or filing cabernet. Sectioning my music into different environments for my chosen ‘mood’ for listening.
Making playlists becomes very organised and is a nice way of keeping your taste and genres colourful.

AUTO PLAY – Turn auto- play ON!
This also works with your recommendations and especially when driving for example, a great way to avoid empty spaces if you are not listening from a playlist. Also automatically works with your listening algorithm.

LIVE STUDIO SESSIONS
KEXP, SOFA SOUNDS, NPR TINY DESK to name a few. Beautiful live performances overflowing with inspiring sounds.
Live radio is also a favourite of mine. Youtube caterers for all different tastes when it comes to radio so have some fun with finding a live station and genre that suits you.

SUBSCRIBING OR FOLLOWING
When listening to your favourite music check out the channel of the video and see what they have to offer! Subscribing and following the record Label is another way of widening your scope.

Enjoy the Journey ✌🏼💚

– 5th May 2020

ACTIVE

Struggling to find New Songs to Sing? Here is your answer..

🎶🌎Struggling to find songs you want to sing or albums and artists that inspire you? 🌏🎶

Get active!! Running, cycling and especially walking (personally for me) has significantly widened my music taste!

Solo activity with music puts your mind in a different place and becomes a matter of songs, not miles or minutes.

The Centre of Research states that “The lyrics or catchy rhythm of motivational music inspires you to exercise longer or work harder during your exercise routine “.
And that is totally true for me, at times I do not want my 5 mile walk to end, and find myself with sore feet when I get home having walked for much longer than expected!

The conscious feeling of strolling alone with headphones on has made me appreciate music and the pleasure it can gift us. There is a massive wide range of eclectic sounds available for us on the magic web..

Recently, with lots more time on my hands during isolation – time for healing and walking bare foot on soil and sand.
New music has magically flown into my ears and blown me off my feet! I have smiled, cried, danced, slowed down and taken a big breath. Sometimes not believing what I was hearing!

Each journey often having found awesome new music that I can do nothing more than repeat repeat repeat, and sing to!

By exploring music on a running platform not just in your music library – you are opening your ears to delightful opportunities for your heart and soul.

– 2nd May 2020