An Excellent and Inspiring Guide...
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I'm one of those who honestly felt that I had got my $... worth and then some in the first five minutes of working with this book. I've sung in bands and theatre with moderate success but always been frustrated at the entirely hit-or-miss nature of my grasp on 'how to sing'. It's never been something I 'do', but rather something I can 'usually get away with'. Love's book helped guide me in short order to a part of my voice that I've found on occasion on my own (usually in the car, or occasionally an inspired moment on stage, but almost never simply 'on demand') which I now realize is the middle voice he refers to in his book. Are there other ways to get there? No doubt. Is he first and only instructor to speak of this sort of thing? Of course not, but he's the VERY FIRST who managed to reach ME despite myself. Does that mean he will reach you as well? Who knows, but I'd say it's a pretty safe gamble you will take away something from this book and cd in short order if you approach it openly and with a good sense of humor. His simple device of using the 'cry' and whatnot have proved invaluable to me in 'remembering' how to find that sweet spot instead of shouting myself hoarse with vocal groping and frustration. Think Robert Smith or Danny Elfman to get an idea of how the 'cry' can sound. It's kind of a vocal 'shoe-horn' to get you into middle voice. Once you start to get a feel for this, the goofy images like 'think of your voice as a purple mist flowing--blah de blah de blah' start to actually become useful as you start to feel and hear when you're going from chest voice to head voice and/or somewhere in between. Good luck and have fun with the book. Really accentuate the cry when you get to that part. Let yourself be a goofy cartoon character for a bit and laugh and have fun, and you may suddenly realize that your voice is ringing more clearly and purely than ever before. If you've never experienced it before, you'll probaly freak a bit and think "What the shrieking f* was that?!" It will feel very 'unusual' and perhaps even 'un-safe' as in "I don't sound like THAT! OTHER people who really know how to sing sound like that!" Surrender a bit and let yourself continue to explore, and get a pocket recorder so you can record yourself on the fly, even while driving. Experiment. Laugh. Have fun. Good Luck!
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Make yourself heard
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The book 'Set Your Voice Free', by Roger Love, one of most famous and most in-demand vocal coaches in America, is a real godsend to those who rely on their voice for professional purposes (hmmm, why would a preacher need that?). Co-authored by Donna Frasier, this book explores techniques for preserving, strengthening, and extending the vocal power and range of the reader/practitioner. There is a forward by Dr. Laura Schlessinger--whether or not you agree with her opinions, you must admit she has vocal presence on the radio. This book will not turn you into Dr. Laura (in any respect!) but it will help you achieve the voice that you are capable of having, but simply did not gain the instruction to unleash. Why is speaking important? While this many seem a question with an obvious answer, it is usually an unexamined one. The right voice can make a business presentation or sales pitch more dynamic, and make the difference between closing the deal and walking away empty-handed. The right voice can win the man or woman of your dreams over to a first date. Even if you just want to sound better on your answering machine, this is book that will help. Think you can't carry a tune in a bucket, and that this is because you don't have musical training? Guess again. With simple exercises in this book, you will be singing along in no time with much less self-consciousness and more self-confidence, which in-and-of itself can make a difference in how you sound. It comes with an instructional CD with vocal exercises to follow. From simple breathing exercises (yes, there is a right way to breathe) to more specific practice routine, you will have material to follow to help you unlock the hidden potential of your voice. The sound you make will be richer, more fully rounded and developed. Roger Love includes extra helps for those who are primarily interested in singing (such a vibrato, riffs, and even stage presence), and those who are more interested in speaking (such as pacing, varying the tone, volume, even what to do with your hands). The final chapter takes on aspects of the healing power of the voice. Remember how wonderful you felt when, as a child, your mother would read softly or sing to you, how the sound of her voice alone was a great healing comfort? There is a reason for this, not simply due to the emotional bond with mother. The voice can reach parts of the brain that the language itself cannot reach. Learn to tap into that. Make a joyous sound! Read this book, and set your voice free!
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Love has talent -- but hard to apply for a struggling singer
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I was so into this book and was totally convinced that Roger Love would help me find my voice. I went so far as to meet him in person to get a one on one session. After 2 months of reading the book I found no improvements whatsoever in my voice. I was doing all the exercises, trying to breathe correctly -- and I just couldn't do. So I figured, if I met him in person, maybe he'd show me what I was doing wrong. So I paid the heavy sum to meet him personally and thought -- this is it -- I'm on my way. He did tell me what was wrong with my voice -- but no real tricks on how to fix the problems. I figured I paid this vocal genius the money -- now tell me the secret -- show me how to find my voice. The lesson unfortunately didn't help either. The guy is indeed talented, knowledgeable of his craft and I have great respect for him as a singer (his voice was unbelievable), but as a student, I couldn't grasp his teachings. I have been singing since I was in high school, which is close to ten years ago. I picked up some bad habits along the way, so I was trying to mend them and learn to sing the right way. It just didn't help me at all. Finally, I gave up on the book. I searched for vocal lessons elsewhere. I found a teacher who helped my voice tremendously in just one lesson using a technique started by Seth Riggs, known as "Speech Level Singing". It's working for me so far and I suggest maybe trying a book using this technique. But honestly, I think it's best to get a person one on one -- cause books can be vague. Learning to sing really takes professional guidance. There is so much involved in doing it right (which roger DOES actually go into extensively in this book)-- breathing, posture, position of larynx, type of foods you eat, drink (best to drink just plain water -- no teas, caffeine -- a tip from Roger), I mean -- so many factors, it's best to have someone right there guide you. Well, I hope this helps. Good luck. It's a tough road.
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Worth the money...
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I have been studying voice for about 10 months using the Seth Riggs method both from his book SINGING FOR THE STARS and from associate Speech Level Singing teachers. I found Roger Love's book to be very helpful and not at all a repeat of the Seth Riggs book. The exercizes on the CD are especially helpful and I have made some new progress. The cost of the book and CD is less than the cost of one voice lesson, but worth many times that.
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Roger's book has worked for me
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I can't vouch for the physiology involved with singing as I know little about the subject. What I do know is that working with the excercises on the included CD has helped me in 4 months more than anything in the 5 years I've been singing. I have gained considerable control and consistency which has so frustratingly eluded me up until this book. I work the exercises in my car to and from work with astonishing results. I recommend this book to anyone who has the discipline to make the exercises part of their daily/weekly routine.
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