VocalQuarters
… with renowned voice coach Diana Yampolsky
As a world-renowned vocal coach, voice repair specialist, and author, there are few things Diana Yampolsky doesn’t know about the human voice and how to get it to perform at its peak.
She has helped a myriad of stars achieve their vocal potential, including Our Lady Peace singer Raine Maida (US Top 10, Canada No.1), Canadian Idol winner Brian Melo (Canada Gold) and singer-songwriter Anjulie (US Dance No.1), and she can help you too whatever your ability! According to Ms. Yampolsky, while 25% of a singer’s performance is grounded in talent, 75% relies on coaching.
We are therefore excited that the Toronto-based specialist has agreed to herald our new VocalQuarters section with a regular column that will address the ways in which you can improve both your voice and vocals. Not only that but she will also be on hand to answer any questions you might have.
Vocally Speaking - The Cutting Edge
by Diana Yampolsky
Any singer with aspirations of greatness must first find their own ‘cutting edge’.
The term is the title of an obscure movie about figure skating that in its story perfectly encapsulates what I want to say about finding your own cutting edge – vocally speaking.
In the movie a figure skating duo from the United States is competing to win the gold medal at the Olympics. During their practice sessions their coach tries to find something that will give them an advantage over the competition. The turning point in their quest comes when he asks them why it is they think they have a chance of winning. As they are unable to come up with an adequate answer, he answers for them - what they need is a cutting edge, something extraordinary that will ensure they become Olympic champions.
With their competition essentially performing the same jumps and routines as them, in the end what it really comes down to is not who are the greatest skaters but who are the best on the day.
The coach then goes on to tell them about a very dangerous jump called the ‘deadly spiral’, a move so difficult and dangerous that no one else would ever dare try it. If the duo were able to master this jump then they would almost certainly be guaranteed the gold medal.
Although at first they are apprehensive, he convinces the skating duo that they have the technical skills necessary to nail it. Much of the rest of the movie focuses on their attempts to master the move - nearly killing each other in the process - before they ultimately succeed in their goal of becoming Olympic champions. The ‘deadly spiral’ was obviously their ‘cutting edge’ over the other skaters.
Similarly, I have a lot of CDs in my collection that contain good music, decent songs and adequate vocals, but what the majority miss is their own cutting edge. So take a moment to ask yourself, “As a singer, what makes me different?”
I think you would agree with me that any singer that sounds just like everyone else is pretty boring. Nobody ever sold a million records performing as a tribute band! Every singer that has become a legend - Elvis, The Beatles, Aretha Franklin - had something original and unique that set them apart from every singer before them. Their voices were unique and original, but they also had other intangible qualities as well.
Now you are probably asking yourself what you can do to acquire your own cutting edge. There are essentially two ways to do it.
The first thing is to do as the aforementioned skaters did - find or create something that will give you a leg up on the competition. It may be a particularly difficult or beautiful song that you learn how to sing exceptionally well - your own Deadly Spiral as it were.
Or it could be the way you carry yourself on stage - what most people call stage presence. It can even be a unique look, just as long as it is relates well to the style of music you are performing. Most people wouldn't regard the members of KISS as being extraordinary singers and songwriters but they achieved a perfect balance between style of music, songs, vocals, image and performance.
The second way is to develop it from within your self. It is important to understand that you already possess your own unique quality that separates you from every other person on the planet - your spirit or, if you prefer, your soul. At the very least you have to admit that your DNA differs in some way from every other human being. Furthermore, your experiences are never completely alike to those of anyone else. Either way, what you have to learn how to do is to unleash this individuality and channel it into your vocal performances.
Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty is a prime example of a singer whose cutting edge is his own inner energy, which is incredibly high and orgasmic and which transfers directly to the audience.
As outlined in my book, ‘Vocal Science - Flight to the Universe’, a singer can only invest their performances with their own individual spirit when they are grounded in flawless technique. This will also prevent them from damaging their main commodity - their voice.
Whenever a new artist begins instruction with me we first concentrate solely on the technical aspects of singing. As the artist progresses and develops to the point that the technique becomes second nature, their individuality naturally starts to come out in his vocal performances. This is very exciting to witness and one of the things I love most about my job.
I can vividly remember an artist who once called me after a performance. He was very excited about what people were saying about his new way of singing in light of the work we had done together. As is the case with many amateur bands, many of the same people – largely friends and family - attend most of their performances. This time, several had told him that not only had his pitch and projection improved immensely but he also sounded more different and original. Whereas before he had sounded like Bono of U2 and Chris Martin of Coldplay, now they couldn't really compare him to anyone else. He had developed his own cutting edge and was exhibiting something that was unique to him.
When a singer develops his own cutting edge it is truly a joyous experience. It's like witnessing the singer being reborn. Until next time, keep working at developing your own unique style and be sure to stay tuned for future columns.
Besides writing a regular column for HitQuarters, Diana Yampolsky will be available for a special Q&A session to answer any specialist questions you might have about vocal performance, technique, care etc. Please send any questions to Diana here
To learn more about Diana and her unique vocal tuition read our interview with her here
