Excitement of a New Release
Melany Houle is one of my participants in a recent Estill Voice Workshop Level I & II. It is always so satisfying for a voice teacher to receive emails like the following.( p.s. her native tongue is French)
Hi Judith!
Thank you for your message! I have a lot of developments in my career now! I just recorded a single in studio! I sing in belting on that song! It was soooo easy to record it, just few takes of the song and everything was perfect! Its a dance song . I really like what my voice is now and everytime that I have to sing, it so easy! Unbelievable! Thank you very much again for that amazing vocal training ! It changed my whole life everyday ! ;)))) bye from Canada, !!!! Mélany Houle
Soon after her announcement of the release of her first single she let me know that it made #16 on the charts . Some accomplishments of two other students that have learned how the Estill Voice techniques give them greater control are:
Jenna Butz went to the State Thespian Festival with Nipomo High School Drama department and won first place in the solo song division.
Christian Schmidt made the Finals of the Santa Barbara Teen Idol.
Mike Mesker and Kurt Haaker got great reviews in their roles in “Drowsy Chaperone” at the Clark Center.
May 6 2011
The Next Step
One of the jobs of a voice teacher working with students is to prepare them for the audition process whether for a show or school. It is important to choose repertoire that not only fits the requirements of the audition, but that is appropriate for their voice and their character, and shows them off to their best advantage. I am proud of the students that have worked hard on their college audition preparations and am pleased to announce their success for school in Fall'11
Kurt Haaker has been accepted to the American Music and Drama Academy in Hollywood.
Kimberly Gerhart has been accepted to Vanguard University in Costa Messa, and has been awareded a Music Scholarship.
Rachelle Williams had a rigorous audition tour and was accepted at San Jose State University,Azusa Pacific, Chapman University and the University of the Pacific. To top that all off, she has been selected to receive scholarships from each of them.
Congratulations to all!!!
March 12, 2011
A Life Well Sung
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Jo Estill, singer, teacher, researcher, and founder of Estill Voice Training. The character of her memorial service reflected the uniqueness of her personality. The family and service participants were dressed in purples, Jo’s favorite color. The singing and eulogies were interspersed with a juggler and acrobat, because she had requested a celebration with a Cirque de Soleil atmosphere.
The most impressive thing however, were the eulogies that were delivered personally and by letter. They were from around the world, with person after person stating how much they owe their daily successes to the brilliant insights of this remarkable woman. The understanding of what anatomical structures influence the production and sound of the voice, and the knowledge of how to consciously adjust them for the desired sound and volume have offered us greater confident control, and versatility of musical style. It gives voice teachers and singers a consistent language to talk about the voice, and a system that explains and trains any kind of vocal style.
Jo Estill died peacefully in the knowledge that her work had been passed on to an organization of highly trained and certified voice teachers committed to maintaining the integrity of her research and training system. They accomplish this by offering regular workshops by certified personnel that have been rigorously trained and tested. They also are dedicated to continuing the research that Jo started..
You can go to “www.EstillVoice.com” and see the web site of Estill Voice International. You can learn more about Jo Estill and also find information about Estill Voice Training, certified teachers around the world, and schedules of classes and workshops.
Feb. 1, 2011
The Art of the Possible
Most of us are used to the concept that we go to a voice teacher to find out what we are supposed to do. It turns the brain around a little when you study Estill Voice Training and find out what is possible to do. With a clear understanding of your choices you are better able to confidently control your voice, increase your dynamic range, and adjust voice qualities for expressive or stylistic needs.
By using x-rays, spectrographs, and endoscopic videos where she actually observed the larynx and vocal folds in action, Jo Estill was able to break down the voice into 13 anatomical elements. She was able to clarify how each element effects the sound and power of the voice. The exciting conclusion was how she worked out exercises or “figures” that help us to voluntarily adjust these anatomical elements to get the exact effect we want, within a healthy way of producing a sound.
The most efficient way to learn Estill Voice Training is to attend a Level I & II Workshop where you will learn all 13 elements, how to connect to them, and to combine them into different voice qualities. The information is valuable to Singers, Actors, Speakers, Classroom Teachers, Choir
Directors, Voice Teachers. In five days of Powerpoint presentations, videos, activities, break out sessions and open sessions you will receive much more information than you could in a year’s worth of weekly voice lessons.f
June 1 2010
THE COUGH DROP AWARD
At the end of each Estill Voice Training Workshop we take some time for the participants to share the important things they learned and how it matches up to their opening expectations. The overwhelming majority always say they are amazed at how much more they learned than what they originally expected.
One baritone at the last summer workshop in Pismo Beach stood up for his turn and ceremoniously presented me with two bags of cough drops. He said that he had come prepared for a week of singing. Singing had always given him soar throats, vocal strain and fatigue. He had been worried about participating for a full 5 days, so he had brought along some “supplies”. He apologized that one of the bags of cough drops had already been opened, but assured me that he had only used one cough drop. He had taken it in preparation for the first session. He said that now that he understands how to anchor the torso to aide in more efficient use of the breath, and how to use the False Vocal Folds to minimize pressure on the True Vocal Folds, he won’t need the cough drops anymore.
Henrietta Carter, Department Chair, Performing Arts Department of Golden West College , summed up her experience by saying:” The Estill Vocal Model reviewed, refreshed, tied together and advanced all of the previous knowledge and skills I had previously gained from a variety of sources”.
Endorsements from credentialed figures are well appreciated, however, the Cough Drop Award is a valued concrete symbol of the effectiveness and efficiency of Estill Voice Training.
