Expert: Phil Nemy - 3/17/2010

Question
1. I have a bad habit of sing with a covered voice sometimes - how do I sing through the mask of my face instead of singing towards the back of my face (if that makes any sense). Because of this, it's hard to stay in tune because it causes me to sing under pitch at times.

2. I tend to use my throat to create vibrato, and this is another bad habit of mine. How can I develop a more natural sounding vibrato by using airflow?

3. I have a vocal audition coming up. How can I improve my sight reading and my tonal memory (these are two components involved in the audition).

I am alright at sight reading (done with solfege), but I still want to improve, and as for my tonal memory, that could use some work - especially for the 4-bar phrases involved in the tonal memory component of the audition.

The audition is this Friday, so I need any help I can get.

Thanks!

Answer
Maria,

Thanks for writing. My expertise does not fall into the area of singing or vocal training. My suggestion is to seek a voice teacher in your area who can help bring your voice forward and out of your throat. There may be someone on this site who can help, but I'm not sure. If not, check the universities in the cities where you live and see if any of them have a music school or a vocal department or instructor. Then reach out to them with your questions and see if they can help.

Good luck!

Phil