Latest Articles

From the Editor : Too Much of a Good Thing

The 2006 M. Night Shyamalan film, Lady in the Water, tells the story of a group of eclectic people that live in the same apartment complex. The movie was hardly

Apr 01 Sara Thomas

Musings on Mechanics : An Argument against ABStinence

Do you want stronger abs but are concerned that it could negatively impact your singing? Find out if this is a legitimate concern and learn exercises that will strengthen your stomach muscles while still leaving the flexibility you need as a singer.

Apr 01 Claudia Friedlander

Regain Your Creative Joy

By Angela Peterson Winter There comes a point in many artists’ lives when we begin to feel our art is more of a chore than a joy, more of a

Mar 31 Auditions Plus

A Great Singing Venue for You – Part II

By Mark Stoddard, author of Marketing Singers, a business and marketing guidebook written specifically for singers. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the need for singers–and all musicians–to

Mar 30 Auditions Plus

The "5 Whys" Technique and Your Next Lesson

Tired of discouraging, confidence-sapping practice sessions? The “5 Whys” technique could help turn things around. Every child seems to go through a phase in toddlerhood where they respond to everything

Mar 26 Auditions Plus

China Day 4 – Surreal

By Alex Stoddard A fabulous day in Beijing. There was unfortunately no singing or music in general involved, so you can skip this post if needed. It was

Mar 23 Auditions Plus

China Day 3 – Masterclasses

Today was not a great day for me personally. I laid sick in bed the entire day. So I gave the blog writing responsibility to my Dad Mark Stoddard. He

Mar 21 Auditions Plus

China Day 2 – Walking and Winners

By Alex Stoddard I had a fantastic day today. I’m very, very blessed. Great people. Great city. Great singing. A great event. The day started today with

Mar 20 Auditions Plus

China Day 1 – New Singing

By Alex Stoddard Hello from Beijing! Today was Day 1 of the Classical Singer International Vocal Competition. The talent of the 70 singers from the Central Conservatory of

Mar 19 Auditions Plus

China – It's All About the Doing

By Alex Stoddard It’s all in the doing. What I mean is that life, as they say, is not a spectator sport. If you recall the Garth Brooks’

Mar 17 Auditions Plus

Networking: The Friendship Factor

By Jonathan Blalock of Encompass Arts Recently several colleagues have asked me about networking. In school we all learned vocal technique, but conservatories often don’t teach us the essentials of

Mar 13 Auditions Plus

Need Energy to Sing? Stop Counting Calories

By Susan Brownfield For decades, common nutrition advice has told us that “a calorie is simply a calorie.” We have been told that in order for us to maintain a

Mar 10 Auditions Plus