Just got my first Webcam lesson (1 Hour)
NinaST
2.0 PRO Posts: 91
Hi Dudes and Divas!
I just got my first webcam class with Ken Tamplin and WOW! I don't even know where to begin!
I received so much information in only 1 hour. For a long time I thought that CVT was the holy grail for singing, but as I stopped making progress after 3 years I realized it's mostly theory and not practice. I am so glad that I made the switch to KTVA.
I learnt belting with CVT but it never really felt comfortable. My throat always felt kinda sore and I was really pushing the notes out.
But now with Ken Tamplin I got to the high E (I think) without feeling any strain at all. I did have to focus a lot and think about many things at the same time. But my throat was completely relaxed and it just felt so good! My mom (who is also a singer) could hear me downstairs and noticed how my pitch got better. I didn't even focus on pitch! My pitch got better automatically as I used better technique! My mom also told me how my voice sounded really clear afterwards, usually my voice gets tired after singing for a while (especially belting), but now I don't feel a thing.
I know it really looks quite pricey but I realised I spent the same amount of money to a vocal coach who didn't teach me nearly as much in 10 hours. (I feel really sorry to say that, cuz she is such a nice person, though.)
Also, I've been really struggling with my self esteem recently because I felt like I couldn't live up to my own expectations. But I feel so much better, now I realize how much potential I've got if I continue to do this consistently.
The only thing I regret is that I didn't start this sooner. (I've actually had the course for a long time already..) But at the same time, I am now more dedicated than ever and I think I need this kind of dedication to learn the KTVA method.
One tiny side note: I have met my favorite artist (Sugizo) in November and he told me that in order to become a musician I need 2 things: 1. Being crazy about music. 2. Discipline. I've always been wondering what exactly he meant by discipline. I thought that if you love to sing, you don't need discipline, cuz you will do it automatically. Now I realize that it takes discipline to continuously go back to correct your mistakes and to be consistent with the technique to put things into your muscle memory. I think it's very similar to playing the guitar (or any kind of instrument).
I just got my first webcam class with Ken Tamplin and WOW! I don't even know where to begin!
I received so much information in only 1 hour. For a long time I thought that CVT was the holy grail for singing, but as I stopped making progress after 3 years I realized it's mostly theory and not practice. I am so glad that I made the switch to KTVA.
I learnt belting with CVT but it never really felt comfortable. My throat always felt kinda sore and I was really pushing the notes out.
But now with Ken Tamplin I got to the high E (I think) without feeling any strain at all. I did have to focus a lot and think about many things at the same time. But my throat was completely relaxed and it just felt so good! My mom (who is also a singer) could hear me downstairs and noticed how my pitch got better. I didn't even focus on pitch! My pitch got better automatically as I used better technique! My mom also told me how my voice sounded really clear afterwards, usually my voice gets tired after singing for a while (especially belting), but now I don't feel a thing.
I know it really looks quite pricey but I realised I spent the same amount of money to a vocal coach who didn't teach me nearly as much in 10 hours. (I feel really sorry to say that, cuz she is such a nice person, though.)
Also, I've been really struggling with my self esteem recently because I felt like I couldn't live up to my own expectations. But I feel so much better, now I realize how much potential I've got if I continue to do this consistently.
The only thing I regret is that I didn't start this sooner. (I've actually had the course for a long time already..) But at the same time, I am now more dedicated than ever and I think I need this kind of dedication to learn the KTVA method.
One tiny side note: I have met my favorite artist (Sugizo) in November and he told me that in order to become a musician I need 2 things: 1. Being crazy about music. 2. Discipline. I've always been wondering what exactly he meant by discipline. I thought that if you love to sing, you don't need discipline, cuz you will do it automatically. Now I realize that it takes discipline to continuously go back to correct your mistakes and to be consistent with the technique to put things into your muscle memory. I think it's very similar to playing the guitar (or any kind of instrument).
Comments
I am lucky that Ken also gives classes in the morning. Otherwise it would be a problem. I don't mind taking classes at night, but my parents might..
He is really quick in finding issues and he is quite strict, which is great. Otherwise I wouldn't make any improvement.
Also.. He told me I was an Alto.. Which just blew my mind.. XD I have always been told that I was a soprano. Perhaps that's really great, though. I might be able to reach lower notes if I stretch that too.
yeah, this is a common sentiment around here!
But like I said I wouldn't have the same determination as I have now, which is absolutely necessary.
It's great to hear from someone who is serious enough about their commitment to singing to go to the source and realize that you have found what you have been needing, and that you have the drive and inspiration to follow your heart to realize your goals.
It is easy to become jaded and to want the world handed to you on a silver platter. Others know that it takes commitment and hard work to achieve great goals.
I studied CVT, Singing Success, Seth Riggs' SLS, Per Bristow, Mark Baxter's methods, Jim Gillette, Ann Peckham, David Jones, Roger Love, Carl Olsen, (and many other singing methods you may have never heard of) before finding Ken. I have many books, including the CVT manual, and have spent tons of time searching the internet, reading entire web sites on vocal pedagogy. I spent YEARS and thousands of dollars that were wasted on those programs. Time and money down the drain. I watched hundreds and hundreds of tutorials on YouTube from every reputable teacher and many fakers that try to come across as legitimate vocal instructors.
Much like Ken, I found that all of these sources completely contradicted one another on many aspects of singing, and only some agreed on a very few items.
Then one day, I stumbled upon this guy that actually sang, and really sang well. And he said, If you like the way I sing, I'll show you how I do it. I thought "if I could sing one-tenth as well as this guy, I would be a happy guy." That was Ken.
I knew as soon as I actually tried the KTVA program that I had finally found what really works, from someone who really knew how to sing. Ken's program is worth FAR MORE than what he charges. It's SOLID GOLD information.
It's a fact. You can go around and around in circles chasing conflicting information, and never get anywhere.
Like you said, my biggest regret is that it took so long to find the real thing and was such a waste trying all of those methods that promised a lot but did not deliver.
Welcome to the KTVA Forums!
Bob
I am really sorry for your late reply, and thanks a lot for your feedback!
I totally agree that it takes time and commitment to get better. I have been doing the exercises religiously 6 times a week 1 to 3 hours a day. I don't believe in shortcuts to achieve greatness. I do want to become a professional singer someday, but I am going to take my time for it, cuz I want to have a long lasting career and I don't believe that's possible if I don't set my mind on long term goals, rather than taking shortcuts. (It's just something I believe in, it might not always be that way.)
I am really glad that the KTVA method is working out great for you!! and seeing as you have tried so many things, I feel quite confident that KTVA probably is the best program out there. I have to admit that it's really scary to dive into something completely different and to do it with such commitment. I was also very committed to CVT, but now I realize how many gaps this method has as I reached my plateau. I needed a lot of courage to realize that the method I really believed in didn't benefit me anymore and that I had to basically "start over" again.
The scary thing is that there is no way of knowing how much my voice will develop in the next few years, but if you look at the progress that so many students have made, I think it's safe to say that it really works.
Also, the fact that Ken can correct me on so many things, whereas my CVT teacher just stopped correcting me, gives me hope that further development is possible. (I actually noticed that CVT doesn't believe in correcting people, like what!?
How did it feel for you when you switched methods over and over again? I can imagine it gets really frustrating..
It's really hard to admit that the time spent (YEARS) on other programs that I believed in was simply wasted. You can call it "character-building". I guess you can put a nice spin on it to say that if I hadn't spent so long on those other courses before coming to KTVA, I might not have realized that KTVA was so much better.
That's kind of like saying that you can't appreciate joy in life unless you have suffered pain and disappointment.
Seriously, I think that if most of us could skip the disappointments in life, we would choose to do so in a heartbeat. But life isn't like that, so we take our lumps, and really appreciate it when we know we are on to something really good.
I just know that, for me, it was the turning point that I was looking for every time I dived into a new singing program.
When I started doing the KTVA exercises, my voice began to actually grow and develop in ways that nay, nay, nay and other nonsense "exercises" had produced.
All of the different things I had studied previously gave me a great background to evaluate Ken's program.
Yes, is IS scary to think that you're starting over again. But in a sense, you were never actually on the right track before. So the good news is that now you are at the beginning of your REAL vocal journey. Better late than never.
You will look back in a year and say WOW! Same thing the year after that, and on and on for as long as you keep developing your voice with Ken's methods. It doesn't stop. Yes, you will hit plateaus. But the plateaus eventually, and inevitably lead to new breakthroughs. You'll see.
Bob
You need to study something for a bit to really start to see the flaws and bad experiences make us stronger and wiser.
I am really curious to see what I will achieve in one month > one year > and so on..
There is a place to receive feedback, but you should become a student member first.
Click on this link to see the procedure:
https://forum.kentamplinvocalacademy.com/discussion/6859/how-to-get-access-to-the-ktva-how-to-sing-better-than-anyone-else-student-areas-of-the-forums#
Once the student areas become visible it should be clear.
I am struggling on volume 1 a lot right now. But I have not asked much questions here cause of how I said that I understood everything and feeling a little embarrassed. I do not really know if I do my exercises correctly or not
Post your scales in the student sections in Volume One here on the forums, and you will get detailed help and be directed to areas in the course that will help you learn what you need to learn.
I'm really glad our comments inspired you!
And trust me.. Been there, done that. My previous teacher couldn't really teach me any more stuff so I though I was doing really great.. But I still felt like I hadn't reached my full potential yet, that's why I switched to Ken Tamplin.
Now I feel like a complete beginner, but at least my singing is improving again.
Btw. When I feel like I suck, I always think about the Dunning-Kruger effect:
The more you know, the more you realize you don't know, which is making you insecure. (Does that make any sense?)
Anyway.. You can upload your scales in here and it will surely help you. But if you can afford it, I'd advice you to take an one hour lesson from Ken Tamplin himself. I was a bit lost with the exercises in volume 1 as well, but the skype session with Ken Tamplin put me on the right track. You will receive a recording of the skype session so you can refer back to it. I have practiced a lot along with these skype sessions, because it's so much easier to copy yourself, in my opinion.