I'm so confused and need help!
I've switched on and off for year with SLS and KTVA because I'm someone who learns by someone teaching me in person or via skype not a singing course. I was given KTVA by my best friend for my birthday last year and was going to buy some lessons until I saw the price and was already doing sls at the time and just stuck with that. It's been one year of studying on and off with a Brett Manning Associate maybe like only 10 lessons and you know what I really want my money back to give to Ken Tamplin because SLS DOES NOT WORK AND THIS IS A VIDEO TO PROVE IT! Only my headvoice developed but not my mixed and mid voice.This is a very humiliating video of my singing but this is what happens if I Don't force my voice to sing in this area and still it's strained. Is it to late to start doing KTVA? I'm really hesitant to start because I need my voice by the summer to be where I need it to be for an Audition. I really don't have enough money at the money to spend on lessons with Ken but I have his full course plus Building Head Voice. What happens if I start Volume 1 and I'm doing the exercises correctly? Also should I do it lightly in the audio workout for volume one? Or lightly and then do chest voice work? Or do I wait till volume two in chest voice work? 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqqHgBQ9Wkc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqqHgBQ9Wkc
Comments
Derrick,
It's a bit of a problem trying to mix SLS, or SS with KTVA. One of the things Ken asks you in his opening videos is to Leave Other Vocal Methods at the DOOR.
You can't pick and choose which aspects to apply if you're going to do KTVA. It's like trying to mix oil and water. Each method says that the other is an incorrect approach. You would be shocked if you knew the number of Singing Success refugees here. In part that is because Brett has a more aggressive advertising campaign and has slick, glitzy promotional material that many want to believe will give them the voice they are seeking.
Yes, I spent money on SS, and gave it my best shot. I learned a few things, but in the end, the methodology did not take me where I wanted to go with my voice. All the sparkle and glitz did not improve my voice satisfactorily.
The good news is that it is NOT too late to start doing KTVA exclusively. The Bad News is that you MUST forget every bit of misinformation that has been programmed into your brain about singing and start from scratch with Ken. If you try to continue your incorrect techniques into KTVA methods, you will not be successful. Your singing success depends on abandoning Singing Success principles and following exactly what is taught in Ken's lessons and ONLY what is taught in Ken's program.
In a previous post you talked about the practicalities of Only taking private webcam lessons from Ken and NOT doing the KTVA DVD and CD lessons. You have the entire program, so start afresh from Volume One and pretend you've never had a vocal "lesson" in your life.
Regarding Webcams with Ken: The practicality of that is you would have to spend the first several lessons learning from Ken directly the very principles that are covered in the DVD's and CD's. That would be a waste of time.There are hours and hours of instructional materials included in the KTVA package that are essential elements Ken would have to go over with you. Your money would be much better spent if you practiced everything in the CD's and DVD's and then had lessons with Ken to focus on the elements you are having difficulties with.
So start out with a clean slate. Focus on the DVD lessons. Watch all versions, the original, version 2, and How to Sing Better Than Anyone Else. Start from the beginning. Don't rush the process. Put demos of yourself going over the exercises here on the forums.
Don't worry. Give yourself time. Focus. It will be OK. You have a voice, you just don't know how to get behind the wheel and drive it properly yet. Especially in the upper mid, mixed area. You can't rush that. You can't force it. You have to let it be, and do what you need to do in order to get there properly. You will eventually find yourself allowing those notes to come out of your properly-configured vocal apparatus.
Sort it out. This is fixable. Don't mix oil and water. Use only the high-octane Super Fuel. You will do fine.
Bob
Actually it was a Bb5 but, who's counting?
Yes, the upper mids are important, and harder to come by than some of the notes above them.
Good for you, Derrick. Take your time so you know you're doing everything right and giving your brain and your body something to work with and embed into muscle memory as well as your subconscious. That's how these techniques become second nature, by making the correct methods totally familiar. Of course, your full consciousness is invited to come along and pay full attention. Your attention and perseverance play an important role in the learning and improving process.
When you catch yourself doing things right, take advantage of the moment and repeat. I repeat. Repeat... You are reprogramming your singing apparatus and control mechanisms. You may have some things embedded that need to be released from your previous singing experience. Take note of how things feel, sound, and work together to get the correct results. Store that information in your memory banks.
Do your best to sort through this, and don't be surprised when you come upon obstacles. Just learn to veer around them and stay on your new course. Gradually, you will replace the old with the new you. There are always ups and downs, not to mention plateaus that may seem endless. That's just because you can't quite see around the corner into the future where you make your next breakthrough.
Have faith that breakthroughs await you, big and small. Over time you will learn and improve in important ways. You're just getting started. Enjoy the process!
Bob
Derrick!
Everything will be fine! I can hear that you have a beautiful voice that is just waiting to grow. You've just started a great journey. If you follow Ken's advice, you'll see results. Don't panic if you don't get ready before the audition. It is better to work from the base and build a strong, reliable voice, and then go to auditions. There will always be new chances.
I really like that you posted something that is embarassing for you, because that helps other students to become open and not afraid of sharing. That is how we grow and learn. We all wish the best for eachother in here, and nothing is embarassing.
Look forward to hear more from you!
While we wait for them to answer, I'll give you my opinion: Do it the other way around. Work with your chest voice and then later the head and mixed voice. That will give you a very solid foundation, a flexible voice that can sing in a variety of ways. It is like building the base of the house first, what everything rest upon. It needs to be strong and reliable. And it is also a good way to learn proper support, vowel modifications and all the other important things that Ken teaches in his course.They you can become more and more sophisticated with time. Listen exactly to how Ken does it in the videos and exercises. And then see the videos on Youtube, how many different styles he sings, from heavy distortion to soul, pop and even opera.
Trine