Hello from Vermont!

rcrosier

Hi everyone,

Just stumbled across this site while looking for acoustic versions of "Love Don't Die" to play in our small duo, and watched Gabriella's version.  Followed the links and found the forum, so I decided to join and read some posts.  Looks very interesting and informative.

I'm "middle aged", did not sing or play anything for many, many years, and got back into it via Karaoke about 10 years ago, and have been hosting Karaoke nights once a month since then.  About 3 years ago, I got into singing at open mics and began learning to play drums and sing.  I saw a duo called "SIRSY", where the singer, a young lady named Melanie (who is now a friend), plays drums standing up while singing.  She's very good, and I love going to their gigs.  I began playing and singing standing up, and have been doing that for about 2 1/2 years now.  I'm taking vocal lessons from her, too, and did purchase the Singing Success video package a few years ago.  I got a little out of it, but not a ton, in my opinion.  I've gotten more from Melanie's lessons than from the SS vids.  We've hit a few "aha moments" over the past few months, and I'm beginning to see some changes, and having people "notice"... which is great fun.

I've recorded many Karaoke covers, and some tunes with several musicians (all amateurs, including me), and play or sing out about 3-4 times a month now, between hosting Karaoke, playing in the Due, and occasional Trio and open mics.

Look forward to reading, learning, and maybe one day purchasing some lessons here, when I have $$ available for it.  For now, I'll continue what I'm doing, and see what happens!

I see that there are some members that seem to be very forthcoming with help and posts... that looks great!

highmtn

Howdy, rcrosier

How is everybody doing in Vermont these days!

This is the place where people who have finally decided to get serious about learning to sing come to really learn to sing.  Many of us here previously studied Singing Success, but realized that the plateaus came and never ended. 

We hit plateaus at KTVA, but just when it seems endless, the next horizon comes into view.  And then the next, and then the one after that...

I've been studying KTVA methods for some time now, and the AHA moments just keep on happening.

I'm a drummer, too, and find it interesting that you and your vocal teacher play standing up.  I'm not sure how that works out with double-bass drum rolls and high-hat on two and four, but, hey, I bet you have a lot of fun with that style!

Always glad to meet another singing drummer...  Singing drummers rule, you know...

 

Bob

rcrosier

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the warm welcome!  In my part of Vermont, everybody is well, happy, healthy, for the most part.

Haha... drumming standing up re: double-bass and HH... it doesn't work!  

But, I "dumb-down" the songs so that I can play them.  I've only been playing drums for 3 years this October, and we're only a duo, but we play acoustic versions of several hundred songs from the 50's to last week!  We (the woman who plays guitar and sings with me and myself) love to play all kinds of music, and love having a good time with people where we play... So I've learned to live with not having a full set and learned more to have fun with what we do, and worry less about not being perfect or making mistakes here and there.  I have to admit that because we play so many songs, often by request, we "cheat" and use tablets for lyrics and chords, etc.  But hey, it works!

Melanie and Rich (SIRSY) are two of the nicest musicians I know, and play some great tunes with just two people!  She sings, plays drums, plays flute, and plays bass on a Roland pad, while he plays lead guitar, pedal bass, and sometimes a snare on the floor with a pedal.  Really fun music, in my opinion, but not everyone will like it, as with lots of music.  The first time I took my wife to hear them, she said "I didn't know any of the songs they played, but I enjoyed them all", and "You could hear her smiling while she sings!"

If you would like to, here is one of SIRSY's songs, one of my favorites, that she wrote about having cancer.  It's really great.  Obviously, I'm a big fan of theirs...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19itlTUfgns

Sing (and Drum) on!!

highmtn

Hey, Thanks!

I enjoyed listening to Melanie's song!

 

Bob

rcrosier

Any time!

rcrosier

Say Bob,

I'm not a student (yet), have not purchased any CD's/DVD's, etc, but is it appropriate for me to post a recording link?  I thought I'd post a "baseline" of something I recorded today.  I recorded a song specifically because my voice was a bit rough, weak and tired, probably from two 4-hour gigs with no break on Friday and Saturday night.  I thought it would give me something to reference 6 or 12 months from now, if I do participate in any KTVA courses, etc.

Thanks.

Ray

highmtn

Yes,  @rcrosier, you can post a link and we'll listen.

Since this is a KTVA site, we tend to evaluate what you are doing from a perspective of what we understand from KTVA to be correct vs incorrect techniques.

Good is good, whatever techniques you may be using, and bad is not so good. 

Feel free to post your demos.  We'll give you honest feedback, based on our understanding of the voice, what is safe, and what is not.

What you can't see as a "member" is thousands of posts on specific categories of many KTVA techniques, Instructional videos, Webinar recordings, etc...   Students have access to these resources and more detailed question and answer instructions.

We welcome guests and members to see and participate in this vocalist community.  Many of us started here and realized that KTVA was what we really needed to make a serious difference in our vocal development. 

Let's hear what you're up to.

 : ^ )

 

Bob

rcrosier

OK, thanks!  I will post one or two, and as time goes, I might try KTVA, and then see what I have after that, too.

aaaparts

Hey rcrosier, I live in North Carolina, but am from Burlington.  Did you every sign up for the program.  I am 33, but am like you have only been playing guitar for about 5 years and just started singing.  I would love to here your progress if you've been going through the course.  I've had the course for about a year but watched it a few times and shelved it.  I am now ready to commit the time I have been putting into the guitar to getting where I want to be vocally.  Glad to hear you are enjoying music.  I feel bad for all the folks who never give it a shot.  Lots of work, but they are truly missing out.  Hope everything is good in the Green Mountains.  Would love to hear y'all play when I get up there for a vacation.  Peace, Love, and Lightshows.               Jack Daniel

rcrosier

Hi Jack!  I just purchased the Pro program, and literally just started about three nights ago, and have only had the chance to practice two nights so far.  It's definitely a bit different than the Singing Success, and a different from my vocal instructor, but she's very close so far in some aspects.  I did as Ken suggests, and left everything at the door, and have already found some of the beginning exercises to be very interesting, and I think that after a couple weeks of practice, I'll notice some pretty cool changes.

I do think that my recent/current vocal lessons have helped me to "jump in" quite easily to the KTVA method, so that was nice.

I did not find the first volume to be daunting, and thought I might originally.

Things are great in the Green Mountains, at least in my part of them!  I live in the southwest corner, quite a ways from Burlington, but it's all nice here!

Let me know when you're coming North!

rcrosier

Thanks, @wabba_treads420!  Yes, it's pretty nice up here right now... maybe not so much in about 3-5 months!  Maybe then I'll trade with you!