"Jaime Vendera, Author of Raise Your Voice"
Jaime Vendera | Ohio | 12/26/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Vocal coach Cara Mastrey has released her first instructional CD in a 3 CD series. She honed her vocal skills under the guise of world-renowned vocal coaches Elizabeth Sabine and Ron Anderson. She has performed live and recorded for the past 20 years and has shared the stage with rock legends such as, Ratt, Motley Crue, Dokken, Quiet Riot, Warrant, and Roy Harper. She has been teaching voice for the past 14 years and specializes in power vocals, making her in great demand by rock singers.
This 25 minute no-nonsense, introductory vocal lesson, covers a variety of must-have techniques for effortless vocal production. The CD begins with an introductory explanation of voice, including breath technique. She covers correct breath technique, explaining the diaphragm, and presents a simple method to assure that the correct breath is taken. Cara also explains the three types of voices that she helps the student to develop-head voice, speaking voice, and the body voice, or "power voice".
Cara leads the student through a series of relaxing, progressive exercises to open and strengthen the voice for effortless singing. Some of her unique exercises include the "do-it" exercise and the " bug" exercise. Each exercise is produced with a light, clean, sound that floats on the breath. Her emphasis on the power of the breath teaches the student to allow the breath to "flow freely" as each exercise is performed. As the CD progresses, Cara leads the student into louder, increasingly resonant exercises-after the student's voice has opened.
As each exercise is performed, Cara provides the student with important tips, such as correct lip and tongue placement for preventing a blocked vocal path. She presents a method for teaching the tongue to remain flat for keeping the vocal path open. She also emphasizes the importance of recording yourself to evaluate your progression.
The CD in concluded with a series of warm down exercises, which are extremely important for maintaining a healthy voice. The soft focused approach of this series is extremely powerful for developing range and a focused sound. It is better to begin extending the range at a light volume, before adding volume, as opposed to belting out an exercise or beginning at full force. Only when you learn to work the vocal cords at a light volume, can you extend your range and add power without hurting your voice. This CD is a great choice for using this approach. It also reminds me of one of my favorite vocal videos, Vocal Endurance by Johnny Gioelli, which approaches vocal training in the same manner.
Whether you are a beginner or professional, I suggest adding Sing With Mastrey to your vocal instruction repertoire. Try this program out for a month and watch your voice unfold. I personally recommend Cara's lesson and can't wait for the 2nd and 3rd installment of this series."
Track Listings (1) - Disc #1