A successful vocalist is ready for whatever the gig demands. This certificate program will develop your technique and skills in the jazz, R&B, pop, and rock genres so that you'll be comfortable with almost any set list you may encounter in the studio, on the stage, or on the road. Whether you’re a seasoned professional vocalist looking to expand your repertoire, reach, and/or opportunities, or an amateur who wants to sing more effectively, studying with Berklee’s renowned faculty will afford you an understanding of vocal technique across genres that is sure to prove helpful for years to come.
Great songs don’t write themselves. They come from great singer-songwriters who equip themselves with the skills and tools to make the most of their ideas. That means reaching a level of vocal and instrumental proficiency that allows your songs to shine. In this program, that instrumental proficiency is tailored to singer-songwriters who play guitar. The program culminates with strategies developed by legendary Berklee professor Pat Pattison for writing the brilliant lyrics common to many hit songs. You’ll leave this course with an understanding of how best to create unified, memorable songs.
Through guided study using video demonstrations, audio clips, and informative historical narrative, you will learn the technical and interpretive vocal skills necessary to master the styles of pop/rock greats, such as John Lennon / Paul McCartney, Janis Joplin, Robert Plant, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Madonna, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Tori Amos, Gwen Stefani, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and many others.
Learn the vocal techniques of the R&B greats, including Steve Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, and Beyonce. In this course, you'll gain the necessary skills to sing R&B in an authentic way, including proper phrasing, riffing, shouting, scale patterns, rhythmic articulation and much more.
To thrive as a well-rounded vocalist, you need more than a great voice; you also need to understand the mechanics of contemporary music. This certificate program offers music theory (intervals, scales, harmony, etc.), ear training (time, rhythm, pitch using the solfege method, etc.), and voice studies (breath, technique, vocal care, etc.)—all knowledge that is tailored to you as a vocalist. With a strong awareness of what is happening in the music that you hear, write, and/or sing, you’ll be able to stand out as a more confident and capable musician and vocal performer.
Apply the unique vocal characteristics of great jazz singers such as Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughn into your own sound. Understand proper jazz vocal delivery in a number of tempos and gain confidence singing an array of jazz standards in a live or recorded context.
Make your voice sound more powerful, use vocal technique to expand your range and expression, and learn to become more confident in vocal performances.
This best-selling comprehensive guide, based on the curriculum of the Voice Department at Berklee College of Music, is essential for every vocalist, male and female alike. Proper vocal technique can help prevent injuries, enabling singers at all levels to achieve good vocal health, maximize the potential of their voice, and extend their singing careers. Featured exercises instruct students on the best practices of professional technique, allowing them to gain more technical and expressive command over their instrument. The second edition contains improved vocal workouts and additional topics including performance anxiety and healthy singing.
Featured include:
The second edition contains new vocal workouts and additional topics such as including performance anxiety and healthy singing.
The companion CD makes this guide an ideal tool for creating a singing course for students of almost any age gender. Recorded exercises, for all voice ranges and types, allow students to practice the advice and tips discussed in the book. Students can practice technique along with lead sheets for such standard vocal pieces as:
“Anne Peckham’s complete knowledge of voice and clearly focused writing creates a method that delivers quick and positive improvements at any level of singing. An indispensable resource for moving vocal skills to the next level. Terrific work!”
—Livingston Taylor, Recording Artist, Performer
“This book will help make things clearer for voice teachers and students who want to improve their voices. I found myself using the techniques discussed before I finished reading the book. It is a great resource for anyone teaching or coaching vocalist!”
—Kevin Mahogany, Warner Bros. Recording Artist, Advisory Board for Vocal Jazz, International Association of Jazz Educators
“This step-by-step approach, with clear explanations of just what the heck is going on in your body when you sing, makes for an invaluable, to-the-point guide for developing singers.”
—Jeff Thacher, Rockapella
“A virtual user’s manual for the voice. This book covers issues of the vocal anatomy and mechanism, tone production, maintenance, and techniques for practice and performance. The CD contributes greatly to the book. I will recommend The Contemporary Singer to all.”
—Charles Floyd, Pianist, Composer, former Musical Director for Natalie Cole, Guest Conductor of the Boston Pops
“An outstanding contribution to the art and craft of singing. Her book will not only serve performers, but also physicians and laryngologists who seek to understand techniques of singing.”
—Dr. Steven M. Zeitels, Director, Division of Laryngology, Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary; Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
Anne Peckham has made a significant impact upon the field of contemporary vocal pedagogy worldwide as a voice teacher, author,…