Hi everybody!

It has been a LONG time since I have posted out here on the forums and I have a lot of catching up to do! This SynthZone forum community is so active...it is hard to keep up with everything that has been going on. (Sorry that I have not been out here in a while - you all have probably been wondering where I have been!)

First of all, my twin brother (Robby) and I plan to do a vocal recording very soon. We plan to sing on our Birthday, which is this July 23rd! We will be turning 17 years old!

We never dreamed that we would have a brand new keyboard on or especially BEFORE our Birthday! So, therefore, I feel that the keyboard we received from the SynthZone is a Birthday present. My family and I were discussing how it is a miracle that we received the keyboard and we realize that you all gave us an early Birthday present! Thank you, in advance, for giving us our dream Birthday present!

So, as you know, we plan to do a vocal recording. I have created some awesome drum rhythms from scratch using the Yamaha PSR740's awesome style recorder. Also, on top of that, the song will consist of beautiful, dramatic strings and more! And now, we plan to sing to the song, even though the song still has many areas that need to be worked on. We have an idea about lyrics and we still need to record the main parts...but we plan to sing on our birthday anyway!

May I ask all of you experienced singers for advice? I realize that there are many talented singers out here on the forums and I am seeking your valuable advice. For instance, is there anything we need to do in order to prepare ourselves before singing? We need all of the advice we can get!

I also saw that other people also had Birthdays in July as well! Happy Birthday to DonM and everyone else who is planning on celebrating their special day in July! See you around everyone and looking forward to hearing from you,
Ryan

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CHECK OUT THE PTRNET WEBSITES!

Performance Hall, Dedicated to Thomas Brothers Music: http://webquad.tripod.com/ph/

American Conquest Real-Time-Strategy Game: http://ptrnet.tripod.com/ac/

Ryan: A week early Happy 17th Birthday greetings to both you and your brother Robby. As Frank Sinatra delivered so beautifully in a song, "It was a Very Good Year" indeed. ENJOY !
http://www.vex.net/~buff/sinatra/cgi/arch.cgi/It_Was_a_Very_Good_Year

Vocal Preparation advice?

1) Do some vocal warm ups (for approx 5 minutes) before actually recording: start by singing an ascending/descending major scale on the vowels: (eh),(ee), (ah), (oh), (oo) begining with a low note which is still comfortable for you to sing. Then proceed to the next diatonic note and sing another ascending/desending major scale, etc. This should (hopefully) stretch & relax your vocal chords in preparation for singing.

1) Don't forget to BREATHE ! Insufficient breathe support is one of the most frequent problems which cause singers to have pitch sustain problems. Practice diaphramatic breathing. Your rib cage & diaphram should expand (like a balloon) as you fill up with air.

2) Express the lyrics (story or message) 'from your HEART' ! Before I sing a song, I find that memorizing (speaking)the words as if you are 'talking' to someone directly, will help with producing the most convincing phrasing when sung.

3) Sip warm (but not hot) liquid (water or tea) to soothe & keep your throat moist. No milk products (causes pleghm & mucous) or highly acidic juices (orange juice/sour lemonade), as they will strip your throat/cords.

I look forward to hearing your next song (including vocals). Good luck.

Scott

Hey Scotty! Thanks for responding to me and giving me that valuable advice!

First of all, just as it said in the lyrics you shared with me, this year of 2002 was a very good year, full of miracles! Of course, one of the miracles was when Yamaha and the SynthZone gave my family and I the awesome Yamaha PSR740 keyboard. We have been so blessed and I am so content in what I have. I have learned so much about music and I feel that both my twin and I are creating more awesome music everyday! Our dreams came true and on our Birthday (which is just right around the corner!) we are going to celebrate by singing and sharing all of our music with the family!

You advice was VERY helpful! I like how you mentioned to sing and express the words "from your heart". That is VERY good advice and I believe that it is the most important thing to compose, play, and sing from the bottom of your heart! I always say that, "God will provide and the music will come to you!"

I did a practice vocal "recording session" just today. My brother Robby is a VERY good singer as well and I enjoy listening to his music...and we are going to have lots of fun on our Birthday! As I did my practice vocal, I had a cup of water and I remembered to keep on breathing as I sung. Your advice was very helpful and I will be sure to let all of you know when the song is finished (I will also let you know when Robby's song is finished too! )

Well, thanks again Scott and see you around everybody!
Ryan

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CHECK OUT THE PTRNET WEBSITES!

Performance Hall, Dedicated to Thomas Brothers Music: http://webquad.tripod.com/ph/

American Conquest Real-Time-Strategy Game: http://ptrnet.tripod.com/ac/

(NEW!) Officers of Valor Gaming Group: http://ptrnet.tripod.com/oov/

[This message has been edited by ComposerRyan (edited 07-21-2002).]