One Year of Beginning Singer

Since Sunday January 17, it’s been one year since I began writing this blog. Back then, it was hosted on Wordpress.com and was called Life of a Beginning Singer. When I began self hosting, I shortened the name to just Beginning Singer. I also tried to focus less on me and more on the needs of all beginning singers out there. It’s been a lot of work, but I have learned so much in the process and have felt a real thrill when someone finds something useful here.

And I plan to continue. I am really enjoying working on this blog, and I have lots of ideas for its second year.

For those of you who have stopped by, commented, subscribed, retweeted, shared, or emailed me; thank you. I always look forward to your feedback. As always, if you have any ideas to make this blog better for you, then please let me know.

-Ian

Define Goals Constructively

How often do we teach through “don’t”, and is there a better way?

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Vocalise of the Week: Simple Quarter Notes

It is easy to get caught up within and impressed by complexity. Sometimes, though, we just need to keep things simple and reduce tasks to their most basic functions.

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Vocalise of the Week: Third, Fifth, Ninth, Eleventh, Thirteenth Scale

If you’re a singing glutton for punishment, then this scale pattern is for you.

[Continue reading Vocalise of the Week: Third, Fifth, Ninth, Eleventh, Thirteenth Scale]

Say Something Nice about Yourself

Say something nice about yourself. What you are doing is extremely difficult and brave, and it’s ok to acknowledge your strengths.

[Continue reading Say Something Nice about Yourself]

Vocalise of the Week: Third, Fifth, Ninth, Eleventh Scale

This is a challenging set of scale patterns running back to back with no chance to breathe.

[Continue reading Vocalise of the Week: Third, Fifth, Ninth, Eleventh Scale]

Vocalise of the Week: Fifth, Ninth, Eleventh Scale

This vocalise is modeled on one that Placido Domingo demonstrated in Great Singers on Great Singing.

[Continue reading Vocalise of the Week: Fifth, Ninth, Eleventh Scale]

Upcoming Performances

I’ll be performing in L’Elisir d’amore and Die Schöne Müllerin in Spring 2010.

[Continue reading Upcoming Performances]

YouTube Comments: Think Before You Post

Placido Domingo is great. If you believe many of the comments on Youtube, however, you would think that we’ve all been fooled.

The Actor's Nightmare is Useful

Boo

Last night, I had an Actor’s Nightmare – you know, the nightmare where you’re on stage in a play that you’ve never heard of…and you’re naked – that was more along the lines of the “Audition Nightmare”.

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About

Ian

Beginning Singer is about the challenges of becoming a professional singer.

My name is Ian Sidden, and I have been performing since I was a very little boy. I have always sung, and whether it was in musicals, rock bands, choirs or operas; I just couldn't shut up. I just completed graduate studies in Vocal Performance, and now it is do or die time to attempt a professional career.

Within this blog there will be writings on my own singing experiences as I live them, writings on singing technique and pedagogical observations, interviews, book reviews, and all sorts of singing related material.

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