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Below are common strategies which are effective with vocal students.
Warm-ups for children prioritize fun and engagement to maintain their interest and energy. Playful exercises like animal sounds or simple scales (Do-Re-Mi) help develop their pitch and melody in an enjoyable way. Movement-based activities, such as jumping while humming or using silly sounds, keep them focused and active. These warm-ups are typically short, as children have shorter attention spans and need more variety to stay motivated.
For adults, warm-ups focus more on building vocal technique and control. Exercises emphasize breath support, resonance, and expanding vocal range, using deep breathing, complex scales, and arpeggios to challenge their voice. Adults can handle longer, more targeted warm-up routines that address specific vocal elements, like improving diction, vibrato, or flexibility, allowing for a more refined and comprehensive vocal preparation.
Warming up the voice is essential to how you produce and deliver a song. Proper vocal training requires warming up your voice for at least 15-20 min day for beginners. For those who are at intermediate to advanced levels, There may be additional exercises require a longer warm up anywhere from 20-60 minutes. Regardless of level, Vocal exercises should include:
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Mikaela Guerrero2024-08-27
Joann is a very kind, encouraging, and knowledgeable voice teacher. I started by watching the video replays of her monthly masterclasses on special topics (Mixed Voice, Belting, Riffs & Runs, etc.) and then decided to try them out in person after I saw their high quality. I was instantly wowed by how she gave very targeted exercises so that students could isolate the different elements of singing and practice them one at a time! For example, she has certain exercises for developing better breath control, other exercises for chest-dominant mixing, and more. This compelled me to take her Private Combo (1 private lesson and 1 Marco Polo asynchronous video review) in addition to the masterclasses. I have had only a few private lessons so far, but she has already taught me so many ways to practice effectively and develop a better voice in the long run. For example, even though I am far from mastering mixed voice, I feel like I finally understand how mixed voice works thanks to her explanations. Would definitely recommend!
David Ouyang2024-08-21As a complete amateur who was insecure about my singing voice but just wanted to sound a bit better at karaoke, I finally decided to take formal lessons with Joann. After a few months, I've never felt more confident singing in front of others, and have friends telling me they can really hear the difference. At first I wasn't sure if voice lessons would actually be useful in improving my sound. Joann helped me start from the basics, such as breathing techniques and then moving on to concepts like vocal closure that aren't obvious, but once you're aware can produce noticeable results. Her class structure comprises of both warmup and technique exercises plus practice with a song or two of choice. While I still have a ways to go, I'm always impressed with Joann's ability to tailor her instruction to my needs and provide meaningful, actionable feedback. With her, I've even had the chance to join a recital, and have had much more fun singing and performing than ever before.
Larry Chang2024-06-10We've been meeting with Joann for weekly in-person singing classes for over 4 months now, but we took a month off for travel. To keep the momentum going, we continued practicing our singing using Joann's set of online courses. The online courses provided us a great reference to both hear and visualize how each of the different techniques (e.g., lip trills, mixed voice, sirens, etc...) should feel like when properly executed. We're new to singing and music, so we don't yet have our ears fully calibrated to self-realize when our practicing has gone astray and how to fix it. There've been plenty of times when we've had to continually put portions of the online course on repeat while practicing along just to see/hear the differences and make the appropriate corrections to improve the quality of our practice and increase our own self-awareness of how we actually sound when singing.
Chaudhry Arif2024-05-26
Qimei Liu2024-05-10I've been participating in the weekly group singing classes and am delighted to have Joann as my coach! I initially joined with no singing background and wanted to learn to express myself through singing. Joann has been an incredible resource and expertly guided me through various techniques, including vocal warm-ups and different ways to enhance singing capabilities. More importantly, Joann cares about her students and is willing to offer me a listening ear and additional solutions and resources to conquer my other life problems . Thanks to her, I've enjoyed a welcoming environment where I can learn, practice, and embrace my mistakes—turning them into learning opportunities. I have thoroughly enjoyed each session and strongly recommend Joann to anyone looking to improve their singing at any level.
makshum2024-03-30Joann helped my teen daughter improve her singing, gain confidence, learn sight reading and prepare for her high school's choir audition. My daughter enjoys every lesson with Joann!
Linda Kim2024-03-10Several years ago Joann taught my daughters hiphop dance and voice. After seeing several of Joann's online posts, I decided to take some lessons as well. I have been on my church worship team for years but still struggle with doing solos. I worked on my lower register as I am more comfortable singing higher. Now I am more well rounded in my singing. We also worked on my confidence and projection and breathing especially for a Christmas event which helped quite a bit. Joann is encouraging and knowledgable and a wonderful teacher.
ste s2024-02-25Joann is an amazing teacher who has completely transformed the way I think about my voice! In just a month of working together, I have greatly expanded my vocal range, gained confidence and clarity in my singing tone, and learned how to work with my body not against it, to sing to my fullest capabilities. Singing was something I never thought I could do; Joann has helped me to break through my confidence block and enjoy singing. Joann’s expertise and guidance has shown me aspects of my voice I would never have discovered alone! If you want to deepen your connection to your voice, Joann is the teacher for you! Thank you Joann!
Chandan Saw2024-02-14
Erica Kawamura2024-01-11Over eight months, I worked with Joann to improve the upper register of my voice, an experience that developed both my vocal technique and singing confidence. Joann's kindness during my apprehensive first lesson set the tone for subsequent sessions, where she consistently showed encouragement and support. Notably, Joann's approach was both personal and professional. When specific exercises proved less effective, she promptly introduced alternative methods, always tailoring her approach to my needs. As a result, I improved my upper range quickly and learned about different vocal placements, resonance, belting, vibrato, and variations in tone. Moreover, Joann's lessons and recitals provided valuable opportunities to practice performing in front of an audience, helping me develop more confidence. Since my nerves impacted my performance, she taught me many breathing exercises and shared different mental strategies to manage anxiety. For those contemplating voice lessons, I recommend reaching out to Joann. Her responsiveness allowed me to book an initial lesson right away and from there, I could experience her effective teaching style. Joann's professionalism and expertise make her an invaluable asset for anyone seeking a transformative journey in vocal development.
Grace L.2024-09-27
I signed up my 13-year-old for "Essential Private Coaching Combo 1 video and 1 lesson", which was a nice hybrid option that accommodates our busy schedule. We've had a handful of lessons so far and I have already seen an improvement in my daughter's voice control. The one-on-one coaching provides customized direction which she did not get previously in school choir. Joann is responsive, organized, and lovely to work with - I highly recommend her as a vocal coach!Abhinav G.2024-09-21I initially desired professional vocal coaching because I felt that while my voice sounded decent, there was an invisible wall separating me from legitimately good singers. I signed up for Joann's Monthly Master Class because I wanted to get a taste of her teaching style and methods before moving on to private coaching. Through these classes, I got exposed to a variety of valuable singing skills. In each class, Joann would go over the importance of mastering a singing skill, the specific vocal changes required to improve said skill, and the drills that I could use at home to practice said skill. Through the months, I could slowly feel myself beginning to understand the skills that I would need to master in order to become a really good singer. While I am still far from reaching this goal, Joann's Monthly Master Classes have been invaluable in getting me closer to being the singer I want to be. One thing I especially liked was how detailed each and every Master Class would be. Joann goes above and beyond in making sure that she covers a topic as thoroughly as possible during the one hour class. After taking her Monthly Master Class for a few months, I decided to move on to the Private Coaching Combo to receive more personalized feedback. These classes have helped me strengthen my foundational skills a lot more. Overall, I would greatly recommend Joann as a vocal coach. If you are still on the fence, I would recommend attending a Monthly Master Class. Go to this class, practice the drills she gives, and see if it improves your singing. If you find the teaching style to mesh well with you, then you can continue taking more classes!Tiffany H.2024-09-17I am a working parent who is a complete beginner to singing. I chose to work with Joann because 1) she was the by far the best at explaining HOW to do the vocal exercises along with WHY we were doing them, and 2) the flexibility in scheduling. I have been working with her since April 2024 under the Private Coaching Combo. Before working with Joann, I tried several vocal trials with other teachers/schools. One of the trials jumped straight into vocal exercises, whereas Joann's trial started me off with breathing and finding/using the diaphragm. Honestly, without Joann's trial first - I might not have had the strength/stamina to make it through the other trial since I was by default singing with my throat! Also, Joann always leaves time for questions, and really listens and asks follow up questions if I'm having trouble describing my issues. Many music schools also wanted a weekly in-person commitment. While this works well for kids on school schedules, it is actually very difficult for my work schedule. Joann's Private Coaching Combo gives me more flexibility: I schedule an in-person lesson every 2 weeks, and in between those weeks I send her videos of myself singing for feedback. Before I record the videos - I'll spend a few minutes deciding 1) what I need help on and 2) what questions I have. Knowing I have to record videos really help me focus during practice, and stay motivated to practice regularly ("as best as I can").David O.2024-08-21As a complete amateur who was insecure about my singing voice but just wanted to sound a bit better at karaoke, I finally decided to take formal lessons with Joann. After a few months, I've never felt more confident singing in front of others, and have friends telling me they can really hear the difference. At first I wasn't sure if voice lessons would actually be useful in improving my sound. Joann helped me start from the basics, such as breathing techniques and then moving on to concepts like vocal closure that aren't obvious, but once you're aware can produce noticeable results. Her class structure comprises of both warmup and technique exercises plus practice with a song or two of choice. While I still have a ways to go, I'm always impressed with Joann's ability to tailor her instruction to my needs and provide meaningful, actionable feedback. With her, I've even had the chance to join a recital, and have had much more fun singing and performing than ever before.Larry C.2024-06-11We've been meeting with Joann for weekly in-person singing classes for over 4 months now, but we took a month off for travel. To keep the momentum going, we continued practicing our singing using Joann's set of online courses. The online courses provided us a great reference to both hear and visualize how each of the different techniques (e.g., lip trills, mixed voice, sirens, etc...) should feel like when properly executed. We're new to singing and music, so we don't yet have our ears fully calibrated to self-realize when our practicing has gone astray and how to fix it. There've been plenty of times when we've had to continually put portions of the online course on repeat while practicing along just to see/hear the differences and make the appropriate corrections to improve the quality of our practice and increase our own self-awareness of how we actually sound when singing.K M.2024-03-30Joann helped my teen daughter improve her singing, gain confidence, learn sight reading and prepare for her high school's choir audition. My daughter enjoys every lesson with Joann!Linda K.2024-03-10Several years ago Joann taught my daughters hiphop dance and voice. After seeing several of Joann's online posts, I decided to take some lessons as well. I have been on my church worship team for years but still struggle with doing solos. I worked on my lower register as I am more comfortable singing higher. Now I am more well rounded in my singing. We also worked on my confidence and projection and breathing especially for a Christmas event which helped quite a bit. Joann is encouraging and knowledgable and a wonderful teacher.Priscila C.2023-11-26Thank you so much Joann for helping me with the warm-up techniques and unlocking my voice in 10 minutes!! You are a very supportive and patient teacher.Bryan C.2023-11-26I was struggling with a tough worship song I was planning to lead and Joann spent 3 minutes and I immediately stopped straining. I've taken many vocal lessons throughout my life but these 3 minutes did something for me that I never knew could be done. I not only hit the notes, I was proud of the sound I heard, and even more important, I was not hurting when I was reaching those notes. Thanks Jo!Shary N.2023-10-05Such a welcoming and helpful musical coach! Did some lessons with her and she taught tips and tricks that helped my voice. I was going to sing for an event in front of a bunch of people and she helped me gain the confidence I needed to do it too! And that night so many people complimented my singing. HIGHLY recommend her!
