I always loved singing. I sing everywhere and the greatest thing about being a singer is that I can play my instrument anytime, anywhere. Even under the shower!
I became a professional singer in 1986. I was asked to join a professional band back than when I met some musicians during a visit to Amsterdam. My first gig was at the 'Rum Runners', a very nice cafe where the band had a steady gig back than, and about a couple of month later we had a concert at the Meervaat theatre, also in Amsterdam.
So, I can say I am one of the few people that went from the shower straight to the podium.
Working for it
I had to work a lot, and I mean really a lot in the beginning. I had to built a repertoire, cope with phrasing, tempo, rhythm, microphones, performance, not to mention those notes that just didn't want to come out. Yet I was extremely happy to do it, I could spend the whole day and night studying and I never got tired of it.
In time I started to have singing lessons and most important to me was the breathing. I worked and I worked on it, did my daily practice and loved doing it.
I must say it kind of worked somehow, and that is the magic of the body, it will do anything for you! (little I knew that what I was actually doing was to get my habits much stronger).
I became be a good 'breather'. Like most singers and wind instrumentalists I was a 'breath control freak', and I did all there was to keep on being a 'good breather'. I was a professional breather, for God's sake, I needed to know how it is done.
After being 'a dedicated professional breather' for such a long time I started to developed lower back pains and eventually my knees started to complaint. Well, I was certain the lower back pains were due to a 'family legacy'; everyone in my family suffered from lower back pain. And in time my knees also started to complaint, so I paid a visit to the doctor.
My doctor sent me to the physiotherapist of course, and it became one more thing to keep on doing, my regular physio sessions. The physiotherapist showed me exercises to make my muscles stronger. And so I kept on doing it. I had my daily singing practice, my daily breathing exercises, and next to it the exercices for my knees and lower back.
Freedom
One day the Alexander Technique crossed my path. I met my first Alexander teacher without knowing anything about the technique in advance. I went for a singing lesson and that's all. My first Alexander teacher, Ron Murdock, is also a singer (a classical singer).
For my surprise I didn't get any singing or breathing exercises, instead he taught me how to tune myself up!
In fact he asked me to stop doing my singing and breathing exercises and told me to go lie down with a bunch of books under my head and with my knees up (semi-supine). Ron told me to do this everyday and for the rest I was allowed to sing anywhere, just do not practice he said. Do not practise your singing the way as you know, do not practice your breathing nor any other muscle practise, just for now.
I was surprised and relieved, a bit suspicious I must say, but since that was the only 'singing lesson' that I felt deep into my muscles and that my body was screaming for more, I decided to listen and go for my Alexander lessons every week. And I was truly convinced that this was a singing technique, that is because Ron knew I was a singer and all his input in my lessons were connected to singing.
I felt so much changes from the beginning on, it was amazing. In time I noticed I had much more energy than my fellow musicians at the end of a gig and in my daily routine as well, and the greatest thing: my back-aches vanished and my knees didn't complaint at all anymore.
Of course I kept on asking about the breath and how to do it, I kept on asking Ron to give me a 'real singing lesson'. After some time of having private lessons Ron invited me to take part of his monthly voice workshops. Oh joy, finally I get to have a 'real singing lesson' I thought. I went to the workshop and I will never forget it, singing just took another dimension to me. I never thought it could be like that, I never knew it was so easy.
A whole octave extra on my vocal range
In 6 month of following private lessons on a regular basis I gained a whole extra octave in my vocal range, and that for someone who had been on stage for about 15 years and practising breath and singing on a daily basis. The first time I noticed I was really breathing, breathing as nature intended, I almost had a shock. It was scary because all of a sudden my ribcage was just opening sideways and up for the intake of air, and the shock was because I felt that whilst crossing the avenue behind my house, I was on my way to the bakery, not busy with singing at all!
That's when I decided to follow the training course to become a teacher of the Alexander technique so I can also help singers and musicians to use themselves in a more effective way to play their instruments, and discover the joy of doing less and gain more, much more than ever expected.
If you don't know the Alexander technique and get curious about it just find a teacher in your area, go for it.
In my website I also have a 'testimonial page' so you can get an inside of different people that followed lessons or just workshops.
I became a professional singer in 1986. I was asked to join a professional band back than when I met some musicians during a visit to Amsterdam. My first gig was at the 'Rum Runners', a very nice cafe where the band had a steady gig back than, and about a couple of month later we had a concert at the Meervaat theatre, also in Amsterdam.
So, I can say I am one of the few people that went from the shower straight to the podium.
Working for it
I had to work a lot, and I mean really a lot in the beginning. I had to built a repertoire, cope with phrasing, tempo, rhythm, microphones, performance, not to mention those notes that just didn't want to come out. Yet I was extremely happy to do it, I could spend the whole day and night studying and I never got tired of it.
In time I started to have singing lessons and most important to me was the breathing. I worked and I worked on it, did my daily practice and loved doing it.
I must say it kind of worked somehow, and that is the magic of the body, it will do anything for you! (little I knew that what I was actually doing was to get my habits much stronger).
I became be a good 'breather'. Like most singers and wind instrumentalists I was a 'breath control freak', and I did all there was to keep on being a 'good breather'. I was a professional breather, for God's sake, I needed to know how it is done.
After being 'a dedicated professional breather' for such a long time I started to developed lower back pains and eventually my knees started to complaint. Well, I was certain the lower back pains were due to a 'family legacy'; everyone in my family suffered from lower back pain. And in time my knees also started to complaint, so I paid a visit to the doctor.
My doctor sent me to the physiotherapist of course, and it became one more thing to keep on doing, my regular physio sessions. The physiotherapist showed me exercises to make my muscles stronger. And so I kept on doing it. I had my daily singing practice, my daily breathing exercises, and next to it the exercices for my knees and lower back.
Freedom
One day the Alexander Technique crossed my path. I met my first Alexander teacher without knowing anything about the technique in advance. I went for a singing lesson and that's all. My first Alexander teacher, Ron Murdock, is also a singer (a classical singer).
For my surprise I didn't get any singing or breathing exercises, instead he taught me how to tune myself up!
In fact he asked me to stop doing my singing and breathing exercises and told me to go lie down with a bunch of books under my head and with my knees up (semi-supine). Ron told me to do this everyday and for the rest I was allowed to sing anywhere, just do not practice he said. Do not practise your singing the way as you know, do not practice your breathing nor any other muscle practise, just for now.
I was surprised and relieved, a bit suspicious I must say, but since that was the only 'singing lesson' that I felt deep into my muscles and that my body was screaming for more, I decided to listen and go for my Alexander lessons every week. And I was truly convinced that this was a singing technique, that is because Ron knew I was a singer and all his input in my lessons were connected to singing.
I felt so much changes from the beginning on, it was amazing. In time I noticed I had much more energy than my fellow musicians at the end of a gig and in my daily routine as well, and the greatest thing: my back-aches vanished and my knees didn't complaint at all anymore.
Of course I kept on asking about the breath and how to do it, I kept on asking Ron to give me a 'real singing lesson'. After some time of having private lessons Ron invited me to take part of his monthly voice workshops. Oh joy, finally I get to have a 'real singing lesson' I thought. I went to the workshop and I will never forget it, singing just took another dimension to me. I never thought it could be like that, I never knew it was so easy.
A whole octave extra on my vocal range
In 6 month of following private lessons on a regular basis I gained a whole extra octave in my vocal range, and that for someone who had been on stage for about 15 years and practising breath and singing on a daily basis. The first time I noticed I was really breathing, breathing as nature intended, I almost had a shock. It was scary because all of a sudden my ribcage was just opening sideways and up for the intake of air, and the shock was because I felt that whilst crossing the avenue behind my house, I was on my way to the bakery, not busy with singing at all!
That's when I decided to follow the training course to become a teacher of the Alexander technique so I can also help singers and musicians to use themselves in a more effective way to play their instruments, and discover the joy of doing less and gain more, much more than ever expected.
If you don't know the Alexander technique and get curious about it just find a teacher in your area, go for it.
In my website I also have a 'testimonial page' so you can get an inside of different people that followed lessons or just workshops.
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