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If you thought singing at a high level was as simple as drawing a stick figure, you guessed wrong. Just ask Adreana Gonzalez who is one of today’s best vocal instructors in Hollywood. With years of knowledge and experience, Adreana was able to provide some insights for people who are wanting to improve their singing abilities.
Make sure to check out her vocal lesson services if you are in the LA area.
Key
(LM) = Local Masters
(AG) = Adreana Gonzalez
(LM) How long have you been a professional vocal instructor?
(AG) I’ve been coaching for over 12 years.
(LM) What first got you into singing and being a vocal coach?
(AG) I’ve been singing and performing since I was 7 years old. I started singing professionally, back up and leads for band and commercials, at 17. Once I started booking more studio sessions I realized I wasn’t as good as the best singers that were getting hired for the jobs.
So I sought out a vocal coach. It took me several months and many different coaches to finally find one I knew could give me the tools I was looking for. And a few years after that I decided to take my technique to a more serious level and started studying to be a coach.
(LM) What’s the first thing beginners should research when looking for the right vocal coach?
Where they’ve trained to coach singing. There are a lot of talented singers out there who teach singing, but it’s a tiny percentage of those singers who actually know how to dissect an individuals voice and take it to its full potential. Every singer has a different set of habits and it’s only a well trained coach that can hear and then teach them how to correct their issues.
(LM) Is taking private lessons important when you are first learning how to sing?
(AG) Absolutely, the less time the singer has to develop bad habits (teaching oneself how to sing can actually be detrimental long term), the more quickly the singer will find their artistic freedom and full potential.
(LM) Who was your first inspiration in your singing career?
(AG) Bette Midler. As a child I used to stay up Friday nights in our family living room belting out her songs
(LM) What are your go-to tricks when warming up your voice?
(AG) I have exercises I run through over 4 octaves of my vocal range for at least 20 minutes. Even if I’m only going to use 1-2 octaves in the songs, I always want to feel over prepared to hit the high notes.
(LM) Who are some of your favorite song artists today?
(AG) I have so many for all different reasons. For precision and flexibility – Ella Fitzgerald. For power and agility – Christina Aguilera. For Coloratura grace and range – Joan Sutherland. I have a 100 more but won’t bore you. LOL
(LM) What benefits might you see by taking private lessons as an aspiring singer?
(AG) There are only benefits. When I first started out professionally I thought taking lessons would compromise my “style”. But once I started booking more session work and most of the singers could run circles around me, range and endurance wise, despite how much older they were, I decided to try them out.
Studying voice has not only expanded my range by 4 times, it has made it more flexible, perfectly balanced and precise in ways I never imagined. And my belting is fully controlled because the knowledge I have of my instrument is so incredibly extensive. These tools made it possible for me to master my style.
(LM) What are some of your favorite sing along songs to practice to?
(AG) My favorite this week is Demi Lovato’s “Stone Cold”. But I bounce around a lot. A classic for me for over 10 years now is “I’m not Afraid of Anything” from Jason Robert Brown’s – Songs for a New World.
(LM) Do you have any inspiring messages for people who want to become professional singers and artists someday?
(AG) Practice, practice, practice! 🙂
Make sure to consider her experience and background in the art of singing. Adreana is a recognized vocal instructor with many years under her belt. If you are wanting to improve your vocal abilities, you may want to try out some of the things she recommends. And as always, keep on improving your skills!
