Hello, I’m excited to be here. Last May I hired a voice coach. I’ve been singing my whole life but realized I had been straining and my voice getting tired. I knew I wasn’t breathing properly or sighing properly. My voice coach is professional, talented & patient. Watches how I do the things… I cant do weekly lessons so I do monthly. I get a recap of the lesson with homework. I know myself and know I get busy with work and life, I don’t practice enough. I’ve been working on breathing techniques and hitting my highest note- I think it’s a C#5. I’m somewhere between a tenor and contralto. Working on Singing AH - 5 Tone scale, droopy, MUH 135 Dopey-placement is an area I’ve been really working hard on. Any tricks or tips is much appreciated. Thank you!

For everyone already working with my Masterclass "The Golden Path into Opera Singing": Kristina asked a really good question about Chapter 2 (Breath Management), and I´d like to expand on this a bit for you. Even if I already answered her in the comments, this is something many singers struggle with. Go back and watch carefully how Anatol and I demonstrate the two basic breathing exercises. Don´t just look what we do. Pay attention to how it feels in the body. The chapter is only about 8 minutes long, but already contains all the essential basics and very clear demonstrations. Take your time with it. It can also help a lot if you film yourself while doing the exercises and compare it to the video. What you FEEL and what you actually DO are often not the same. What really matters is not taking more air, bur how you release and manage while singing. The stability comes from coordination, not force. When you practice, focus on keeping the expansion of your ribs, avoiding unnecessary tension in the neck and shoulders, and allowing the breath to flow instead of pushing it. Also take your time with both chapters Posture and Breath Management. This is the foundation of everything. I always compare it to opening the lid of a piano before playing. Without that, nothing really works. What do YOU notice when you work through Chapter 2? Let me know below :)

I still have some uncertainties about the first breathing exercise. So the exercise is done on the sound "ssss" by holding it as long as I finish a phrase of an aria/song/Lied I chose? And I repeat that for every phrase until the end of the aria? And between those, is there the reflexive inhalation? Or?

Good teachers don´t just listen to your voice. They watch how the sound is CREATED. Breath, Body, Coordination... Because the sound is only the result. Watch the video and you´ll understand what really matters.