Singin' with Stacia

There are so many talented artists that have come and gone. These ladies are some of a group I consider ten of the best female singers of my 26-year lifetime. Great singers come from a variety of genres. Check out my list below. If you feel like I missed any, feel free to comment with your faves!

(Image via That Grape Juice)

1.  Mariah Carey is my favorite female artist. She has sold 52 million copies and is ranked as the best-selling female artist of the Nielsen SoundScan era. Mariah recently released her seventh number one album! It’s no wonder she’s at the top of my list.

2. The “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin is probably someone who inspired most of the others on this list. Possibly her best-known song is “R-E-S-P-E-C-T.” I think everyone can sing along to this one!

(Image via Time Inc.)

3. The late, great Whitney Houston had the voice of an angel. Chart-topping hits like her Chaka Kahn “I’m Every Woman” re-make and “I Will Always Love You” are commonly still played on the radio and frequently requested for karaoke. Her legacy lives on.

4. Bonnie Raitt, classified as country by some, is a blues singer with a voice that feeds the soul. Her popular song, “Can’t Make You Love Me” is often covered by others, but her more upbeat tracks are just as soothing.

5. Sara Bareilles has not been around as long as the others listed above her, or even some below her on this list. However, she’s a talented singer and musician that has such a dynamic voice that could literally suit nearly any genre. Her debut single was “Love Song,” and she’s continued to impress me ever since.

(Image via RU-Crazy)

6. Jill Scott is not your average R&B/Soul singer. I had the pleasure of seeing her perform last summer at the “Taste of Chicago,” and her performance was absolutely phenomenal. Jill is classically trained and showed off some of her operatic skills with quite an impressive range few know about. When she’s not showing off that beautiful range, she is creating soulful, thought-provoking music for the soul.

(Image via Toledo Blade)

7. Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks is yet another artist with a unique and dynamic voice. Her voice on songs like “Rhiannon” and “Landslide” perhaps best show off her refreshing vocals.

(Image via Wetpaint)

8. I grew up listening to Christina Aguilera. Clearly inspired by artists like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, Christina embodies the voice of a true soul singer. Her unique adlibs make her voice stand out from the crowd.

9. Canadian singer, Celine Dion, is a diverse singer that can sing it all if she wants to—from pop to soul. The impressive part is that she does it and does it all so well! I couldn’t leave her off the list.

(Image via vibe103.com)

In a sea of singing competition shows that have shadowed American Idol, NBC re-added a unique alternative to the mix last fall, The Sing-Off. The show, hosted by Nick Lachey (formerly of 98 Degrees), originally debuted in December 2009. It was cancelled in 2012 and was revived late last year for a fourth season. What makes The Sing-Off different from other singing competitions is the fact that it features only acapella groups, meaning there is no instrumental accompaniment; these singers make their own music.

How it Works

Acapella groups from across the United States audition to become one of the between eight and 16 groups to compete on the show. Ben Folds, Shawn Stockman (of Boyz II Men) and Jewel are judges for the competition. Week-after-week, the groups battle it out, covering popular radio tunes from past (like Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds”) to present, (such as a collaboration of Fun. songs), completely acapella. It’s always a surprise to see how singers will recreate the sound of music with only vocals. A group is eliminated at the end of each show, leaving the bottom two groups (based on the decision of the judges) to sing a song in an "Ultimate Sing-Off," with the goal of eliminating the weaker group.

After weeks of singing acapella versions of pop, rock, r&b songs, and more genres, the winner is ultimately crowned based on stellar performances. Viewers vote from home and choose between the remaining three groups. The prize at the end of the show is an undisclosed amount of cash and an Epic Records/Sony Music recording contract.

Contestants

Contestants on the show have been college groups, as well as others, independently-created. The show’s most popular and successful winner has been Season Three’s champion group, “Pentatonix.” The group has done both international and national tours, covering original and pre-recorded songs, acapella. It has also released three digital albums on iTunes.

(Photo: Pentatonix, The Sing-Off's Season Three winners)

Additional winners have included Puerto Rico-based group Nota, second-season’s R&B group Committed, and its most recent country acapella winner, Home Free.

My Conclusion/Recommendation

Overall, I rate this show a 4/5.

Has there ever been a moment when you've heard your favorite song on the radio, but you can’t seem to sing along? It’s either sung too high or too low, but there is a solution. A female can sing a song that has been recorded in a male voice, and he can sing one recorded by a female, as well, with a simple key change. The same change can be done for songs originally recorded by someone of the same gender to more comfortably complement one’s vocal range.

The videos below demonstrate how to transpose a song into a lower or higher octave. This is especially helpful when wanting to create YouTube covers of your favorite radio songs that are difficult to sing along with.  For this demonstration, I will be singing one verse and the chorus of up-and-coming male artist Sam Smith’s song titled “Latch.”  The recordings below demonstrate the song, sang in both a female alto and female soprano voice. For reference, the original recording of the song is also included.

Because Sam Smith sings in a higher male voice, it is easy to mimic his voice in a female range at a lower, alto octave. The best way to do this is to first find his original starting note, and find your level of comfort in the same key. To assist me in finding the note, I am using the “Piano…” app by Obie Leff, available in the App Store for free here for Apple devices.

This video is for those singers who prefer to sing in a higher voice. To find the appropriate key, simply increase two half steps from the note in the first video. I will demonstrate how with the piano app in the video below.

Happy Singing!

Actor, singer and part-time Saturday Night Live comedian, Justin Timberlake, is an influential celebrity in the world of singing. I have somewhat of a connection to him because he is from Tennessee, like me. He grew up in the Memphis area, which is close to where I moved to attend college. (Okay, maybe we don’t have that much of a connection.)

Timberlake is an accomplished and talented singer whose professional music career began in 1995, with the boy band, ‘N Sync. Shortly after the group’s chemistry began to fizzle and members went their separate ways, Timberlake released his first solo album, Justified. He has since recorded three more successful albums, (view all albums and singles here) and has starred in several movies.

    The reason I chose to write about Timberlake is because of his partial ownership (as of 2011), of Myspace.com.  It is a website that was, for me, what Instagram is for teenagers today, but when I was in high school and starting college. It was also once a place of discovery for new music artists, including Lady Gaga and Adele. Today’s Myspace exists solely for music and video sharing, not all the extra features it had at its peak years ago.

Along with partial ownership, Timberlake is also an advisor of the website, but little has happened with it since the 2011 announcement of his role with MySpace. I have never seen a MySpace ad…have you? With the level of influence that Justin Timberlake has, I would think that he would promote the website more, and at least try to make it “a thing” again, amongst young singers and other artists with advertising. It makes me wonder how the website is still up and running at all and this writer agrees. Regardless, Timberlake is still successful in other areas of his singing and acting career, aside from “formerly popular social network ownership.” 

To truly become a great singer, you have to hone your skill. The luxury of having a vocal coach is not always a possibility, but it doesn’t have to be. With endless apps for mobile devices, you would think someone would create something for vocal warm-ups, right? Well someone has…a lot of “someones” have. This review will focus specifically on the Musicopoulous' Vocal Warm Up, available in the iTunes App Store for Apple devices.

I give this app a 3/5 rating. 

This app is just $2.99 in the iTunes App Store.The steps for downloading the app are simple. Just search for “Vocal Warm Up” in the App Store and the Musicopolous app should appear. When you open the app, there is a cute “How to Sing” tip that is both useful and inspirational, as well as warnings on overexerting your voice and how to take care of it. This is a nice touch, especially for new singers that are just starting to strengthen their voices. 

The “My Warm Ups” section of the app is, of course, where every other section leads you. Though users have the option of adding warm-ups, there is an example vocal warm-up that users simply press play for and sing along with a nine-note scale that increases octaves. Users are also guided with tips along the way for breath support while trying to reach the notes.

My favorite part of the app is the ability to create your own warm-ups. To do so, users simply click “add,” choose a name for the warm-up, adjust the range on the music scale, and select the type of warm-up. Users can select multiples or one of 16 choices for warm-ups, including an ascending and descending major scale, a five-note descending scale, and a major triad variation. Each of the exercises has information describing when to use the warmups and how to effectively practice with them.

You don’t have to be a Beyoncé to sound like her.

A vocal music professor in college once told me that one of the key elements of being a great singer is having an imagination. When you envision the words you’re singing, understand the meaning behind them and imagine the sound and tone you want to release while singing—it can be a cinch. What better way to use that imagination than through singing karaoke?

There are a number of at-home karaoke machines that allow you to cover songs from your favorite artists, but my personal recommended brand is Singing Machine. The company is a leader in providing consumer-oriented karaoke systems, music, youth electronics, musical instruments and accessories. (See its products here.)  While Singing Machine has a variety of karaoke machines, the SML-385W model Disco Light Karaoke System is a personal favorite. Let me explain some of the unique features.

SML-385W Disco Light Karaoke System Review

I give this karaoke machine a 4/5 rating:

At first glance, the machine is simple-looking. However, the quality of the machine and its features make it stand out amongst the crowd of karaoke systems. Perhaps the coolest feature is the disco lights that reflect throughout the room from the karaoke machine. Whether you are hosting a gathering with friends or just feel like singing alone at home—you will feel like you are glowing with the flashing lights. They instantly create a party. The system can conveniently be plugged into any television, which displays the lyrics from your CD-G (karaoke cd) right across the screen.

Photo: Singing Machine SML-385W Disco Light Karaoke System (via WalMart.com)

Another exciting feature of the karaoke machine is the ability to adjust echo, balance and voice control on the microphone with the simple turn of a knob. As you imagine yourself onstage as your favorite artist, you can control the volume and effects of which you would like for your voice to be heard. Additionally, the machine comes with one microphone and two microphone jacks.

Though there are no CD-Gs that come with the machine, the device is compatible with Singing Machine brand karaoke CDs and other brand CD-G karaoke CDs.  These can be purchased either online or in the music department at a large retailer like Wal-Mart or Target. The Singing Machine also conveniently allows you to download and burn your own customized CD-G here.

The only reason this machine did not gain five stars from me is because of the lack of a built-in screen. The older version Singing Machine devices had screens on them so users could view the screen even if they weren’t necessarily in a room with a television. Other than that factor, this is an excellent machine for singing and fully utilizing one’s imagination.

I've been singing since before I can even remember doing it. Seriously, my mother told me I was singing before I even started talking. In the years that have passed post my baby talking days, I have continued singing in a variety of outlets.

I sang in the choir at my church when I was younger. As I got older, I sang in the women's show choir in high school. I even auditioned and made the cut for a couple state-level choirs and came extremely close to singing the national anthem at a professional basketball game.  

My most recent feat was singing at a wedding a couple years ago, but this coming weekend, I'll be singing at a collegiate-level women's softball game. I'm excited to be actively pursuing my passion for singing again, but I want to do more to help others who are equally passionate.

That brings me to the point of this blog. Singing is a hobby that makes me happy, and if I could not do it, I'm not sure how my life would be. Though I am not a professional, my years of experience singing provide me with a unique perspective and insight from many professionals and teachers of music. Through this blog, I will share some of what I have learned, through helpful tips and information related to singing. 

I hope it helps you and encourages you to sing beyond the shower.