This is an approachable, easy-to-use guide to improving one's singing voice. It takes a similar approach used in other Idiot's Guide music books to guide the reader step-by-step through the process of becoming a real singer. Readers will learn how to find their ideal singing range, how best to practice, how to improve basic technique, how to stand and breathe properly, how to sing in different musical styles, and how to move beyond singing in the shower to singing in public. Both solo and ensemble singing are covered, as is the concept of sight singing.
The book is filled with numerous illustrations and musical examples, as well as fun and productive singing exercises. Unlike more traditional vocal instruction books, Idiot's Guide: Singing takes a "fast-track" approach to the topic, so that budding vocalists start singing right from the very start. The book even shows readers how to sing in different musical styles (pop, rock, country, classical, etc.) and how to perform live-including proper microphone technique.
This second edition of Idiot's Guide: Singing is accompanied by a variety of audio exercises and examples, which will be available online. These online examples and exercises replace the CD-based audio tracks available with the first edition, and will help to make the exercises more immediately accessible and lower the cost of the new edition.
About the Author :
Phyllis Fulford is a lifelong musician and educator, specializing in the vocal arts. Phyllis was a music educator at the high school and junior high level for 27 years, and continues to teach voice and piano to private students. She is also a commissioned choral composer and arranger, and a lifelong performer. As a member of the American Choral Directors Association, Phyllis was the Indiana Chair for Junior High/Middle School Repertoire and Standards, and was on the Editorial Board for the association's publication, Notations. She was a contest adjudicator and repertoire list developer for the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) for more than 20 years, judging solo and ensemble, organizational contest, and jazz and show choirs. She has produced, directed, conducted, and performed in numerous community theater productions, and served as a panel facilitator for the Music Educator's National Conference (MENC). Phyllis is currently on the Board of Directors of the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, and does volunteer work for numerous central Indiana charities. She received her Masters of Music from Butler University.
Michael Miller is a writer and musician. He has written more than 150 books over the past two decades, including the best-selling The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Composition, and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Drums. He has established a strong reputation for explaining complex information to everyday readers, and for offering useful real-world advice about complicated topics.
