FAR-West In Person!  Conference October 12-15 Woodland Hills, California

Number 50, July 1, 2023

I want to let you all know about something wonderful that’s happening this October in Los Angeles in hopes that you will join me!  It’s the 20th Annual FAR-West Music Conference October 12-15 at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills, California.

FAR-West, the Western region of the Folk Alliance International, is holding their first in-person conference in FOUR YEARS!  This year join us face-to-face where the folk music industry and community promotes a diverse mix of traditional, contemporary and multicultural folk music, dance, storytelling and related performing arts in the West. Whether you are an artist, industry professional, presenter, DJ, educator, hobbyist, or fan, there is something exciting here for everyone.

Registration includes full access to all conference events, the Saturday Best of the West luncheon and Sunday breakfast at the Annual General Meeting.  Throughout the weekend there is so much great stuff going on:  there is the Venue’s Choice concert on Thursday night, official showcases on Friday and Saturday nights, private showcases, educational panels and workshops, networking and peer sessions, jams and open mics, mentor sessions and so much more.         REGISTER HERE

New events and content are being added every day, so register now and check back for updates.  Sign up on the FAR-West mailing list here for all updates on the conference.

JOIN THE MAILING LIST HERE  Click on “Mailing List Sign Up.”   

A member of Folk Alliance International, FAR-West states consists of the Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, the Northwest and Yukon Territories of Canada, and the Canadian Provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.

Technique Quick-Shot:  Breathing and Warmups

Breathing for Health, Happiness and Good Singing

I’ve worked with my vocal students extensively on breathing technique, primarily in the context of providing singing support, but also using deep breathing to calm the mind and focus the attention.  Recently I learned a “fun fact” about the lungs themselves.  It seems that the lower part of the lungs possess oxygen receptors that are more capable of taking in and holding air than the receptors in the upper lung.  This means that the lower lung is more effective in managing breath, and is further proof that diaphragmatic breathing is most effective for singing.  The breathing exercises themselves actually expand lung capacity, thus strengthening the ability to take in, use and manage breath.

Here’s a great article:  Wikipedia on Diaphragmatic Breathing   

This one on Healthline is from the medical point of view.   The 4-7-8 Breathing Technique

From The School of Rock: Vocal Warmups

I found this website also of help in finding some great warmups.  Vocal Warmups from the School of Rock

Susie’s ABCs of Vocal Production

1. The Breath  All singing tone rides on a column of air.
2. Drop The Relaxed Jaw  Every vowel you sing can be sung with a relaxed jaw, providing a resonating chamber behind your tongue.
3. Emotional connection/engagement  Imagine the scenario of your song and consider the emotional content within it.  Relate to the characters through the use of empathy.

As always, thanks for reading!  See y’all next time.
Love and Blessings,

Susie

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Award-winning recording artist, Broadway singer, journalist, educator and critically-acclaimed powerhouse vocalist, Susie Glaze has been called “one of the most beautiful voices in bluegrass and folk music today” by Roz Larman of KPFK’s Folk Scene.  LA Weekly voted her ensemble Best New Folk in their Best of LA Weekly for 2019, calling Susie “an incomparable vocalist.”  “A flat out superb vocalist… Glaze delivers warm, amber-toned vocals that explore the psychic depth of a lyric with deft acuity and technical perfection.”  As an educator, Susie has lectured at USC Thornton School of Music and Cal State Northridge on “Balladry to Bluegrass,” illuminating the historical path of ancient folk forms in the United Kingdom to the United States via immigration into the mountains of Appalachia.  Susie has taught workshops since 2018 at California music camps RiverTunes and Vocáli Voice Camp.  She is a current specialist in performance and historian on the work of American folk music icon, Jean Ritchie.  Her newest CD is “Do You Have This in Blue?” released April of 2023, produced by Joe Craven, with guest players Laurence Juber, Bill Cunliffe and Joe Craven.   Find it on Streaming Platforms Here!  Susie now offers private voice coaching online via the Zoom platform.  Email Susie Here.     Visit Susie’s website here!