ILana Martin is the founder of Vocal Workout Singing School and her vocal style has been linked to the late Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Brian McKnight, Barry White, Patti LaBelle and Alicia Keys, to name a few. She has also toured with Barry White and Patti LaBelle as a backup singer, and coached Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Ms. Martin is currently the driving force behind Universal Music Group’s emerging artist Dylan Jenet Collins, a 15-year-old recording artist whose project will be spearheaded by Stevie Wonder. Under the direction of ILana since the age of 11, Dylan’s vocal sound has been modified and perfected into a booming range that lead to performances at President Obama’s 2012 inauguration and Broadway’s “The Lion King.”
Ms. Martin shares her valuable vocal tips for emerging artists below:
1. Blend – Embrace energy on your notes and don’t over pronounce the words. You get to blend into the other band vocal harmonies.
2. Enthusiasm – sing with genuine emotion. The audience knows what’s real.
3. Improvise – find ways to be yourself. Every band member has his/her own quirks that make them fun to watch.
4. Accentuate your strengths – capitalize on your strong points. Know what they are. After you write them down, review the set list of each show mentally to find moments to share your strengths onstage. What you focus on – expands.
5. Make It Big – when you have a spotlight on your solo vocal, make it into a big moment by commanding the stage with your energy and aura.
Think about it: if you focus bigger, you become a bigger focus in the room. It’s mental gymnastics, but it works!
6. Live Open – Bring in life. Let the experiences you absorb during the days before the show come out under the stage lights.
7. Dialogue – find they story in each song, and infuse a conversation into how you deliver that in performance with one or members of your band. For example: Earth Wind & Fire, the Jonas Brothers.
8. Level the Crowd – change the level you stand on physically. Sit sometimes, stand, dance, lean in toward the crowd, and change your height to change the audience perspective of the mood or setting.
9. Hit the Stage Warm – even if it seems obvious, you should not skip out onto any stage without a 40-60 minute warm up first. If this gets your voice tired, then you are singing the wrong way. Call The Vocal Workout – for our online Stamina Program. www.vocalworkoutsingingschool.com
10. Have Fun – it’s contagious!
For more information on Ilana Martin and her vocal school, please visit www.vocalworkoutsingingschool.com
