Vocal coach Dave Brooks knows that the key to success as a singer is being a great communicator. He believes that real communication that resonates in the heart only comes once a singer is true to and at peace with who they are on the inside.
“Get out of your own way, so that you can step into your true self,” Dave said.
Dave’s industry track record clearly shows he is at peace. He has been a force in the music business as a top session singer, songwriter and producer and has worked with many of the music industry’s biggest and brightest singers and songwriters. His voice has been used on songs pitched to powerhouse recording artists like Tim McGraw, George Straight, Brooks and Dunn, Martina McBride, Garth Brooks, Nick Lachey, N’Sync and The Backstreet Boys to name a few. His voice has been featured on national network campaigns for ABC,NBC,CBS, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Wheel of Fortune and a host of commercial advertisements including ‘Milk, It Does a Body Good’, and Wendy’s ’99 Cent Value Menu’.
Dave has over 25 years of recording, producing and coaching experience. He understands the longings and potential pitfalls faced by those who are dreaming of a career like the artists they idolize. He quickly gets new clients to stop focusing on what their favorite artists are doing and start looking at what they bring to the table.
“I ask people to tell me where they think they are as a singer,” Dave said. “They usually think they are good at only a few things and bad at a whole laundry list of things. Those bad things are mostly nonsense and totally irrelevant. People tend to beat themselves up too much.”
He encourages singers to accept where they are, even if they feel they aren’t sure where they stand. And he invites his clients to step out of their comfort zones and take risks.
“Risk precedes greatness,” Dave said. “It’s the only way you will ever grow. The only way to progress to a professional level is to get through the criticism because as you work through it you get better, stronger and more confident. Once you truly know where you are you can then discover where you need to go. It’s that first step in the right direction.”
But it is that power as a communicator that Dave goes after, treating the person first and the singer second. In fact, “I don’t even say singer. I use the term, vocal communicator. It’s really all about getting through to people. That song is something you don’t sing at. It’s something you sing for because a song will tell you not just what it needs but what it deserves in order to be great.”
It is developing that connection between the true uniqueness of the individual and the song that is one of Dave’s real strengths. More than 93 percent of the singers that started out with Dave are still with him. That record communicates volumes.
Most of Dave’s clients see an increase of one-half up to a whole octave in range in their first lesson! Dave points out that ”great style begins with great technique. It’s your foundation. Once I assist the artist in building a rock solid technical base, I shift my focus to vocal stylization (licks, trills and runs), lyrical interpretation, and improvisational skills (scatting, add-libbing, tone manipulation and vowel bending). Phrasing and consonant work are a crucial part of this process. Great careers don’t just happen. They are built one brick at a time.”
Dave understands how challenging the business can be and how important it is to value your self worth so that you can stand up to the challenges you will face in the industry. His experience as a session singer has helped him to learn patience, tolerance, respect and to refine his gifts as a communicator who sings.
No one can guarantee commercial success in the music business, but seasoned performer and vocal coach Dave Brooks can guarantee that, with the proper guidance and lots of dedicated hard work, your unique voice will be developed to its fullest potential, both technically and stylistically.
Dave has weathered storms of dispute countless times with positive results. He can learn a song in just 5-10 minutes. He’s that good because he knows people, he knows artists, he understands the heart and the roles they all play in bringing out the best in each person he engages as a vocal coach or artist developer.
He will assist you in getting out of your way, stepping into yourself and achieving your fullest potential. He will give you that edge you need that comes from experience. In terms of the hip factor Dave Brooks is the master. Because he understands that the hippest thing you can ever be is yourself.
To Book a Coaching Session with Dave Brooks, click HERE or call 1-888-269-7758
Purchase Dave Brooks’ Top 7 Style Tips: HERE
Follow Dave Brooks on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davebrookscoach
Become a Fan of Dave Brooks on Facebook: here
Acid reflux
Ok so now I'm confused. Don't eat or drink acidic stuff, but ACVinegar or pickle juice is good?!I over eat ( a crappy fast food diet, though I'm a skinny dude), smoke, have GERD, am dehydrated, with a postnasal drip. This only started weeks ago, but my throat is all kinds of messed up. My GP told me to stop all I was doing, and take care of myself. I asked for a referral to an ENT she said it's a WASTE OF MONEY, and percribed me a bunch of stuff the ENT would have.I still want to go to an ENT, and a dietician as well, I'm afraid that years of smoking are taking it's toll, but it seems my diet and dehydration is causeing most of this.I have a nearly constant lump in my throat and I'm taking the course, but I need to correct my singing technique immediatelty as well, so I don't push too hard and mess up the rest of the set.I feel good about being a singer but the upkeep is making me feel sad. Although I'm doing what I need to do to be my best, I still feel like I'm missing out on the things I love. Bad food, smoking.The problem is the internet has tons of contradictory info. Someone give me some piece of mind, so I can move ahead.I need a manning freebie personal lesson, I hate being to poor to invest in my future. The problem with Brett is he has me convinced that all other vocal teachers are used car salesmen. Now I don't want to try to take lessons with anyone local, hope I get to train with him someday.
Acid Reflux
i don't know whether this helps but i had acid reflux and was put on the usual meds which did nothing for me - in fact it made it worse, eventually i discovered that i was simply dehydrated and made a real effort to drink the correct amount for my body weight which turned out to be 10 glasses per day (excluding days i run). it didn't handle it straightaway but after a couple of days it started to get better, then it stopped and i have never had it since. of course, i have to be disciplined about the hydration but the water also helps your breathing and makes the voice sound better.
Acid Reflux
My problem with acid reflux disappeared completely when my VA Dr. prescribed one capsule per day of (OMEPRAZOLE 20 MG EC CAP). I haven't had a single problem with it since the medication (about three years ago). I'm nearly 72 years old and sing in two quartets, direct two choruses and sing solos occasionally.
acid reflux
I am a professional singer, with 35+ years experience with my voice. Over the past 18 months or so, I've been struggling with acid reflux. It's an insidious problem, and sneaks up on you gradually. Diet adjustments are important, and most meds are worthless -- as "acid pumpers" only STOP the production of most stomach acid, they don't neutralize what's already there. My problem only occurs at night, when the acid comes into my throat and burns an ulceration adjacent and behind my vocal cords.
The most important things to do are this: don't eat within five hours before bed, chew a Tums beforehand, and use a wedge to elevate your head and upper body. You don't have to buy an expensive unit -- I use a stack of blankets, towels, and pillows. Uncomfortable, to be sure, but it's the only thing that saved my career!
The most significant symptoms are stricture of the throat/esophagus, and spasms of the vocal cords. Your voice will lose it's "legs," such that you can sing less and less at a single session. Your upper range will disappear, you'll lose the ability to control a pure tone, and your voice will produce more harmonics resulting in a gravelly or breathy tone. Air will escape around your vocal cords because of trauma and puckering, preventing you from holding notes any length of time. All of these symptoms I've reversed. If you want more information, Google "reflux laryngitis."
Best of luck!
ACID REFLUX
The only thing that I do for acid reflux is drink the juice from the pickle jar. I was told it is the best thing to fight acid reflux, for it is that you DO NOT have enough acid in the stomach to digest the food you have eaten. So I fight back with pickle juice or 1tsp of white vinegar with 1/2 oz of water. That is I think an old fashion remedy. But to my surprise it WORKS!!
Acid Reflux
As a long time sufferer, or should I say ex-sufferer, I really felt obligated to help out Anonymous with this issue. My Reflux got so bad that I had to go on medication and still had constant heartburn as well as all the rest of the symptoms. It reached the point where two different doctors told me that I had no choice except surgery to repair that valve do-hickey. To make a long story short, Lynn hit the nail on the head. I won't pretend that it was easy, and I had many slips, which occasionally I still do, but controlling this thing through diet is the real key. I have given this advice to a lot of people and I have only seen it fail one time and surgery was required in that case due to the severe damage already present.Here is the secret; totally and completely avoid the following in any quantity: chocolate, soda, and any type of acidic energy drinks -- also avoid lactose products like whole milk ( I drink a lactose fat free milk, I can also drink the lactose free 1% or 2% without any real problems) -- also avoid deep fried, breaded, fatty foods (opt for the grilled chicken sandwich rather than fried). The last thing to watch is to stop eating when you feel comfortable. Don't stuff yourself to the point of being bloated. Now I won't say this will work for everybody, but almost everyone I know it has worked for. I would be willing to bet almost anything that you are violating pretty much every one of these no-nos. I can't over-emphasize the important of avoiding those first two items, chocolate and soda. they are the real killers that create an intolerance for all the rest. This includes chocalate of any kind as in candy bars, cakes, pies, etc and all soda, be it diet or regular. Again, this won't be easy at first, especially if you are a southern boy raised on good ole home cooking, but after a couple of months you'll feel so good that it will get easier.In any case, good luck with the singing and I wish you the best....
My own style
Great article! I love reading these few words everyonce in a while.Being my self is my greatest obstacle right now. I'ts very easy for me to copy voices... cartoons, movies, singers, etc... and when I'm singing a song, I can't help not matching the singers voice. This is weird and of course is not that serious, since I've never taken singing and music theory too far and seriously enough. I compose a lot, and composing keeps my mind occupied and relaxed.Now I have many many songs, themes, things I can "just sing" to finish or at least bring them to the next level of production.Any advice on not only knowing "what's my voice" but also getting the best of it, in such way that adds to the music, instead of taking it to an opposite way? Thanks a lot!CheersRod
Acid Reflux
As far as acid reflux goes there can be many factors but often one of the simplest(and hardest sometimes) is an alteration in your diet and when you are eating. Keep track of the foods you are eating and when. You need to make sure you've had time to digest your food well before singing. Are you getting enough water and non- acidic foods in your diet? Avoid eating late and/or shortly before bed, get plenty of rest etc....
Best wishes and good luck
Acid Reflux
I am struggling with acid reflux and even though I have not loss my range it is very difficult to sing without feeling a "pull" when I sing and sometimes I sound like a boy in pubery. Is there any help for me.
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