Developed by Vocal Coach and Singer/Songwriter, Carmen Hillary, the C.L.E.A.R. Singing Method is designed to help students learn how to learn more effectively.  How you learn is just as important if not more important than learning the singing techniques themselves.  This enables you to learn to sing more effectively and to improve your singing abilities at an accelerated pace.  

"Through my years of teaching, I discovered that the biggest flaw in effective vocal development is the lack of instant feedback and self-reflection.  Everyone seems to initially be afraid of their own voice.  We learn how to move through and past that major stumbling block.  I help my students to think like a teacher and therefore improve faster and achieve greater control and understanding of their own voice.  We are a team and my goal is that at some point the student won't really need me." - Carmen Hillary



PHILOSOPHY:



C =  CONTRAST 

Also known as chiaroscuro in the art world.  Often, the biggest issue in learning how to sing well, is simply understanding what that means and what is needed to produce a fantastic sound!  We all know what good singing sounds like in others, but we don't necessarily know how to apply that understanding to our own voices.  This is something that is challenging for most people unless they have already undertaken years of study.  Also, many people do not have the body awareness yet, to feel the subtle physical feelings that affect one's sound.  To fully understand something it is highly beneficial to know it's opposite. Do you want to know what 'good' sounds like?  Then try to understand what 'bad' is.  Teaching by demonstrating contrast (example: this is how it sounds to produce a nasty sounding note and this is how it sounds to produce a beautiful sounding note - let's explore the difference) is a very effective learning tool.  It empowers the student to discover and control their own voice.  Another benefit to learning this way is that when we are talking about 'bad habits' many people do the same things.  Alternately, when we are talking about great singers with great technique, they too, do the same things.  Once you know these differences then why couldn't you then do the same?  The answer is, you can - in either direction.  The choice is yours but at least you'll know what you are doing.      


L =  LISTEN & LOOK

Have you ever heard yourself on an answering machine and thought "What!!! That's me?".  Here is the unfortunate truth, our voices lie to us...and yes, that is you.  When you sing, you are hearing a combination of both your internal and external sound.  That inner sound is somewhat bassier because it resonates within your body and is only heard by you.  So when you hear a recording of yourself and you can only hear the external sound you might feel like your voice sounds strange or thinner than you'd expect.  This makes many people feel self-conscious or embarrassed about their own voice.  Recording yourself is one of the only ways to truly know what you sound like.  Lack of self-awareness is a major, if not the main reason why there are many students out there in singing lessons who do not improve very much.  This is why you see many people on singing TV shows who either think they sound great (but in reality they sound terrible) or who are very humble and even insecure because they don't even know how amazing they sound.  Therefore, to achieve a great sound, singers have to focus more on making their singing feel good as opposed to making it sound good to themselves.  

A mechanic has to look under the hood to fix an engine and you have to study your own voice to know what you sound like and to find out how to improve.  Instant feedback through audio and video recordings is key.  Also, using a mirror to visually see what you are doing with your body (which is usually very different from what you think you are doing) is tremendously helpful as well.  Coaches of Olympic athletes film their performances to see both what they are doing well and where they can improve, so why shouldn't singers?  Many established artists do this as part of their career but usually students in lessons avoid this step as much as possible out of fear of what they might find.  But this is where the power to be amazing hangs out waiting for you to explore it!  The C.L.E.A.R. Singing Method utilizes specific exercises to help show you and teach you exactly how to manage your own voice empowering you to improve and develop more efficiently and at a faster rate.  Speed is not the objective but, why not learn something by the easiest and most effective means possible.


E =  EMOTION

We can study technique until the cows come home, but if you are over thinking and stuck in your head we will not get anywhere.  Learning happens in a different part of the brain than free creative expression.  So learning to sing is very much about learning, making things habitual through consistent practice and then just letting go and going for it.  Being aware of your own self-talk and mind-set about your singing is also key.  Expressing yourself with committed, genuine and honest emotion is the best way to get out of your head and into the song.  Performance magic happens with the marriage of solid singing and heartfelt sincerity.  This is what that "it factor" is that everyone is mystified about and longs for.

A =  ATTITUDE

Definition of confidence:  the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.  So confidence in terms of singing then is not just about waving your arms around and looking the part of a seasoned performer who is totally 'into it' - facial expressions and all.  Confidence is self-trust.  But where does that come from?  Easy, it comes from experience.  But how can you have confidence with something if you are new at it?  Well, in singing you have to find that self-trust when singing regardless of whether you are a skilled singer or not.  Why?  Because in singing you have to approach a new skill with the faith that you will ultimately be able to succeed at it in order to achieve it.  When students are riddled with self-doubt they usually undermine the learning process and self-sabotage.  

Sometimes, learning new techniques can be awkward, challenging and down right embarrassing.  Sometimes you have to make funny sounds or explore a funny cracking noise in your voice (gasp!!  Now biting finger nails).  Without that faith, you will shy away from learning and practicing and you will experience a lot of self doubt.  This is where attitude comes in.  If you can instead approach your singing with the attitude that this is a process like learning any other instrument and that with practice and patience you can absolutely 100% achieve your goals.  You will then take the pressure off of yourself and feel much more at ease and comfortable exploring both the strengths and weaknesses in your current singing ability.  This new found relaxation will also directly impact your singing since one of the biggest components of great singing is relaxing and simply allowing things to happen naturally.  You will improve in leaps and bounds and you will have embodied a successful mindset.


R =  REPETITION

In the beginning, things are new...you will feel like you have to think a lot.  We need to repeat a new skill over and over until it becomes a habit - until we don't have to 'think' about it anymore. Also, singing is like dance or any other physical activity.  Dancers practice specific jumps and coordinations over and over again until they develop the agility, strength and flexibility to do that move amazingly well every time.  Singing is essentially EXACTLY the same!   Whatever you practice, you will do more.  So if you practice strain, you will strain.  If you practice good technique you will sing beautifully with ease and freedom.  A lot of it comes down to muscle memory.  The goal is to acquire muscle memory for great technique.