The Charismatic Voice

Today, we continue the episode with Blind Guardian frontman Hansi Kürsch. His love of music and fantasy is pretty much evident in how he produces magic through writing songs based on fantasies and epics like The Stormlight Archives and The Lord of the Rings.
It's amazing how a lot of albums have this continuity. And he explains how everything in the album should have the same vibe because they can only shine if they're bound together. Making amazing music for 40 years now, Hansi gives his insights into artistic freedom. He is also involved in The Dark Tower series.
In this episode, you will hear:
Using artistic freedom in writing a song based on a book series
What makes a great colleague and a great musician
What inspired him to base his album on The Lord of the Rings
The hardest part of being a lead singer without bass
How he got involved in The Dark Tower series
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Supporting Resources:
www.blind-guardian.com
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.  Let them know we sent you.

It's just magic when music and fantasy are combined. And magic is what Blind Guardian creates. Today, we're joined by their lead singer, Hansi Kürsch, who along with his band members, takes inspiration from the great works of fantasy.
Going strong for 40 years now, Blind Guardian has recently released their newest album, The God Machine. Not only is Hansi a testament to endurance, but he's also the epitome of a powerful voice. He gives insights into how to build and maintain a four-decade career and how his understanding of vocal technique has evolved over the years.
In this episode, you will hear:
From playing bass to singing
Learning to become more efficient in singing through education
How Hansi's understanding of breath support has shifted through the years
The different types of breathing
Using the spine to support your voice
Vibrato is one of the most difficult to train.
Holding big, high-belt notes
Subscribe and Review
Have you subscribed to our podcast? We'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet.
We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Supporting Resources:
Blind Guardian
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.  Let them know we sent you.

Last week, we began the conversation with some life insights and vocal nerdery with Small Town Titans' frontman Phil Freeman. This week, we're going to continue the discussion with more detail on vocal technique.
Phil reveals the foundation for a good, healthy voice and an excellent performance in the same way that you should breathe in. He also stresses the importance of embracing the depth of your voice and not getting easily swayed by other people's opinions when it comes to your voice. Plus, he's going to satisfy our ears with some pretty awesome vocal demonstrations that will blow us away.
Not only an epitome of vocal excellence, Phil is also an example of savvy businessmanship and a super dad!

In this episode, you will hear:
Passagio in opera vs. in choirs
What it means to "cry through the note"
How the body plays a huge role in your voice
Clarity and compression in doing his vocal fry
Tests for vocal swelling
The three pillars of vocal health
Subscribe and Review
Have you subscribed to our podcast? We'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet.
We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Supporting Resources:
https://smalltowntitans.com/join
Small Town Titans - "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" - Official Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cUz-zAATNI
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.  Let them know we sent you.

What does it take to get to the next level? In this week's conversation, we're joined by Phil Freeman, the lead singer of one of the most underrated rock bands, Small Town Titans. Phil has a massive range coupled with massive technical skills that he can create all kinds of good, aggressive, powerful, and even sweet tones within that range.

Phil did a cover of You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, and if you haven't watched it yet, then you've got to! He initially sounds like a low-voiced male, but then he keeps going higher and higher and flat-out screams in a way that is sung well. It's not dangerous for the voice so it definitely deserves a jaw drop. Add to that a delectable enunciation and breath control that leaves the audience breathless – a voice that begs for more attention. After our conversation, I only realized that his rich, powerful, and direct sounds are all truly just an extension of his character.
Next week we're going to dive even deeper into vocal technique. We'll also trade teaching tips, talk about how babies can create better vocalizations than most adults, plus – a demonstration of some awesome high distortion!
In this episode, you will hear:
Reaction videos have become one of the main ways for people to discover music.
The importance of having an anchor in your life
Giving yourself a chance to tour to test your limits
How to get to the next level
What you want should be quality and something sustainable
Subscribe and Review
Have you subscribed to our podcast? We'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet.
We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Supporting Resources:
https://smalltowntitans.com 

Small Town Titans - "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" - Official Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cUz-zAATNI 

Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.  Let them know we sent you.

Last week we started to uncover the shy persona underneath Jinjer's fierce frontwoman, Tatiana Shmayluk. We talked about the artists that piqued her curiosity in harsh vocals and how she developed her monster-esque screams. We also discussed her writing process and how deadlines can be more inspirational than diamonds.
This week, we're going to continue the story by taking a look deeper into her growls, to better understand how she delineates between a good growl and a bad growl. We'll also talk about her practice habits and what Tatiana thinks of the band's name.
If you'd like to support both the band and charity at the same time, take an extra moment to consider buying some of their merch.
In this episode, you will hear:
How she relies on the frequencies of vibration when making a growl
Your voice as part of your body and how her voice depends on her mood
The meaning behind their song, Perennial
Her music influences
The origin of the name Jinjer
Subscribe and Review
Have you subscribed to our podcast? We'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet.
We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Supporting Resources:
www.jinjer-metal.com 
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.  Let them know we sent you.