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Workshops are flexible depending on the group's interests and needs.
Selected instructional performances and follow-up designed to target musical
and/ or non-musical topics needed by and appropriate for your school or community group.
Theoretical introduction into "Complete Vocal Technique", overview over the technique and Masterclass where active participants work on a song/ an issue in front of the group.
To create percussion sounds with the voice in a very interactive way and to practise these sounds by arranging them in patterns.
By using body percussion we build up different grooves which are then combined and applied to create a presentation, a performance.
Focusing on aspects as:
Emergeny Aid
Instant ‘emergency service’ for studios and concerts and for professional singers who have technically difficult assignments, lose their voices or have developed vocal problems.
Coaching on Location
CVT is a revolutionary singing technique and voice training methode that gives you efficient solutions to specific voice problems. As a singing teacher and vocal coach we offer you guidance on how to achieve your goals and how to get full control over your voice no matter which style you're singing.
We teach and coach singers of all musical backgrounds (jazz, pop, rock, musical, heavy metal, classical...) and levels, from beginners to professional singers, actors, dancers, speakers, singers who need emergency aid. We work as a vocal coach for bands, theaters, studio recordings, a cappella groups, etc.
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Studio Groovius Maximus is a perfect solution for small recording projects. If you are looking for a place to make your first demo than look no further. My passion and dedication are at your service to make the most of your music.
luc@vocacademy.com
As a musician I know that flexibility is the keyword in my profession. Being all-round in various ways and styles is of major importance for the people I work for. As a professional pianist, composer and arranger I'm dedicated to get the best out of musical projects. My years of experience in Musical, Pop, Jazz, Soul, Gospel and Classical Music combined with enthusiastic passion are at your service.
christoph@vocacademy.com
Complete Vocal Technique has revolutionized singing technique and is being used worldwide by professional singers within all styles of music. Cathrine Sadolin is one of the leading voice researchers in the world. Her research crosses all vocal styles, combined with her own experience as a professional singer, and has inspired innovative thinking within the field. Cathrine Sadolin regularly participates in voice conferences around the world, contributing to ongoing voice and vocal technique research. Cathrine Sadolin's ongoing and always updated research continues to inspire singers, singing teachers, actors, speech therapists, and doctors alike.
Complete Vocal Technique covers the anatomy and correct use of the voice with the Four Vocal Modes (Neutral, Curbing, Overdrive, Edge), Sound colours, Emergency aid (preventing damaging the voice ) and introduces a healthy way of producing Vocal Effects (i.e. distortion, growl, screams, vocal breaks, adding air to the voice, vibrato, ornamentation technique).
Complete Vocal Technique research
With the technique and pedagogical method well proved in real life situations, Cathrine Sadolin and CVI has in the last couple of years shown increased focus on the scientific side. In collaboration with Dr. Julian McGlashan and Dr. Nazia Munir from Queens Medical Centre University Hospital in Nottingham, they have done several studies, which will result in papers beeing published soon.
Singing is not that difficult and everybody can learn to sing. Cathrine has divided the singing techniques into four main subjects as listed below. By combining elements of these four subjects you can produce precisely the sounds you want. You will also be able to pinpoint your specific problems and mistakes, and you can focus on which techniques you wish to work on.
The four main subjects are:
The three overall principles are the most fundamental and important to perfect. They make it possible to reach all the high and low notes within the range of the individual singer, to sing long phrases, to have a clear and powerful voice and to avoid hoarseness.
The three overall principles must be obeyed regardless of mode, sound colour, and effect. They are:
1 Support
This means working against the natural urge of the diaphragm to release the air that has been inhaled. This is achieved by resisting its movement. During singing, the waist muscles and solar plexus are pushed outwards whilst the abdomen around the navel is gradually pulled in in a constant and sustained manner and the back muscles are tightened. The muscles in the loin try to pull the pelvis backwards, while the muscles in the abdomen try to pull the pelvis up under your body. This battle created between the abdominal muscles and the muscles in the loin is a valuable and important part of support. However, the support must happen in a sustained and continuous manner as though working against a resistance for as long as a sound is being produced.
When the muscle contractions stop being sustained and continuous, for instance if you cannot pull the abdomen around the navel inwards any further or push the muscles of the waist or solar plexus outwards any further, then there is usually no more support. It is important to conserve your support energy so you do not waste it or use it at the wrong point in time. Do not use support before it is necessary. Save it for when the singing gets difficult, such as on high notes or at the end of a phrase. Support is hard physical work so you should be in good physical condition.
2 Necessary Twang
The area above the vocal cords forms a funnel, this is called the ‘epiglottic funnel'. When twanging, the opening of the epiglottic funnel is made smaller by bringing the arytenoid cartilages closer to the lower part of epiglottis (the petiole). As a result the sound gets clearer and non-breathy, and you can increase your volume. You always need to use necessary twang in order to have correct technique and achieve easy and unhindered use of the voice regardless of the mode, sound colour and effect used. Necessary twang makes it easier to sing in all ways. For many this necessary twang does not sound twanged at all.
3 Avoid protruding the jaw and tightening of the lips
Avoid protruding the jaw and tightening the lips as it often produces constriction around the vocal cords. Achieve a loose jaw by bending your head back and placing a finger between the upper and lower jaw. Keep this position of the jaw as you sing. The lower jaw should be pulled backwards relative to the upper jaw. Be sure to open the mouth wider on high and low notes than on notes in the middle part of the voice.
Whilst avoiding tightening the lips, it is also important to form vowels with the tongue without altering the shape of the mouth too much. Consonants on the other hand are usually produced by narrowing the vocal tract and by tension in the lips, but as you do not stay on them for very long in singing they do not impair singing. It is important to be able to release the tension immediately going from consonants to vowels.
The use of the voice can be divided into four vocal modes: Neutral, Curbing, Overdrive and Edge (formerly ‘Belting'). The modes differ by having different amounts of metallic character. Most singing problems occur because of incorrect use of the modes. Each mode has a certain character, as well as advantages and limitations. To avoid mistakes and technical problems it is important to know and control the modes, to use their advantages and to respect their limitations. It is also important to be able to change freely between the modes in order to make the most of their advantages. You can change smoothly or make abrupt changes to achieve vocal breaks. Each of the four vocal modes should be trained individually and in different ways. Remember to obey the three overall principles regardless of the mode.
Neutral
Neutral is the only non-metallic mode. There is no ‘metal' in the sound. The character is usually soft, like singing a lullaby. Neutral is the only mode where you can sing using a breathy quality voice without causing damage. The two extremes of Neutral are called ‘Neutral with air' and ‘Neutral without air'. For the sake of clarity, both extremes are sometimes shown individually. Neutral is found by establishing a loose jaw.
In popular music Neutral with air is used for quiet passages when a breathy sound is wanted. In classical music Neutral with air is only used as a rare effect. In everyday life Neutral with air is used when you speak in a breathy voice or whisper.
Neutral without air is often used in popular music when you want a sound without metal and yet be clear and non-breathy. In classical music Neutral without air is used by both men and women when singing quietly, i.e. in pianissimo and ‘thinning' (the volume of the note is gradually decreased without the note losing its quality). Women use Neutral without air in classical music when they sing in the high part of their voice, regardless of volume. In everyday life Neutral without air is used when you speak quietly with no breathiness.
All parts of the voice, all vowels and all sound colours can be used in Neutral by both men and women. Generally, Neutral is a mode with a quiet volume from very quiet (pp) to medium loud (mf). Very powerful volumes (ff) can only be obtained in Neutral without air in the high part of the voice. In the West, Neutral is the most commonly taught mode in singing tuition (for women), and is often used in church and school choirs.
Curbing
Curbing is the only half-metallic mode. There is a slight ‘metal' on the notes. Curbing is the mildest of the metallic modes. It sounds slightly plaintive or restrained, like when you moan because of a stomach ache. Curbing can be found by establishing a ‘hold'.
Curbing is used in popular music when the volume is around medium and when a certain amount of metal is wanted on the notes such as in soft soul or R ‘n B. Curbing is used in classical music by men when singing medium volume (mf) in their entire range and when women singing loud (f) in the middle part of the voice and sometimes in the low part of the voice. Curbing is used in everyday life when you wail, moan, or whine.
Men and women use Curbing through all the various parts of the voice. The sound colour can be altered quite a lot. All vowels can be used. However, in the high part of the voice, the vowels have to be directed towards ‘O' (as in ‘woman'), ‘UH' (as in ‘hungry'), and ‘I' (as in ‘sit') to stay in the mode. The volume in Curbing stays more or less in medium compared to the other modes, ranging from medium quiet (mp) to medium loud (mf). It is not possible to sing very quietly and very loudly in this mode.
Overdrive
Overdrive is one of two full-metallic modes. There is a great amount of metal in the notes. The character of Overdrive is often direct and loud, like when you shout ‘hey' at somebody in the street. Overdrive can be found in the beginning by establishing a ‘bite'. It is usually used when speaking or singing loudly in the low part and middle part of the voice.
Overdrive is used in popular music when the volume is loud and when a great amount of metal is wanted on the notes, such as in rock music. In classical music it is used by men when they sing medium loud to very loud (f-ff), and women use Overdrive in classical singing only in the low part of the voice if at all. Overdrive is used in everyday life, for example when shouting.
Overdrive is the most limited mode in terms of pitch, especially for women. The upper limit for women is D2/Eb2 and for men is C2. There is no lower limit. All vowels can be used in the low part of the voice, but in the high part of the voice you can only use ‘EH' (as in ‘stay') and ‘OH' (as in ‘so'). The sound colour can, however, be altered to some extent. Although the volume in Overdrive is mostly loud, relatively quiet volumes can be obtained in the lower part of the voice. The higher the notes, the more distinct the loud, shouting character becomes (see ‘Overdrive' on page 106).
Edge
Edge (formerly ‘Belting') is the other full-metallic mode. There is a great amount of metal in the notes. The character of Edge is light, aggressive, sharp, and screaming, like when you imitate a diving airplane. Edge can be found by twanging the epiglottic funnel (e.g. sounding like a duck).
All modes can be lightened or darkened, though some more than others. The sound colour is created in the vocal tract, which is the space above the vocal cords extending to the lips and including the nasal passages. The form and size of the vocal tract is of great importance to the sound colour. All singers have different vocal tracts so all singers have their own personal sound colour. If the vocal tract is large, the sound colour will be darker; if it is small, the sound will be lighter. The shape of the vocal tract can be altered in many directions so there are many ways of changing the sound colour of your voice.
You can change the shape of the vocal tract by changing the 
Each of these factors can and should be trained individually in order to get to know each factor's influence on the sound colour. Once you can control each factor individually they can be combined in different ways to achieve different sound colours. Remember to obey the three overall principles and to be in control of the chosen mode before changing sound colour.
These are sounds which are not connected to melody or text but are sounds that underline the expression or style of a singer. Many effects are produced in the vocal tract. All singers are different. Consequently, every effect must be specifically designed to each singer, taking into account their anatomy, physiology, fitness, energy level and temperament.
Before you start working with effects it is important that you can control the three overall principles, the chosen mode and the sound colour.
Effects might be:
• Distortion
• Creak and creaking
• Rattle
• Growl
• Grunt
• Screams
• Intentional vocal breaks
• Air added to the voice
• Vibrato
• Ornamentation technique (rapid run of notes)
I'm Tanja Raich, born in Austria and I've been a musician for all my life.
I'm quite a multifaceted vocalist trained both classical and jazz/pop at the University of Music in Vienna and at the Complete Vocal Institute (CVI) in Copenhagen and I love the variety of everything that music has to offer.
My musical route has taken many paths:
working as a soloist in jazz/pop/funk influenced bands and Big Bands, being a student of great vocal teachers like Bobby Mc Ferrin, being a member of professional a cappella groups (Velvet Voices, Shiva Knows) and many more.
I simply feel very comfortable on many different musical tracks and I’m always looking for new challenges to take on. I also studied musicology, psychology and dramatics at the Universitiy of Vienna to get more knowledge about music theory and music psychology.
I love to perform on stage but also enjoy teaching my students developing their vocal skills and making them understand how beautiful singing can be.
If I wasn’t working as a vocalist, I would have chosen some profession in sport. But then again singing is top sport so now I have both.
I studied piano, hammond, keyboard at the conservatory before turning to my true love: a cappella singing. I founded a professional 4 men formation called Rock4. There I arranged a lot of songs and sang 12 years the bariton part. At the same time I started to develope my vocal percussion style. If you are looking for a multifunctional guy who shares with anybody his knowledge and enthousiasm of the human voice and the huge possibilities then look no further.
As a musician I know that flexibility is the keyword in my profession. Being all-round in various ways and styles is of major importance for the people I work for. As a professional pianist, composer and arranger I'm dedicated to get the best out of musical projects. My years of experience in musical, pop, jazz and classical music combined with enthusiastic passion are at your service.
Tanja Raich (authorized CVT-teacher)
Limburg/ The Netherlands
+31-(0)641255550
info@vocacademy.com
Voc Academy is located in Maastricht/ Aachen/ Kerkrade (Euregio).
Tanja Raich tanja@vocacademy.com +31(0)641 25 55 50
Luc Nelissen luc@vocacademy.com +31(0)621 55 24 20
Christoph Eisenburger christoph@vocacademy.com +49(0)152 01 98 11 34
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