SOUND OFF
Welcome to The Voice Connection Sound Off; a forum for users of books like Raise Your Voice, Melody to Madness, The Ultimate Breathing Workout, and Unleash Your Creative Mindset, as well as a place for Vendera Vocal Academy members to interact.
This message board was created so that singers could come together and "sound off" to help support each other during vocal development and the creative process of unleashing the creative spark that occurs when writing and producing music. Currently, myself and vocal coaches Ben Valen, Ray West, and Ryan Wall are here to respond periodicially to your questions, with new vocal coaches coming soon. But, feel free to help each other too:)
This board is here for you to ask questions about my and my fellow coach's books, videos, and MP3 programs, as well as offer others help with our vocal techniques. You may also post videos of yourself and your band to share your music and ask for critiques.
Please refrain from negative comments, profanities, spamming, and inappropriate criticisms of vocal methodologies, vocal coaches, and singers. All negative posts will be deleted and subject to banning without question. I will not respond to negative posts, because, as Mark Twain once said, “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.” With that said, positive criticism is welcome because that is how you'll grow as a singer during the training process.
Today I was doing some stacatto exercises, (going 'ha' on each note, in a pattern like C3, E3, G3, C4, G3, E3, C3).
What I noticed as I reached the E4 then up to the A4# was that the most reliable way to reach it was to make the sound feel lighter, and smaller. It almost felt like 'backing off.'
Now I know Jaime talks about pretending the voice is a triangle, with the top notes being more pointed, and smaller than the wider, bottom notes... but how can I pick up more volume?
I would really like to be able to vocalize at -least- that A4 by the end of the summer with decent power, and not just hit it on stacatto notes or on very quick sirens. Right now it's almost like I'm hitting it in falsetto, but it's more connected feeling, which makes me think it's just a very light head voice. And, of course, it's a tiny sound!
But I can't seem to add any weight, or it breaks and I can't actually reach the note. Not to mention hurting! 
It feels free(ish) and doesn't hurt at all if I keep it teeny tiny, but when I try to open it up more it dies and hurts a little bit.
What I'm finding is that the lighter voice helps me keep it resonant, and keeps my throat from siezing up... I can't seem to keep my voice placed in the mask, get any other body resonance, or keep my throat from getting tight when I try to give it any more.
