Hello everyone,

I'm new here. I received Jaime's book a few weeks ago and have been really enjoying it. There is SO much information that I have resisted the urge to talk about it yet until it all sinks in.

I think the idea of networking like this with other singers is BRILLIANT!

I have been singing for almost all my life. My mom was choir director in Church, so I was "drafted" into it without much choice from a very young age.

As I grew older I became more interested in instruments. I played sax for a while, then switched to trumpet and stuck with that for several years. (to this day I believe that the style of trumpet playing that really floated my boat, wailing jazz style a la Maynard Ferguson and Bill Chase, was key in my learning how to breath properly. I never became that great of a trumpet player, but my singing training as a child, coupled with breathing technique from brass worked hand in hand)

Well, no one needs to hear my whole musical bio, so I'll stop there. I just want to say that what I was really hoping for from the book, was some deeper knowledge to help me identify the things I'm doing right when I can feel that I'm in the zone, as well as acknowledge any bad habits that might be leading me off that path. The book has filled that desire quite well! I do have some questions, so I look forward to communicating with you all in the near future.

Since this is a singing forum, I think It's appropriate to share a brief list of singers who have been monumentally influential to me. (I have LOADS of favorite singers and influences, but these are the biggest ones!)
Tommy Shaw
Steve Walsh
Paul Rodgers
Stevie Wonder
Sting
Tony Harnell
Daniel Gildenlow
Russell Allen

I'm in the Dutch rog metal band Sun Caged and we are currently in pre-production for the 2nd album. (note: I replaced the gifted Andre Vuurboom who did the vocals on the first album, so if you're familiar with the first album, that's not me, just to clarify)

If anyone would like to hear what I have done, I welcome you to check out my myspace page, which is currently streaming a song called Patron Saint on the recently released solo album of Marcel Coenen (also of Sun Caged!) http://www.myspace.com/paul_adrian

Thanks for reading all this, I look forward to getting to know some folks here and exchanging information.

Thanks to Jaime for writing a great book, and creating a great website!

-Paul

Paul,
Send me a friends request at myspace.com/jaimevendera

Tony Harnell and I are the closest of friends. We talk a couple times a week when he's not on tour, hich he is right now. If you happen to catch him this tour, tell him you have been talking with me. If you have any questions please post them. I promise the Members section will be exploding with extra information by the end of the year, to help you through the book. BTW- Tony uses RYV when teaching voice ;)

JV

Paul dude, I checked out your myspace and listened to the song. You've got an incredible set of pipes, I'd kill to be able to sing like you. Kind of reminds me of James LaBrie except less...uhhh...canadian.

If you're liking the technical info in Jamie's book, you should really look for some more indepth books that focus on the mechanical aspects of the voice.

I had read a few of them, and then after reading RYV I went back to reread a few, and the lights just started going on. "Oh yeah, -that's- what they meant. Why couldn't they just have described it like Jamie does?" ;) But really, once the basics click, there's more advanced info that's really, really amazing.

nice to meet you paul,I'm actually super famialir with your project(Marcel chews a mean piece of gum while shredding to ,,,)

Really great list of singers...(got all the cd's of the guys you mentioned...)
Some of the guys I'm into are:
Ray Gillan(R.I.P)
Geofe tate
David Draiman
Rob Halford
Timmy Owen

even really enjoy some of the new bands around to(though I'd have to say the whole coockie monster thing somtimes gets a little over bearing....some of its really good...)

you can check out some of my voice stuff on my myspace page here www.myspace.com/bulgeheavy....
(the tracks are in demo form right now...I was only into the project and just started singing for about 3-4 months before they dragged me into the studio...looking forward now to getting in and letting it rip with a little more knowledge under the belt....)
looking forward to hanging out here and basking in the knowledge...Jaime's got some great stuff in his book,looking forward to test runnin it..
laters:Alex Zandretta