I owe ENDLESS thanx to Jaime Vendera for all the invaluable advice he's given me, BUT...This GIGANTIC thank you goes out to James Fater. In my last message, we were talking about gritty and clean singing placed in the soft palate. One of the things that you said to me was, "I try to focus the gritty stuff into the HARD palate so that I know it's completely outta my throat." I am paraphrasing here, but that's basically what you said. So I gave it a shot, and EUREKA!!! I then came to the realization than every time I tried to push it into the soft palate I felt like I just pushed it to the top of my THROAT. It was almost like I just couldn't get there. So when I tried to push the sound into the hard palate it felt like it was half-way between the soft and hard palate, and therefore completely outta my throat! Now, I basically just started this today, so this technique is nowhere near perfected, but I at least know where to go from here. JAMES FATER, I'M INFINITELY GRATEFUL FOR THIS ONE, BRO!!!

That is great! I am glad anything I said could be of help. I wish my own singing was going as well, heh. A week of insomnia isn't being nice to me.

Don't feel bad, man. It goes slow for me too. Because of all the extra hours I've been working, I was only able to practice one day last week. I've already practiced some to day, though, and I try to squeeze in short practice sessions when given the chance. I'll tell ya what, though. I was practicing the grit and growl stuff today, and I noticed that I can feel my face starting to turn red. It didn't quite do so, but DAMN! I can feel all kinds of crazy resonance goin' on in the cabeza. One thing that I clarified with Jaime is that you have to improve your clean and full voice range before you can start gaining notes in the gritty range. I'm not whipping out the Brent Smith stuff yet, but I believe that I will in time. Again, thank you sir. Maybe you can tell ME what kinda vocal problems you're having and I can return the favor! I'm really good about helping people with melisma and bluesy stuff.

All I'm really having trouble with is being so tired that I can't sustain or even reach a full voice past an A4 this week. It's only Tuesday, so things are bound to improve, but you know, way too tired.