Category: Growth

The Master Of Vocal Therapy

Mark BaxterMark Baxter is a hero.  He has been working with vocalists for 25 years and helping them create great performances and more importantly, saving their voices.

Mark has worked with thousands of singers at all levels.  He’s worked with Johnny Resnick (Goo Goo Dolls) Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) Gary Cherone (Extreme) Scott Weiland (Velvet Revolver) and many more.

I had some vocal issues pop up when singing with the Van Dammes and I contacted Mark to find out what was going on.  We went through a few sessions and figured out what was happening.  After a few sessions, he gave me some exercises to workout the vocal cords prior to singing and they have worked like a charm.  I even did a few gigs with inflamed vocal cords due to allergies and survived!

Kudos to Mark and his commitment to singers everywhere.  Check out his YouTube channel for a ton of helpful exercises and vocal therapy information.

Create For Yourself

Most songwriters, artists and creators in general usually think in terms of creating a product for external consumption. I know I do.

However, it’s a good practice to create things for yourself.  This means creating something that is out of your comfort zone that no one would ever see.  Create something that uses skills outside your expertise. This builds the creative muscle and will most likely give you more ideas for your primary creative endeavors.

Todd Henry, author of “The Accidental Creative” calls it Unnecessary Creation.  Allow yourself to dig deep into something that you never plan on showing anyone.

You will be surprised at the results.