Dr. Ira J. Raibon, Ph.D: News

Well , we had our first band rehearsal in January. It went pretty good, we worked on a new arrangement of "Take Me" that got kind of wild. Right now it looks like the band will consist of the twins (my Einstein crew) Braeden and Bryce Miller on drums and lead, Damian Raibon on guitar and electronics. I'll be playing whatever else we might need. Our next rehearsal will be in the next week, I'll keep you posted.

Okay, Im looking over the release forms for the "Carson Daly Show" which we are filming Friday night, December 2, 2011 at the "Bootleg Club" in L.A. I'll be appearing once again with "Nick Waterhouse".

Dec. 1 Soda Bar, San Diego
Dec. 2 Bootleg Theatre, L.A., Ca,.
Dec. 3 Detroit Bar, Costa Mesa, Ca.
All of these appearances will be with Nick Waterhouse and his band from San Francisco as they're doing their West Coast Tour.

Saturday, August 27, 2011.
Hoover Stage 5-6pm
4200 block of Santa Monica
(Santa Monica and Hoover)
I'll be doing a guest appearance with Nick Waterhouse and his band from San Francisco.
See you there!!!

Are you the new lead singer for that band I went to hear last night? What happened to the other guy that was belting it out for them before? He got a bad case of laryngitis. Do you think it was because the band was too loud? You were screaming pretty loud last night yourself, how’s your voice this morning? You say it feels like something is stuck in your throat and you can’t swallow it. In fact this is your third cup of coffee and it doesn’t feel like whatever it is has even started to move. Sit down; let me tell you what you have done. Last night when you were doing all that screaming and drinking beer to keep your pipes wet you inverted your larynx. The alcohol numbed your vocal cords so you didn’t even feel the damage until this morning. I think you should go back to bed and try to get another 4-5 hours of sleep, then come by my vocal studio this evening at 7:00 and we can start working on getting your throat back into alignment. This little scenario is a conversation that is going on every morning after a band has had a gig the night before. Folks it takes special training to know how to scream without hurting your voice. The scream itself is nothing more than lots of compression (video noise) delivered over a very hot microphone. The voice is really whispering and the compression is making it sound like screaming. This, like other issues have to be understood before we take that microphone in our hands to go out to engage that next audience. I believe just about everyone wants to know how I can make my voice better. Well first we have to talk about proper nutrition, exercise and rest. Singing is very energetic and demanding on the body so one must make sure you have the proper amount of calorie intake to keep your motor running. There have been many nights when I would lose 5-10 pounds in 3 hours of performing. I would recommend a diet quite similar to that of a distance runner. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, chicken and lean meat. Never eat a meal right before a performance, you want to try and give yourself at least 2-3 hours since your last meal. Nibbling on fruit, nuts and chocolate is okay, usually I like to keep a bowl of trail mix that contains all the above for quick backstage nibbling and make sure you have plenty of water. Water is used every time you feel the need to cough or clear your throat. Exercise should center on aerobic movements like jumping rope, walking, running, along with lots of crunches both front and oblique’s. Crunches should also start in the 200-500 a day range. For heavens’ sake don’t try to do all of them at once, do 25-30 at a time throughout the day. I would also highly recommend Pilates because of the concentration on the core exercises. Having a strong core is the first major achievement in improving the voice, a strong core also protects the vocal chords. Some resistance training can also be beneficial just remember getting into heavy weight training is not necessary, we’re not looking or trying to bulk up. I can’t say enough about rest because if you seriously hurt your voice it usually occurs when one has not had enough rest and before any rehabilitation can begin we have to rest the voice. Resting the voice means sleeping; yes you have to go to sleep. The first major step in repair is sleep. You’ve heard those stories about great opera singers while performing in New York asking and getting construction crews to wait until after 12:00pm to start their construction noise because their voices had to sleep in order to recuperate for their next performance. So get ample rest before a gig, give yourself a wake up time at least 3 hours prior to performance. This can give your sinuses enough time to drain after waking up, sip on a mild herb tea like sassafras or chamomile tea with honey. Stay away from dairy, it can cause more congestion and drain. Stay away from caffeine; it can over dry out the sinuses. I like a steamy shower where I start with my closed mouth exercises. These exercises start with the tongue between the teeth, this keeps the back of the throat open, and we again do the diatonic 5ths one and one-half octaves up and back down. This time using the sound of mmmmmmmmmmmm, notice I didn’t use any vowels it should not sound like humming that sound is too heavy. This should sound more like an insect sounds trapped in a window seal or even a creaky gate. The closed mouth exercises are most important because this is when the voice becomes fully aligned. Don’t use a lot of volume with this sound you want to mostly internalize the sound and feel the edge of the sound in your head.
Okay let’s talk about placement, where the air belongs when I’m singing. There are a few making outrageous statements telling singers to put the sound in the mask. The term “ mask “ goes back to Greek times when a real mask was worn over the face of the performer and even with their face covered they were still able to project their sound throughout the performance area. The only way this could be accomplished is to fire the sound out the top of the head (crown area) of the skull. It’s easy to see what a misdirection these others have been giving because putting the sound in the mask would be like singing with a pillow over your face. Alright, so how do I fire the air out the crown of my skull? A whimper, that’s right a whimper. You can feel the air moving out your nose and then it stops, like the feeling of catching a ball in a baseball mite. If you can visualize a big nose right there on the top of your head, that’s the place where the air stops. Now try this, lean against the wall like you’re doing push-ups standing up. Using a grunting sound like you’re pushing something heavy or trying to move the wall, start the grunting sound with a whimper. Did you feel the air move out that big nose on the top of your head? Try it with the word “I”, we don’t say the word” I” like when we’re talking we use the sound of the grunt “ugh”. If you are female start your sound at G before middle C and move up from there in diatonic 5ths. ( You’re actually moving up in ½ steps, maintaining a first position in each new key place). Sing through each note up and down. You must always remember the air leads the sound that means when I start my sound I will already be at the top place. I’m singing all of the preceding sound out of the top place. As you’re descending in the sound in order to keep the sound in your head blow off a little air through your nose, it feels and sounds like a moan, stop the air moving through your nose as the sound catches and finish the run down with the voice still in the head. It’s amazing, before you realize it you’re singing above high C. For the guys, start your sound at low C and follow instructions the same as the girls moving up in diatonic 5ths. Are you surprised how far back in the throat you’re able to say the word I? When we speak and say the same word “I”, you can feel it escaping before it’s even finished. This is one of the first test to experience new placement and to realize we don’t think of words the same as when we’re speaking. You’re learning a totally new language! Oh, by the way, try to disguise the whimper no one wants to hear someone singing that’s sounds like they’re crying. Another thing you want to remember is to drop your jaw as you’re saying the “ugh” sound. Drop it so it looks like a big yawn while looking in a mirror, keep the tongue forward completely covering the bottom teeth and extending to edge of bottom lip. The tongue always remains in place, attached to the lower jaw whenever singing. What about my air? You told me how to fire the air into my head and feeling the air stop like I caught it in a baseball glove, what do I do with the rest of the air that’s still in my diaphragm? Nothing, that air is there to support, it should feel like you’re holding your breath and you should feel your navel holding towards your spine. Since vowels sounds are usually the problem place let’s try another word that sounds like “I”. Now, how about the word cry….using the same method as above. Keep the sound in the ugh, did you feel the back of the tongue starting the sound in the soft pallet (roof of the mouth)? Remember to really drop the jaw like a big yawn. Try it again. This time try the word buy. The lips should just part and not move outward as this will cause that explosion sound on the microphone as air is escaping. It’s easy for me to recognize when new singers find out about this sound because they go home and immediately write a song caputaualizing on the entire new sound placement.
I will die__________
For you,
And I will cry_______
For you,
No one else in my life_______
But you, etc.
Oh yea the sound we use for the word “you” is yeaow. If you get out some old “Commodores”, (”Too Hot to Trot”) or “Earth Wind and Fire”, (“Way of the World”). You can get a nice demonstration of yeaow.
Would joining a choir help me with finding my voice? No, choir is not about an individual’s voice, it’s about the music the director has chosen for the season and any programs the director is trying to implement. Listen to this scenario concerning a choir. Music for the coming year has already been selected along with some special tunes to surprise audiences and will be fun for the kids to do as well. The director knows some of the kids coming in but she has seven new singers she won’t be able to hear until the first day of school. Oh, by the way, the choirs’ first performance is the third day of school at 9:30 am. So, the choir directors’ priorities are 1. Bringing that choir together to sing those songs. 2. Making that choir sound good singing those songs. 3. Establishing a blend and balance in the choir sound. She needs another alto, boom , you’re no longer a soprano….I need 2 more basses. Umm, I didn’t realize you could sing down there. Move over here, you’re no longer a tenor. It’s not about your voice, it’s about the choir. The choir is the team; the choir has a service commitment to the choir director, each other its current repertoire. Forget about your voice…. What a selfish thought. How about attending an art performance high school, could that help me find my voice? From my own experiences I find that these schools do not have the staff on hand to attend to young singers’ everyday needs. Again from my own experiences and those of my students attending these schools find students over worked, behind in their class work and nodules on their vocal chords. Nodules can come from straining, being tired and continuing to sing, and from singing material too advanced for their current ability level. Probably more important young singers are not being coached properly by teachers when preparing for performances. Young singers should always sing with microphones along with floor or ear monitors, sometimes both wouldn’t be a bad idea. Sure the kids get to perform more and work paying gigs of which the money goes back to sustain programs and buy equipment. But you’re still not finding your voice and only helping to promote programs and pre-selected performance materials. I actually feel that I learned more than what’s being offered at performance arts schools by having my own band in high school. I learned how to book the band myself by calling managers, city’s park and recreation departments, school ASB’s, USO’s, Elks and VFW’s. I learned how to write my own contracts and invoices, maintain a checking account, where I paid band members each week along with the note on our equipment . We practiced 2-3 days a week and always worked every weekend. I really feel these high schools do a better job at teaching kids to be grips not stars and should put more emphasis on classroom because the majority of their students always seem to end up at the local Jr. College. Acting and singing coaches…it’s not about your voice…it’s about their productions and how they perceive you doing it. I actually had one of these morons tell one of my vocal students that he shouldn’t drop his jaw so much because he looked too much like a singer and not an actor…. And this was for a musical where the singer was being asked to sing G’s and A’s above high C. In reality the dropped jaw was protecting his throat while singing in this extreme place. I don’t know if the director was really ready or capable to deal with the consequences of a singer not using his jaw in this situation because for certain the next stage the singer will start pulling chest. Pulling chest is the stage right before blowing the voice out, blowing the voice out is like blowing out a candle, the flame is gone the voice is gone. Bill Medley used to come to my shows out on Balboa Island, Newport Beach in the mid 70’s after he had blown his voice out and unable to speak for over a year. He would always give me the old thumbs up for my performances and I always wondered what it would be like to lose my voice and yes there is pain. You can recover from this but it is a long slow process. Oh by the way, this gentleman was the head of the department. Not only that but he had been the head of the department for 20 years!! Unfortunately these programs are driven by donors, bigger donors and patrons; they make recommendations for their favorite music and productions when they give their gift. These requests can have the program locked up for the next 5-10 years, especially if that program is successful. The program is about the coaches’ techniques and training methods, he takes the credit for everything he says he has taught you, but you’re not sure exactly what that is…
Can anyone learn to sing? Yes, when we’re talking about music skills, it’s about applied skills. That means`1 learnable skills and marketable skills as well. That’s why people without musical talent can sound as good as someone with the gift, if they’ve had the right teachers. I watched Whoopi Goldberg learn to sing for her singing nun movie because she really wanted to sing the parts and not have them dubbed in later by a real singer. So, that’s really her singing in those movies and not another singer overdubbed. How long does it take before I can hear or feel a difference? When you have the right teacher you should feel the difference immediately! However it’s over time that we see the biggest improvement. Remember you’re learning a new language and it takes time to start thinking this way and feeling the new location for your voice. The transition can be a lot faster if you start writing your own songs. I can’t emphasize this enough, you must have a private instructor dealing with just your voice and if this is happening you should feel an immediate relief in your throat and sound. Voice lessons don’t work with a group you need someone listening and dealing with just you. After all even NFL quarterbacks have a personal coach who is observing and filming them in practice and in games everyday ready to make corrective adjustments in footwork and ball release at any time. My biggest concern at this time is that young performers have the notion that they can just walk on stage and” Do It”, well I hate to pop your balloon but it takes years of preparation to become consistent in performance, in particular singing. Most signed acts are inconsistent and unable to perform more than 3 shows a week because singers have not studied their voice and don’t even have the basic knowledge of voice maintenance. The voice is a very sensitive part of our anatomy and demands special care without that special care you will lose it. Also, don’t think that you can hear all of these vocal occurrences on your own; you need a coach, someone observing and listening to your voice.



This article was written by Dr. Ira J. Raibon, PhD
Dr. Raibon is the Artist In Residence at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano,Ca.
And has over 50 years experience in the recording industry as an executive, producer, writer, artist and musician/teacher/coach.

I've been working with Christina of "The Flirts", getting her voice back in shape for her upcoming tours of Africa and Australia.
Gosh she sure is sounding great.

Well it has taken 44 years to happen. I've finally received my doctorate in Philosophy of Music along with a Masters in Education. I guess I can get going now with finishing my next single, which will be out in days.

BE THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, here we are about to close out another year and I haven't done anything I had planned for the last 2 years. So we're reverting to an old school record company strategy by not releasing the album but releasing 5 singles from the album. In this way we'll be able to get audience feedback from sales and play and better niche market the 3rd album. Meanwhile the second album can be dropped at anytime during the release of the 5 singles' release dates. The 3rd album should follow the second album in the next quarter of the year.
The first single release date will be in January 2011.

Well Sunday, December 5th was my first Christmas Party this year. Thanks to the owner and staff at Agostino's Italian Restaurant, located in Capistrano Beach, Ca. for making my gig so comfortable. Thanks indeed to Lynn and Wes for having me again as their entertainment.
Ira Raibon

First place honors for Classical Improvisation goes to Ira Raibon student Tim Brittain.

Hey, did you see Erykah Badu last night at the Soul Train Awards? She is up for album of the year award. I hope she is in the same category at the Grammies.

Got a call Saturday afternoon to come in and do tenor work on new band from Atlanta, Georgia. It was great! They asked me so many questions I didn't even have enough time to ask the name of their band. By the way all my sessions so far have been one take!!!!!!!!!!!.
That's amazing

Finished Cassie's recording session last Thursday. Two super songs with lots of tenor and alto sax. Got her on her way back home to San Antonio, Texas.
Thanks Cassie.

I just got a call last night from an analog studio over in Costa Mesa, they have some songs they need me to take a look at for sax. I have to remind all groups that I am available for "Live Shows".

Okay, so yesterday I started working on the new single by Jon Gibson, "I'm On a Mission". Man! Can that guy sing!!!I I convinced him to use the alto sax not the soprano. We should finish up on Friday, May 21st.

Check out the new Eryka Badu album on Universal Motown released March 29th, it has a cut entitled "love", which samples parts of "Take Me" for which I was totally credited along with "The Fabulous Souls".
Thank you Eryka Badu.
Peace and Love,
Ira Raibon

Well it looks like I'm headed back to the studio today after my morning church service to begin a voiceover project....meanwhile, I'm still working on getting that new album out..... Buy my music.
Peace

I'm currently getting ready to speak September 14th and 15th at the Disneyland Hotel to families that do homeschooling. The essence of the message will be about identifying children that have a musical gift and how parents can nurture these special youngsters. My concerns run high because I'm afraid that in another 10 - 15 years young people will not be looking to play real musical instruments

Since this is the 50th year of Motown I thought it would only be right to thank some of the people from Motown that helped my career. Clarence Paul, who I believe was the first producer assigned to produce Stevie Wonder. I met Clarence in Beverly Hills at the Venture Record Company in 1968, He and Willie Hutch were really interested in me as an artist and writer but didn't like my band. Another guy who was there at the time was Mickey Stevenson (Mickey's Monkey by Smokey Robinson and tha Miracles). The song was about him ...he didn't write it. He wrote things like "Wild One", "Dancing In The Streets", "Nowhere To Run,Nowhere To Hide" etc. Martha and The Vandellas' songbook. Smokey, I've never met but have just about every song he has ever written.
Thanks Motown