Discover Your Voice: How to Develop Healthy Voice Habits [Paperback]

Oren L Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1996 | ISBN-10: 156593704X | ISBN-13: 978-1565937048 | Edition: 1

Based on a lifetime of experience and teaching, the renowned Oren Brown's readable and enjoyable work covers improving and protecting the singing voice, as well as offering insights into the care and treatment of the speaking voice.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"(A) vibrant addition to voice therapy....The activities move from general vocal warm-ups, which would be a fresh source of home practice activities for any voice patient, to very specific singing activities. The recording is well done and pleasant to follow." - ADVANCE for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists

"If you need any further encouragement to admire this wise and knowledgeable book, you will find it in the accompanying CD, on which one female and one male singer demonstrate all the given exercies." - Singing

"Oren L. Brown presents a synthesis of a lifetime of practical experience. His ideas and techniques provide information and insights for singers and teachers in areas ranging fromn proper breathing and posture to harm caused to the voice by alcohol and tabacco." - Teaching Music

"(A) fundamentally sound approach with ideas that are based on clinical and scientific evidence and whose validity has been thoroughly and convincingly tested...It would prove to be of considerable value in both classroom and studio." - Journal Of Singing

"(T)here is an excellent summary of Voice Problems and Therapy...it would make an excellent present to give to the voice therapist." - ENT News

About the Author

Marketing Coordinator for Singular

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Singular; 1 edition (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156593704X
• ISBN-13: 978-1565937048
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,996 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > Medical Books > Allied Health Professions > Audiology & Speech Pathology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

127 of 131 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enormous Information in a Compact Space, October 11, 2002

By 

Avocational Singer "Frescamari" (NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discover Your Voice: How to Develop Healthy Voice Habits (Paperback)

This book may look and seem small, but it is enormous inside. I have studied voice for years, as a hobby, and have had coaching and instruction from numerous vocal teachers and choir directors. I'm a stay-at-home-mom who has found myself in the position of not being able to study with a teacher for a while. Yet I wanted to continue to grow as a singer. I thought I might be at the point where I could do some self-study until the day when I could return to my lessons, and came online to find a book that might assist me with this. There were so many titles and authors on singing at Amazon.com. What to choose!

When this book by Oren L. Brown showed up on my recommendations list, I eagerly read the description of it: Professor at Juilliard, hmmmm, that sounds good. It comes with a CD!! Wow, this might be just what I want. ... Eeek, that sounds like a lot, but I just have a hunch this is just what I'm looking for.

I feel very strongly that this was the best [money] I have ever spent. From the very first page, I was learning, learning. The book was jam-packed with valuable information that synthesized all the fragments of learning about the voice that had accumulated with me through the years. Some of my singing teachers, God Bless their souls, had exercised me and arpeggioed me but never had been quite clear what the heck they were doing. My voice seemed to grow and get better, and my understanding about how to use it seemed to improve, but the whole teaching and learning process seemed so mysterious. Maybe in taking the time to explain what was happening, physically and scientifically, it would have taken away from the exercising of my voice and no one could spend that instruction time. But after reading through this book (which I will re-read again and again) I feel I finally understand all that I and my teachers have been trying to accomplish through these years. I have a comprehensive overview of the voice, and feel confident that I will be able to avoid harming my voice with bad habits after reading through this information. I also am encouraged to know that some things I thought were my limitations can be improved by regular practice. All of my teachers told me I had to practice, but no one ever explained to me what to practice. This book provides exercises and gives you a firm direction and purpose to the practicing you'll be doing.

What I really love is the way the author has such a deep respect and regard and fascination for the human voice. He has analyzed what happens when we sing and has explored it physically, metaphysically, scientifically, artistically.

There was improvement in my singing just from being exposed to the concepts in the book.

I read the book first, before I listened to the CD. I had trouble finding time to listen with my children interrupting, etc., so I put it in my car and have been listening there. I was thrilled and overjoyed to hear the author's voice resonate over the Bose speakers in my car. His speaking voice is one of a person who loves voice. He uses his own speaking voice so richly and well. I knew I was in good hands. The exercises on the CD are demonstrated so clearly and beautifully by the singers, with Mr. Brown's comments and explanations. It is the closest I will come to being able to study with a real person at this time when I cannot get to a vocal instructor. I feel that I could not be in better hands.

In fact, after reading this book, I highly suspect that I know a lot more than many singing teachers do about the voice. I really feel that most of what a singer will need to know is contained in this book. I probably will venture out to some of the other hot authors, but I suspect I will find a mere repetition (in various forms or another) of the concepts outlined in this book .

66 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Discover Your Voice, by Oren L. Brown, April 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Discover Your Voice: How to Develop Healthy Voice Habits (Paperback)

Excellent book for any singer at any level. The techniques described in the book are based on the author's many years of experience in teaching singing at The Julliard School and in the field of voice therapy. The CD included the book fully illustrate proven methods of vocalization. If vocal control, agility, strength, stamina, and health are of importance, I highly recommend this work.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read, November 1, 2005

By 

Dominique Gizelle "The Voice Teacher" (www.bangonrecords.com - Bellmore, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Discover Your Voice: How to Develop Healthy Voice Habits (Paperback)

Wow, I really like this book! As a voice teacher and vocal coach of popular music, students frequently come to me with damaged voices in need of repair. Reading Mr. Brown's stories, I knew I found an author who shared my dedication to healthy singing. Orin L. Brown's warm and direct writing style conveys his true passion for healthy vocal use and his desire to share his great knowledge with both vocalists and teachers. This book is filled with descriptive stories that tell the tales of Mr. Brown's experiences with, discoveries of and solutions for ailing vocal students.