Customer Reviews

The Rock-N-Roll Singer's Survival Manual

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Mark Baxter through this and his other published material has not only changed my singing, but also my life. The problem with people who want to sing better is that they are IMPATIENT... impatience will only make the wrong group of muscles stronger. His approach is simple... in order to learn to sing better you need to vocalize, not sing. You need to vocalize around the sounds that feel loose and free and then challenge yourself a little more... if you crack, DON'T PUSH more air and make yourself hurt... as opposed to control, that is lack of control and nothing else. Mark's approcah isn't classical, and it really isn't about "special" exercises that turn you into a great singer in minutes... they're all about simplicity. Let your voice crack when you vocalize, adjust the air pressure, you might be pushing the air or using too little of it. Find the BALANCE between the amount of air coming from your lungs (and being regulated by your diagphragm) and the amount of resistance your vocal cords are putting up. It's really that simple! We singers make it harder either because we are insecure or underdeveloped. PATIENCE and HARD WORK is what achieving control over the voice takes! It's not about how loud you can blast, it's about how much dynamic control you have over your voice. Do not raise your larynx, you are using muscles that you do NOT need to be using. The idea, ESPECIALLY in rock music is to use THE LEAST amount of muscles it takes! If you're using your neck to control a pitch you're unnecesarily sacrificing your ability to RELEASE your voice. If you don't trust your voice (which you develop through training) it is unlikely that others would. Even if you're pushing it harder than you should, which will limit your abilities more than you could ever imagine. BUY THIS BOOK! I also recommend the Singer's Toolbox. They're both dated and the book has grammar and spelling issues, but the information and insights are INVALUABLE! Also do a search on his 15 minute warm-up routine... I live by it!

I read this book 2 years ago and thought it was great. Now I'm just reading it again, and I realise how much more than just "great" that book is. It is a necessity!!! Just get it, NOW!

It's not just another book full of scale exercises. This one goes much deeper into yourself, with that overall concept that a singer is both a musician and its instrument, all in one. And it really helps understanding the instrument better: how your body is going to react to what your mental state is, what you eat, what drugs you do...

Then it also explains how to get rid of all the muscle activity that comes with singing that you DON'T need. So it kinda goes from the principles that everything is already inside you, you just add to many tensions to it making it difficult. Mark is really good at helping you isolate and focus on the simple muscles you'll need to sing, and develop those while getting rid of everything else you do that prevents your voice from going out unaltered......

Another thing I love with that book is that instead of finding yourself practicing hundreds of various scales exercises, but instead you'll know precisely why you're doing a particular exercise, and what it's developing in your body. That makes the whole exercise much more valuable!!!

Get it, read it, and practice. And in two years, read it again. You'll understand how necessary reading material it is for any rock singer.

This book is excellent for offering a clear and concise explanation of the physiological process of singing--everything from the state of the body before the first breath is taken, to breathing, to exhale and how the oral cavity affects sound. The presumption is that understanding the anatomy and physical processes involved will help a singer improve their voice. There are also a number of exercises intended to de-program destructive habits to singing and program constructive ones. Also addressed is how our environments affect singing: food, drugs, everything. While Mark Baxter wouldn't do too well in an English class (where the heck was the editor for this one, anyway?) this book seems like a great source of valuable info that many singers unfortunately never attempt to learn.

This book is obviously a labor of love. It is clear to me that Mr. Baxter is passionate about singing, and teaching singing, and that this book--to which he provided not just the text, but the illustrations too--is his baby. For these reasons, he should fire his editor....

The book is full of typos, and very poorly organized. The typos I can live with. The over-development of some topics, and under-development of others, and the problematic organization...I can't live with them.

First, there is much too much unnecessary verbiage concerning anatomy. We simply don't need page after page after page of detailed anatomical charts and descriptions of our "instrument." Some, yes, but not volumes. The space would have been much better spent providing useful exercises for, say, keeping the larynx low, which Baxter says is vitally important (and he's not alone), but for which there is practically no instruction beyond "feel your Adam's apple, and when it rises, force it down." Okay, great--HOW?

There IS useful information in this book, but it is so often buried in what seems to me to be unnecessary exposition that you often have to dig for it. I think it would have been much more helpful to begin with some basic anatomy, then some typical problems, their remedies (exercises), and then more detailed instruction for fine-tuning your singing.

I found some of the breathing exercises helpful, but got so tired of wading through the excessive exposition that I got another book (Roger Love's, which I strongly recommend over this one), one that more closely meets my needs. This book does not come with a CD, so if you want to do the exercises, you will need a musical instrument of some sort to practice with--and not a wind instrument!

I suppose this book might serve as a useful reference, and that's why I gave it three stars instead of two, but as a book of practical instruction, I'm afraid it falls short. You won't hit the ground running, or notice dramatic improvements quickly if you rely on this book. The exact opposite is true of Roger Love's book, which is why I recommend you get it before this one.

This book is a very in-depth resource for understanding how the voice works and how to treat the voice as an instrument.

Unfortunately, "The Rock-N-Roll Singer's Survival Manual" was edited very poorly and is very crude in layout, flow, and readability. The diagrams are poorly drawn (by the author), and spelling and grammatical errors are rampant. Included is a useless "flipbook" animation of proper breathing technique which hogs up the left side of every left sided page. The author also has a very confusing tendency to talk about (and direct the reader to) subjects which are not covered until chapters later in the book. I found myself flipping back and forth throughout the book instead of reading it from front to back. The book is also printed in a very large condescending type size, as if the book was originally intended to be a small paperback and was blown up to fill a larger cover without decreasing the amount of pages. Though it is understood that the author is speaking primarily based on his experience as a vocal coach, many of the points he makes are to be accepted on their merit alone; there is very little (if any) referencing.

There is a wealth of information here, we can only hope that Mark Baxter releases a new and improved 2nd edition to make it easily accessible.

This was the first vocal book I ever read and after reading many more this is still my favorite. It covers a wide range of topics, all of which are important for all singers.

The chapters about diet can help you to make choices about foods that will better your voice. The chapters with exercises on breathing, if actually worked on each day until you get it down, will get your breathing up to standard for singing. The chapters with vocal exercises cover several problem areas. Each exercise has an explanation on why you are actually doing the exercise which is rare, and gives some tips to do it correctly.

The books also covers how your overthinking and different emotions can affect the voice for the good or bad. It's important to read those so you realize that some of your problems (or even all of them) are psychological. Once you get past that you can start reversing the negative thoughts about your singing and you will quickly improve like I did.

I suggest everyone gives this book a read. Even if you don't do any of the exercises you will still learn a lot that will help better your voice forever.

I have read close to 100 books on the subject of the voice, covering topics such as; vocal instruction, vocal anatomy, voice psychology, breath technique etc. I have read books on singing that have dated as far back as the 1890's. The Rock-N-Roll Singer's Survival Manual was the very 1st book that I actually ever sat down and read on the subject of voice, realting to rock vocals, and to this day, remains one of my favorites. Author Mark Baxter presents an easy to understand guide to the art of rock singing. He has taught many professional singers such as; Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, and Steve Augeri of Journey. Following is the story about how I discovered this wonderful book:

In the beginning of my vocal career, I sought out the expertise of an older woman who had taught voice for over 30 years. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't rock vocals she was teaching, so that experience didn't make it past 2 weeks. I'll never forget her face when I let out one of my metal screams. She said, " Oh dear, young man, you are going to ruin your voice"! So, I bid her farewell.

Lucky for me, I stumbled across the path of The Rock-n-Roll Singer's Survival Manual when I went to visit a friend of mine that I hadn't seen in a couple of years. He let me borrow it for the night. I stayed up all night reading it. I knew very little about vocal anatomy and correct vocal technique. Mark's book covered these subjects fairly well. Not only did Mark explain how to use the voice, but he also explained the principles of why the voice works the way it does.

Before I read The Rock-N-Roll Singer's Survival Manual, I knew about the falsetto and diaphragmatic breathing, but never really understood the purpose of falsetto and diaphragmatic breathing. I was so excited by what I had learned, that the next day, I ran down to the local music store to see if they had it in stock. I bought my very own copy and re-read it by the weekend.

Mark Baxter, the author, has put together an excellent, easy to understand, vocal instruction manual, specifically geared towards the rock vocalist. This 231-page book is full of illustrations, lessons, and vocal tips which are guaranteed to enhance the vocal knowledge of any aspiring singer, from beginner to pro. The book covers topics such as, vocal health, breathing technique, vocal technique, and the mental side of singing. The book also contains an "Animated Breather", which is an animated illustration that comes to life when you flip the pages of the book, illustrating proper breathing. Mark also presents a series of exercises to help you reach your voice potential.

Whether you are a beginner, or a professional, I suggest adding a copy of The Rock-N-Roll Singer's Survival Manual to your bookshelf! Mark Baxter has also produced a companion video to the book entitled The Singer's Toolbox. If you are serious about singing, I'd suggest purchasing both.

Buy this book! It is the only resource I am aware of that addresses the unique issues faced by rock or pop singers. Baxter has a nice gift for getting his points across clearly. It gives you exercises, techniques, and more, without being "technical". Even deals with such issues as singers who smoke, or just have to sing in smoke-filled rooms. You will enhance your vocal ability and longevity after reading this book, as well as be inspired to reach for the next high note in your singing career.

This book is a "must have" for all singers. I am a voice teacher, and I highly recommend this book. It really teaches you about your instrument, and the proper care & maintenance it needs. I wish I would have read it when I first started singing 20 years ago!

Another book I recommend is "Singing for the Stars", by Seth Riggs.

On my first reading, I didn't get into of all the anatomy discussions. But now after a reread and after doing some exercises and thinking about the mechanics of the voice I realize the importance of these discussions... I have learned a lot from this book and am hopeful I'll finally be able to improve my voice.

I'd rate this book as a 4 star, but I don't see how to edit my original rating.