Customer Reviews

Singing for the Stars: A Complete Program for Training Your Voice (Book & 2 CD's)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The principles behind this book use exercises which educate you to sing without the larynx rising up which actually interferes with good singing, and to sing with a connected voice from chest voice into head voice, without breaking into falsetto.

The content is good, though too much space is given to testimonials, and more space should be given to explanation and theory.

The CD's are very well laid out with instructions from the author, a singer demonstrating the exercises which are on different tracks, which makes it easy to skip to the essential bits. You can practice while driving for example.

As I have been getting speech singing vocal training for over a year, I can testify to the value of the method.

Unless you are already a well trained singer with good technique, you really should not use this type of course without also getting lessons. A vocal trainer can identify how to improve tone, breathing etc and point out technique errors such as overblow or too much air pressure, which you might never identify by yourself. It is so easy to damage your voice by using incorrect technique or overdoing the exercises.

After using this for a few days and then applying the technique to sing along to a recording, I was able to do so without straining and hitting higher notes than usual with much less effort, which was amazing. I am now on my way to a voice that I did not dare to dream was possible.

The second CD is more about applying the exercises and producing the speech level singing tone, and runs through song examples using those passage areas with very useful tips to avoid splattering your sound.

For less than the cost of a voice lesson this is a great investment, which I highly recommend. You can imagine how helpful this is. The more you use this method, the more you will improve to the point where you will have the voice you have always dreamed of having. I wonder if you found this helpful.

Since writing this review originally, I met a woman, a singer songwriter from Australia, who sung the wrong way. As a result she damaged her voice. She was told by doctors that she would never be able to sing again. Her only hope would be if she stopped speaking for a year. She did this communicating by notepad. She lost some of her social skills. She did get her voice back, and then learned the speech singing method being taught personally by Seth Riggs, and became a speech level singing instructor.

The American idol people put out a product using this method American Idol Singer's Advantage - Male Version (DVD Entertainment Size Package), and among Riggs clients was Michael Jackson, and you can hear some of this on youtube.

This is the first voice book I've read, but I'll probably end up reading some others. I have a musical background, have played guitar and piano for years, but just recently decided to make an effort to improve my singing.

I found this book helpful in some ways, but I felt it could have been easier to understand. The book essentially details the speech level singing method, in which the chest voice and head voice are successfully bridged.

As a newcomer to singing, I found some of these concepts a little difficult to understand, and felt the book never really explained things very clearly. It reminded me a little of a instruction manual that assumes you have certain parts that have not been included.

Also, I felt it was a little odd that there was so much ink spent on celebrity testimonials. If the method is really that good, it should be able to speak (or sing) for itself.

It's been a couple of months since I read the book and listened to the CDs, and I can say that my singing has improved considerably (that's why I'm giving the book four stars). Although I don't feel I came away with a full understanding of everything the book was trying to teach, I feel I must have osmotically picked up some concepts that have been helpful.

Having gone through both Brett Manning's "Singing Success" and this course, I must say that this is the better course for the ADVANCED student of speech level singing.
As has been noted in previous reviews, the book portion of this course is little more than a fawning, start-studded, tribute to Seth Riggs.
There are a few helpful and educational sections, but not enough to provide the uninitiated with any real understanding of the how's and why's of this technique.
Granted, the text is very simple and easy to read, but it almost seems like the author wrote it assuming that it's all too simple and easy to possibly NOT understand.
In that regard, the book is too simple.

The CD's are good; however, not free of flaws.
For one, no pitch ranges are given. So unless you know music by ear, you'll never know if you're singing a high C or a middle G.
Then there's the problem with the scales only being played ascendingly, thus providing the student with essentially only half an exercise.
The sound is also of mixed quality, sounging as though it was recorded with a basic dictation recorder as opposed to a professional studio.
The vocal demos are also a bit of a distraction in that the featured singers are classically trained and, as such, have a distinctly operatic delivery. Again, not something the beginning or even intermediate student can identify with. Unless, of course, they are studying Opera, in which case they should be training with a qualified teacher anyhow.

The exercises are HARD!
This is the part I like about the program.
Since I've been working with this course for some years now, I actually found "Singing Success" too easy and unchallanging and sent it back.
This course however is a permanent part of my vocal training tools simply because even after a few years of owning it, I still find the exercises difficult to execute.

All in all this may still be the best course for SLS but only if you're well advanced and already have years of experience singing. Otherwise this course will leave you, as it has me for years, frustrated and occasionally disinterested in the whole SLS thing.

Good but could definitively be much better in it's entirety.

When I first saw that term "Speech Level Singing", I didn't think I could learn to develop a strong or powerful voice because the term itself SUGGESTS a technique designed for a thin and easy voice. The truth is that SLS is designed for all singers and all genres from Opera to Pop and all the in between styles as well. So don't judge a technique by it's name.

The reason I've been using this book is because Billy Purnell recommended it for further study in his program "The Ultimate Voice Training for Singers", also a Speech Level Singing based home-training program. I've occasionally gone back to 'Singing for the Stars' as it's jam-packed with information on the technique and it did help me at times when I felt I was going wrong in the other program.

The average singer should be able to get through the first CD within a few weeks (practicing about 4 times a week) once a good effort is made and you understand the "head voice" concept. Your voice will sound like a girls voice....unless of course you ARE a girl (: in which case it will sound..well, weak and wimpy.
You've got to get used to that and accept it.

The second CD is where you are likely to experience some challenges to say the least. You'll feel like you've hit a wall and there's no way around it. I've hit a lot of walls and I've somehow been able to get around them and move on. I'm still hitting them but now I can see the last one or two. This is why I advise a few lessons at this point. It will put a smile back on your face and you'll be nearing your speech level posture as Seth calls it.Even if you keep it a mix of 75% your own home study with the program and 25% lessons, then you're still bound to save a lot of money.

Overall I would like to say that this book could have been a lot more user friendly. The author should have anticipated problems, the student is likely to have with the exercises, and given solutions on how to overcome the problems. Instead it is presumed that you will have no problems which is very wrong.

If you want to try go it alone then I recommend the Speech Level Singing programs: `Singing Success' or `The Ultimate Voice Training For Singers'. These programs are far more user friendly. However, you've still got to practice a lot and stay positive.

I studied classical voice for years but when I found a teacher certified in Seth Riggs speech level singing technique I made progress I hadn't thought possible! I got this book as an adjunct to my lessons and I found that it was clear, precise, easy to understand, and above all-- very, very helpful!

The excersises will help you sing through your bridges easily and confidently. Your voice will thank you!

It's not that Seth doesn't know what he's talking about, it's that he thinks he knows everything.

This method will NOT turn an untrained singer into an Opera singer. It bothers me how Seth makes it seem like his students are the best singers, they're not! (And if they are is not totally because of him) Most of them are no more than average vocalists.

This book will be beneficial to those untrained singers who have a good voice (and can carry a tune). And also to trained singers. What it will do for you is teach you that singing should not involve the straining of muscles. Don't believe that he is the best voice teacher of America, any good teacher knows that when singing should not be a strenuous activity and that the larynx should remain relaxed (what he means by the "Speech-Level Singing" euphemism.

The vocalizes in this book are very valuable... they lead you to a relaxed approach of singing, just make sure to discard any arrogance you sense, he is right about most of the things he is saying (that voice teachers tell you do this and that instead of teaching you how to do it) but breath support and management are important, understanding the concepts of resonance are important as well... and yes it's true, they are over-emphasized by many. It is also true that good vocal technique should be applicable to any style of singing. What is important when you sing is that 1. you are not risking your vocal health and 2. that you sound good.

If you are into pop, dig into the book. If you want to sing better without a voice teacher, dig into the book. If you can't get into your head voice, dig into the book. IF YOU SING WITH STRAIN, dig into the book. Don't believe ONLY what Seth has to say, his stuff is very valuable, but it's not everything.

If you are a serious singer who uses mind over matter this program will help you.

When I first saw that term "Speech Level Singing", I didn't think I could learn to develop a strong or powerful voice because the term itself SUGGESTS a technique designed for a thin and easy voice. The truth is that SLS is designed for all singers and all genres from Opera to Pop and all the in between styles as well. So don't judge a technique by it's name.

The reason I've been using this book is because Billy Purnell recommended it for further study in his program "The Ultimate Voice Training for Singers", also a Speech Level Singing based home-training program. I've occasionally gone back to 'Singing for the Stars' as it's jam-packed with information on the technique and it did help me at times when I felt I was going wrong in the other program.

The average singer should be able to get through the first CD within a few weeks (practicing about 4 times a week) once a good effort is made and you understand the "head voice" concept. Your voice will sound like a girls voice....unless of course you ARE a girl (: in which case it will sound..well, weak and wimpy.
You've got to get used to that and accept it.

The second CD is where you are likely to experience some challenges to say the least. You'll feel like you've hit a wall and there's no way around it. I've hit a lot of walls and I've somehow been able to get around them and move on. I'm still hitting them but now I can see the last one or two. This is why I advise a few lessons at this point. It will put a smile back on your face and you'll be nearing your speech level posture as Seth calls it.Even if you keep it a mix of 75% your own home study with the program and 25% lessons, then you're still bound to save a lot of money.

Overall I would like to say that this book could have been a lot more user friendly. The author should have anticipated problems, the student is likely to have with the exercises, and given solutions on how to overcome the problems. Instead it is presumed that you will have no problems which is very wrong.

If you want to try go it alone then I recommend the Speech Level Singing programs: `Singing Success' or `The Ultimate Voice Training For Singers'. These programs are far more user friendly. However, you've still got to practice a lot and stay positive.

I began studying with Seth Riggs in 1970. At that time I had nearly a minor 3rd wobble in my vibrato and couldn't sing above an E. I was working as a singer and my career was going nowhere and I was only 27 years old. I had studied with 13 teachers around the world before I met Seth. In just 7 months of study with Seth I regained a solid vibrato (about 6 waves per second)I was singing clearly and easily up to an A above the staff, as a baritone, and I won 1st place in both the Regional and National Metroplitan Opera auditions in 1971. I have had and am still having a wonderful career as singer primarily in musical theater, ocassionally opera, night clubs and concerts, more than 30 years after I met Seth. I have sung,as a principal artist, with the Vienna, Austria, Volksoper and Staatsoper, Glynebourne Festival, Munich, Edinborough and Wexford Festivals, Amerstam. Brussels, London, Paris, San Francisco, Houston, San Diego, Chicago and Miami Operas, all because of this technique. I still study with him on a regular basis and have been teaching "Speech Level Singing" for 25 years and use "Singing for the Stars" as the text book for all my students. I was Seth's 1st Met. winner of 5 and am featured in his book "Singing for the Stars". Seth's techinique has been used by artists that have won every major vocal competition in the US and Europe and 106 "Grammy" awards.
Quite simply, Seth Riggs' "Speech Level Singing" technique and his book "Singing for the Stars" is the easiest and most complete guide for singers of all ages, experience, voice type and style, ever written. This technique proves time and again that one can sing with ease and power with out having to strain or push or distort one's vowels or face to achieve vocal prowess. It shows that one can sing with the same relaxed ease as well produced speech. There is no secret, just concrete facts of good vocal production. I reccommend this book and the study of this techinque to every one that is pursuing a better way to sing whether professional or amateur. It's the best. [...].

I bought this book a few years ago after joining a community choir. I noticed an improvement in range and control in a few weeks. In a few more weeks, I found that I could sing longer without tiring and my singing and speaking voice didn't crack as often. Learning to move smoothly between head and chest voice took much longer -- about 2 years to really start to get the hang of it.

Pros: The CDs are great for warmups and review without excessive lecture between lessons. It teaches a safe and effective method of learning to move between upper and lower vocal registers. It has exercises to isolate and correct muscular tension, incorrect larynx positioning, breathing problems, etc. so that you can sing without stress or injury to your voice.

Cons: It's a little light on technical explanation. It could use more examples of what things sound like when they are done incorrectly.

Overall, it is a very worthwhile book and a solid technique. It could be used alone, but progress will be faster if used in conjunction with a voice coach to make sure you're on the right track and to answer questions.

This is one of the worst purchase I've ever bought ... I ignored some of the negative reviews that Seth's book got, and bought it anyway just to give it a try.

Singing For The Stars have around 100 pages more or less (don't remember cause I gave the book away 3 days after I bought it), and the fist half of the book is NOTHING but SELF-PROPS (I'm NOT exaggerating). The other half of the book have some informations and some, yet again, self-props. To put it all together, almost every page in this book have some kind of self-props. I skipped all the self-props and finished the book in about 15 minutes. I also found it funny how Seth criticized other competing books and he ended up doing the same thing ... throwing out things without fully explaining it.

The CDs are just ok. This book CD combo is really an exercise program to help you increase your vocal range, so IMHO it will not make you a better singer. To sing good, you'll need more than just hitting the notes. The exercises in his CDs are incomplete ... it goes up in scales but not down.

For beginners: I would not buy this book. Go get voice lessons. This book (even though it have some useful exercises), will NOT make you a better singer. A good personal instructor can and will make you a better singer. If you don't want to spend the $ for an instructor, then search for "voice lessons" on Google & you'll find plenty of lessons for FREE. And yes, these free lessons on the internet (youtube for examble) have the same exercises as Seth's CDs.

For advanced singer: I noticed some reviews said this book is really for the intermediate/advance singers. Probably true ... but if you're at that level, you'll either can play some kind of instruments or know someone that does. You can record variety of scales on your PC and burn it to a CD for around 20c or less (if you buy blank CDs in bulk). Do it yourself CD will not only have better coverage than Seth's CD but will cost less.