Customer Reviews

The Zen of Screaming: Vocal Instruction for a New Breed

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I heard Melissa Cross on NPR and immediately bought this DVD, excited to learn how to scream without hurting my voice. I was disappointed to find the disk is about 55% advertisement for Ms. Cross, 44.5% standard vocal warmups and exercises, and 1 or 2 minutes of vague information on screaming.

I'm sure the vocal warmups are helpful for those who are too "hip" to take voice lessons, but if you've ever had a voice lesson, there isn't much you haven't heard before here. If you are interested in watching various metalheads praise Melissa Cross, then you'll love this DVD. But if you already have the least bit of vocal training and just want to learn how to apply it to screaming, be aware that the material here is pretty thin.

The information you are looking for is in here. The thing that made me disappointes is that for the most part it is an ad for Melissa Cross. She seems like an awesome teacher. I just wish that it was more information on technique than Melissa Cross plugs.

This is pretty awful. As far as the regular technique, it looks like Melissa is better than the average voice teacher, but certainly nowhere near the best in the world, and if you're buying a home product, you can just get the best instead of this. At least she's telling you to breath in through your nose and she's not telling you to raise your soft palate like some teachers, esp classical, but she's emphasizing breathing way too much and wants you to push from the gut like a bad classical voice teacher. If you raise your shoulders when you breathe, maybe her classical technique section will help you... that is if you can get passed her home made cutesy names alla Phoebe from "Friends." Phoebe tried to teach guitar and calls an F cord "old lady" etc... Melissa has so many comical names "Rotunda" breathing, a "by the way" catch breath, etc... All of it is imagery based teaching on the off chance that when you think of the same thing she's thinking of you'll do what she's doing... instead of actually training your muscles to do what she's doing without the intermediate step. She actually makes people bite pencils to get better placement. It's comical. All of that is pretty common among voice teachers, though, and is her teaching at best. At worst she encourages you to scream on pitches to build compression on high notes, which of course if you actually do you'll hurt yourself bad, but if you can match what she's doing (without any explanation other than the demonstration) you'll sing in a good balanced mix and then leave with the idea that that's what it means to "scream" on a pitch. The next 20 minutes are all telling you not to push to hard, so maybe it's ok to use the word "scream" like that.

If you don't want to spend much money, don't buy this, buy Seth Rigg's "Singing for the Stars." If you don't mind spending quite a bit buy Brett Manning's "Singing Success" and/or "Mastering Mix," both expensive programs, both worth every penny. These are three of the best home vocal programs in the world... when you can get that, why buy this?

As far as the actual false cord death metal 'scream' technique this product is hyped as covering, there really isn't much here. I don't know much about false cord technique except Tuvan throat singing which is very healthy for your voice, just keep the constriction above your vocal cords and not right on them. If it makes you want to cough, you're squeezing too low, stop, and see if you can make the false cord sound while maintaining an open, unhindered true tone underneath. I checked out this DVD to learn more about false cord singing and I know nothing more about it now than I did ... it feels like at least 3 hours ago but it can't have really been that long or it wouldn't all fit on the DVD!

For death metal screams you might try something like Cathrin Sadolin's "Complete Vocal Technique" home program, which has been recommended to me. I've ordered and it hasn't arrived yet. It looks much better than this, though, like it actually tells you how do these death metal vocals safely, rather than just wanting you to experiment until you find the way that doesn't hurt. I feel bad promoting a product I haven't yet sampled, but I don't want to simply say this is bad without recommending an alternative. Cathrin's program *has* to be better than this waste of time and money. Try that or get a good vocal coach who's familiar with the kind of death metal vocals you want to learn. If you try to learn death metal vocals just from this DVD, you could be wandering around in the dark hurting your voice for months before you stumble upon a healthy coordination.

The short review: Buy it and use Cross's advice and exercises!

I've had Melissa Cross's "The Zen of Screaming: Vocal Instruction for a New Breed" for about a month and the breathing exercises and the advice on "Heat and Fire" payed off for me. Today, I was able to put forth lots and lots of tortured death-metal screams and shrieks and am not only not hoarse, but was able to intersperse the screaming and yelling with clean, melodic singing. It was actually less taxing on my vocal folds and larynx than when I try to sing opera as a dramatic baritone (it took death metal screaming to tell me I'm a lighter voice - thanks, death metal and Miss Cross!). And, since I was practicing to "The Wonder Pets" theme and "What's New Pussycat?" while mowing the lawn, I probably freaked out my neighbors.

When you buy this DVD (and you are, aren't you?), please note that the actual screaming/yelling/rasping section is fairly short and it comes after a lot of segments on breathing and some vocal exercises. Do not underestimate either the importance of proper breathing nor the value of the "Heat and Fire" segment. If you've ever torn up your throat singing raspy or beyond raspy and thought screaming was a quick, dead-end stop for your singing career (even if your career would be entirely screaming), you need to learn how to breathe properly and how to use "heat" to add rasping harmonics to your voice and "fire" to make use of the false vocal folds.

Another great thing about this DVD is that Melissa Cross doesn't want to change your voice or change your singing style; she wants you to be able to do your own thing with your own voice over the course of your own lifetime. Very good stuff!

Nothing is more frustrating than being in a band, knowing what you want to do, but being unable to get there--either because you're not warmed up, you damaged your throat the night before, or you just don't know what you're doing. This DVD will help you solve all of those problems!

I've fooled around with other kinds of vocal instruction, but they are all too clasically based. Melissa Cross get's it. She gets that rock is not supposed to sound like opera. She has found a way to apply traditional vocal training without altering the intensity and grit essential to rock singing.

She covers everything from breathing and talking to hitting your pitch and screaming without hurting yourself. If you check out the bonus features she even swallows a camera to show you how you can hurt yourself while singing.

When I first got the DVD, I was afraid it would be a bunch of people screaming because they couldn't be musical in their band. But it turns out to be anything but that. Its great to see all of these guys who sing some really heavy stuff challenging themselves to be more musical and more expressive without killing themselves or sacrificing their artistic vision. Only Melissa Cross could get these guys to do this.

If you are a rock singer (you don't even have to be a screamer--though screamers are welcomed) or want to be a rock singer, you need this DVD.

First, let's be honest...if you don't already have the kind of voice to sing metal, this isn't going to help. You either have it, or you don't. What this dvd CAN do, is help you to expand your range to whatever natural degree you're able to, and help you learn to control your voice. That being said, the stuff on this dvd isn't any different or better than other instructional vocal videos/dvds I've seen. There are only so many scales and exercises you can do with the voice. I guess the big marketing thing on this is that it's for a "new breed" of vocalists but watching it just gives the impression that it's more of an infomercial for the bands and singers featured in the dvd, with various bits of the same old vocal exercises thrown in.

If you really want a solid vocal instructional dvd, by an instructor who actually has one of the best vocal ranges ever and has "been there, done that", buy the Jim Gillette Vocal Power dvd from Metal Method.com That will help you without the unnecessary BS.

I was reluctant at first to acknowledge this product, since I don't like screamo music, and since my own voice is more operatic and rock-oriented. But by watching a friend's copy of The Zen of Screaming, I quickly realized that Melissa Cross is teaching traditional and sound vocal methods, but in a fun, upbeat and non-traditional way that takes the embarrassment and discomfort out of doing vocal exercises and practice. I quickly ordered my own copy, and I can tell you that, regardless of your musical genre, if you sing (and if your ego can agree that there's still a little room for improvement), this DVD is a fantastic asset.

A great teacher is a rare find and Melissa Cross is a gem. I have read almost every vocal technique book available and The Zen of Screaming DVD is by far the best! I had given up on being able to sing with a healthy voice until I watched this DVD. I feel like I have been given my voice back. Somehow, Melissa gives the viewer years worth of vocal lessons in a little over 2 hours. Although many of the artists on this DVD scream/sing heavily, you don't have to be a death metal singer to appreciate the information. This DVD is for anyone who wants to sing with passion, no matter the genre. Melissa breaks down the information in such a way that anyone, beginner or classically trained, can understand the basic techniques that help to make a passionate but healthy voice. This DVD is also great for anyone who speaks for their profession. It will teach you how to have a powerful voice without vocal damage. I have bought numerous items from Amazon.com, but have never felt passionately enough about them to post a review. Don't wait another minute to hit the "buy" button.

WOW! I have finally found another vocal instructor who understands the rigorous demands of the hard core rock vocalist. New York vocal instructor, Melissa Cross has created a DVD that presents a no-nonsense approach to singing hard rock and screaming, while focusing on solid vocal technique. She has worked with hardcore metal acts, such as Lamb of God and Shadows Fall.

The Zen of Screaming is over 2 hours of extreme vocal instruction based on Melissa's experiences. She has taken her classical training from prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in England and developed a way to mix classical technique with the unbridled passion of rock singing. In her own words, Melissa says, "I was able to extract the essential aspects of classical technique, apply them to speech - and then, again, apply them back to music." She teaches singers ways to add grit to their voice without losing their voice.

The Zen of Screaming is the first DVD of it's kind. It is an easy to follow along training program with step-by-step exercises and vocal explanations. This DVD includes tips on vocal maintenance, actual vocal cord footage, and animations, which illustrate each specific vocal exercise. Melissa also presents footage of some of her professional clients, in interviews and during vocal training sessions with Melissa.

If your goal is to sing extreme metal but are continually losing your voice, if you want more power, if you want more grit, if you want to learn how to scream your brains out without ever suffering vocally, then The Zen of Screaming is for you! I give this DVD my stamp of approval.

The Zen of Screaming is, as other reviewers indicated, largely Cross promoting herself. She uses her own, local students in the DVD, and they continually give testimonials about how wonderful Cross is. But if you can get beyond Cross' annoying self-promotion and talent-free clients, you'll find she really does have something to teach.

The DVD is worth watching once, just for drill. The CD of vocal exercises really is valuable and could have easily stood on its own. The techniques aren't new, but do remind singers how to access more power without damaging their vocal chords or fighting chronic laryngitis (my personal problem).

I taught drama for decades and recommended Born To Sing by Howard Austin and Elizabeth Howard to my students. In those days it was simply an audio cassette of vocal exercises, but is now a complete and extremely comprehensive package. If you're beginning or have never studied voice, try Born To Sing first!

The whole Zen Of Screaming package really is overpriced, so if you can get it used, all the better. You probably won't watch the DVD more than once anyhow.