That was a GREAT CALL! thanks to everyone who joined in. Morning coffee sessions wont be taped so if you want in on that - you have to attend live ;) We can talk about some senstive stuff, so it's important people feel comfortable to share whatever and start your day off lighter and full of good air! Breathwork today - we did 4-7-8 and ANILOMA VILOMA - alternate nostril breath. We talked about the importance of breathing below the DIAPHRAGM We AUM'd - to learn about pushing air out of the lungs using the abdominal muscles. We OM'D to Hug the world ;) Our discussion was centered on what can block the voice. We discussed proper retention of breath and realxing despite tension in the body. We concluded that life will always contain tension so - relax anyways. TODAY'S SANSKRIT is the KLESA called RAGA - referring to our attachments. In Tibettan practice they call this SHENPAH - meaning "that which clings". Attachments include our sense of self and our personal identity and how we definte that identity. Are you your job? are you your talents? WHO ARE YOU? The first KLESA taught us that AWARENESS is the key to dissolving all the Klesha's. Awareness of the ways we defginte ourselves which are based on illusion or stories, frees you from chasing things that are temporary and ungratifying. I will put my notes on WHAT BLOCKS THE VOICE in the classroom. Have a great day! Breathe well - stay aware ;) See you tomorrow!

GOODMORNING INNERVOICE COMMUNITY! I would like to know your current TOP FIVE FAVOURITE SONGS to sing, or that you would like to sing. Please put your answers below in the chat :) Mine are (today) 1- PART OF THEIR WORLD - little mermaid - I know weird but I am learning it for my sons wedding on piano and its lovely 2- SEVEN NATION ARMY - WOW!! I never thought I would be singing a song like this...but Im having a BLAST doing it with the CHIX. 3- LOSE CONTROL - because all things Teddy are good 4- CREEP - On piano - is crazy cool 5- SUPERSTAR - On piano - amazing song - Bette midler version makes me cry while I play lol. I am learning piano!! so this is all very exciting for me - new songs. Whether you are playing your own instrument or using Karaoke on youtube - remember to KEEP IT FRESH and CHALLENGE YOURSELF. Peace out Josee

APOLOGIES to all my Skoolers....I am OVERRUN with end of the year preparations for our vocal students, plus jams and gigs. I begin my break JULY1 (CANADA DAY WOOHOO!) and I will be filling up your knapsacks with tons of fun activities and stuff to keep you making beautiful noise all summer. Breathe well until then! Josee

Life is hard, busy, stressful, and frankly insane lately — so I’m not going to add to your stress or worries. I’ll only ask you to do a small reflection about yourself… What music did you love before you started dating? Or before you had to think about being responsible in the big, complicated world? I find my core tastes haven’t changed very much. Maybe I’m a little hard‑headed — an intractable hippie, firmly planted in the 60s and 70s — except that my students keep bringing me modern songs that prove I’ve clung to the past a bit too diligently and for far too long. There are some very cool things happening in music over the past ten years that I seem to have entirely missed. I was humbled to discover that there are, in fact, new artists under the age of 80 (wow!) creating amazing rhythms, meaningful lyrics, and wonderfully approachable melodies. I love that. Winehouse, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Joss Stone and other “modern” artists have joined my playlist alongside Woodstock, Big Yellow Taxi, and James Taylor. My newest obsession is Lose Control by Teddy Swims — a thirty‑year‑old, giant, red‑bearded, Scots‑looking pop star with tattoos on his face and a Barbie earring. I can howl his catchy music at the moon until the cows come home. At least 75% of my students sing Lose Control to practice effective, open modulation techniques. It’s a fantastic teaching song, and I know it’s good because after hearing it five kabillion times in every possible version, I still love it. Choosing a song that truly resonates with you — something you know well from your past or something you’re grooving to right now — is one of the best ways to practice your vocals. Because of course, the only way to learn how to sing… is to actually sing. Trying is not doing. Doing - is doing. I highly recommend DOING car karaoke. Find songs you love and sing them as emotively as your little heart desires. It’s important to have a place where your own sound can take itself for a walk and you feel safe to go to your own edges. We’re too emotionally and behaviourally contained in our homes, with our family, at work, and out in public. I dont take being a career musician for granted. I an aware and I consider it a great honour that my life involves yelling at full force with my now super‑powered lungs in front of crowds of people who seem happy that i am doing that.