Hey Everyone!

I'm thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of "New Choice: Improv Your Life," the revolutionary improv board game that's set to transform how we speak, sing, and act – all while having a blast!

TAGLINE: New Choice: The improv board game that gets you to speak, sing, or act ~ and grow at your own comfort level!

How would you like to play with other people in-person, change your mindset, pull bright and transformative cards, travel around the beautiful 18" x18" full-color "New Choice: Improv Your Life" board game world, and empower your voice ~ in about 15 minutes?

Have you ever heard of anything remotely like THIS? 

I can't wait!!

LAUNCH DATE: October, 2023 

I've got big plans to promote my "New Choice: Improv Your Life" board game to board game cafes, schools, colleges, parents, and more. It's for the young ~ and the young at heart.

Additionally, I will introduce my transformational board game and concepts to my keynote concert audiences with the speech topic: "New Choice: Improv Your Life", as well.

My mother (!) is such a believer, that she just invested a good chunk of money into my new innovative improv board game, in exchange for a percentage of the profits. Thank you so much, Mom!

So far, I have joined JustinP's lit Shopify program, designed a new creative logo, and just approved the preliminary sketch of the gorgeous new board game design by Planella, an experienced board game designer in Andorra. (SEE BELOW.)

Interestingly, my ESL teaching experience, expat-in-Korea life experience, graphic design/website/presentation design experience, voice coaching experience, speaking/singing/acting/vo experience, and my obsession with board games as a kid ~ have all come in handy.

Guess what? The skills I honed as the Executive Director of West Bank School of Music, should come in handy, too. That's my plan.

Thank you for your continued prayers!

It's been a transformational year, to say the least.

I'm SO EXCITED!!

NEXT WEEK: We will return to our regular programming…I can't wait to reveal an exquisite set of song lyrics crafted by Taylor (last name withheld), one of my talented songwriting and voice students. Taylor will also be revealing her new artist name – and, it's going to be fantastic!

HEADS UP - I'll soon be limiting student acceptance and raising my rates next year. To ensure you get in on the current rates, I recommend signing up asap!

Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting journey! (I now have an alarm to start writing on Thursday nights at 9pm!)

~~~~~
The Holistic Voice Coach Blog
by Karen. Lyu
https://www..holisticvoicecoach.com/blog
~~~~~
Book a FREE 45-Min Vocal Discovery Call:
https://tinyurl.com/MeetKarenonZoom

Hi Creative Explorers,

I have been feeling so loved!

We just held my Mom's 80th Korean-style birthday party, and it was GREAT!!!
Also, I got to do 4 ENCORES!!! It was SO HEALING.

I'm SO GRATEFUL that we have both become much more loving and appreciative of each other, over time.

My friends, especially in MN, have been going out of their way to make me feel SPECIAL, too.

Another reason that I have been feeling loved, is that 4 of my old voice students came back, this month ~ and, more are on the way!

I'm feeling extra appreciated and valued, as a Holistic Voice Coach right now!

They all missed me and wanted to more of what I have to offer, and that feels wonderful!

Here is a recent testimonial from returning voice student, Carl Phillips, an English teacher in Daejeon, South Korea: 

"It is my great pleasure to write this testimonial for Karen Lyu. She is- beyond all the details that follow- an inspirational and passionately dedicated spirit. Her depth of knowledge, attention to detail, breadth of resources, esp. relating to body practices, make all of her teaching invaluable and practical. And beyond that, her lessons are FUN!"

Thank you so much, Carl!

Someday, I'll have an AMAZING soulmate/best friend/life partner who loves me, and I'm not going to settle.

But, in the meantime...

This week, one of my past songwriting students in South Korea, Taylor, came back!

And, I have to say that I was impressed with her first go at songwriting, back with me ~ memorable lyrics, nice groove, empowering message, fitting prosody, and a catchy hook!

So, I was inspired to blog about some of my favorite tips and resources for songwriting.​

This week, one of my past songwriting students in South Korea, Taylor, came back for more!

And, I have to say that I was impressed with her first go at songwriting, back with me ~ memorable lyrics, nice groove, empowering message, fitting prosody, and a catchy hook!

So, I was inspired to blog about some of my favorite tips and resources for songwriting.
​
Here's one that has very much, helped Taylor and all of my past songwriting students ~ as well as the sweet and talented members of the Female Musician Academy Songwriters Group, which I used to facilitate, back in the day.

SONGWRITING INTERNET RESOURCE 

https://www.rhymezone.com is a comprehensive and advanced online rhyming dictionary FOR SONGWRITERS, featuring: rhymes, lyrics and poems, near rhymes, a thesaurus, phrases, mentions, descriptive words, definitions, homophones, similar sounds, and same consonants. 

It's a goldmine!

Here are 7 benefits of using RhymeZone:

1. Rhyming Assistance: RhymeZone helps writers find suitable rhymes for their words, making it an invaluable tool for poets, songwriters, and anyone else looking to create rhythmic and rhyming text.
2. Enhanced Creativity: By offering a wide range of rhymes, near rhymes, and slant rhymes, RhymeZone can spark new creative ideas and help writers break free from creative blocks.
3. Word Choice Variation: The website provides synonyms, antonyms, related words, and phrases, helping writers to choose the most appropriate words to convey their intended meanings.
4. Thesaurus Functionality: RhymeZone's thesaurus feature goes beyond simple word lists, offering a variety of options to enrich vocabulary and expression.
5. Spell Checking: The spell-check feature ensures that your writing is free from spelling errors, improving the overall quality and professionalism of your work.
6. Phrase and Sentence Examples: RhymeZone incredibly also provides context by showcasing phrases and sentences where the word you're searching for has been used in past hit songs and famous poems.
7. Songwriting Aid: Musicians and songwriters can benefit from RhymeZone's rhyme suggestions to fit lyrics into specific musical patterns and styles.

Overall, RhymeZone is an OUTSTANDING resource that can assist songwriters,  authors, poets, journalists, students, and language enthusiasts in improving their writing skills, enhancing their vocabulary, and finding creative inspiration. 

It's one of my favorite websites on the planet! Enjoy exploring!

BONUS!

BTW - Taylor's assignment was to create a song using 1, 2 or 3 of  the following... 

3 SONGWRITING PROMPTS

Prompt A ~ 12 random words

indulge
beam
exit
give
mouse
square
father
stretch
mixture
transport
divide
culture

Prompt B - Theme

ART

Prompt C - Photo

See photo below!

~~~~~
The Holistic Voice Coach Blog
by Karen. Lyu
https://www..holisticvoicecoach.com/blog
~~~~~
Book a FREE 45-Min Vocal Discovery Call:
https://tinyurl.com/MeetKarenonZoom
​

Hello Creative Performers,

Let's take a moment of silence for legendary vocalist/feminist, Sinead O'Connor, who's memorial service was held on Tuesday, 08/08/2023. She was a passionate, brilliant, and brave soul, who struggled with a traumatic life, a radical hysterectomy, and borderline personality disorder.

Did you know that, according to Billboard Magazine, a whopping 73% of musicians struggle with mental illness? It's a sobering reminder of the challenges that can come with a creative life.

Sorry for not blogging last week, as I needed a mental health break after a pretty traumatic incident in Atlanta, where I could have gotten shot!* ​ (Thank God, I'll be moving to a suburb!) 

Speaking of safety, if you're dealing with mental health issues or past traumas, yourself, it's good to know that some acting techniques like Stanislavski, Adler, Meissner, and Method all rely heavily on recalling memories to get into character. But, that can be a minefield if it triggers you or affects your acting ability!

Now, these four renowned acting techniques are used by many celebrated actors around the world. However, they may or may not be most helpful to you ~ and your needs.

If you could use an alternative, there is another way ~ Chekhov Technique.

Award-winning actors such as, Johnny Depp, Jack Nicholson, Clint Eastwood, Helen Hunt, Anthony Hopkins ~ and one my mentors, T'Keyah Crystal Keymah (In Living Color) ~ use Chekhov Technique, which was developed by Michael Chekhov (a relative of playwright, Anton Chekhov). ​

Chekhov Technique, is an acting approach that focuses on imagination, psychological gesture, and the use of the actor's body and energy.

Here are 10 Chekhov Technique exercises to help an actor make better choices to get into character:

1. Psychological Gesture: Create a physical gesture that symbolizes the character's inner essence. This move becomes your emotional key to access the character's emotions and intentions.
2. Imaginary Body: Imagine the character's physical features, such as height, weight, and posture, to transform your own body and movement.
3. Imaginary Centers: Locate and focus on different centers of energy within the body to express various emotions and intentions.
4. Qualities of Movement: Explore how the character moves and use qualities of movement (light, heavy, flowing) to express their personality and emotional states.
5. Imaginary Radiating: Imagine that your character radiates energy beyond your physical body, affecting the space, and other characters around you.
6. Sensory Awareness: Develop a heightened awareness of your senses and use all 5 senses to enrich your character's inner life.
7. Atmosphere: Create an atmosphere that supports the character's emotional state, the mood of the scene, or the overall tone of the performance.
8. Imaginary Objects: Improvise interactions with imaginary objects as the character, considering weight, texture, and purpose.
9. Archetypal Images:  Tap into universal emotions by channeling archetypal images and behaviors.
10. Inner Monologue: Create inner monologue for the character, allowing thoughts and emotions to flow freely during the scene or on a journal page.

Don't forget, dear reader, that your creative journey as a performer thrives best in a safe and creative environment that keeps your mental health and unique needs in mind. Take care of yourself, advocate for your mental and physical health, and remember to stay safe out there!

* The last 48-hours have been TRANSFORMATIONAL, and I am grateful to be doing much better!

~~~~~
The Holistic Voice Coach Blog
by Karen. Lyu
https://www..holisticvoicecoach.com/blog
~~~~~
Book a FREE 45-Min Vocal Discovery Call:
https://tinyurl.com/MeetKarenonZoom