Hi Creative Explorers,
Last week, I helped a brand new singer/songwriter voice student to increase her vocal range by over half of an octave in one lesson. It wasn't hard, and it really surprised her! So, I thought I'd give you some of those same helpful tips. Speaking of high notes... FANTASTIC NEWS x3 A. I have just received a SIGNIFICANT interest-free business loan for my New Choice: Improv Your Life! board game from a kind friend of the family! B. I have hired an AWESOME games industry expert, Bjorn Loessing ~ who is replacing the wonderful Eric Rivera, as my new Kicksetarter Marketing Campaign Manager! C. I'm SO EXCITED! In January, I will join an exclusive public relations group coaching program with award-winning PR expert https://www.gloriachoupr.com! 5 WAYS TO REACH HIGH NOTES 1. Practice aligned breathing and posture 2. Do slides and lip trills. 3. Relax your throat. 4. Experiment with vowels and consonants. 5. Keep your vocal cords hydrated. 5 WAYS TO REACH HIGH GOALS As many of you know, I have reached high goals in the past as Executive Director of the West Bank School of Music, as bandleader of Global Jazz, etc. Here are some principles that have helped me in the past: 1. Surround yourself with good support. 2. Learn from the best, as much as possible. 3. Be ready for any opportunity. 4. Keep track of the numbers and be accountable. 5. Your connections can make all the difference. SUPPORTER SHOUTOUT: Shoutout to enthusiastic Southern University student, Jaylen Gomes! TESTIMONIAL "It's a fun, interactive game that challenges vocabulary and allows creative ways to express yourself. This is a great party game that can be played with many players and encourage friendly competition. Overall a very enjoyable game with a cool concept. " ~ Jaylen Gomes, Southern University Student Best wishes, Karen Lyu (she/her) Holistic Voice Coach + Keynote Concert Speaker + Game Designer aka "Karey Poppins" ~~~~~ Karen's Links https://linktr.ee/karenlyu ~~~~~ NEW CHOICE Game Links (3 VIDEOS POSTED) https://www.tiktok.com/@newchoicegame https://www.instagram.com/newchoicegame https://www.facebook.com/newchoicegame ~~~~~ 612-299-2462 karen@holisticvoicecoach.com newchoicegame@gmail.com
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Hi Creative Explorers,
FYI - From now on Blog emails will be prescheduled for 10am on Tuesdays ~ a more optimal time. I’m creating reliable systems! Thanks for your continued support. GREAT NEWS I am SO PROUD of my African-American 7th grade voice student, Haley Walker! After 14 beginner voice lessons, Haley competed VERY WELL in 4 categories at a middle school performing arts competition! 5-STAR GOOGLE REVIEW "Karen did an excellent job preparing my daughter for several competitions. As a result of her training my child placed in numerous categories including: semifinals for monologue, 2nd place lip sync, 4th place solo performance, 6th place costume design." ~ LaShonda Walker, Life Coach Thank you very much, LaShonda!! Haley is DELIGHTFUL and she did AMAZING, as a beginner!! ...and Haley is not the only one benefiting from improv training! 7 Research-Based Benefits of Improv Comedy
Back in the 2000's, I was a teaching theater artist with SteppingStone Theatre for 4 years, and taught improv and dramatics programs for public schools, day camps, and even the Girl Scouts (400 in one day)! So, I have seen first hand how improv can change lives! Fast forward to today, and not only am I continuing to teach improv as a Holistic Voice Coach ~ it's the basis for my New Choice: Improv Your Life! board game, which I am developing. How does it work? ROLL > TRAVEL > IMPROV! 1. Roll the dice. 2. Travel around the world and land on one of the 20 country squares. 3. Improv with the help of a Thought, Feeling, Action, or Place card prompt ~ and make money to help your parents pay for college by speaking, singing, acting, or creating a tune. (BONUS $ for RHYMING and making the other team LAUGH!) Ages 6 to adult - great for families! Play with 2 - 40 players (on two teams) IMPROV CARD PLAY EXAMPLE PLAYER 1: Reads FEELING card out loud: “I feel LOVED!” OPPOSING TEAM CAPTAIN: Says “New Choice!” and counts with thumb. PLAYER 1 (or 2): Sings out: “I feel PRETTY, oh so PRETTY!" OPPOSING TEAM CAPTAIN: Says “New Choice!” and counts with 2 fingers. PLAYER 1 (or 3): Acts out: “I feel HUNGRY!” OPPOSING TEAM CAPTAIN: Says “New Choice!” and counts with 3 fingers. PLAYER 1 (or 4): Speaks out and gestures: “I feel HILARIOUS!” OPPOSING TEAM CAPTAIN: Says “New Choice!” and counts with 4 fingers. PLAYER 1 (or 5): Improvises tune with a funny voice: “I feel DELIRIOUS!” OPPOSING TEAM CAPTAIN: LAUGHS, says “New Choice!” and counts with 5 fingers. :D Want to playtest it yourself? https://tinyurl.com/playtestnewchoicegame Best wishes, Karen Lyu (she/her) Holistic Voice Coach + Keynote Concert Speaker + Game Designer aka "Karey Poppins" ~~~~~ Karen's Links https://linktr.ee/karenlyu ~~~~~ NEW CHOICE Game Links (3 VIDEOS POSTED) https://www.tiktok.com/@newchoicegame https://www.instagram.com/newchoicegame https://www.facebook.com/newchoicegame ~~~~~ 612-299-2462 karen@holisticvoicecoach.com newchoicegame@gmail.com Hi Creative Explorers,
Much has happened. This is a 3-part blog: 1. ATLANTA, GA VACATION NEWS 2. 5 WAYS TO PREP FOR PERFORMANCE SNAFUS 3. 5 NEW CHOICE BOARD GAME CHANGAROOS I was working too hard after my allergic reaction, and my New Choice Game Business Advisor ~ retired CEO, Eben Appleton ~ urged me to take a vacation. So, I took a quick trip to Atlanta, GA ~ my second break of the year. Thank goodness, because I needed it. And, I ESPECIALLY enjoyed visiting the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. SO INSPIRING! (Rosalind and Jimmy Carter changed so many lives and policies, in the end ~ but they started with only 4 attendees at Jimmy Carter's very first rally!) ~~~~ MORE INSPIRATION: BEYONCE"S DAD TAUGHT HER TO PRACTICE FAILURE If you want to be prepared for any kind of situation, be like Beyonce and practice failure ~ like her Dad taught her and her sister Solange. 5 WAYS TO PREP FOR PERFORMANCE SNAFUS 1. Wardrobe Malfunction A wardrobe malfunction can be embarrassing. PLAN B: Pack an emergency kit with safety pins, a needle and invisible thread, new stockings, spare clothing, and an extra pair of footwear. Extra car and house keys may help, too. 2. Equipment Failure Equipment failure can happen at any time. PLAN B: Bring a spare mic, cables, batteries, music charts, instruments, etc. to be fully prepared. (This has saved me more than once!) If you can, have someone with you who can troubleshoot and fix any issues promptly. 3. Audience Distractions Audience distractions can be challenging. PLAN B: Focus your eyes on enthusiastic fans ~ or on the back wall. You can use humor or interactive audience participation to regain attention, when necessary. 4. Weather Disruptions Outdoor performances are vulnerable to inclement weather. PLAN B: Have a backup plan for relocating indoors or rescheduling. Stay updated on weather forecasts. Communicate with your audience through social media or email promptly to keep them informed. 5. Stage Fright What if you blank out? PLAN B: Focus your eyes, breathe, be aware of your body, and listen to the music to get right back on track. Have a joke, story, or audience star moment that you can easily pull out, to recenter the audience's attention. CLICK BELOW to read about how Beyonce recovered from REAL on-stage snafus (like instantly jumping back up from a 12-stair fall): https://www.lovebscott.com/beyonce-solange-practiced-failure-growing-thanks-mathew-knowles-photo-video 5 NEW CHOICE BOARD GAME CHANGAROOS 1. Beloved Kickstarter Marketing Campaign Manager, Eric Rivera, had to step down due to his day job workload tripling. Thank you for being AWESOME, Eric! PLAN B: Hire another Marketing and Social Media Consultant I have scheduled interviews for two FANTASTIC candidates, so far. 2. 5-Star Eco-Friendly https://herotime1.com Manufacturing + Fulfillment ships direct to consumer from China, and I discovered that shipping to the US takes an average of 4 weeks. That is too long! PLAN B: 5-Star Eco-Friendly https://wingogames.com Manufacturing (lower prices, plus game development assistance, Kickstarter support, and marketing assistance!) + #1 Fulfillment House Quartermaster Logistics will provide faster US shipping and better service from Orlando, FL. 3. 1-on-1 Public Relations Media Pitch session with https://www.gloriachoupr.com delayed, due to COVID + New Choice Game presave launch page delayed. PLAN B: Wait until mid-January after journalists return from vacationing during the holidays to pitch to them to get better exposure, and delay the Kickstarter Launch Campaign, a bit. 4. The original game board artist (who shall not be named) refused to make additional corrections for payment. (Ex. The Seattle Space Needle instead of Niagara Falls, as requested, for Canada.) PLAN B: I made 3 dozen corrections myself and also hired a new game board artist for additional work. Niagara Falls now looks BEAUTIFUL on the Canada square! 5. The original HeroTime graphics templates no longer apply, and WinGo charges expensive set-up fees for manufacturing, even for prototypes. PLAN B: I will use https://www.printplaygames.com to create more print-on-demand prototype games for board game reviewers. Also, I have just received all of the WinGo graphics templates for the New Choice: Improv Your Life! board game, and will complete the WinGo graphics later. Best wishes, Karen Lyu (she/her) Holistic Voice Coach + Keynote Concert Speaker + Game Designer aka "Karey Poppins" ~~~~~ Karen's Links https://linktr.ee/karenlyu ~~~~~ NEW CHOICE Game Links (2 VIDEOS POSTED) https://www.tiktok.com/@newchoicegame https://www.instagram.com/newchoicegame (NEW) https://www.facebook.com/newchoicegame (NEW) ~~~~~ 612-299-2462 karen@holisticvoicecoach.com newchoicegame@gmail.com |
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