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Benefit concert for Hollywood Education and Literacy Project
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Music and art uplift the spirit & sooth the soul by Jeannie Deva. Jeannie Deva is a versatile vocalist and music educator whose career spans nearly three decades. She founded The Voice Studio in 1977.
In today’s world, the overload of information is incredibly overwhelming. Many of us work 40 - 100 hours a week. We stay on the computer for many hours killing our bodies while we eat fatty foods, sweets to give us that sugar high or become hooked on caffeinate just to keep up. Many of us turn to anti-anxiety meds to keep the stress away. One day I went to a bio-feedback therapist who analyzed my tension level. I came to find that my body was tense almost all the time--I was in the “fight or flight” stage and my body became adjusted to that state, but my mind could not handle it any longer.
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Jeannie Deva (left) appeared on the TV Guide Channel's "Idol Chat" She joined the show's hosts, Rosanna Alvarez winner of "Pop Stars" (middle) and Second Season American Idol Finalist Kimberly Caldwell (right) to review and critique the performances of American Idol contestants
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The only therapy that discovered to calm me was singing. I love to sing in the shower because I could let loose and sing my heart away. I became a karaoke freak so I can let my stress release. The only problem was that I needed a few alcoholic beverages to release my tension to feel less embarrassed. So great! I’m relaxing, but becoming an alcoholic—not good!
I realized that I needed calmness in my life-- I've stopped taking meds for anxiety and I realized that all the breathing techniques I’ve learned are great, but who can meditate in our environment. So I began to hum because the relax state it brought me, but I couldn’t even do that without hurting my throat. I took voice lessons before, but never felts real progress. I was discouraged and I thought: “How silly, I’m too old to be able to sing at my age--only kids could become singers.”
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Jeannie in the studio
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When I decided to look for a voice coach on the internet, I found Jeannie Deva.. In reading what she had to say on her website, I knew I wanted to learn by this super seasoned and talented woman who knows how the voice works without hurting your vocal chords.
I loved what Jeannie had to say in her website: “In teaching thousands of singers around the world, I have never met one who did not have more potential range than they knew and were using. Sometimes factors such as smoking cigarettes or pot, heavy drug or alcohol use, etc., can limit range expansion. However, in the absence of these inhibitors, an increase of range can be achieved with knowledge, understanding, and the right exercises. With that in mind, let's explore what you need to do to expand your vocal range.” She also stated that whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional singer, you can sing.
After just one class, I am a believer in Jeannie. I know that voice lessons are not just for young people anymore. Voice lessons are for everyone. Anyone can sing at any age if you exercise your vocal chords daily and do exactly what she prescribes to strengthen your voice.
Although I’m not a spring chicken, I have learned throughout the years that with age things get better, and I know as I get older, I've gotten better because of the wise decisions I've made. I will not look back and say: Shoulda, woulda, coulda. This has been a wise decision for me. Jeannie Deva is a woman who knows exactly how to train someone how to sing properly. Jeannie Deva.is the celebrity voice coach and the vocal coach to the vocal coach.
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Jeannie Deva - Vocal Producer
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My first consultation was intimidating. My knees were shaking. I wanted to chicken out, but I didn’t. Jeannie understood my state of nervousness and guided me through. So the first thing Jeannie did was to find my voice range. Needless to say, it wasn’t a wide range, but at least I got some noise out of my mouth—not a nice noise, but some sound. Jeannie was very encouraging and said that with proper training, I can widen my range which brought me less intimidation.
The next step was to demonstrate my singing capability--WHOA--I felt sweat pouring down my forehead and I felt my legs clatter. I had stage fright in front of one person. So I attempted to sing "Summertime" by Billie Holiday--not a proud moment, but the good news was that I didn’t shatter any windows; however, I was able to get the lyrics out. I knew I sounded awful--to say the least, but Jeannie asked me to sing it again with her Deva method. And so I attempted again with hesitation. This calm, hopeful woman aided me with her method. The Deva actually massaged certain areas to loosen me--and low and behold, I couldn’t believe that I improved in just a few minutes. Jeannie told me that I made a dramatic difference with the Jeannie method. No she wasn’t trying to make me feel better because I recorded myself--I felt a great difference with less tension as my voice became stronger and with ease.
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Jeannie Deva Vocal Producer. Randy Tobin's Theta Sound Studio
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After my session, we did cool-down exercises and I felt as though I came out of a “Deva Spa.” The Deva has help me dramatically with the with The Deva tools--although I’m not ready to become the next middle-aged idol. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. More importantly, my stress level has decreased tremendously because I’m able to hum correctly—humming lessens my stress because it helps me breath correctly--and at the same time, I’m not hurting my throat.
My lessons are weekly, and Jeannie has given me homework exercises to strengthen my voice muscles. The Deva stated, “Just like an athlete we must nurture and exercise the muscles to improve our vocal range.”
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Jeannie Deva, Session Vocal Coach - Ksenia Mack album
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By the way, according to Jeannie Deva, there are five primary causes of throat muscle tension: 1) Lack of adequate vocal warm-up 2) Air over-blow 3) Over articulation (emphasizing mouth, lip movements when singing or talking) 4) Using force rather than resonance for volume 5) Trying to compensate for under-developed vocal muscles.
The Deva Method® does not try to make you sound a certain way or force you into a style. This vocal method gives you good techniques to sing hard without blowing out your voice. If you have studied with other teachers or methods and still have unresolved issues with your voice, you owe it to yourself to get help from Jeannie Deva. She gets results even with singers who have developed nodes or polyps from long periods of vocal strain.
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Jeannie brings passion through her voice!
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Other Jeannie Deva locations are in Denver, Boston, Hollywood, Los Angeles, and North Hollywood. Even if your voice is fine and you just want to have more range, better tone or control, The Deva method will help you be the singer you imagine you can be. Jeannie Deva is accepting a small number of private voice students at her Los Angeles, California studio.
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Jeannie in her home studio
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Thousands of singers world-wide have been trained by Jeannie and her expanding network of certified Deva Method teachers. Deva clients: Grammy award winner, Aimee Mann, Grammy Nominee Harriet Schock, members of the J. Geils Band, Foghat, #1 Billboard Dance Chart Samantha James, Idol Finalist Mikalah Gordon (#11 of Season 4), Leads in Broadway’s “Wicked” and “Grease,” members of the touring cast of Fame, Dar Williams, Charolote Jorgensen (Dancing with the Stars partner to John Hurley), Singers for Pink, Elton John, Celine Dion, Julio Iglesias and Stevie Wonder.
So enough about me, Jeannie Deva will bring tears to your eyes when you hear her SANG! Click HERE to listen to her soulful, powerhouse voice on her myspace page or you can read more about The Deva at www.jeanniedeva.com.
I’m proud to say that Jeannie Deva is my vocal coach! She has brought serenity to my life because music and art uplift my spirit & sooth my soul! Jeannie Deva is helping me do what I have always wanted to do—SING! So if you’d like to read about my singing journal, I will keep you posted.
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Jeannie Deva Studios
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www.jeanniedeva.com
To read my article on
The Deva Method Vocal Warm-Up CD click here
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