Life of a Student: Kyle B
What do you teach the guy who already plays every instrument? Singing, of course!
–Liz Jackson Hearns
Several months ago songwriter Kyle Blevons started voice lessons with Liz Jackson Hearns at The Voice Lab. Kyle is a burgeoning hip hop artist and multi-instrumentalist; he plays guitar, bass, drums, and piano in addition to having an expressive and versatile voice. Singing lessons are helping Kyle achieve some of his music goals. “I’m releasing an EP in the next few months, followed by a full album in 2016. I knew I wanted my next album to incorporate singing, but after trying on my own for a year I noticed I wasn’t improving at the rate I had hoped to. Naturally signing lessons was the solution. I’d say it was one of the smartest decisions I’ve made in my music career.”
Kyle’s music career has led him to involvement in several diverse projects in varying roles, and singing lessons are helping to fill in the gaps. “Singing has always brought me joy, and playing multiple instruments has been super helpful when it comes to creating original music from the ground up. Singing was the last element missing. I want to be able to sing with my acoustic guitar, to belt out some powerhouse vocals, and even do some screaming.” An experienced performer, Kyle blends his musical awareness and natural vocal talent to discover different ways to use his instrument through various genres including rap, punk, metal, acoustic, rock, and pop.
Although his projects and goals are significant, lessons are not without their lighter moments. “One time I wore full face paint while singing a KISS song in order to really tap into the essence of Gene Simmons’ voice. —Ok, that may or may not be true. But we have done a vocal exercise that sounded like a weird variation of Curly from the Three Stooges going ‘nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.’ The goal was to focus my singing to the front of my face in order to replicate Ozzy Osbourne’s high pitched bright sound, and it worked!”
Kyle says his favorite part of lessons is learning new songs. “Liz is able to show me so many wonderful tricks in order to accomplish the sound I want to achieve. She’s super educated with a wonderful spirit, and she manages to notice every little nuance in my voice and singing execution.” (I may be biased, but I think Kyle is doing a pretty great job of taking all those tricks and making them work for his own musical growth.)
He also faces the same challenges as other singers when he’s in the lesson room, allowing himself to take risks and rethink some of his vocal habits. “Before taking lessons, I was using a whole bunch of facial muscles without ever really strengthening my vocal muscles, which made improvement a long and strenuous process. I’m also a bit of a perfectionist and I am very self aware every time I’m not hitting the right notes. It can be really hard to let myself go and feel the vulnerability of showcasing my voice, imperfections and all. But overall, it’s a great growth experience!”
When asked if he had any advice for those considering voice lessons, he simply said, “Take lessons! If you really want to be good you need someone to guide you.”
We’re very excited to support Kyle as he works toward the release of his EP and album. We can’t wait to hear how it comes to life!
