BECOMING A SINGER

Setting The Stage To Live A Vocal Life

Video about the course — who it’s for and what students will learn.

A Strong Foundation For Your Vocal Life

Not everyone who loves to sing is called to a career in music. But of the singers who are, those who succeed and thrive have a strong foundation and an inner life that’s confident and secure. 

Becoming A Singer will help you lay the groundwork for that foundation. You’ll learn which skill sets are essential to navigating your life as a musician and the mindset that will help you make your career more sustainable.

How?

Becoming A Singer is practical. It’s packed with information and tools that you can use to further your artistry and career. But there’s more to a vocal life than information and tools. You’ll also learn ways to support and strengthen your inner singer to meet the external and internal challenges you’ll encounter on your journey. 


(Did I mention the course is completely FREE? 
It’s my gift to you — an offering to anyone who loves to sing.)

About

Becoming A Singer is a free online course that prepares you to step out on stage with confidence and a new sense of purpose, ready to share your authentic voice with the world.

Who it’s for

Whether you’re taking your first steps on your musical journey, have been singing and performing for a while and need a refresh, or are a curious, lifelong learner, Becoming A Singer
has something for
everyone who loves to sing.

What you’ll learn

  • What the why is behind your love for singing, and how to stay connected to it when the journey gets rough

  • How your body works as an instrument, plus best practices for maintaining
    vocal health

  • How to choose, interpret, and connect more deeply with the songs you sing

  • How to make your practice and rehearsal time more constructive and fun.

  • All about microphones, sound systems, and stage plots

  • How to stand, move, and communicate authentically in performance

  • Guidance for overcoming performance anxiety

  • How to create a deeper connection with your audience

  • And ways to take care of yourself while navigating all of the above!

Singer educator Valerie Day in front of a red theater curtain holding a pair of glasses.

Hi, I’m your instructor, Valerie Day

My own journey as a musician and educator began more than 30 years ago with the Grammy-nominated band NuShooz. It's taken me from smokey clubs to packed arenas, from performing in obscurity to making hit records.

I spent years in the trenches as a performer and teacher — working with students of all levels of experience, each with their own dreams and goals. This has given me a front-row seat to the kinds of struggles that singers like you wrestle with every day, at every stage of your career.

So, why this course and why now?

I created Becoming A Singer as a legacy project — a way to give back to the music community that’s given me so much. When I was first starting out in music, I would have loved to have taken a course like this. But I would never have been able to afford it. I want the information and experience that I’ve gathered over a lifetime to be available to anyone who needs it.

Becoming A Singer is also the course I wish I'd had to give to my students during the 20 years I taught in my private studio. It’s hard to cover everything there is to learn in one voice lesson — there’s too much singing to do! So I also created this course for voice teachers so they could share these lessons with their students.

Old Columbia Records album sleeve with music notes and the CBS radio logo
Used record store with record cover sleeve that says Learn A Language
Used books at an antique store with titles like Singing Games and Piano Cocktail.

How You’ll Learn

Videos

Each lesson has a video ranging from five to 15 minutes long. Don’t have time to watch it? Listen to the content like it’s a podcast. If there are visual elements that you don’t want to miss, you can always watch them later. (As you’ll learn in the module on practicing, repetition is the key to remembering!

Transcriptions

Some students do best when they watch and learn. Some when they listen. And some when they read what’s being said in the audio/visual content. So you’ll have a choice with every lesson — watch, listen, and/or read. And, if you’re the kind of student who takes notes, you can copy and paste whatever information’s most important to you in whatever cloud system you use.

Go Deeper With Links & Quizzes

There’s SO much to learn! It’s easy to get overwhelmed. So, I’ve worked to make each lesson a bite-size chunk of easy-to-digest goodness. But if you’re hungry for more, most lessons have links to go deeper. Plus, each module has some quick and easy quizzes designed to help you remember what you’ve learned.

LET’S BEGIN!

HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS COURSE

My recommendation?
Start from the beginning with the Introductory Module.

The Modules are sequential — each builds a bridge to the next one.
But if a specific module topic jumps out at you —dive right in!

BECOMING A SINGER

  • Becoming A Singer Module 1 collage. Antique compass on blue and yellow background.

    Finding Your North Star

    In Module 1, we'll start with your why and use it to help you create a map for your musical journey.

  • Becoming A Singer Module 2 collage. Skeleton and illustrated singer on gold with red and orange blobs.

    Your Body Is Your Instrument

    Your body is your instrument. It's YOU! And because of that, no one else will ever sound like you. In Module Two, you’ll learn how your body makes sound and how to maintain a healthy instrument. Understanding how the body works when you sing will help you make the sounds you want to make consistently, in all kinds of performance situations throughout your life.

  • Becoming A Singer Module 3 collage. Old fashioned typerwriter with computer mouse and CD drive on red, black, and gold.

    Repertoire: It's All About The Song & Your Relationship To It

    Songs are the vehicle for your voice. They’re the vessel through which you express yourself. Your connection to the songs you sing matters. In Module Three, we'll take a look at how to choose, interpret, and communicate through them. Plus you’ll learn how to figure out which keys to sing your songs in.

  • Becoming A Singer Module 4 collage. Old fashioned microphone with hand on black, gold, turquoise, and red background.

    Preparing For Performance Part One: Practicing

    In Module 4, you'll learn how and what to practice to achieve your musical goals. We'll take a look at the difference between practicing technique vs. practicing artistry, and we'll talk about your gig book, charts, and rehearsing with other musicians.

  • Becoming A Singer Module 5 collage. Blue eye peeking out through triangle and hand on turquoise, gold and red background.

    Preparing For Performance Part Two: The Eyes Have It

    In Module 5, you’ll go from practicing alone to rehearsing with other people.

    You'll learn how we "see" each other through gestures, facial expressions, and body language. And you’ll learn how to practice with video so you can feel comfortable in your own skin and communicate more authentically with your audience.

  • Becoming A Singer Module 6 collage. Hnad holding microphone in front of red theater curtain on black, white and beige background.

    You've Got A Gig! Live Performance From A-Z (IN DEVELOPMENT!)

    In Module Six, you'll learn about gear, microphones, effects, monitors, PA, stage plots, and what to do (and not do) on performance day. In addition, I'll share some helpful techniques for warming up your body and mind before performing, and we'll explore the what, when, and how to talk with your audience.

A Vocal Life in Balance

Colage with young woman looking off to the left, the text YOU in capital letters, and a swimmer diving backwards.

Creating a life in the arts isn't easy. Making a living, the business of music, taking care of oneself and family, plus carving out time for creativity, practice, and rehearsals quickly leads to overwhelm and burnout.

I've learned the hard way that self-care is perhaps the most critical skill for singers to develop. Throughout this course, I'll share some strategies and practices that you can experiment with to keep your body, mind, and spirit healthy as you navigate the different facets of your musical life.

  • Yup! There’s no catch. No upsell. It’s an offering to those who love to sing :-)
    If you’d like to know more about why I’m giving the course away for free, I’ve written a blog post about it. You can find it HERE.

  • No. This course won’t teach you how to sing. But you will learn how your body works as an instrument, and some tips you can use to sing better. There’s also a section on voice teachers and how to find one that’s a good fit for you.

  • This course covers the foundation of your artistry as a singer — your body as your instrument, the songs you sing, how to communicate with your audience — everything you need to know to stand on stage and deliver with confidence.

    The second half of this course, Being A Singer: Living A Vocal Life Out Loud, is in development. It will cover what you need to know about the music business and how to authentically market and share your music with the world.

    If you need help now — check out the resources page for links, books, and more. And sign up for my newsletter, Vocal Notes, so that you won’t miss any announcements about future lessons!

  • No. It's helpful to have some background in notation and music theory, but it's not absolutely necessary. You'll still get a lot out of the course.

FAQ

Other Questions? Get in touch on my CONTACT PAGE.

"Once you are grounded in authentic self-worth, you just might find yourself wanting to express something. To create something. To shine in the role you and only you were born to play. To make your life into a work of art that is a true reflection of who you are in all of your unmasked, imperfect glory.

And you might be surprised to discover that your greatest fulfillment
comes not from climbing to the top but from landing wholeheartedly where you are. Because as we give our all in pursuit of what we think we want, sometimes we wind up getting what we actually long for: the inner peace of being at home in our own skin, expressing our inner self in the outer world, and blossoming into all we were born to be."

Sandra Joseph, Unmasking What Matters

If you’d like to donate…

Becoming A Singer is offered for free. But some have asked me if there’s a way to support the course by paying for it.

If you’re one of those who’d like to contribute, thank you! 

Your donation will support the countless hours of content creation, the apps I use, and this website.

This link will take you to a PayPal page where you can contribute whatever you can afford. No amount is too small. Any amount is appreciated!

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