5 Bad Habits That Are Wrecking Your Vocal Cords

5 Bad Habits That Are Wrecking Your Vocal Cords Sign up successful Bonus: Staying hydrated will also benefit your overall health, helping you to avoid infections and colds. Even mild dehydration can affect your bodys efficiency, leading to ailments like headaches and fatigue. 2. Relying on caffeine or alcohol. Similar to point #1, avoid the overuse of caffeine and alcohol, which both lead to dehydration. Alcohol causes the muscles in your throat to constrict, which may affect your range, and caffeine contributes to excessive dryness in the throat. While a cup of coffee to wake you up or one drink to calm your nerves before a show arent going to necessarily ruin your performance, its best to limit these drinks. And if you must have one, follow it up with an extra glass of water. 3. Skipping your warm-ups. Back to the athlete comparison: Similar to how the athlete needs to warm up the muscles in his or her body, warming up each limb to prevent injuries and help with overall performance, a singer should take vocal warm-ups into account before each and every practice session. Your voice teacher can show you various warm-ups to try, but a few popular strategies are lip trills, humming in an ascending and then descending pattern, and singing vowels in the same pattern. Your warm-up should leave your voice and throat relaxed, and your breathing under control. (Want some extra warm-up tips? Download our free singing video series here.) 4. Overusing your voice. Imagine youre at a loud concert or event. The music is so loud, you have to yell to speak to a friend standing right next to you. You might not think twice about it at the time, but do this all night, and youll leave the show as hoarse as a teenage girl screaming at a Justin Bieber concert. Do this often, and youre putting yourself at risk for a vocal injury. This also applies to everyday practice sessions. Keep yourself hydrated (seeing a pattern here?), and take breaks every so often to avoid overuse. Lastly, if you have a performance coming up, try to rest your voice as much as possible before (and after!) the event. 5. Belting without proper training. Belting, a style of singing that produces volume and power, can be extremely dangerous for singers who arent trained properly. Without this training, you may end up forcing some of the notes, which can lead to vocal cord damage and trauma. Healthy belting takes a lot of practice, and not all voices are made to do so but luckily, there are other strategies you can use to generate power. Some singers take years to train their voices to belt naturally and properly. Find a singing teacher with specific training, and discuss your goals. Its recommended that you master breath control, pitch and other mechanics of singing before attempting to learn how to belt. You might also like What Can I Expect At My First Voice Lesson? Learning to Sing: The Truth Behind 4 Common Misconceptions Ear Training Exercises: Recognizing Intervals

SAT Study Tips Online SAT Prep Online Tutoring Tutorpace

SAT Study Tips Online SAT Prep Online Tutoring Tutorpace SAT exam is often found challenging by the students. It is true that the exam is challenging as its designed such that it examines the students logical and conceptual knowledge to analyze whether the student is ready for the college level courses or not. However, good SAT scores can be achieved if the students follow the basic concepts and pay attention to little details in a question. SAT test paper consists of 3 important sections: Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing. The Reading section consists of questions on sentence completion and questions on reading passages. A useful tip while taking this section is to first attempt sentence completion questions as they usually take less time. Then the students can focus on passage based questions as they involve more reading and understanding. While answering reading comprehension questions, students have to look for clues for the answers in the passage itself, and instead of going from one passage to another, it is better to stick with a passage until many questions are answered. The Mathematics section consists of multiple choice as well as grid-in questions. Students do not require memorizing the math formulas as commonly used formulas are provided in the test book itself. However it is important for the students to recognize those formulas and use them appropriately. In the Writing section, students must write a meaningful essay on the given topic and should avoid giving vague statements. To support their point of view, students should give well developed examples and must write the essay thoughtfully.

How To Improve Your ISEE Essay

How To Improve Your ISEE Essay The ISEE essay is not scored, but it will automatically be sent to schools along with the rest of your report.Thus, preparing for the ISEE essay is as crucial as the rest of your ISEE examp prep.A strong essaycan allow you to demonstrate stellar writing skills, as well as the ability to think on your feet and construct a well organized, meaningful piece. Here are some tips to help you do just that: Essay prompt:Youll have 30 minutes to respond to a given prompt. The prompts wont be too complicated, and most will ask simple questions like: describe your favorite book? Whats your fondest memory? What do you want to be when you grow up? Make a point:The essays dont require any previous knowledge, and theres no right or wrong answer. Basically, private schools want to see that you have strong grammar skills, that you can articulate your thoughts, and that you can coherently string together sentences. If you can show that, you have a solid essay. But, if you want a great essay, you need to make a legitimate point and convince your reader of something. Say the prompt is to describe what your favorite book is, and you choose to write aboutCharlottes Web.Now, if you can convince your reader that this is the greatest book ever written, you will score very well on your essay. Five paragraph essay:Get used to this structure because youre going to use it constantly. For this, you need an intro paragraph to state your point, three paragraphs of examples to support your point, and a conclusion to wrap it all up. For theCharlottes Webbeing the best book ever written argument, your essay structure could look like this: First paragraph:Charlottes Webis one of if not the best books ever written. E.B White (the author of the novel) created a great plot, unique and recognizable characters and helped her readers learn something new. Second paragraph: Great plot. You could write about how the plot was interesting and relevant to both children and adults, which took the book to new levels. Third paragraph: Unique and recognizable characters. Use specific examples with the characters of Charlotte or Wilbur. Write about how they were well-developed and provided personality and color to the book. Fourth paragraph: learn something new. You could write that reading this book opened up your eyes to a whole new world of farming, fairs, and how slaughtering animals fits into farm life. You could also talk about the accurate portrayals of this area. Conclusion: Now just restate that Charlottes Web is one of the best books ever written because it has a great plot, interesting characters and when the reader finishes it, he/she learns something new. Organize your thoughts: Before you start writing your essay, decide what examples you want to use. If you just start writing right away, you might realize your examples are weak. Then, youll have to start all over, and everyone knows how precious time is on the ISEE essay. Work with an ISEE tutor: You can know everything there is to know about writing a great ISEE essay. But, to truly master it, youll need to work with a private ISEE essay tutor. Your tutor can help you better understand how to impress private schools with your writing. Contact Varsity Tutors today for more information on how to improve your ISEE score. Ask about how an ISEE tutor can help you improve your essay score.

Math Magic Join our math magic modules, where math is real fun

“Math Magic” Join our math magic modules, where math is real fun 0SHARESShare • Algebra, • trigonometry, • fractions, • Pythagoras, • properties, • ratios, • factorization, • geometry, • graphs, • equations, Hard work is the base for any successful person. If you plant hard work today you will reap success tomorrow. So, be careful what you plant now, because it will determine what you will reap tomorrow. Society remembers only the achievers and the successful people. We are here to provide a success story to each one of our students.   A brief introduction on math magic, a math online module. We have excellent trainers who gauge your requirement through useful interaction on math topics, number of online math sessions required The trainers have ample study materials in well-defined structures with lots of solved examples, working models which covers constructions, decimals, inequalities, calculus, application oriented problems related to all relevant topics One can have an online math tutoring anytime in one’s living room, watch and learn asthe lessons   are taught One can rewind, fast forward, pause the tutor and listen to it as many times as one wants. This is the greatest advantage of online math sessions. Homework online math sessions, revision tests , exams and much more Take action to enroll right away to the modern way of learning at leisure time through the online facility. The seeds you now scatter will bring fruits and make your life an example to others. Stand tall and excel in your studies from now onwards….            [starbox id=admin]

What is Elocution

What is Elocution Elocution and Voice Training: What's it all about? ChaptersFirstly, a Definition: What is Elocution?A Bit of History of ElocutionWhat Can Elocution Classes Help You with?Finding an Elocution TutorThese days, elocution is perhaps one of the most misunderstood subjects ever. We still generally understand it to be the rather quaint training that accompanies usually posh kids who are coming of age â€" all reading aloud and smoothing out their voice into a properly British English.However, this is not really what elocution actually is any more. Sure, that makes up a part of it, absolutely. But, in general, the art and training of elocution has moved out of the drawing room and into the business office, meeting room, or private drama studio.It is less about preserving, or aping, the privilege of the upper classes and more about the ability to speak clearly, communicate effectively, and discuss ideas convincingly and persuasively. There is no shame in your Cockney accent, or in your pronunciation developed in a foreign language. However, if you want to ensure that you avoid misunderstanding, elocution lessons might be a good idea. Here, we’re going to give you the full idea of what elocution is, so that we can avoid misunderstanding ourselves. From a brief history of elocution to a breakdown of all the different elements that make up this discipline, we’ll cover all you need to know. And, finally, we’ll point you in the direction of some of the best places to find elocution lessons. We hope you find it helpful! You can check out our article on everything you need to know about learning elocution too, if you want! With elocution classes, you'll exude confidence. CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £3 0/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsFirstly, a Definition: What is Elocution?So, how do we actually define elocution? We know that it has something to do with speaking skills, but what are we are actually doing when we are learning elocution?Well, it is worth pointing out that there are usually two general definitions of the term ‘elocution’.In the first, usually, elocution is defined as the study of formal speaking, usually in a public context. Here, elocution is what you will be doing if you are studying the correct ways of spoken English: practising phonetics, communication skills, and vocal exercises. This, really, is what we are discussing in the rest of article.Then, there is the other definition of elocution, which is essentially the product of these sessions: your particular manner or style of speaking English.A Bit of History of ElocutionElocution is not a subject that was born out nowhere. Rather, this discipline has been a part of the study of rhetoric since the classical age â€" when, arguably, that very discipline began.Ancient Elocution.The thing that elocution referred to back then was, generally speaking, style. So, when discoursing in some oratorical context, you would be expected to pay attention to the fact that your language is decorous, that it is well-structured, and that it develops in an elegant progression. While, these days, we are mainly concerned with making our language of a particularly charming style, back in the day this was not required: any style, when appropriate, could be performed eloquently.Elocution in the Eighteenth Centur y.However, among the elements of rhetoric that we continued to study throughout the centuries, elocution did not appear among the priorities. Rather, elocution dropped off the map a little, even when other elements of rhetoric were continually studied.The first signs of elocution emerging as a proper discipline occurred in the eighteenth century, when figures like Thomas Sheridan gave his Lectures on Elocution and the actor published his Elements of Elocution. In both cases, clear, appropriate, and ornamental speech was combined with effective gesture, posture, and intonation.It’s this sort of period that gives elocution the reputation with which it has been stuck ever since: stuffy and old-fashioned, with an overemphasis on received pronunciation or on a standardised British accent. Dramatists need voice training these daysContemporary Elocution.Today, however, an elocution training course would not be like this. It is, rather, significantly more democratic than this.Elocution today is more aimed at businesspeople, non-native speakers of English, or people intending to go to drama school. Whilst it still helps to teach a standardised version of English, this is not for purposes of prestige or class. Rather, it is for reasons of opportunity, rather than of identity.And this leads us to our next question…What Can Elocution Classes Help You with?Maybe your image of elocution is young women in starched dresses being taught how to pronounce the words of poetry in an effective manner. And whilst, yes, this is a pretty accurate description of what elocution was like once upon a time, these days vocal training classes are a bit more oriented towards the more practical side of life. So, let’s take a quick look at what you’ll actually be learning in the world of elo cution. From effective communication in general to accent modification, there’s plenty to be getting up to!Diction and Enunciation.The most basic form of elocution training regards the actual choice of English words you make and the way of correctly pronouncing them. As part of elocution, you will be considering your word choice in conversational and professional settings and on your articulation.So, no more mumbling. If you are taking it seriously, you will be looking at the vowel sounds and consonant sounds, and on which syllables the word stress is put. All of this is standard fare in private tuition for elocution.Accent Reduction and Received Pronunciation.Something that many non-native English speakers look for in elocution training is help with accent reduction â€" enabling them to speak English with an English accent. Obviously, this is not really reducing the accent but rather just changing it.The same is possible for native English speakers too. Elocution tutors can help you to adopt an RP â€" or received pronunciation â€" accent. This is something particularly helpful for actors.Dialect and Accent Training.Another thing that is generally limited in its appeal to the world of actors â€" and secret agents, we suppose â€" is dialect and accent training.Here, you will be taught how to convincingly adopt a different accent to that with which you were born. Pronunciation for Speakers of English as a Second Language.Whilst it is not accent reduction in its more extreme sense, standard pronunciation is something that is a big part of elocution training. This is something generally enjoyed by non-native learners of English.There are places in the UK that specifically focus on this aspect of language learning, such as the Pronunciation Studio.The Art of Public Speaking.Something that is becoming increasingly popular in the world of elocution training is corporate speaking skills â€" and the next three items in this list focus on those specifically.Each of th ese require something different. However, through each there is a common theme: speaking confidently, clearly, and persuasively. Elocution lessons for this precise purpose is something that is in high demand. Speaking doesn't need to be difficult!Presentation Skills.Some of the most crucial speaking skills for the business world are those associated with presentations. This means delivering information concisely and clearly, in a way that is engaging, compelling and comprehensible.Many elocution tutors work with businesspeople to hone their skills in this field. If it is something that you are considering, remember that it really can put you a cut above the rest.Speech Training.And whilst it almost seems like the same thing, speech training is probably both broader and more specific than that for presentations. Speeches can be used in all walks of life â€" from weddings to business meetings and more. If you are a little nervous in your public speaking and want to prepare for the occasion, elocution experts can help you with this too.Finding an Elocution TutorElocution teachers and classes are probably more common than you realised. Across all of the major cities in the UK, you will have n o trouble finding someone who can help you improve your speaking skills.Whilst, these days, you can look for elocution classes online, the best place to find an elocution tutor is still probably face-to-face. They will help you with your posture, tongue and lip placement, and pronunciation â€" and this is much easier when they are in the same room as you.Look on private tutoring websites, such as Superprof, or in classified pages, the old-fashioned way. You’ll find heaps of different options available to you â€" no matter what it is you want to be improving in your speaking.Speaking well will, quite simply, give your confidence a massive boost. And if it is only for that, it is something well worth the time and effort.

Should I Go to CUNY College of Staten Island

Should I Go to CUNY College of Staten Island Bonnie earned her bachelors degree in math from CUNY College of Staten Island. She specializes in algebra tutoring, ISEE tutoring, and a number of other subjects. Below she shares her experience at CUNY College of Staten Island: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Bonnie: The campus setting was beautiful. The landscape wassurrounded by fountains and a picturesque atmosphere thatmade visitors feel as though they were in a park. There were shuttle buses that took you wherever you wanted to go. Also, there was public transportation that took you ontocampus. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Bonnie:The faculty were always available to answer our questions and to help us when we had concerns. I very much appreciated the easy access we had to professors and academic advisers. How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Bonnie:We didn't have dorms on campus while I attended. However, there were plenty of opportunities to socialize by joining clubs and participating in activities on campus. All students have to do to get involved is to find clubs or teams that correlate with their individual interests. There's something for everyone. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Bonnie:The nursing and education programs were best supported and represented. I majored in mathematics and secondary education becauseI wanted to teach higher level math. The campus did a fantastic job supporting my area of study. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Bonnie:It was easy to meet others and form relationships when I was a freshman. There were plenty of opportunities to socialize at various events around campus. How helpful are the Career Centerand other student support services? Bonnie:The career center was very helpful. They posted job opportunities around campus and had resume writing workshops. I was very pleased with the amount of resources they offeredstudents. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Bonnie:The libraries and lounges were quite spacious and easily available for us to relax betweenclasses or to study for exams. They became crowded during exam weeks, as all college libraries typically do. Aside from that, they were enjoyable places to hang out with friends or prepare for classes. Describe the surrounding town. Bonnie:The surrounding town was fun since there were a multitude of places to go to meet others, such as restaurants and coffee shops. There was always something fun and exciting going on around town to participate in with friends. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Bonnie:The student body was big. However, I was pleased with my class sizes. Once I began major-focused courses, the class sizes became quite intimate. Therefore, I had the benefit of receiving plenty of individual and personalized attention. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Bonnie:Mymost memorable experience with a professor occured my senior year when I needed one more class to graduate. Sadly, this class was not available that semester. Thankfully, the professor offered me the class as an independent study so I was able to graduate on time. Check out Bonnies tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Learn English Past Simple Regular and Irregular with My favorite band

Learn English Past Simple Regular and Irregular with My favorite band One of my favorite bands in the United States is named Cloud Cult. They just played a concert close to my hometown in the U.S., but because Im still living in Argentina I was bummed (disappointed) I wasnt able to attend. So, after listening to some of their songs I decided to do a lesson on past simple regular and irregular verbs for everyone. Enjoy!English Past Simple Regular VerbsWith regular verbs we add ed to the end of the verb. For example walk changes to walked. (Verb + ed)Spelling changes; If the word ends in an E such as: SMILE we only add D to the end: SMILED. If the word has a consonant then a Y such as: TRY we change the Y to an I and add ED. So TRY changes to TRIED. If the word end in one vowel (a,e,i,o,u) followed by a consonant such as: TAP then we double the consonant. So TAP changes to TAPPED.Pronunciation of the ED ending to indicate past sounds like a T. DO NOT ADD AN EXTRA SYLLABLE. (It sounds like this: playt)Pronunciation of ED ending when the word ends in a T o r a D. When a word ends in a T or D we pronounce the extra syllable when adding ED to the end to indicate past. Such as START changes to STARTED; LAND changes to LANDED. We pronounce the extra syllable so it sounds like (STAR*TED LAN*DED)PAST IRREGULAR VERBSAlthough there is no rules about how to change irregular verbs there are some patterns that happen. Really you should memorize, (ughhh, I know), speak, take classes, watch movies, and listen to music as much as possible to get the irregulars down. But below you will see some categories and patterns. Very Irregular: These are the special verbs. to be (am/is/are) changes to was/were. Have/has changes to had. Go changes to went. Do/Does/Dont/Doesnt changes to did/didnt.Doesnt Change: There are the few strange verbs that dont change from present/past/participle. Cut, Shut, Put,hit, let, Cost.Change Last Letter to T: Usually (not always) when the word ends in a D it changes to a T like: build-built, spend-spent, send-sent, lend-lent. Normally (not a solid rule) if the word has double EE it changes to T like: sleep-slept, keep-kept, feel-felt. Others: lose-lost, leave-left.Change the Letter to a D: No real pattern to this one. Make-made, hear-heard.Change the Middle Letter to an O: Sometimes when the vowel is an I we change the I to an O. Like: win-won, drive-drove, find-found. When the word has double LL we change the middle letter to an O and add D to the end: sell-sold, tell-told. Often when there is an EA combination the EA change to an O such as: steal-stole, break-broke, wear-wore.Change the Middle Letter to an A: Mostly when the word has and I it changes to an A. Like begin-began, give-gave, drink-drank, sing-sang, swim-swam, sit-sat. O and U also change to A like run-ran, come-came, become-became.Change the middle Letter to an E: If the word is OW we usually change it to EW like: know-knew, grow-grew, throw-threw.Ought/Aught/Ould-Sometimes the whole word changes and only the first letter stays the same li ke: buy-bought, teach-taught, catch-caught.Now Watch The Video and do the exercise: How many past irregulars are in the song?How many past regulars are in the song?What other verb tenses are there in the song?Can you retell us the story of the song?Below are the lyrics, fill in the spaces:I _____ grandpa on my transistor radio,Though he _____ in his bones twenty years ago,And he ____, Kid, theres something that Id like to show you,Get your things, its time for us to goSo I ____ my backpack, my flashlight, and a bag of caramel corn,I ____ my bicycle, and the radio, and I headed on the road, I saidIm ready for what Im about to see, YupI ____ north til rain had turned to snowThrough rusty towns and dusty gravel roadsAnd I ___, Grandpa, where is this thing you wanted to show me?He said, Kid, you got a long way to goSo I ____ through canyons, caves and catacombs, I sailed on bicycle boatsI _____ in chapels and brothels, I ____ the nicest folksI said, Im ready for what Im about to see, Yu pI heard grandpa on my transistor radioHe said, Kid, its time for me to go,And I know that there was something that I _____ to show you,But its time for you to find it on your own.Let me tell you about rage when a signal ____ that day,Theres nothing out there and I dont careits to take my life awayIm not ready and I dont want to see, NopeIts been years since I _____ my transistor radioYet I keep going to where it seems Im ______ to goAnd I finally ____ what he wanted to show meWhere Ive been, where I am, is the showWhere Ive ____, where I am, is the showWhere I__ been, where I am, is the showHope you enjoyed another Lesson and the song. If you like the song you should check out the band, they are pretty under as they say in Argentina but are becoming more popular. Email us if you have questions, or are interested in our English classes.

Tutor Social!

Tutor Social! The Tutorfair crowd together once again for our monthly mingle. Tutorfair founders Edd and super-tutor Mark enjoyed a pint or two… New (and fabulous) English tutor Jim R celebrated all the new bookings he’s had through Tutorfair: There was quite a crowd - these gatherings are getting bigger and bigger! We think there were about 50 tutors present - but our count may not have been entirely accurate towards the end (hic!) The tutor whose face you can (just) see below is Eton entrance specialist Joseph N. Joe joined us just before half-term - and then had over 20 hours tutoring in his first week! Way to go, Joe… What’s the collective noun for super-tutors? A starburst of super-tutors perhaps? Meet some of our top tutors (from left to right): supertutor Mark M, who co-founded Tutorfair; English tutor Phineas, who has been tutoring all over the world; Science tutor Frank,  who left behind the cancer research lab to do more teaching; and all-round tutor superstar Madeleine, who uses her Developmental Psychology background to help struggling students. What a team! Fancy getting some top tips from this lot? (And all our other superstars of course) Come to the next Tutorfair tutor social!