Christina introduces herself and breaks down the techniques, skills, and exercises you’ll learn in the session as you prepare to perform and share your own version of your favorite song. Get ready to take your next performance from standard to stunning.
Christina shares how she evolved from a “little girl with a big voice” into a six-time Grammy Award–winning superstar. Then she explains why success requires staying true to who you are.
Where you practice is just as important as how often you practice. Christina explains how a creative space can help to preserve your energy and improve your performance. She then invites you to design a comfortable creative space where you can feel free to make mistakes and experiment with your voice.
As a singer, you must nurture and care for your lungs. Christina demonstrates two of her favorite, most restorative breathing exercises—the Breath of Fire and Breathing Into Your Body—to help you release tension and reach your full singing potential. Also, check out the Guides section for a PDF on voice-freeing yoga poses.
Accessing the full power of your vocals requires understanding how they work. Christina explains the difference between chest voice and head voice. Then she walks you through the best sounds to use when warming up your voice. Head to the Guides for tips on how to lift your soft palate and approach one of the most challenging vowel sounds.
It’s officially time to try the custom vocal warm-up that Christina designed just for this session. Follow along as Christina demonstrates how to warm up everything in your range, from the highest note in your head to the lowest note in your chest. Then give it a go on your own.
Now that you’ve mastered Christina’s custom vocal warm-up, it’s time to lock your own routine in place. Christina shares additional tips on how to get the most out of your vocal warm-ups and how to stick to them whenever you perform.
Your vocal range is defined by the range of notes you are comfortable singing, and it can affect which songs you choose to perform. Determine your own unique range as Christina guides you up and down the piano to determine your vocal classification.
Adding your own style to a song is both a personal and technical process. Christina dives deep into vocal techniques such as phrasing, riffing, and bending to guide you through making a song your own. She demonstrates her own interpretation of these strategies by breaking down one of her favorite songs—“At Last” by Etta James. Then she challenges you to take all that you’ve learned to perform a unique version of your own chosen song.
Christina guides you through key considerations for choosing songs that not only fit your voice but also inspire something deep within you.
Beyond your song itself, your performance tells an entire story and reveals who you really are as a performer. Christina describes how journaling, collaging, and research into your favorite singers can help you develop a one-of-a-kind vision for the final performance that you’ll deliver at the end of this section.
Now that you’ve developed a visual representation of your performance, it’s time to express that vision through sound. Christina explains how to collaborate with your network of musicians in order to build a passion-filled performance. Then, you will combine all the techniques you’ve learned throughout her session to deliver your final performance.
To wrap up her session, Christina offers a few more essential tips for protecting your voice, following your vision, and choosing the right support system to keep harnessing your unique abilities as a singer.
Surprise! Christina is not done yet. She welcomes a special guest, Puerto Rican pop star and producer Jean Rodriguez, to discuss the importance of emotion and soul in music. Analyzing a song that inspired her latest Spanish-language album, Christina shows how technique is just one element in creating a truly memorable performance.